The Third Commander

Chapters

Ch2 Losing a Home
Ch4 The Thunder Grounds Awoken
Ch5 Thundaga's Guest
Ch6 Cirrus's World
Ch7 Thundaga's World
Ch8 The Mare of the Mountain
Ch9 The Curse of Resurrection
Ch10 Commanders Halo, Mist, and Mage
Ch11 My Fear
Ch12 You Are The Third Commander
Ch13 A Peaceful Encounter?
Ch14 Zine's Lost Fear
Ch15 Old Friends
Ch16 Return of the Nightmare Legion
Ch17 Thundaga Declares War
Ch18 Arms For a War
Ch19 The Commander's Suggestion
Ch20 Return to Canterlot
Ch21 Zine's Preporations
Ch23 The Final Ingredient
Ch24 Thundaga's Last Fight
Ch25 The Darkness Within
Ch26 The Power of the Pegasi
Ch27 A New Beginning
Prologue & Ch1 Thundaga's Orphan
Ch3 The Evil Enchanter
Ch22 The Tri-Battle of Canterlot

Ch2 Losing a Home

The air felt thin as Cirrus found himself gliding at high altitude over the Equestrian plains. As he flew, Cirrus noticed that the cloud cover below seemed minuscule so with no worry of rough weather, Cirrus rolled himself nighty degrees as he dove downward as the whipping air around his wings created streams of clouds behind him showing his diving path. As he reached a speed that made his breathing more difficult, Cirrus leveled himself out as he came into a medium altitude glide at almost five hundred feet from the tree line. As Cirrus glided over Equestria he could only smile as he thought to himself, “it’s been a while since I’ve flown… I wonder why I stopped.”

As soon as he thought that, the clouds above his head started thickening as if it were a spell that caused it. Then as he continued flying Cirrus could feel static in the air that caused him to mumble to himself “What?… lightning?... wh-where did this storm come from?”
Afraid of the approaching storm, Cirrus tried to raise his altitude, but for some odd reason, as hard as he flapped his wings, his altitude never changed. Trying even harder, Cirrus started to panic, as the closing storm clouds, started turning black and the air around him started to feel heavy with static. Now, Cirrus was officially afraid. Giving up on raising his altitude, Cirrus tried lowering it to find a place to take cover on the ground, but like before, as Cirrus tried gliding down, his altitude never changed.

He couldn’t understand it, not only could he not change his altitude at all, now he started to see the ground beneath him move faster and faster as everything flew by him as if he had a rocket strapped to his back. With things going from bad to worse, it wasn’t long until they finally went worst as lightning bolts started falling from the storm clouds above as if it were falling rain onto the surroundings. Although his speed and altitude weren’t within his control, Cirrus still could control his direction as he did everything he could to dodge the falling lightning around him. However since he was astraphobic it wasn’t long before the falling lightning took control of his fear, as he finally gave up by closing and locking his wings and bracing himself for impact as he expected his plummet to the ground. Unfortunately, this too was a futile act as he opened his eyes to see that he was still flying at the same height and speed.

Fearing the worst, Cirrus looked up into the pitch black clouds above as he started to see two eyes staring back at him. Recognizing the green and blue separate colored eyes anywhere, Cirrus could only watch as both eyes kept their angered expression as they shot lightning bolts that immediately centered, and hit him at the exact same time. When this happened Cirrus opened his eyes as he sat up from his bed in a cold sweat. Feeling his heart race and his body tremble with fear, Cirrus rubbed his head as he mumbled to himself, “it was just a dream… there is no storm… no lightning… I’m safe… Thundaga can’t get me… I’m safe… I’m…”
before he could finish, there was a knock on his bedroom door as Mr. Toll spoke from the other side, “Cirrus… time to get up, the foals are getting restless. You still have breakfast to start.”
Cirrus sighed as he mumbled, “the orphans need me… no time to panic…” he looked at the door and replied, “Coming!”

Later in the day, Cirrus, Allium, and Mr. Toll stood at the front of the orphanage as a regal carriage pulled up to the door. Standing with Allium who was the last orphan in the building, Mr. Toll and Cirrus waited as one of the ponies pulling the carriage trotted to the door and opened it as a tall powder pink mare stepped out and nearly screamed with excitement, “Monsieur Toll!”
Mr. Toll Replied, “Mi amour!”
Cirrus gave him a funny look, “Mi a-what?”
The two greeting ponies hugged as Madam Melody spoke in a Prench accent, “It’z been ages since ve last spoke. And look at you… still as handsome as ze day ve met. Sadly, ve are years past our prime.”
Speaking with almost a high class accent, Mr. Toll shook his head, “Pardon? Our prime? Madame I am the one past my prime, but you… you are like a fine wine, aged, yet still perfect for any occasion.”
With that said Mr. Toll took Madame Melody’s hoof and kissed it as Cirrus could only roll his eyes at what he assumed to be an act.

After kissing her hoof, Mr. Toll and Madam Melody looked into each other’s eyes for a few seconds before Cirrus finally cleared his throat, “Um… hello? Earth to Mr. Toll?”
Mr. Toll continued holding the noble’s hoof as he turned to look at Cirrus who was pointing at Allium as she sat in complete confusion of what she was witnessing. Realizing the awkwardness of the moment, Madam Melody took her hoof back as she replied, “Oh, pardon me. I believe I vas caught in nostalgia. Now, to business. Is zis young filly little Allium?”
Seeing that she was being spoken too, Allium stepped forward and bowed slightly, “yes ma’am my name is al…”
Before the young filly could finish, Madam Melody gave another scream as she threw her hooves around the little filly and hugged her, “OH! She is just ze most adorable zing! I could just take her home wiz me and keep her forever!... of course zis is ze reason I’m here today, no?”
The pink noble looked at Cirrus who assumed he was being asked a question as he replied, “um… Oui?”

Lady melody dropped Allium as she smiled, “Zen it’s decided. Monsieur Toll do you have ze paperwork to make zings official?”
Mr. Toll smiled as he started to go back inside, “of course mi amora, right this way s’il-vous-plait.”
As Mr. Toll went into the orphanage courting Madam Melody as if they were at a fancy ball together, Allium looked at Cirrus as she spoke, “see vu wha?…”
Cirrus replied, “I think it means please… I got to say I’ve never seen Mr. Toll act this sophisticated… it’s a little…”
“Creepy?”
Cirrus smiled at Allium’s answer, “yea… creepy.”
Allium looked at the ground in disappointment, “I don’t know about this Halo… what if I don’t like it in Canterlot?”
Cirrus smiled, “don’t worry about a thing Allium. You’ll be living in a big house with all kinds of servants and stuff. I’m a little jealous. Besides, remember our promise? You and I are gonna fly together someday right.”
Allium smiled in reassurance, “right.”

At that moment both Mr. Toll and Madam Melody returned as Madam Melody spoke, “Well since zat is in order, it is time for us to leave. Little Allium, before long you will become a proper lady of ze melody family. But don’t worry, I know zat a proper lady must have ze freedom to express herself so you vill still be able to play and have fun like every ozer filly in ze kingdom.”
Still a little unsure of how to talk to her, Allium replied, “oh… um… thank you Madam Melody.”
The noble smiled, “oh sweet filly, no need to be so formal, if you vant you can call me mozer.”
The filly replied, “Oh… ok… mozer.”
With that small bit of confusion of the accent, Madam Melody couldn’t hold herself back as she hugged Allium and screamed, “Oh! She is just so adorable! Ve are going to be so happy togezur.”
As Madam Melody placed Allium back down, she trotted to the carriage and spoke, “Now come along little Allium. Ze manor awaits.”

Before trotting to the carriage, Allium approached Cirrus and smiled, “well, I’m gonna go now Halo… um” She threw her hooves around him and hugged as tightly as she could, “I’ll miss you.”
Cirrus hugged her back, “you too…”
Seeing the tenderness of the moment, Madam Melody placed her hoof over her heart as she sighed, “Awww how sweet.”
With that, Allium trotted to Mr. Toll and hugged him to, “Bye Mr. Toll thanks for everything.”
Mr. Toll hugged her back and replied, “Grow into a fine young mare, and come back to us. We will welcome you anytime.”

With that Allium stopped hugging Mr. Toll as she trotted past Madam Melody and entered the carriage. As soon as she was on board, Madam Melody looked at Mr. Toll and spoke, “So… zis is your decision?”
Mr. Toll nodded his head, “yes.”
“Are you sure?...”
“… Yes…”
Madam Melody sighed with disappointment, “Zen… I Von’t stop you. And… I vill leave you to it. Monsieur Cirrus? It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “the pleasure was mine Madame.”
The noble smiled, “a charmer like his fozer…” she then approached Mr. Toll and kissed him on the cheek “Monsieur Toll… it vas good seeing you again. Au revoir.”
Mr. Toll smiled peacefully, “Au revoir… Mi amore.”

With that the two smiled at each other before Madam Melody entered the carriage and had one of the driver close it before hooking himself back up and pulling it away. As the carriage rolled away from the orphanage Mr. Toll smiled slightly, “I should have married that mare…”
After hearing that Cirrus asked, “Why didn’t you?”
“her father wouldn’t have it, what was it he said… Ze Melody family is ze peak of sophistication and grace. Zerfore she must be married to ze highest of class, zat doesn’t include wrich like you.”
Cirrus was confused, “Wrich?”
“I think he meant wretch… I never had the heart to correct him though.”
Cirrus gave him a surprised look, “That’s harsh…”
Mr. Toll smiled sarcastically, “it didn’t stop us from having fun though…”
Cirrus raised his hoof, “ok I’m gonna stop you there… before I become permanently scarred.”

Laughing at the comment, Mr. Toll turned and looked at the empty building behind him, “Well… they’re all gone…”
Cirrus looked back too, “Yea… Allium was the last one.”
Mr. Toll looked at Cirrus as he replied, “I guess it’s time for you to leave too.”
Cirrus trotted to the side of the building where he had a saddlebag already made as he picked it up and replied, “Yea… I guess it is.”
As he put the saddlebag on, Mr. Toll trotted to the door as he reached inside and picked up a small package that sat inside the door, “Cirrus…before you go, take this.”
When Cirrus took the package he replied, “What is it?”
Mr. Toll smiled, “Just a little something for all the work you did.”

Curious, Cirrus opened the package to find two things, a bag full of bits and the framed picture of him and Mr. Toll the day after he was adopted. Smiling at the picture, Cirrus placed it back in the bag as he looked inside, “What?... h-how much is in here?”
Mr. Toll smiled, “We may have been behind on bills, but that doesn’t mean we had nothing to pay with. That money was supposed to be next week’s groceries, but it should be enough to get a room at a hotel or something.”
Cirrus shook his head, “Dad… I can’t take this. Well… the picture sure, but not the money.”
Cirrus tried to give the bag back as Mr. Toll pushed it away, “Take it… you need it more than I do. Besides, what father wouldn’t help out his own son?”

Cirrus saw that Mr. Toll was serious as he replied, “Well…if you’re sure then okay, but wouldn’t you need it?”
Mr. Toll shook his head, “no… I have my own money to handle. This is what you earned. You’re not just a coworker here, and you’re not just my foster son. You’re important to this place and to those unfortunate enough to be here. And I think you should remember that as you go off and begin your own life.”
Cirrus placed the gift into his saddle bag as he hugged Mr. Toll and replied, “Sure… and when I’m all settled, I’ll come visit. After all, I got to make sure an old timer like you eats well.”
Mr. Toll hugged him back as he replied, “Sure… I’ll be waiting… son.”
With that the two stopped hugging as Cirrus smiled, “well… I guess I’ll get going. I’ll see you later, dad.”
As Cirrus turned to trot away Mr. Toll replied, “Take it easy … don’t be a stranger.”
Smiling one last time, the two parted ways as Mr. Toll looked back at the orphanage and sighed, “Sorry son… but this will be the last time we see each other.”

Up north in Canterlot, Thundaga sat on her throne as the visiting diplomat spoke, “Scary princess knows that tension between Yakyakistan yacks and Yakyakistan prince is feeble. Yakyakistan prince is worried scary princess will not assist if subjects rebel.”
Thundaga sighed in hopelessness, “Yakyakistan prince must remember this little note… if he cannot keep control of his own subjects, then perhaps the subject’s rebellion is just. Either control them, or fall to them… but remember this… if Yakyakistan prince and Yakyakistan yacks’ war reaches into scary princess’s borders… then you will be reminded of why you call me scary princess … I’ll move in, and destroy you both… Understand?”
Feeling fear in Thundaga’s words, the visiting yack bowed as he replied, “Scary princess’s words are understood. Yakyakistan prince will be informed of scary princess’s threat.”

Thundaga gave the yak an angry look as she corrected him, “Warning… and yes, you will inform him. Now if you have no further business, you are free to leave.”
The Yack rose from his bow, “Scary Princess… Yakyakistan prince still has one more matter to discuss.”
Thundaga replied, “and that is?...”
The Yack felt nervous as he replied, “Yakyakistan prince is curious of scary princess’s reply to Yakyakistan prince’s proposal.”
Thundaga sighed, “Fine… then let me inform you of the many problems with the proposal. One, Yakyakistan prince has yet to see scary princess’s face, so a proposal is rushing things way too fast. Two, Yakyakistan prince is only concerned for the security that my wedding him could bring so scary princess will not wed for such medial reasons. And finally… Yakyakistan prince must realize that scary princess was betrothed once, but due to the tragedy of the following events, scary princess will never again love one who will not live as long as she… so I’d suggest that Yakyakistan prince should just drop it and find some other princess that he could use for his own safety. Now if you will excuse me, scary princess has had enough… so leave.”

Taking the hint, the Yakyakistan delegate bowed in respect as he turned and left the throne room with nothing more to say. After the delegate was gone, Commander Mist entered the throne room as he spoke, “Your majesty… I came to give you the daily repo…”
Thundaga raised her hoof to silence him as she began rubbing her head, “Not now commander, scary prin… I mean, I have had a long morning and I don’t want to hear any bad news just yet… so unless you have good news, then I would suggest you leave.”
The commander replied, “But I do have good news your majesty we’ve just confirmed the location that General Rich is hiding in. and to our luck, he is alone and unprotected.”

Thundaga replied with a slight smile, “Good… monitor him until dusk, then move in and take him down. Preferably alive… but if he fights back, do what needs to be done.”
The commander was confused, “Dusk? But your majesty, we have him where we need him. We should take this opportunity to…”
“Avoid unnecessary attention! If anypony were to see a group of my soldiers storm a home, then it would only result in chaos. Rebellion supporters would talk amongst themselves. Soon the story of one pony’s capture will change to a group of ponies, while a squad of soldiers would turn into an army from the erosion of a rumor chain. It would only incite rebellion amongst the citizens, while bringing an inevitable war to us before we’ve had time to mark down their numbers. You forget… we are still facing an enemy, and since they wear no uniform, they are even more dangerous than they seem.”
Hearing the logic in Thundaga’s interruption, Commander Mist nodded his head, “of course… but… why dusk? Why that particular time?”

Thundaga smiled, “haven’t you ever heard the saying? It’s always darkest before dawn?... well the same can be said about dusk.”
The commander bowed as he replied, “of course your majesty, I should have known.”
Thundaga sighed, “Yes… you should. So… now that my headache has subsided, I wish to discuss another matter with you… do you know what it is?”
Feeling nervous, the commander sighed, “Yes your majesty… I would assume it to be the museum robbery.”
Thundaga nodded her head, “Your assumption is correct, what news do you have on that?”
The commander replied, “We haven’t found any leads… but we did find magic residue on the crime scene. The Rebellion is claiming credit for the theft, but we believe it’s a ploy to gain fame amongst their supporters.”

Thundaga wasn’t amused as she replied, “Okay… then who was it? If you would have to place somepony on the crime scene… who would it be?”
The commander shrugged his shoulders, “I… honestly don’t know your majesty, could be a third party crook looking for a quick bit, a crazed historian looking to keep them for himself… or… It could be Zine.”
Thundaga gave the commander a slightly amused stare, “you still worry about my trust in Zine don’t you commander?”
Commander Mist nodded his head, “Yes your majesty, that zebra and his willingness to toy with forbidden magic… I don’t trust him… and my suggestion would be to imprison him before he decided to do something that could really cause problems.”

Thundaga smiled as she replied, “Commander… do you know why I trust him?”
Commander Mist nodded his head, “Because he is a descendant of your teacher.”
“Close… actually I trust him merely because he can’t be trusted. Zine has powers that I and no other unicorn or alicorn could ever comprehend, and it’s this reason that I keep him around. He is willing to step across a line that even I wouldn’t dare to cross. And that kind of unpredictability make him a valuable ally.”
Commander hesitated before replying, “Or a dangerous foe.”
Thundaga nodded her head, “true… to assume he will always be loyal can be a bit naive… but remember, he owes me his life. So by his honor as a zebra, he would never do anything to risk mine.”
Commander Mist nodded his head, “But your majesty, he has no honor as a zebra. He destroyed that long before we ever met him.”

Thundaga replied with a confident smiled, “Perhaps… but then perhaps not. All I know is that he told me himself that he doesn’t want to kill anypony, nor rule over anypony by force. So I know for a fact that he won’t challenge my throne. Just as I expect he wouldn’t do anything to spread a plague to harm my subjects without first harming his conscience.”
Commander Mist shook his head, “Your majesty, nothing you’ve said make sense considering everything he has done thus far. Right now I have three soldiers in an insane asylum because of his magic. They were good trustworthy ponies, but now, they scream at the mere mention of a zebra. You see that and still assume him to be harmless?”
Thundaga, nodded her head, “in an effort to save his own life? yes. You would be a fool to assume a pony cornered won’t fight back when threatened.”

Commander Mist sighed with hopelessness, “I still don’t trust him… I just don’t see how you can.”
Thundaga stood from her throne, “it’s not your place to trust anypony… it’s your place to follow orders. Or have you forgotten where you stand?”
Feeling he had stepped over the line, Commander Mist bowed, “my apologies your majesty… I was just voicing my opinion.”
Thundaga sat back down, “then think before you speak… now, unless you find evidence, I don’t want you accusing anypony or zebra of this crime until the evidence speaks otherwise. Understood?”
Commander Mist rose from his bow as he replied, “yes your majesty. I understand.”
Thundaga nodded her head, “good… now go… it would appear my headache has returned and I wish to retire for some rest.”

With that Thundaga stood from her throne and trotted passed her commander as she and two of her personal guards left the throne room and entered the corridor. When she was gone a guard who had been present for the meeting approached the commander and asked, “Commander, what are your orders?”
The commander sighed, “Gather my strongest soldiers in the barracks. They will need to be briefed for when we decide to take down General Rich. Then continue investigating the museum robbery, I need some leads on where those weapons went.”
The guard nodded his head, “Yes commander.”
With that the two also left the throne room as they each saw to the orders they were given.

Back in Ponyville Cirrus sat in a Weather Pegasus recruiting office as he sighed, “are you serious?... isn’t there something you can do?”
The recruiter shook his head, “sorry, but with the summer months beginning there just isn’t any need for weather pegasi. I can put you on an emergency response listing, but that’s about all I can do. I’m afraid there isn’t much rain scheduled for this summer, I’m sorry.”
Cirrus asked, “Well… is there anything at another recruiting office? Canterlot? Cloudsdale? Anywhere?”
The recruiter shook his head, “Sorry, but this is Equestria wide, there is just no demand for weather pegasi during summer months. You might be able to try the Griffin Republic, but then again I hear it’s hard for Equestrian Ponies to get hired there.”
Cirrus looked down in disappointment as he mumbled to himself, “Great… now what?...”

Seeing the disappointment in Cirrus’s face, the recruiter sighed, “look colt, I know you worked with Mr. Toll and he is a well-respected pony around here… so I’ll tell you what, I’ll add you to the very top of the emergency response list. It isn’t full time but if a storm grows too strong to manage or a hurricane tried to move inland we will call you. So give me your contact address and I’ll add you to the record.”
Cirrus hesitated, “an address?”
The recruiter nodded, “yes, so we can find you when we need you.”
Cirrus shook his head, “I… don’t have one yet. Actually I just recently became homeless.”

The recruiter sighed in disappointment, “I’m sorry to hear that… but I’m afraid I can’t add you unless you have a place of residence. When you get one, feel free to come back and I’ll help you then.”
Cirrus sighed in disappointment, “thanks… I’ll probably do that…”
with that said, Cirrus turned around and left the room with an unhappy look on his face. As soon as he was outside the building Cirrus leaned against the wall and mumbled to himself, “Well that was a waste of time… now what?”
While trying to think of an answer to his own question, an unexpected voice came from a cloaked figure that approached him, “rough day?...”
Cirrus looked up to see Zine standing over him as the surprised pegasus replied, “I… um… yea.”

Zine nodded his head as he sat down, “hmm, well that’s disappointing to hear.” He reached into his cloak and pulled out an apple, “Here… you look hungry. Take this.”
With that, Zine tossed the apple at Cirrus as he caught it and replied, “oh… um… th-thanks…”
With that Zine watched Cirrus intently as if he were saying; go ahead and eat it. Seeing the body language, Cirrus went ahead and took a bit of the apple as Zine spoke, “I’ve seen you before, you’re the pony who works at the orphanage at the edge of town.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he replied, “y-yea… that’s me.”
Zine smiled, “you must be very likable. It seems like those orphans can’t get enough of you.”

Once again Cirrus answers with a brief reply, “yea… I guess so.”
Zine continues, “then again it’s the quiet ones that are likable. You don’t seem to talk much do you?”
Trying not to offend him, Cirrus replied, “well… I don’t talk much… when I don’t have much to say.”
Zine thought to himself as he replied, “well it’s been about a minute… how do you feel?”
Cirrus was confused, “um… fine I guess… wait… a minute since when?”
Zine sighed with relief, “Good, I was worried I mixed my poisoned apples with my normal ones… well look like today’s your lucky day.”
Cirrus was shocked, “YOU WHAT!!!”

Zine shook his hoof, “Calm down… you’ll be fine. Even if you did eat one my tainted apples it would have only killed you for a few minutes. Tomorrow you would have woken with no harm done… assuming you weren’t buried in a grave before then.”
Cirrus stood in anger, “That’s not the point! The fact is that you could have killed me!”
Zine smiled in a joking manner, “well I guess that answers the question on my mind then.”
“Question? What Question!”
Zine replied calmly, “when I saw you a second ago… it looked like you had given up on hope… that you were considering suicide or something. I merely told you that because I wanted to see if you had anything to live for? I assume you do if the thought of dying made you that angry.”

Not expecting the unorthodox experiment, Cirrus replied, “r-really?... I looked that bad?”
Zine nodded his head, “that you did… but the question remains… what’s wrong that would make you look or feel that way?”
Feeling boxed in, Cirrus sighed as he replied, “Today… the orphanage closed down, and now I don’t know what to do. I tried to become a weather pegasus but right now they aren’t hiring and I don’t even have any place to go.”
Zine nodded his head as he replied, “why not help me?”
Cirrus gave him a funny look, “you?”
Zine nodded his head, “sure. I need an assistant to help with my spells and I think you would be perfect for the position. I can even pay you and give you a place to stay.”

Cirrus didn’t like the idea as he replied, “thanks… but no thanks. I’m not very smart when it comes to magic… then there are the rumors I hear about you. From my understanding, you work for Thundaga and enjoy toying with dark magic. Not to offend you, but I don’t want anything to do with that sort of thing.”
Zine smiled, “so… you’re turning down my offer for a permanent job?”
Cirrus nodded his head, “Yea… thanks… but no thanks.”
Zine’s smile turned sinister, “ok I guess it will just be for the week then.”
Cirrus was confused, “a… week?”
Zine smiled, “yes… a week. That should be enough to pay off your debt.”

Now Cirrus was really confused as he replied, “Debt?... but I don’t owe you anything?”
Zine nodded his head as he replied, “you sure… I believe you just took an apple from me didn’t you?”
“Well… yea but that’s not…”
Zine interrupted with a smug attitude, “At the usual rate, an apple would be worth about five bits…so doing about five bits worth of work should be enough to pay me back… after all I didn’t say the apple was free… then in my eyes five bits worth of work would be about a day and a half. However, since you don’t have a place to stay, I’ll let you stay at my house which I would usually charge a random pony three bits for… then I’ll happily share whatever meal I eat for one bit per day, leaving your daily earning as my apprentice to one bit a day. Meaning to pay me back for the apple, you’ll have to work for me about a week.”

Cirrus was shocked as he tried to argue, “W-wait… You can’t do that!... and even then… that math would only mean I’d have to work five days not a whole week!”
Zine kept his sinister smile as he replied, “oh?... did I mention I won’t make you work weekends or charge you for staying through them?... by my math that would make our debt settled by this time next week.”
Cirrus Still tried fighting it, “Y-you can’t do this!... I… what if I have something to say about it?”
Zine nodded his head as he gestured down the road, “Well, if you intend on ditching me when you clearly owe me money… then we can bring the royal guard into it.”
Cirrus looked down the road at a patrolling royal guard as he thought he was beat, “alright… I guess…” he remembered something, “Wait a sec… I can pay you back here I have this bag full of bits!”

Pulling the bag that Mr. Toll gave him earlier, Cirrus reached in and pulled out a Gold coin, “Here… I know this is worth fifty bits… but keep the change.”
Zine shook his head, “No can do… then I would owe you money… and I won’t stand for that.”
Trying to find smaller valued coins in the bag, Cirrus shuffled them around, “Well there has to be some single bits in here somewhere…”
After finding only gold coins in the bag Cirrus spoke, “Well… I don’t mind a debt…just take this and consider us even…”
Zine shook his head, “it’s unhealthy to burden you in such a way… I just won’t have it.”

Trying to push the coin onto him Cirrus replied while cringing his teeth angrily, “Its fine… Just take it…”
Zine shook his head, “No can do… it would be a law, that all debts be paid… and I won’t have myself owing you anything… although…”
Cirrus felt hopeful, “Although?...”
Zine smiled sinisterly again as he replied, “you know… if you help me with just one spell… then I’ll be happy to give you free room and board for the time and, call it all even.”
Cirrus gave him a sceptic look, “One spell… can I ask what it is?”
Zine nodded his head, “Sure… there is a relic in the Everfree forest that I want you to recover for me… it shouldn’t be hard since I know exactly where it is and I can even show you. We will need to speak with my guide first so that he can provide us with the best route… but in all, I may take one to two days topes. Assuming we start first thing in the morning.”

Cirrus replied with an uneasy tone, “A relic…”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “yep… just a relic, and nothing more.”
“If you know where it is and you’re going to show me… then why don’t you get it yourself?”
Zine smiled, “Because it resides on holy ground. If a zebra who practices the dark arts like myself were to ever step onto the ground, it would turn me to dust. You however should be fine since you can’t use magic… and to make it better, you’re a pegasus so chances of you getting hurt are practically zero.”
Cirrus still didn’t trust the offer, “And that’s all you want… then we’d be even?”
Zine nodded his head, “Yes… as a zebra I give you my word. All you have to do is help me with this one thing and we’ll be even.”

Feeling like it was the quickest way out of the mess, Cirrus sighed, “Alright… I’ll do it.”
Zine smiled as he extended his hoof, “Excellent… here, bro-hoof to seal the deal.”
Cirrus stepped closer as he reached out add bro-hoofed him, “alright… the deal is set… no backing down on me.”
Zine replied as he turned to trot away from the area, “I wouldn’t dream of it… by the way, my name is Zine… as you well know, I’m the evil enchanter of the Everfree Forest. Nice to meet you Mr.?”
Cirrus felt confused that Zine introduced himself as evil but he only shrugged it off as he replied, “Cirrus Cloud. Nice to meet you… even if your first impression was a fake poison apple.”
As the two turned and began trotting down the road, Zine replied with an unsure response, “Sure… fake… whatever you say.”

Cirrus paused, “wait… you mean that story about testing the apple was true!”
Zine gave an uneasy smile, “Well… yea… but luckily it wasn’t… so… yay for that…”
Cirrus yelled, “You could have killed me!”
Zine sighed, “Oh calm down like I said before… it would only be for a few days.”
“Days! You said hours earlier!”
Zine shrugged his shoulders “Hours, days… months… what’s the difference?”
“MONTHS NOW!?!”
Zine sighed, “Are you going to cry like this the entire time? If so at least let me know now.”
And with that the bickering two continued on the road out of Ponyville and into the Everfree forest with almost no silence amongst their argument.

Later that evening at the orphanage, Mr. Toll sat in his office chair as he looked at a photo of him and Cirrus when Cirrus first arrived there. As he looked at the smiling faces, he could only smiled himself as he mumbled, “well… this is the last of it.”
With that, Mr., Toll looked at a small metal trash can that had burning files in it as he tossed the photo in and mixed it into the flames until both ponies in the picture where unrecognizable. With the last shred of paper in the office burning, Mr. Toll smiled, “There… now they will all be safe.”
With that, Mr. Toll left the window vented room, as he trotted through the hall and stopped at the opening that lead to the bay that the orphans used to sleep in. looking into the room that now had empty beds, Mr. Toll smiled peacefully, “I really am going to miss those days… but I can’t stop what comes ne…”

All of a sudden Mr. Toll was interrupted as somepony began banging on the front door, at first, it sounded like a hard knock but then with each continues bang, it began getting louder and louder until it resembled a sound as if the pony on the other side was trying to kick it in. Knowing what was going on, Mr. Toll trotted back to his office and went behind his desk. Once he was there, Mr. Toll pushed his desk back a little bit until he revealed a loose floorboard underneath it. Once the board was exposed, Mr. Toll pulled the board up and pulled out a long case that was hidden in the floor. With the case now accessible, Mr. Toll opened the case to reveal a long fencing sword with faded markings painted on the sheath. With that, Mr. Toll Drew the thin blade and looked it over as he mumbled, “So this is what it’s come to…”
Sheathing the sword, Mr. Toll strapped the sword to his side as he stood up and began trotting towards the door, however after passing the burning trashcan, the clever earth pony reached up and kicked it over with one of his hind legs as the can fell over spreading its burning embers onto the flammable carpet below it.

With the office catching fire behind him, Mr. Toll left the room and trotted into the hall, at about the time that the front door at the end of the hall flew open and Commander Mist and a number of royal guards calmly entered. Seeing their target at the other side of the hall Commander Mist spoke, “General Rich! By order of Thundaga you are under arrest for treason! If you come quietly then we can promise a dignified execution… but, if you want… then you can die here!”
Seeing his options Mr. Toll drew the fencing sword and held it at the ready as he replied, “My name is Arthur Rich! My ancestor Captain Frances Snow held this sword fifteen hundred years ago against incredible odds. It would do my family proud to die with it in my hooves. So… all I can say… is this…” He readied his stance, “ON YOUR GUARD!!!”
With that the courageous earth pony charged forward, wielding his family sword as if he were on a massive battlefield, knowing full and well, that this would be his last fight.

Ch4 The Thunder Grounds Awoken

Thundaga trotted through the castle corridor with a griffin by her side as she spoke, “The trade agreement for new weaponry is acceptable. As agreed, you will have your metal ore by the day’s end, and in return we will be expecting a fresh shipment of your finest weapons and armor by the end of next week.”
The griffin nodded his head as he replied, “Agreed, it’s always a pleasure doing business with her highness. The Griffin Republic is always happy to assist you in your time of need.”
The two exited the castle as they approached a carriage waiting in the courtyard. As they approached, the griffin turned to Thundaga and bowed respectfully, “As usual, it has been an honor to be seen by her majesty. I wish you luck in your goals, and once again complement you on the beauty of your kingdom.”

Thundaga smiled with pride, “It is I who has the honor of meeting you Prime Minister Orem. I await your nation’s shipment and wish you a safe journey home.”
The Prime Minister smiled as he entered the carriage before signaling the driver, as they began rolling down the street before taking to the sky. As the carriage flew away, Thundaga waved at her departing guest until he was out of sight, then her fake smile faded as she mumbled, “Gilda’s descendant or not… He is still a suck up.”
Glad her guest was gone, Thundaga turned to enter her castle as Commander Mist rushed up as fast as he could “Your majesty!!!”
Stopping in her tracks, Thundaga turned to see Commander Mist approach from behind as he stopped and saluted, “Your majesty, Urgent news! We just found one of the stolen museum artifacts.”

Thundaga became curious as she turned to her commander and replied, “Really? Where?”
Commander Mist lowered his salute as he replied, “The mail your majesty.”
Thundaga asked, “the mail?... was the thief trying to send it out of town?”
Commander Mist hesitated, “actually… he sent it to me.”
Thundaga was confused, “to you?... Explain.”
“This morning when I checked my mail, I found an unknown package that was sent to me with a return address that was the same as its shipping. When I opened it, it was Commander Mist’s… my ancestor’s spear. For some reason, it was sent directly to me.”
Thundaga thought to herself as she replied, “that is strange… was there anything different about it? Any letters or notes?”

Commander Mist Shook his head as he replied, “no, nothing… but I tried to have the package analyzed by our investigation teams… but there is no part of the box that is traceable.”
Thundaga asked, “Nothing… no sand, dirt or anything like that?”
Commander Mist rubbed his head in confusion, “well… actually I had them search for such clues as dirt, foliage or water stains… but they found everything on it.”
“Everything?... what do you mean?”
“Well, dirt from the plains, dried swamp water from the bayou country, salt from the sea, seeds from the Everfree Forest, even remnants of melted snow from the mountains. Either this package has been to all these ecosystems, or the thief is making a fool out of us.”

Thundaga tried to figure out the mystery, “Why would he send us one of the artifacts… and why Commander Mist’s spear… to Commander Mist?”
Not hearing her mumbling, Commander Mist asked, “your majesty?...”
Thundaga looked back and replied, “Never mind, continue the investigation and have a small team start notifying postal services throughout the kingdom. Any shipment of weaponry, must be ceased and notified immediately. I don’t want the next artifact being sent to another nation.”
Commander Mist nodded his head, “Understood your majesty, I will send out the notice at once. And… there is another matter I would like to discuss with you.”
Thundaga replied, “and that is?...”

Commander Mist asked, “Your majesty… have you heard of rumors about this… Mare of the Mountain?”
Thundaga replied, “I have, yes.”
The commander asked, “Well I was wondering if you wanted us to investigate this matter.”
Thundaga shook her head, “as curious as I am of these rumors, I have no reason to waste resources in ponytales. If this mare of the mountain truly exists, then then perhaps she is a mare who wishes to seclude herself from others for her own personal reasons.”
Commander Mist asked, “But… what if the rumor is true? What if she is a dragon?”
Thundaga replied, “If she is… then we will still leave her be. The dragons left on their own accord, and were in no way forced to leave or banished. So if they wish to return, then they will be left to return peacefully. If she is a dragon, then so long as she doesn’t harm any citizens, I will allow her to remain in her uninterrupted seclusion. Now if you will excuse me, I have more pressing matters to attend to.”
With nothing more to say on the subject, Thundaga turned away and began trotting back into the castle, as the commander could only bow in respect, before turning away and going back to his duties.

Later that day just as dusk was approaching Cirrus and Zine made their way through the forest as Cirrus looked at the sky and spoke, “Zine? You sure you aren’t lost?”
Zine smiled, “No, I think I know where I’m going… I hope anyways.”
Cirrus sighed, “Well I guess I can only trust your directions then… even if I still can’t figure you out. Either way, should we start looking for shelter? I mean that castle we passed a few miles ago seemed like a good place, but then again, we won’t make it there before dark.”
Zine looked at Cirrus, “Don’t worry, we are almost there. Just trust me on this one.”
Cirrus sighed, “That’s literally the last thing that I can do.”
Zine looked back at the trail, “good… looks like you’re learning.”

Cirrus shook his head in a hopeless way, “you say that as if it were a good thing. It’s amazing how Spike can pu…”
All of a sudden, Cirrus stopped talking as he spotted a manticore hiding behind a tree off the side of the trail. Worried about what would happen Cirrus spoke, “Um… Zine? Do you know we are being watched by a manticore?”
Zine nodded his head, “yea… they have been watching us for the last hour… why?”
Cirrus asked, “They?... Aren’t you worried that they might, oh I don’t know… attack us?”
Zine smiled sinisterly, “No, they won’t ever come near me… ever again…”
seeing the evil smile on Zine’s face, Cirrus looked at the Manticore and realized that they weren’t hiding behind the trees to pounce, they were hiding in fear. Seeing this Cirrus started to ask, “why are they… never mind, I don’t think I want to know.”

Hearing this made Zine chuckle a little bit as the two travelers arrived at an area where the trail ended at a large cluster of tree’s, vines and brush, “Welp… here we are.”
Cirrus looked around in confusion, “what?...but it’s just a dead end.”
Zine pointed into the brush, “On the contrary, that is where you need to go.”
Cirrus looked at Zine and asked, “are you sure?... this isn’t just a ploy before admitting that the place we are looking for doesn’t exist, right?”
Zine replied, “tell you what, I'll go as far as it will allow me to go, but once we reach the drop off… you’re on your own.”
With that, Zine started pushing the brush out of the way as he trotted off the trail’s dead end and into what seems to be endless forest. As the two continued, Zine and Cirrus pushed aside all the thorns, vines and tree limbs that would make any experienced traveler, seek out another route.

After a few minutes of pushing through the thicket, Zine finally stopped as he looked at the ground and spoke, “Well, here it is. This is where I stop.”
Cirrus looked at the ground to see what looked to be the start of a slight depression hidden amongst the grass as Zine spoke, “this Drop off is a perfect circle that goes completely around the tree. And it’s also the border that tells me where I can and can’t go. So from here you’re all on your own.”
Cirrus looked at Zine, “tree?...”
Zine pointed in front of him at a tree that was fifteen feet away, and barely visible through the brush and vines that surrounded it. Zine continued, “That, my friend, is the mother zap apple tree… although it lost its spark about five hundred years ago. All I need you to do is go to it and read the inscription carved into its surface.”

Cirrus looked at Zine with confusion, “That’s it?...”
Zine smiled, “that’s is.”
“There isn’t any monster to fight, or riddle to solve?”
Zine gave Cirrus a sarcastic look, “unless you decide to mock a riddle telling monster in the next five meters, no… no monster or riddle to solve. Just a simple inscription on a dead tree.”
Cirrus didn’t trust it, “what’s in it for you?...”
Zine replied with a clever lie, “The inscription is the ending to a spell I need to revive zap apple trees. With it, I can bring zap apples back from extinction and use them in my potions.”
Although it was a lie, Cirrus was convinced by the excuse as he replied, “alright… well then here I go.”

With that Cirrus trotted passed Zine and stepped into the depression as he began pushing through the vines, brush and trees to make a path to the dead tree that he needed to reach. As Cirrus approached the vine covered tree, he called back, “this one right? What do I do?”
Zine called back, “Just find the inscription and call it back to me! Without the first part of the spell, it won’t do anything!”
Cirrus looked back at the dead bluish tree as he replied, “Alright! Give me a sec!”
With that Cirrus looked closely at the tree. The old tree stood about twelve feet tall and had no leaves indicating that it was dead. The branches were covered in vines from nearby foliage and the vines had grown to cover most of the tree’s surface, however the part of the tree’s wood that was visible was a dark bluish wood, which seemed strange since there was no sign of rotting in what was clearly a dead tree.

After getting a good look at the tree, Cirrus started looking around the tree’s stump as he called to Zine, “Where is this inscription supposed to be?”
Zine called back, “somewhere on the center of the stem! It should be at about your height!”
Pushing vines out of the way, Cirrus started looking at the wood as he replied, “well I don’t see any… wait!”
At that moment, Cirrus started to see a small indent in the wood that was mostly covered in vines. Although the tree had healed most of it, the indention was easy to see as Cirrus started pulling vines from the tree to completely uncover the carving. As soon as the indention was legible, Cirrus rubbed his hoof across it as he mumbled, “Finally… free?...”
with his hoof still placed across the carving, Cirrus turned his head back to Zine as he called, “Hey Zine! I found it!”
Zine smiled, “Good! Now what does it say?”
With his head looking towards Zine, Cirrus didn’t notice or feel the small arc of electricity that jumped from the tree’s surface and made contact with hoof as he continued, “It says, finally free!”

Zine thought to himself as he replied, “Really? That’s it?”
Three more arcs had already jumped from the tree to Cirrus’s hoof before he turned back to the tree, missing them entirely as he replied, “Yea! It just says, Finally Free!”
Although Zine was curious as to why nothing visible had happened yet, he knew he couldn’t stall for much longer as he replied, “that’s strange! It should have been longer than that! Oh well! Come back and we can figure this out another time, the sun is almost gone and it’s getting dark fast.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he replied, “Sure I’m on the wa… wait… what?”
As Cirrus tried to push off the tree, something strange happened, Cirrus’s hoof refused to budge from the tree’s surface. Trying again, Cirrus pulled his body away from the tree, but this time, even with all of his strength, his hoof only came about an inch from the tree’s surface, as a large number of painless arcs of electricity jumped from the tree’s surface as they grabbed the bottom of his hoof and pulled it back to the tree like a powerful electro magnet.

Starting to feel nervous, Cirrus called, “Zine!... I… I can’t move!... I’m stuck!”
Unable to see what was happening from the distance Zine gave him a confused look, “Stuck?... What do you mean stu…”
At that moment, Zine felt a slight shock from the edge of the depression as he looked down to see small arcs of electricity jumping from the soil as they all made contact with the growing foliage inside the depression and began singeing the plants they were touching. Seeing this Zine stepped back from the depression as he looked at the ancient zap apple tree as it began doing the same to the vines and plants around it.
Seeing all the arcs of electricity as they jumped from the tree’s limbs and began destroying the plant life around it, only terrified Cirrus more as he began frantically trying to pull his hoof free, but as he did he placed his other hoof against the tree’s surface to help, only to have that hoof become trapped too. Now with both his front hooves stuck to the tree, Cirrus called back, “Zine! What do I do! i… I cant get free! Help!”

Zine called back, “I can’t help you! I can’t enter the drop off remember! But don’t worry! You should be safe!”
Cirrus looked back in anger, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHOULD!?! What exactly is goi…”
All of a sudden, Cirrus silenced himself as a number of thicker, louder arcs of electricity started jumping from the ground between him and Zine as they made contact with a mysterious cloud that had appeared over his head without him noticing. Confused, Cirrus looked at the cloud in curiosity as Zine started to feel an unusual static build up in the ground under his hooves. As he felt this, Zine looked at the ground in shock, “this feeling… is it?...” He looked back at Cirrus and smiled sinisterly, “the Lightning Orb?”
Unable to hear his words, Cirrus looked around in confusion as the arcs which were now thick enough to be considered lightning bolts continued jumping from the ground and hitting the cloud as the small storm cloud grew bigger. Cirrus tried to call over the crackle of the electricity, “Zine! What do I do?”

Zine couldn’t answer, because at that moment, the once dead zap apple tree which was now clear of outside foliage and vines started growing leaves and even apple blossoms as the tree sprang to life as if by magic. Seeing this Zine mumbled, “The Thunder Grounds… they are being revived. Even I wasn’t expecting…”
Before he could finish his though, Cirrus called “Zine!!! What do I do!?!”
Zine looked at Cirrus who was now standing under a cloud that was about his size as he remained stuck to the revived zap apple tree. Looking at Cirrus Zine replied, “Just stay calm! Like I said, you are safe where you are! I on the other hoof…”
Before he could finish his remark, something very strange happened, the area went completely silent. The arcs of electricity stopped jumping from the soil and tree, as the lightning that was hitting the cloud also ceased. However the small storm cloud which was now glowing with gathered electricity, continued hovering over Cirrus’s head as the two made eye contact over the strange silence of the moment.

Seeing what would happen next, Zine gave Cirrus a nervous look as he mumbled, “uh oh…”
with the silence in the area Cirrus heard his statement as he replied with only a worried look. Finally Zine made the first move as he turned around and started running from the site, “Time to go!”
Confused, Cirrus called back, “Hey! Wha…”
At that moment, a static sound could be heard in the cloud above his head as Cirrus looked at it in confusion, “What?...”
All of a sudden, a great flash emerged from the small cloud, followed quickly by a sphere shaped ball of lightning as it started in the center of the cloud and grew rapidly as the ball covered the young pegasus and zap apple tree but cremated the surrounding plants as it grew at such a rapid pace, that almost instantaneously took up every inch of the ground inside the small depression which now resembled a crater.

As the destructive sphere reached the end of the crater, it stopped growing, however its shockwave continued outward, as the electricity that emerged from the ball caused all the plants touched by the shockwave to spontaneously burst into flame. Not far from the destruction, Zine rushed as fast as he could through the brush as the thorns and bushes left scratches and cuts in his skin, mere seconds before getting hit by the shockwave and bursting into flame. As Zine ran, he spotted a thick tree in his path so thinking quickly, Zine jumped behind the tree just in time, for the shockwave from the massive destruction hit the tree charring one side of it while skimming passed Zine on the other.

Back in Canterlot, Thundaga was placing her crown on the nightstand and readying herself to go to sleep as a guard pushed himself into the room and spoke, “YOUR MAJESTY!”
Thundaga looked at the soldier as he continued, “Something is happening in the Everfree Forest! A ball of light… a flash of destruction… it’s happening at the lost grounds! It… it looks like the Lightning Orb!”
Almost immediately, Thundaga turned around and started trotting towards her balcony door as she used her magic to open the balcony doors. As the doors opened, Thundaga trotted outside and looked into the distance at the bright yellow sphere that was visible from her balcony.

As soon as she saw the sphere, Thundaga continued watching it as she did three things at once, using her magic she picked up her crown from her night stand and her father’s sword from a chair as she replied to the guard, “Find Commander Mist, have him gather our strongest soldiers and meet me at the Thunder Grounds!”
As Thundaga stepped onto the balcony railings, she used her magic to place her crown on her head and strap her father’s sword to her side as the guard replied, “But what about you your majesty? Wont you need support?”
Thundaga shook her head, “No time… If this is what I think it is… then the kingdom might be in danger. Just go, and tell him to hurry.”
With that, Thundaga jumped from the balcony and took to the sky as she flew straight towards the sight as fast as she could.

Elsewhere in Equestria, a lone mare wearing a dark cloak trotted up a trail to her cottage on Dragon Mountain as the distant light flickered behind her and casted a shadow in front that caught her attention. Turning to look at the distant glowing light, the mare could only watch silently as the light glowed at its brightest before slowly dimming itself out as the orb began shrinking. Back in the forest, Zine continued hiding behind the thick tree as he noticed the shockwave around him subsiding as the light shining from the opposite side of his charred barrier, started to dim. When the area slowly quieted itself down, Zine stepped out from behind the charred tree to see everything that got caught in the path of the shockwave was either ash, or charred embers. Curious, Zine began trotting over the ash that used to be grass and vines as he made his way to the newly revitalized crater that sat in the epicenter of the Lightning Orb.

As he looked upon the awoken sacred ground, Zine could see that unlike the area around him that was full of ash and char, everything inside the crater minus, his pegasus friend and the zap apple tree, had been completely vaporized. Cirrus on the other hoof laid against the zap apple tree with his breathing being the only sign of movement that Zine could see. At first Zine wanted to rush to his companion’s side, however, as he reached the edge of the now visible crater, he could see deep cracks in the ground that glowed an eerie bluish glow. Seeing this, Zine held his hoof over the crater as a long arc of electricity jumped from the soil in the crater and hit his hoof, shocking him enough to make his hoof go completely numb. Feeling this, Zine jumped back as he shook his hoof around to regain feeling, “um… oww… that’s a weird feeling…”
Looking back at Zine in the crater, Zine mumbled, “well… I’m not getting him out of there anytime soon… That light… that was the real Lightning Orb. So… if that was the real thing… then… Cirrus is…”

All of a sudden, Zine could see figures moving amongst the thick smoke from the burning surroundings as he mumbles “Great… party poopers, time to disappear.”
Quickly rushing back to the charred tree that shielded him from the blast, Zine pulled a flask from his saddlebag that had a yellow potion inside. As he pulled the cork from the flask, he sighed, “I hate this stuff… it always tastes like vomit…oh well better than getting caught I guess.”
With that, Zine removed his saddlebag and hid it under the charred remains of the tree as he drank the foul potion and tossed the flask as far as he could from where he was standing. After that Zine sat down as he closed his eyes and started counting, “One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand, four one thousand…”
Counting slowly the zebra held very still as his hooves slowly became transparent as the effect started spreading up his arms to the rest of his body. By the time Zine had reached nine in his count, the tip of his mane became completely transparent until finally his entire body, voice included, vanished as he became completely invisible.

As Zine vanished into thin air, Thundaga landed not far from him as she immediately drew her sword and started looking around for hostiles. Slowly Thundaga made her way around the area with her sword at the ready, however when she realized that there was no threat, she sheathed her sword as she looked at the Thunder Grounds in curiosity. It had been five hundred years since the electricity in the soil faded and the tree had died, but now the Thunder Grounds tree and all looked exactly as it did the day before, minus all the charred foliage on the outside of the crater. As she looked at the zap apple tree in confusion Thundaga mumbled to herself, “It’s… been revived? But, how… after five hundred years, how did it awaken fro…”
At that moment Thundaga spotted something at the base of the zap apple tree on the opposite side of where she was standing. Slowly and cautiously, Thundaga griped her sword as she began trotting around the edge of the crater to the other side where her unexpected guest was laying.

As she reached the other side of the crater, and could see Cirrus clearly, Thundaga mumbled to herself, “A… a pegasus?... but who?...”
“Thundaga!”
Surprised by the unexpected call, Thundaga drew her sword partially from its sheath before realizing who spoke and resheathing it. At that moment Commander Mist and a large number of guards landed on the site as Commander Mist spoke, “Your majesty, are you harmed?”
Thundaga looked at her commander and gestured towards Cirrus, “No… I’m fine… but he might be.”
Looking In the direction of Thundaga’s gesture, Commander Mist saw Cirrus as he replied, “understood… let me handle this.”
with a careless trot, Commander Mist started trotting towards Cirrus, however as he started to take his first step into the crater, a large arc of electricity jumped form the soil and hit his hoof as he jumped back in surprise, “Whoa what the?...”

Thundaga spoke, “Tread carefully commander… the Thunder Grounds are awoken and its soil electrified. It isn’t safe to just trot out there carelessly.”
Commander Mist looked at his hoof as he thought to himself, “but… I’m a pegasus… why did that hurt?”
Thundaga replied “the electricity in the soil goes beyond that of a normal pegasus. It’s far more powerful.”
The commander asked, “Then… how do we reach the pony in the center?”
Thundaga rolled her eyes in hopelessness as she held her silence and used her magic to pick Cirrus up from where he was laying. As Thundaga brought the pegasus closer, electricity jumped from the soil every few inches and touched Cirrus’s body as the unconscious pony was carried over the crater’s edge and laid down in front of Commander Mist.

After Thundaga stopped using her magic on the unconscious pegasus, she looked down at her commander and spoke, “Check him.”
Understanding what she wanted Commander Mist reached down to check Cirrus for a pulse, however when he got close enough, an arc of electricity jumped from Cirrus’s coat and shocked the unsuspecting pegasus as he jumped back a second time, “Ouch!... yep he is alive… a pegasus’ body won’t hold a charge after he is dead.”
Thundaga hid her amusement of the sight as she replied, “then… he is unharmed?”
Commander Mist replied, “Yes your majesty he is.” He looked at a nearby guard, “Captain! Take him to the dungeon and notify us as soon as he regains consciousness.”

Thundaga looked at her commander and replied, “No… take him to the medical ward and have him examined by the doctors. Then hold him there until he regains consciousness. When he wakes, have the doctor notify me personally. I want to be the first to talk with him.”
Commander Mist looked at Thundaga, “do you think that’s wise? What if he tried to attack you?”
Thundaga looked at the Zap apple tree as she smiled, “Today is truly a special day commander. We have discovered a pegasus with the ability to create the Lightning Orb just as I can. It would be best to congratulate him when he wakes and form an alliance with him before the rebellion tries to do the same. And what convincing could we do, if he wakes behind bars? It would be best to treat him as a guest until we discover who he is first.”
The commander was shocked, “He?... he did this?...”

Thundaga smile as she used her magic to pick up Cirrus and carry him to a carriage that was just arriving on site, “yes… and with our guidance… he will be able to do so much more. I changed my mind, I will be taking him to the medical ward myself. In the meantime, take your soldiers and search the area for any witnesses. If you see any bring them to me at once.”
Although he felt uneasy about Thundaga’s decision, Commander Mist didn’t try to change her mind as he bowed and replied, “Understood your majesty.”
With that, Thundaga carefully placed Cirrus into the carriage as she and her unconscious passenger left the area and traveled back to the castle.

Hours later, as the commotion died down and dawn was approaching, the Thunder Grounds which was once teaming with guards stood silent as Zine slowly started reappearing next to the charred tree as he continued counting from before, “-one thousand, ten one thousand, eleven one thousand, twelve one thousand, thirteen.”
as soon as he reached thirteen in his count, Zine stopped as he looked around, “okay… dawn. I guess I should use that amount of that potion from now on… unless I’ve been invisible for more than a day… I hope to Thundaga that I’ve only been invisible for a few hours…”
looking at his surrounding closely Zine noticed that he could still see some red embers from the earlier Lightning Orb as he sighed in relief, “ok… I’m convinced.”
With that, Zine reached under the charred tree and pulled out his saddlebag as she put it on and mumbled, “So… the Lightning Orb can be used by another… and now he is in Thundaga’s hooves. Good, now I can ready him to meet miss anger issues. As long as she doesn’t try to kill me when I see her.”
When his saddlebag was secured, Zine left the sight and began trotting back to his hut with full intention on getting sleep.

Back at the castle, Thundaga was pacing back and forth in her bed chambers as somepony knocked on the door, “Your majesty? It’s Commander Mist and Dr. Trotter, May we enter?”
Thundaga turned to the door as she replied, “You may.”
With that, the door opened as the Commander Mist and the doctor entered the room and bowed in respect. As they rose from their bow, the doctor spoke, “your majesty, we’ve finished our examination on the patient.”
Thundaga gave him a concerned look, “And?...”
The doctor pulled a clipboard from under his wing as he looked at the forms, “When examining his body, we found no signs of external or internal wounds. And we found an abundant amount of electrons in his hooves which is common for a pegasus… but only when they are conscious. To see this in an unconscious patient is, well… extraordinary.”
Thundaga nodded her head, “he just used the Lightning Orb. I’m sure there is a lot of excess electricity in his hooves. It should pass in time. Has he regained consciousness yet?”

The doctor shook his head, “Not yet your majesty, we can tell he is completely exhausted, so chances are he won’t be awake for a few more hours… and, forgive me for prying your majesty but I believe you need your rest as well.”
When the doctor said that, Commander Mist gave him an annoyed look as Thundaga looked out the window as she replied, “I understand… perhaps I should rest… I have been trapped in thought all night.” She looked back at the doctor, “If he wakes, notify me immediately. You may tell him where he is, but I want to explain to him what happened in the Everfree forest. It would be best if he heard it from a pony with experience in the lighting orb.”
The doctor bowed in respect as he replied, “I understand your majesty. Rest easy and we will let you know if he wakes up.”

After rising from his bow, the doctor put the clipboard back under his wing, turned around, and left the room as Thundaga turned and trotted to the balcony doorway with the commander following, “Your Majesty? Can I ask you a question?”
As Thundaga stepped onto the balcony she looked into the direction the sun was supposed to rise from as she replied, “if you must…”
Commander Mist continued, “Why are you so concerned with this pony? I’ve been under your command for almost twenty years and I’ve never seen you this distraught.”
Thundaga closed her eyes as she used her magic to raise the sun. Then when the sun was high enough to signify morning, she stopped as she replied, “Tell me… do you recall the story of my father and his legacy?”
Commander nodded his head, “like a second life, your majesty.”

Thundaga looked at the rising sun as she continued, “Remember the beginning… The flash in the Everfree Forest that created the Thunder Grounds. The ball of electricity that could be seen from miles around. And the pony found in the center of the crater left from that light… So far everything that’s happened today resembles everything that happened back then. Most would consider this a second coming… although there is one thing that hasn’t been confirmed yet when we compare today’s events with the past.”
Commander Mist thought to himself as he replied, “And… what would that be?”
Thundaga gave him a concerned look as she replied, “When he awoke from his exhaustion… my father had lost all of his memories… his name, age, origin, even his own family. Everything except for his speech and literacy was completely wiped clean from his mind.”

Commander Mist asked, “And what does that have to do with anything your majesty? We don’t know who he is, so even if his identity is forgotten, it won’t change anything.”
Thundaga thought to herself as she replied, “no… I suppose it won’t… well then, I'll need to rest for a few hours. Ensure that nopony bothers me unless he wakes up. Resting or not, I still have a few questions for him.”
Commander Mist bowed in respect as he replied, “Understood your majesty.”
With that, Commander Mist rose form his bow and left the room as Thundaga looked into the waking city of Canterlot and mumbled to herself, “It won’t change anything… but… It might. When this happened to my father he was unknown to the world… but this stallion… I’ve seen before. I don’t know where or when, but I know his face. Just… who is he?...”

Ch5 Thundaga's Guest

The sound of wind whipping by woke him as Cirrus felt as if he was falling from a high altitude. With his body too exhausted to react with a reflexed panic, Cirrus could only open his eyes slightly to look around as this feeling continued. However, when he did, something seemed odd. The feeling of falling head first was there, since his hooves and body were above him, and the wind whipping by him suspending his mane and tail over his torso, however all he could see was an empty black abyss that stretched as far as his sight could reach. Seeing this made him feel a little more worried, since he couldn’t tell how fare the ground was beneath him, but it didn’t matter. His body felt too weak and worn out to do anything as he could only brace himself and hope that the surface he would land on would be soft enough to break his fall.

Then as he continued falling, a strange light seemed to catch his eye as a glowing yellow sphere appeared above as it quickly caught up with the falling pegasus. When the sphere reached eye level, its speed quickly slowed so that it continued falling at the same rate as Cirrus. With the sphere at eye level with him, Cirrus could only observe it. The Yellow ball looked like a stained crystal ball that was only about a foot in diameter, and though its glowing appearance made it seem magical and beautiful. Something about it terrified Cirrus to a point that if he had the strength, he would fly away from it as fast as he could. Nevertheless, the weak pony didn’t have the strength to do anything about the falling orb as he continued his unknown fall with it falling beside him.

As Cirrus continued his fall, he watched the orb fall beside him, until something seemed to take hold of him. For some odd reason, Cirrus suddenly had the urge to reach out and grab the glowing sphere, even though he didn’t want to go near it. Nevertheless, this urge was too strong as Cirrus in his weakened state slowly reached out to touch unknown orb. Although he hesitated a little, Cirrus still continued to reach out until finally the tip of his hoof taped the sphere as a powerful jolt of electricity ran up from his hoof and into his head like a powerful tidal wave crashing onto a cliff face. As soon as the jolt hit his head, Cirrus was overrun with visions that blocked out everything around him as he found himself seeing a life that wasn’t his. A burning city with griffin fighting each other to the death. Standing in hordes of soldier as they all charged onto a battlefield under a red eclipsed sky. Canterlot, burning under that same sky. A tower of sand that brought with it the horrors of death and destruction. An abandon city seated within the walls of a dead volcano. Then finally, the faces of those in each location. Skilled archers, clever assassins, wise unicorn, cocky griffin, and even regal alicorn. All present amongst the visions that were beamed directly into his Cirrus’s mind.

With each vision, Cirrus could feel the emotions with them. Some proud, some excited, some content… but most, were terrified, heart broken, hopeless, unhappy, and trapped. Until finally one last vision caught his mind. The vision was of a glowing zap apple tree that sat in front of him as he looked at it contently, then he could see his hooves carving text into the stem as he looked at it and read, “finally free…”
As soon as those words were read, the vision ended, as Cirrus felt himself hitting the ground, and bringing himself back from the visions and into his unknown freefalling world. After hitting the ground, Cirrus struggled to pick himself up as he rubbed his head and looked around, “Wh-where?...”
When he looked around, Cirrus didn’t see the endless abyss of black that he had seen before, instead he found himself laying on the top of a plateau that overlooked an endless mountain range.

Confused, Cirrus looked around the plateau, until he saw a cloaked stallion standing on the far edge behind him. Although he knew that he and this other stallion where the only ones there, Cirrus still looked around as he stood up and trotted slowly to the pony who was standing on the edge of the plateau looking away into the distance. Although his body was too weak to run without stumbling, Cirrus still trotted as fast as he could until he finally got close enough to speak to the unknown stallion. As he reached the stallion, he stopped as he used this time to take a good look at his mysterious companion. The cloaked pony was slightly taller than him, not to mention a little buff when looking at how the cloak rested on his shoulders, however, the cloak covered every feature of the stallion that made up his appearance. The hood covered his head, mane and ears, while the rest of the cloak covered his body and tail making only his black hooves visible from under the cloak’s bottom.

As Cirrus looked at the stranger, he spoke, “um… excuse me? Sir?...”
the stallion didn’t reply as Cirrus continued, “um… sorry to bother you… but can you help me? I um… I’m having a hard time understanding what happened to me… or…where I am?”
Cirrus watched as the cloaked stallion turned his head slightly showing that he was listening to him, but in no way revealing his face. When he knew he was being acknowledged, Cirrus spoke, “Well… I just… I can’t figure out where this is… and… when I try to think about it…I can’t even remember how I got here. All I remember was trotting through the forest with a friend then be…”
The stallions tone made it seem like he was smiling as he interrupted, “How you got here isn’t important… what is important, is what your plan is for your future.”
Cirrus looked at him in confusion, “the future?... what are you talking about?”

The stallion looked back into the distance as he replied, “You now have a path in front of you… actually you have more than just one. These paths will decide not only your fate. But the fate of those you care about… however… how can you decide fate, when you can’t even choose a path.
Although Cirrus didn’t know who he was talking to, nor did he know what this stranger was talking about, all he could do was reply, “Choose a path?… what do you mean?”
The stallion continued, “Harness your ability… and understand both sides. This will help you decide your path, but choose wisely. Your decision could lead to salvation, or… mass genocide.”
Cirrus gave the stranger a stern look, “W-who are you?”
The stallion smiled as he started to turn around to face Cirrus, however before Cirrus could see his face, he opened his eyes to find himself laying in a hospital bed.

As he laid there, Cirrus started to think about the dream as he reached up and rubbed his head. When he did, a nurse notice his movement from across the room as she called, “Doctor!”
The doctor who was just outside the room rushed through the doorway to the nurse and spoke, “Get the princess.”
With that, the nurse left the room as the doctor rushed to Cirrus’s side and spoke, “Sir? Are you alright? Do you know where you are?”
Cirrus tried to remember what happened as he replied, “I… I would guess a hospital or something… wh-what happened?”
The doctor replied, “I… I can’t say. But soon that question will be answered. But first can you tell me your name?”
Cirrus looked at the doctor and started to reply, “Its Cirrus… Cirrus Clo…”

Before he could finish, Cirrus saw Commander Mist enter the room followed closely by Thundaga. As soon as he saw them, Cirrus silenced himself as Thundaga approached him and spoke, “It’s good to see you awake and well. I was worried you wouldn’t come to, I’m sure you have many questions, but first introduction are needed. My name is Thundaga, I don’t know if you remember, but I am the princess of this kingdom of Equestria. So… what may I ask you of your name?”
Although he felt odd that Thundaga was speaking to him like a foal, Cirrus felt more uneasy about telling her his full name due to his family lineage, so he only replied, “Cirrus… my name is Cirrus, your majesty.”
She smiled, “Cirrus… a promising name. It’s good to see you remember that much. Might I ask, why were you in the Everfree forest?”

Cirrus continued feeling uneasy as he looked at Commander Mist who was giving him an untrustworthy glare. When she saw this Thundaga nodded her head, “I see…” She looked throughout the room, “Attention! Due to the uneasy and confusing situation that our guest is in, I will ask that everypony leave the room so we may speak in a less intimidating environment.”
Since there were no other patients in the room, the doctors and nurses didn’t argue as they each started filing out of the room. Then when they were gone, Thundaga looked at her guards as she clarified, “That goes for you too, don’t worry, and I can handle him from here.”

The royal guards looked at each other in confusion before looking at their commander as Thundaga looked at him too, “Commander… you too.”
Commander Mist felt uneasy about following this order, however he didn’t argue as he looked at his soldiers and replied, “You heard her majesty, let’s leave them to talk alone.”
With that, the guard too left the room as the doors were shut leaving Thundaga and Cirrus alone. With the two now free to speak privately, Thundaga spoke first, “Now… may I ask you a few questions Cirrus?”
Cirrus nodded his head as Thundaga continued, “first…I would like to know where you are from? What town?”
Cirrus replied nervously, “P-Ponyville your majesty.”
Thundaga smiled peacefully, “Now, there is no need to be so nervous. Right now you are free to speak well… freely. I will even allow you to bypass the formal title if it will make you feel at ease. Now where was I?... ah yes, Ponyville It’s a good town, at one time, I enjoyed traveling to Ponyville purely for fun… but that was a long time ago. May I ask why you were in the Everfree forest?”

Although Thundaga’s tone resembled that of a humble princess, Cirrus still didn’t trust it. However when he started to think about it, he himself couldn’t remember what had happened prior to himself falling unconscious. In fact everything from the moment he arrived at the Thunder Grounds to the time he woke up was a complete blank. As he tried to remember what had happened before he fell unconscious, Thundaga noticed his silence as she asked, “Are you having problems remembering?”
Forgetting that she had asked him a question Cirrus nodded his head with an expression of shame as she smiled, “Don’t worry about it… I understand you have been through a great stress.”
Trying to figure out what happened, Cirrus asked, “Y-Your majesty?... what happened to me?... why did I wake up here… and… why can’t I remember anything?”
Thundaga’s smile made it seem like she was comforting him as she replied, “Cirrus… I and my doctor believe that you have done something amazing. Something that hasn’t been seen from a pegasus in almost half a millennium.”

Cirrus was confused, “w-what?...”
Thundaga replied, “Cirrus… you are the first pegasus in over five hundred years to perform one of the most powerful acts that your species is capable of. You Cirrus… have created the Lightning Orb.”
Cirrus could only give Thundaga an amazed look, “The… Lightning orb?... me?...”
Thundaga smiled pleasantly, “yes, you.”
Cirrus put his hoof on his head as he tried to understand, “But… that can’t be true… the lightning orb can only be used by royalty.”
Thundaga nodded her head, “I can understand why you would assume such things, since I am the only pony who has used it within your lifetime. However you couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Thundaga raised her hoof as she made a miniature cloud appear over it, “the lightning orb was originally an ability that only pegasi could use. Commander Hurricane, Commander Bolt, and now you. The only reason why I can do such things is because I inherited the ability from my father Commander Bolt. Though he died before I was born, I like to think that this is his gift to me, and that he would want me to use it to better pony kind. And now, you have that same gift.”
As soon as he heard her mention that Commander Bolt was her father, Cirrus started to believe that she was only trying to convince him that her power was a good thing. So trying to reply without saying anything offensive, Cirrus replied, “I apologize for saying this, and I hope you won’t take offence your majesty… but I don’t believe in old legends like that.”
Although Thundaga did feel annoyed with his statement, she decided to ignore it as she smiled peacefully and replied, “I understand that, most ponies of this era never knew what it was like when Eden’s Kiss happened. And to be honest I myself questioned its truth since it happen before I was born. Nevertheless, I respect your decision and say that everypony has a right to believe in whatever they want. After all, it’s not the story that matters, it’s the lessons of which it teaches.”

Cirrus thought to himself as he replied, “Its… Lessons?”
Thundaga smiled as she lowered her hoof and made the small cloud disperse, “yes, lessons of selflessness, responsibility, courage, determination and friendship. Not to mention believing in what you stand for and fighting for it. It’s these lessons that I value above all. But enough about my father… tell me about you? Is there anything else you can remember about yourself?”
Cirrus didn’t like the idea of telling Thundaga more about him since his parents would link him to the rebellion, so he placed his hoof on his head and acted like he was trying to think as he replied, “um…n-no… I can’t remember much…”

Without knowing that he was faking it, Thundaga replied, “I see… well perhaps it’s for the best. I have royal matters to attend to anyways. So perhaps we can continue this conversation at a later time. For now, get some rest and if you need anything feel free to ask the doctors. When you feel you are strong enough, come see me in the throne room, I'll have an escort show you the way. In the meantime, feel free to rest all you want.”
With that said, Thundaga stood up and turned towards the door as she trotted to it and spoke one last time before exiting the room, “Oh… and… Welcome to the Castle, I pray for your recovery and hope we can become better acquainted.”
With that, Thundaga exited the room and closed the door behind her as she sat down behind the door and mumbled to herself, “Cirrus… No doubt about it. I met him before. He was that stallion who spoke of peace a few days ago. I wonder if he still remembers those words, or better yet… believes in them.”

Forgetting about the guard’s and doctors waiting outside, Thundaga sat silently as Commander Mist spoke, “your majesty… Is everything alright?”
Thundaga stood back up as she replied, “Everything is fine… when he is ready, I want you to have an escort show Cirrus to the throne room to see me. And in the meantime, give him anything he asks for.”
Commander Mist was concerned, “Excuse my saying so your majesty, but im concerned about your trust in this… colt. I think your giving him too much freedom, we don’t even know where his loyalty lies.”
Thundaga replied, “I know the risks of my actions. And I will take full responsibility for them… but trust me. Cirrus is no threat to us. However, I would like to put the investigation team on finding out everything about him. All I have to go on thus far is that he is from Ponyville so please find out anything you can and report it to me at once.”
Commander Mist replied, “Understood your majesty… but I still think it would be best to confine him to a cell. At least unti…”
Thundaga gave Commander Mist an annoyed look, “Your job is to follow orders…not to think. Must you question me now, when we so recently discovered a worthy candidate to replace you?...
Feeling that he overstepped his boundary, Commander Mist bowed, “Apologies your majesty… I meant no disrespect.”

Thundaga gave him a dull look, “Good… then you will respectfully follow my order and do as you are told. While Cirrus is here, he will be treated with the same respect that we treat all guests to the castle, understand?”
Commander Mist rose from his bow as he replied, “Understood your majesty.”
With that Thundaga had nothing more to say to him as she began trotting down the hall to her throne room. Confused as to Thundaga’s orders, The royal guards in the area looked at Commander Mist as one spoke, “Sir?...”
Commander Mist sighed, “You heard her… While he is here you will treat the pegasus as a guest… however… Keep a close eye on him and if he tries anything to threaten her majesty. Lock him in the dungeon.”
With that said, Commander Mist quickly trotted off to catch up with Thundaga as the soldiers saluted to confirm their orders.

Far off in Ponyville Zine stood outside the charred remains of the orphanage as he began totting onto the property. As he trotted by the large pile of wreaths and flowers that were placed for Mr. Toll, Zine looked closely at the ruins as he started noticing district features in the charred remains that he recognized. Looking at a small speckle of tented char, Zine mumbled to himself, “Blood… and it was still wet when the fire scorched it into the wood… Looks like the good general met his end fighting.”
All of a sudden a second voice spoke, “Zine?... what are you doing here?”
Zine looked at the powder blue pagasus who was standing next to the flowers as he smiled, “Lieutenant Dash… it’s been a while hasn’t it.”
The pegasus gave him unamused stare as he replied, “don’t give me that crap… Are you responsible for what happened here?”

Zine smiled in a sarcastic way as he trotted towards his guest and replied, “Now I’m insulted Dash, you think that I would go back on my agreement and sell out General Rich for my own personal benefit?...”
The pegasus gave him a look that said yes as Zine sighed, “Trust me… Thundaga has nothing that I want, so chances of me telling her about your quote, secret hideout… is zero. Remember, I’m merely a spectator in this fight of cat versus mouse army.”
Mr. Dash gave Zine an annoyed look as he sighed, “I suppose your right… I guess I can mark you off the suspect list then… but don’t think this means I trust you.”
Zine smiled as he trotted to Mr. Dash and sat beside him as he looked back at the charred remains of the building, “of course, you’re far too smart to be that naïve.”

With that the two looked at the ruins as a moment of silence passed, then Zine spoke, “So… General Rich is truly gone, isn’t he?”
Lieutenant Dash nodded his head, “Yes… he is.”
“So, did the rebellion find out yet?”
Dash nodded his head, “Yes…”
Zine looked at him as he asked, “And have they chosen a successor?”
Dash didn’t reply, instead he looked into the ruins as Zine smiled before looking back into the ruins, “I see…I guess Congratulations are in order then eh, General Dash?”
The pegasus turned to leave as he replied, “Keep your voice down, it’s talk like that that sold out General Rich… I got to go. I'll let you know that our leader may have changed, but our agreement still stands, stay neutral, and we will ignore what you know about us, and not ask about Thundaga In return.”

As General Dash continued trotting away Zine turned to him and spoke, “Watch your back Dash! I didn’t sell you out but remember… somepony did.”
Hearing this, Dash turned around as he replied, “Oh… speaking of which… I her you’ve taken in a lost pet… and not just any pet… he happens to be the leftovers of the original rebellion, am I right?”
Turning back to the ruins, Zine replied, “and where did you hear a silly rumor like that?”
The general continued, “The informant to the royal guard has been snooping around a lot more than usual… he has even resorted to gathering information on you… for example… he says that the flash in the Everfree forest last night was your doing… am I right?”
Without turning to him, Zine replied, “Yea… just another experiment, similar to that of the mare of the mountain… like that, you needn’t worry yourself over it. If it come to involve you later… well… you’ll find out if it happens.”
General Rich gave the smirking zebra an annoyed stare as he replied, “What are you planning?”

Zine smiled sarcastically as he shrugged his shoulders and swished the potion in his staff around before replying, “I don’t know what you mean… none of what I do is according to my plans… it’s all fate’s doing, dropping the blocks into place until something is fully built… or… destroyed. Lets just say, there will be a change in the kingdom soon… and it may be great… or terrible. Who am I to question fate? I only tamper with it… I never change its course.”
General Dash sighed as he turned away, “whatever you do, see to it that I and my rebellion are kept out of it. The last thing I need to deal with is a taboo wielding quack.”
Zine smiled, “I'd prefer to be called an evil enchanter… but I appreciate the complement all the same.”
The pegasus continued trotting away as he replied, “Yea… of course you do.”
After general Dash was out of sight, Zine started thinking to himself, “The Ponyville informant… looks like I found a thorn in my side that could ruin all the fun.” He smiled sinisterly, “perhaps it’s time I remove it.”

Hours later in Canterlot, Cirrus was trotting down the corridor, as royal guard showed him to the throne room. Although the guard trotted beside him like he was a prisoner of war, Cirrus tried to ignore him as he marveled at the decor around him. Cirrus had never been to Canterlot before, so seeing the inside of the castle was like a new world to him. Finally the two reached the throne room as the guard opened the massive doors to see a long empty room that had Thundaga sitting on a throne at the very end, and Royal guards standing at each pillar in the room. As soon as the doors opened, every guard in the room locked eyes on Cirrus, although Thundaga who was looking at official documents didn’t look up as she was too focused on her work to notice him. At that moment the escorting guard looked at Cirrus as he spoke in a tone that show total distrust, “Go see her majesty, but be warned… if you try anything funny, you will regret it.”
With all the guard’s looking directly at him with unamused expressions, Cirrus could only feel nervous as he slowly made his way passed the escorting guard and down the long red carpet that stretched down the center of the throne room. After a few second of trotting through the silent throne room Cirrus found himself at the halfway point between the throne and the door, as Thundaga spotted him out the corner of her eyes as she lowered the scroll she was reading and looked up, “Cirrus… it’s good to see you on your hooves. How are you feeling?”

Cirrus looked around at the guards who watched him like hawks as he bowed and replied, “I still feel a little tired… but I was too restless to lay around all day your majesty.”
Thundaga waved her hoof in a dismissive way as she replied, “Now, now, no need to be so formal. You are after all, my guest here in the castle.”
Cirrus rose from his bow as he replied nervously, “Th-thank you your majesty. I don’t think I’ve ever been to Canterlot before.”
Thundaga smiled pleasantly, “Well I know the day started out differently than a visit to the city would usually start, but I’m happy you are enjoying yourself. Perhaps I can show you around the palace, this would also be a good time to show you to your room.”

Cirrus gave Thundaga a confused look as she placed the scroll she was reading on a tray of scrolls next to her as one of her guard’s spoke, “Your majesty… maybe I should show him to his room. Matters as feeble as these shouldn’t be handled by royalty.”
Thundaga gave her guard an annoyed look as she replied, “nonsense… all matters in my castle require my attention. Besides, this would be a good time for me to take a break and get to know our guest a little better.”
Knowing he couldn’t argue, the guard backed down as he replied, “Very well your majesty. Enjoy your break.”

With that Thundaga stood from her throne and trotted to Cirrus as she looked at him and spoke, “Shall we?”
Nodding his head, the two turned back to the corridor as they started trotting out of the throne room. As they continued, they noticed the same guard who was escorting Cirrus earlier as Thundaga spoke to him, “He is under control… I’m sure you have other duties to attend to?”
The guard bowed in respect, but said nothing as the two continued pass and left him behind. As they continued Thundaga looked at Cirrus and asked, “You mentioned you were from Ponyville correct? Do you have any family there?”

Cirrus didn’t want to tell Thundaga about his parents or the orphanage so he replied, “I… I don’t think so… my memories are still a little fuzzy.”
Thundaga continued, “I see… that’s disappointing. One should never forget his own family. I pray your memories return soon. I would like to know you better as to determine your goal with your new gift.”
Cirrus gave her a confused expression, “Goal?...”
Thundaga nodded her head, “Yes… now that you can use the Lightning orb, you must decide what you will use it for. Will your actions be selfish or selfless, will you use it to help other ponies, or help yourself, to do good or bad? This is the decision you must make with your new gift.”
Cirrus though to himself as the two started going up a staircase, “A decision?...”
Seeing his deep thoughts in his expression, Thundaga smiled as she spoke, “Do not put so much worry into it for now. I’m sure with time, your memories will return, and with it, your decision. For now, let’s just focus on your recovery.”
With that said the two approached a door at the end of the staircase as Thundaga smiled, “ah here we are. I took the liberty of having a room prepared for you for the next few days.”
Remembering her words from earlier, Cirrus asked, “that’s right, you said you had a room for me… but… may I ask why your majesty?”

Thundaga smiled peacefully, “Cirrus, the lightning orb is special for many reasons, but the main reason for it, is that it’s incredibly dangerous. I said before that there are very few pegasi who can use it… but in a way, that is a lie. All pegasi who try, may very well succeed in using the lightning orb… however. Very few survive the cost. The lightning orb takes not only a lot of concentration, but a lot of energy to contain that much electricity and bend it to your will. In fact almost everypony who make the attempt, usually dies in the process due to exhaustions. So far in the past five hundred years you are the first to attempt and succeed in generating the lightning orb… however, just because you’re alright now doesn’t mean you will stay that way. So to be extra certain, you will be staying in the castle for few days. If you wish to leave then I or a guard will escort you so that we can assure you don’t pass out in the streets, but at the days end you will return here for the night. Please don’t see yourself as a prisoner, you have my permission to travel all throughout the castle as you please, with the exception of the royal guard’s living quarters, and restricted areas. But other than that, my servant will see to your every need and when your memories return, we can even go visit your family so that they will know you are safe.”

Cirrus didn’t like the idea, so he politely asked, “Your majesty… with all due respect… what if I said I would be fine on my own?”
Thundaga nodded her head, “I would say I admire your willingness to carry on without worry… but I can’t knowingly send you out when chances of you collapsing from fatigue are present. Today is Thursday, by Thursday of next week, if your health continued to stay fair, I will see to it that you are taken back to your home without fault. Until then, I humbly ask that you stay patient. Even though you are staying because of your situation, I would rather you see this as an opportunity to see Canterlot, and understand a little more about what happens here in the castle. Not to mention… I would like to hear about your family when you start remembering them. I’m curious as to what type of upbringing brought upon your view on life.”
Cirrus was confused, “View on life?”
Thundaga realized what she said as she blushed in an embarrassed way, “I… um… what I mean is… sorry, my royal way of talking seems confusing to others who aren’t used to it… what I meant was, you seem like you would prefer a more peaceful way of life. You don’t talk much… but usually that means you like things being simple and peaceful, so I would like to see how your upbringing brought up that mentality.”

Although her words were even more confusing now then before, Cirrus ignored them as he replied, “oh… ok… I guess. Well thank you for setting everything up for me your majesty. I um… I guess I will lay down and get more rest… if… that’s alright with you.”
Thundaga replied as she smiled pleasantly, “Sure… you get as much rest as you need. And in the morning we can talk more. Well… I'd say good night… but I’m afraid it’s barely the evening. Never the less, if you need anything at all, feel free to ask anypony you see. Whether they are Guard, or servant, my orders are to attend to your needs so long as you don’t abuse my hospitality. You won’t… will you?”
Cirrus felt a little nervous as he replied, “oh… um… of course not your majesty. I’m a stallion of simple needs so I wouldn’t ask for anything unless I absolutely need it.”
Thundaga smiled as she waved her hoof to brush away her previous statement, “I apologize, that was meant to be a joke, but I’m afraid it’s been a while since I’ve had a guest that I could joke around with. Of course I know you wouldn’t abuse this privilege. I merely mean that you should think twice before asking for something outrageous… but maybe I should take this time to work on my sense of humor. Now I’m going to leave and pretend that that stupid joke was never told. If you will excuse me.”

Cirrus felt a little odd, from the way Thundaga spoke, it was as if she really did tell an embarrassingly dumb and misunderstood joke. This was the first time Cirrus had ever seen Thundaga act like any other pony than the tall, dark ruler that everypony knew and feared. This Thundaga seemed… normal. However, since she was still royalty, Cirrus could only do the proper thing as he bowed and replied, “No need to apologize. Thank you for your hospitality your majesty. I appreciate it.”
Thundaga felt pleased that he was appreciative as she replied, “No thanks necessary. It’s the least I could do for a new user of the Lightning orb.”
With that, Thundaga turned and left Cirrus standing at the door to his room as he couldn’t help but watch her as she trotted away. Although he still didn’t believe that he had actually used the lightning orb, he still felt odd that she was holding onto the story like she was, so Cirrus could only ignore the comment as he turned and trotted inside the room to rest.

Later that night in Ponyville, Zine approached the door of a resident as he knocked with his staff and waited for an answer. As the door opened a red earth pony answered as he spoke, “Zine?... what are you doing here?”
Zine smiled as he looked at the pony and spoke, “Hello Mr. Luck… and how are you this afternoon?”
The earth pony gave him a confused look as he replied, “Um… it’s nine o’clock at night.”
Zine nodded his head, “Yes… and still technically afternoon. But enough with the small talk. I’m here regarding a little business you have with the royal guards.”
The stallion chuckled, “Business?... the only business I have with the guards are the taxes I pay.”
Zine smiled in a cheerful yet sarcastic way as he replied, “Taxes… is that what you call the information you give them… Mr… informant?”
All of a sudden, the innocent smile on the stallion’s face turned to an unamused frown as he spoke in a calm yet threatening way, “Maybe… you would like to step inside so that we can discuss this matter in private?”

Zine waved his hoof in a dismissive way as he replied, “oh no… that wouldn’t do at all…” Zine’s smile turned sinister and evil, “other ponies wouldn’t be able to see what I might do to you in there now would they.”
The unamused stallion hid his now worried expression as he replied, “Okay… so you know about my side business… what of it?”
Zine spoke, “tell me… did you leak the information about the rebellion General’s identity?”
Mr. Luck replied, “Me?… maybe… question is, how much are you willing to pay for that bit of info?”
Zine smiled, “a clever business colt… alright… then we can tally it up afterwards. After all… there are other questions I’ve been wanting to ask you.”
The earth pony smiled, “like?...”

Zine replied as he sat down, “What do you know about a pegasus named Cirrus Cloud?”
Mr. Luck replied, “Plenty… that is, if it’s worth the price.”
Zine nodded his head, “I see, and that price would be?...”
“Three hundred bits… but for you… four hundred.”
Zine gave him a skeptic look, “and why should I pay a hundred more?”
Mr. Luck smiled sinisterly, “let’s not play any games here… we both know that Cirrus Cloud has been your little errand colt for the past few days. So if there’s information you don’t already know… then I would guess it’s pretty valuable wouldn’t you say?”
Zine nodded his head, “Fair enough… alright, four hundred bits it is.”
Zine reached into his saddlebag and tossed a bag of bits on the ground as he spoke, “there, that’s six hundred, to pay the total for both this and my previous question, it wasn’t mine… but Cirrus won’t need that money anytime soon.”

The informant picked up and checked the bag as he replied, “hm… I would have charged more, but I’ll bill you for the rest later.” He tucked the bag away as he continued, “Cirrus Cloud is a Pegasus from Ponyville. His parents, Stratus and Rain Cloud, were the founders of the Rebellion and were captured and executed when he was six years old. Before that, he supported the rebellion, and was expected to take over where his parent left off… however, he instead turned his back on them and for some reason, despised them after his parents death. After that he was adopted by Mr. Toll, the orphanage owner who by odd coincidence, took over the rebellion and raised them both for the past twelve years, until Mr. Toll, AKA General Rich, met his end in a similar fashion as Cirrus’s Parents. And that’s all I know.”
Zine thought to himself, “That’s it? That’s everything you know about him?”
Mr. Luck nodded his head, “other than him working for you… yes, that’s all I know.”

Zine gave him a skeptic look as he asked, “So… has the royal guard come by asking about him?”
The informant replied, “Not yet… but with the kingdom in an uproar about last night’s disturbance… it’s only a matter of time.”
Zine nodded his head, “I see…and how much would it cost for you to tell them that you don’t know anything about him?”
Mr. Luck smiled, “Hard to say… Commander Mist has quite a fortune on his hooves. I doubt you have enough to prevent him from out bidding you.”
Zine sighed, “Alright, I guess that’s out of the question then. So what about my question from earlier?”
“About the general’s identity?”

Zine nodded his head, “yes… did you tell the royal guards about General Rich?”
Mr. Rich smiled real big as he replied as if he were proud, “No… you can leave the credit of that discovery to good-old fashion detective work. I would have sold it to the guards when its value would have been critical, but they found out on their own… pity, that could have made me millions.”
Zine nodded his head, “yea… pity. So that’s it then… still no way I can convince you to keep your mouth shut?”
The stallion smiled, “unless you have a hidden secret you’d like to share… I’m afraid there isn’t anything you could possibly pay to keep quiet.”
Zine replied with an unamused tone, “hm... pity. Then I believe we are done here.”
Mr. Luck replied, “good, then if you have nothing more to say, you can leave. Good bye Zine.”

Mr. Luck started to close the door to his house but before he could, Zine used the bottom of his staff to stop the door as he spoke, “Oh… one more thing before I leave. If I understand you right… you have been gathering information on me and my experiments… am I right?”
Mr. Luck opened his door completely as he replied, “Yes well, as we both know, information has value in this unsung war.”
Zine smiled sinisterly, “Yes… and we all know that such a war is filled with surprises from both sides… even if the surprise come from a third party.”
Trying to understand what Zine meant, Mr. Luck replied with a curious tone, “Sure… I guess so.”
Zine nodded, “so I guess we are at an understanding then correct?”
Feeling too confused to care about the conversation, the informant agreed, “Sure… I would say so… I guess.”
Zine started reaching into his cloak as he replied, “Good, then perhaps I should offer you a taste.”
“A taste?... of what?”

Zine pulled out a flask with black potion inside as he replied with an evil glare, “A taste… of what happens when surprise risks attempt to cross my plans.”
With that, Zine pulled out the cork that sealed the flask as he tipped the flask up and poured the potion into his mouth. Mr. Luck could only watch in confusion as Zine finished pouring the entire flask of potion into his mouth before tossing the flask away and spitting the potion back at the unsuspecting earth pony. Strangely enough, the potion that was a liquid when it went into Zine’s mouth, came out as a thick smoke as it quickly surrounded the now nervous earth pony before evaporating as if it were regular smoke that had no effect.”

When the potion evaporated and vanished into the air, Mr. Luck gave Zine a confused look as he spoke, “That was it?... that didn’t seem so ba…”
Before he could finish his statement, Mr. Luck silenced himself as he saw the white in Zine’s eyes vanish, before turning entirely black. This in combination with his evil smile mad Zine seem terrifying as Mr. Luck started to speak, “What’s with y…”
Again the earth pony was interrupted when this time he started to feel the ground beneath him rumble. As the informant tried to understand what was happening, Zine spoke with an evil tone, “Tell me Mr. Luck… what is it that frightens you most? What terror of terrors keeps you awake at night, and make you think twice before trotting into darkness. What, is your greatest fear?”
Confused, Mr. Luck replied, “What?... what does that have to do with an…”

All of a sudden, a small hill started to push up from the ground between them, as he looked down at the hill in curiosity. However, that curiosity quickly turned to terror, as the top of the hill opened up as thousands of fire ants came crawling out of the hill and quickly started crawling up the terrified earth pony’s hooves. See the sight, Mr. Luck jumped back as he quickly tried brushing off the tiny insects and screamed, “What!?! A-ANTS!!! G-get them off! H-help! Get them away! They’re everywhere! Get them off! GET THEM OFF!!!”
as the terrified earth pony screamed at the feeling of the thousands of ants crawling and biting him as they started covering his entire body, the neighbors slowly started exiting their homes to see what all the commotion was, however when they looked at the screaming pony, all they could see was a pony brushing off nothing as he screamed the word ants. Confused, the neighbors watched the screaming pony in curiosity as he continued his loud display that made him seem somewhat crazy.

Although the ants were invisible to the surrounding neighbors, they weren’t to Zine and Mr. Luck as Zine stood and watched them attack the poor earth pony, while Mr. Luck could feel them as the vision he was seeing slowly turned horrific, when the thousands of attacking ants cut through the skin on his arm and began crawling under his coat as they attacked him both outside and inside. Although this seemed like it would have been hard for him to watch, Zine continued watching with an evil smiled on his face as the screaming earth pony fell to the ground and jerked his body around as he tried to kill the imaginary insects that where crawling under his skin. Still confused as to what was happening, the neighbors watched as the terrified earth pony finally succumbed to his fear as he arced his back in an almost impossible way, before falling back down and passing out to his greatest fear. As soon as the earth pony lost consciousness, the neighborhood became silent as Zine’s eyes slowly turned back to normal while a concerned neighbor approached and asked, “What happened… is he alright?”

As soon as Zine turned to them, the neighbors recognized him as he replied, “He’s fine… just a little too much cider. If you can, take him inside. All he needs is rest and he will be as right as rain in the morning… more or less.”
With that, Zine turned away from his unconscious victim as he trotted passed the concerned neighbors and out of the area as he mumbled to himself, “Well… now that the nuisance is removes, we can continue with our regularly scheduled programing. Nothing personal… but I can’t have somepony starting the party before I had time to prepare the party favors.” Zine though to himself, “Fire ants… never thought such tiny creatures could be so terrifying to somepony. Then again… it’s still nothing when compared to my greatest fear.”
That said, the evil zebra continued trotting out of Ponyville as he made his way back to the Everfree forest, with no concern to what he had done or what could result from his actions.

Ch6 Cirrus's World

Cirrus opened his eyes to find himself standing in a small town. As he looked around he started mumbling to himself, “Where… am I? This looks similar to Ponyville… but, much newer.”
As he looked around, he hears some calling from two mare who were standing outside a house, “Come on Sweetie Belle! We’re gonna be late!”
Cirrus looked at the mares as a third one exited the house and spoke, “Sorry, I needed to finish getting ready for tonight’s show. I’m going to head there once we finish talking with the princess.”
The three mare started trotting up the road as Cirrus couldn’t help but follow out of curiosity. As the mares trotted up the road the pegasus in the group spoke, “Speaking of which, how is your singing going Sweetie Belle?”

The unicorn of the group replied, “It’s pretty good, so far a number of talent scouts have offered me contracts to sing professionally, but unless they let me continue staying in Ponyville I'll just keep turning them down. I love singing, but I'd rather do it here in Ponyville.”
The earth pony in the group replied, “That makes sense but ain’t you worried that you won’t get a contract at this rate? It’s quite the conundrum for the first of us to get her cutie mark.”
Sweetie Belle replied, “Well if I don’t, I don’t. After all you’re going to be staying in this area with your interior design business right Apple Bloom?”
The earth pony replied, “Sure I will, but you can’t go riskin’ your career for somethin’ as simple as that, after all I ain’t goin’ anywhere anytime soon.”

The pegasus replied, “Apple Bloom is right, You shouldn’t focus on a job that keeps you where you want to be. You should focus on something you enjoy. I mean, look at me. In three weeks I'll be off to basic guard training and then who knows where I'll end up.”
Apple Bloom looked at the pegasus as she replied, “That’s right, you just recently passed the royal guard test didn’t you Scootaloo. How was it by the way?”
Scootaloo sighed in anxiety, “it was annoying… who knew that guards had to be book smart too. Well luckily thanks to Princess Twilight’s tutoring I pulled through with a passing grade.”
Sweetie Belle smiled, “Well congratulations. Thank Celestia that the test isn’t like the old exam that Mr. Bolt used to take over a thousand years ago.”
Scootaloo chuckled, “yea, if I had to fight a dragon, I don’t think I’d have a chance.”

As the trio carried on with their conversation, Cirrus continued to follow closely until the three arrived at the town square where a large number of ponies were gathered. As he arrived on sight, Cirrus tried to look at the center of the herd where the ponies were gathered to see what all the commotion was about. In the center of the group, stood two tall alicorns, one with a cream colored coat and a faded rainbow mane. The other was slightly shorter than the other, but this mare’s coat was navy blue with a mane that resembled the night sky. And between the two stood a young filly with a gray coat, and a mane that seemed familiar to Cirrus. But at this time he couldn’t remember where he had seen this night black mane with a blue and yellow stripe. Cirrus felt confused not only were the three mares a complete mystery to him, but the three weren’t even the only alicorn in the area. Watching them closely, a fourth alicorn, a purple mare with a purple striped mane approached as she spoke, “It’s good to see you Princess Celestia. I received your letter about wanting to visit so the town made itself ready for your arrival.”
The cream colored alicorn replied, “Thank you Princess Twilight, but I’m afraid our visit may be rather brief. I only came so something could be asked of you.”

Princess Twilight gave Princess Celestia a confused look as she asked, “Really? Then why come all this way when you could have just asked me in a letter?”
Princess Celestia smiled as she replied pleasantly, “Well… that’s because it isn’t me who wishes to ask… it’s my niece.” Celestia looked down at the young filly, “Umbra?...”
The young alicorn looked nervous as she looked up at the blue alicorn who smiled and spoke, “Go ahead sweetie.”
With that the young filly stepped forward as she mumbled, “Um… Princess Twilight… ma’am… I was wondering if… y… wo…. each… mm…”
Not being able to hear the young filly’s words, Princess Twilight replied with a pleasant smile, “I’m sorry, you might have to speak up. Don’t worry I won’t bite.”
The shy little filly rubbed her arm as she averted her eyes and repeated a little louder, “I was wondering if… well… you could… teach me some magic?”

Princess Twilight gave the young filly a surprised look as the filly continued, “you know… just… a little… I um… I want to learn magic so I can be a good princess.”
Princess Twilight smiled as she replied, “Princess Umbra, magic isn’t what makes a good princess. Being a good princess means making decisions that help your subjects.”
Princess umbra replied “but, if I can’t use magic to protect my subjects then how can I be a good soldier like my daddy.”
Princess Twilight was confused, “A soldier?...”
The tall blue mare replied, “She has had this obsession with becoming a soldier like her father was. She has even asked both Commander Gilda and Shining Armor to train her in both hoof to hoof and combat flight.”

Princess Twilight looked at the blue mare as she asked, “She really wants to be a soldier?...”
Umbra stepped forward again, “Please princess… please teach me. I promise I'll try really hard. I just want to protect the kingdom like my daddy did.”
Seeing the determination and hope in the young filly’s eyes, Princess Twilight sighed in defeat as she replied, “How could I deny a request from his daughter when she wants to make kingdom a better place? Sure I'll teach you magic, as long as you listen carefully to my lessons.”
The young filly smiled with glee as she replied, “Yes ma’am, I will!”
As the group continued talking amongst themselves, Cirrus could hear a voice overshadow them as it spoke, “Funny… all she wanted was to be as great a hero as her father was. She was willing to give everything for that one chance to live up to his name.”

Cirrus turned to see the same cloaked stallion from before as he asked, “Who is she?”
With the hood of his cloak covering his head, the stallion replied, “She is Princess Umbra of Equestria. She is my daughter.”
Cirrus turned to the stallion as he replied, “So… you’re the hero she wants to be like?...”
The stallion shook his head, “No… I’m no hero. I’m just the remnants of a war long since passed. She… would have been the greatest princess that Equestria could ever hope for… but… it wasn’t meant to be.”
Cirrus asked, “What happened to her?... Why haven’t I ever heard of her before? I hear of Princess Twilight, and Princess Celestia… but this Umbra… I just don’t know that name?”
The stallion replied in an angry tone, “And you wouldn’t… long before you were born, she was defeated and her name… erased from history. No pony, not you, nor Zine… not even the rebellion know this name.”
Cirrus could tell that the subject weighed heavily as he asked, “What happened to her?”

The stallion replied, “She… was… defeated. Struck down by darkness… more than five hundred years ago.”
Cirrus looked back at the group of princesses as he asked, “is… this the past?...”
The Stallion replied, “Yes.”
“Are… you from this time?...”
The stallion shook his head, “no…”
Feeling annoyed that there was no explanation to the stranger’s reply, Cirrus looked at the stallion as he replied, “Who are you?... why are you showing me this?”
The stallion didn’t reply, instead he just turned away from the herd and started trotting away as Cirrus followed, “Wait! I’m still ta…”
When Cirrus reached out to grab the stallion’s shoulder to turn him around, the vision ended as Cirrus found himself laying in a bed with his hoof out in the air over his head. Seeing that he was reaching for nothing, Cirrus lowered his hoof and began rubbing his head as he mumbled to himself, “another dream… but… what do they mean… and… who was that po…”

All of a sudden Cirrus heard a knock on the door as he could hear Thundaga speaking on the other side, “Cirrus?... I apologize if I’m waking you… but… may I enter?... I wish to ask you something.”
Feeling a little confused that a royal alicorn was asking him for permission, Cirrus replied as he sat up in the bed, “I… um… y-yes your majesty. You may enter.”
At that moment the door opened as Thundaga entered the room followed by two guards. Seeing the guards made Cirrus nervous as Thundaga spoke, “Good morning Cirrus… I apologize if I woke you.”
Cirrus replied, “not at all your majesty… I was awake when you knocked.”

Thundaga smiled, “Good then… I wouldn’t want to disturb you for any other reason… but… well… I was going into Canterlot on some business, and I thought that while I did, I could show you around the city. As I recall you mentioned that this was your first time in Canterlot so I wanted to give you the full tour… that is… if you want?”
Cirrus felt a little odd at the way he was being asked, but since he didn’t want to say no to the princess’s kindness, he replied, “Um… sure… I think that would be alright. It’s not like sitting around here will help me remember anything right?”
Thundaga was pleased as she replied, “Very well, when you’re ready meet me at the castle doors, and we can depart.”
With that, Thundaga turned and left the room as she made her way out into the corridor.

Meanwhile in Ponyville Commander Mist entered the interrogation room as he sat down at the table across for the skittish pony as he spoke, “Mr. Luck?...” The twitching pony looked at him as he continued, “Mr. Luck… are you okay?... do you know who I am?”
The skittish pony replied, “Y-yes… y-you’re the commander… aren’t you?... Commander Mist… right?...”
Commander Mist replied, “That’s right… and from what I understand, you were attacked… can you tell me who attacked you?”
The Informant twitched as he replied, “Not who… what…”
Commander Mist gave him a strange look as he replied, “Alright… what attacked you?”
The pony replied, “Ants… they… they dug under my skin… ate me from inside… they… they were everywhere. They… they are still there… I… I know it…”
The commander asked, “Where did they dig in? How do you know they are still there?”

The skittish stallion raised his hoof and showed the bottom as he replied, “don’t you see it?... this cut here… they got in through that. See it… it’s right here… see?… you see?”
When Commander Mist looked at the stallion’s hoof, he replied, “There isn’t anything there… there is no cut. What attacked you wasn’t ants. You were hit by a hallucination created by a powerful spell. Can you tell me who cast this spell on you?”
The pony put his hooves on his head as he replied, “A s-spell?... no… it was the ants… they did this… I know it was… they dug into my mind… attacked me from inside… I… I know it…”
Commander Mist shook his head, “no… it was a spell… there is no cut on your hoof. The ants were an illusion. Now tell me… who did this?... was it Zine?”

Mr. Luck shook his head, “no… it was the ants… it was… they… they dug into my mind… they made it seem like it was something else… but I know it. It was them, they…they are still there… eating… and eating…” His voice got louder and more frantic, “Eating… eating!... EATING!!! THEY ARE STILL THERE!!! EATING ME!!! THEY ARE EATING ME!!! EATING!!!”
Screaming in his fit of hysteria, the earth pony stood up from the table as he backed himself all the way to the back wall causing the guards at the door to draw their weapons to protect Commander Mist in case he became hostile. However, the earth pony only continued holding his head as he continued screaming, “EATING!!! THEY ARE STILL THERE!!! EATING!!! EATING ME!!! EATING!!!”
With this being his only words, the unstable earth pony turned to the wall behind him as he began smashing his head against the wall as hard as he could. Confused as to his actions, the royal guards in the room looked at each other with no idea how to respond as Commander Mist stood up, “Calm down! You’re completely safe there are no ants!”

Still hysterical the earth pony continued bashing his head against the wall, “IT’S NOT TRUE!!! THEY ARE STILL THERE!!! EATING AWAY AT MY MIND!!! EA…”
Before he could finish his last call of hysteria, the crazed pony used one more fear powered action to hit his head against the wall with enough force to knock himself unconscious as he fell to the ground and stopped moving. Worried for the informant’s life, Commander Mist pushed the guards aside as he rushed to the earth pony and checked his pulse. When he felt it, he sighed, “he’s unconscious…”
as the commander stood up, another guard spoke, “We will send him to the hospital till he regains consciousness. After that we will try again to get some answers from him.”
Commander Mist shook his head, “No… his mind is gone. And I have no doubt in my mind that Zine is responsible for this.”

The second guard asked, “Should we arrest him?”
Commander Mist shook his head, “No… if we do, we will have to explain the charges to Thundaga, and you know her opinion on informants… she would say his actions were justified. That he was just ensuring that the citizens were honest with one another.”
The first guard helped the unconscious pony up as he replied, “Then what do we do sir?... Should we begin investigating why Zine did this?”
Commander Mist shook his head, “I'd rather not… with the investigation on the museum robbery, the rebellion’s hide out and now this… Cirrus pony. Our numbers are running thin as is. If he attacks another pony without reason, then we will take him in. Till then we will let him continue his games no matter how blasphemous they may be.”
With that said, the commander left the room as the two guards started carrying the unconscious pony to the nearest hospital.

Back in Canterlot, Thundaga, Cirrus, and a few guards were trotting down the street as the passing ponies bowed in respect. As they continued, Cirrus felt awkward that the ponies bowed as Thundaga saw his expression and spoke, “don’t pay them any mind… in a way they are merely showing their trust in my protection. Despite all this talk of rebellion and distrust in my rule, there are many here who are grateful that I have established peace in this kingdom. And many more who will defend it, whether they be guard or citizen.”
Knowing that this was dwelling into a subject he didn’t want to get into, Cirrus replied, “So um… what sights are there to see in Canterlot?... I would like to se…”
“HALO!”
As soon as he heard the familiar voice, Cirrus froze as a filly rushed to his side and hugged him, “I’m so happy to see you!”
Seeing Allium hugging him Cirrus patted her on the back as he replied, “It’s… good to see you too… but what are you do…”
“Vell vell, now zis is a surprise.”

Cirrus looked up to see Madam Melody approach as she spoke, “Bonjour Cirrus… and… her majesty?”
With that Madam Melody bowed in respect as Allium realize what was happening and also bowed. Seeing this Thundaga waver her hoof, “now, now, no need for that Madam Melody. Am I to understand that you and Cirrus know each other?”
Madam the gracious earth pony rose from her bow as she replied, “Mais oui, young Cirrus and I met almost a veek ago in Ponyville.”
Thundaga looked at Cirrus and asked, “Cirrus… you remember this?”
Cirrus put his hoof on his head and pretended to think as he replied, “I… remember that a little… but a lot of it is still fuzzy.”
Madam Melody gave Cirrus a confused looked, “Really?... did… somzing happen?”

Thundaga replied, “I’m afraid Cirrus had lost some of his memories due to an incident that took place the night before last. Luckily they seem to be returning little by little however, they’ve yet to return entirely.”
Although both Madam Melody and Allium were worried for Cirrus, Allium pouted as she spoke, “you better not be using this as an excuse to break your promise to me…”
Seeing her pouting face Cirrus smiled, “Don’t worry Allium I won’t forget it. As soon as you can fly I'll be back so we can fly together.”
Reassured, Allium smiled, “good… as long as you remember.”
Smiling at his kindness Madam Melody asked, “So I know zat you have memory problems… but… how have you been since… ze orphanage?”

Although he didn’t know about General Rich or his demise, Cirrus assumed she meant since the orphanage closed down as he replied, “well… I can’t say it’s been easy… but other than a few memory problems… I’ve been fine.”
Thundaga gave Cirrus a shocked look, “The orphanage?... You were in an orphanage?”
Madam Melody smiled, “Actually your majesty he vas a caretaker zere. He helped raise young Allium at least until ze place closed down.”
Thundaga felt a little guilty, “oh… I’m sorry to hear that. So Allium here was an orphan there?”
Madam Melody replied, “oui, but since I adopted her, she has been as happy as can be isn’t zat right Allium?”
Allium replied, “Oui I’m learning Prench, I have my own room, I even learned to dance like a noble mare.”

Thundaga smiled, “Prench? Really? May I hear a little?”
Allium replied, “Okay… um… Bonjour votre… Majesté, Comment se passe… votre journée?”
As Allium spoke, Madam Melody translated quietly so Cirrus could understand, “Good morning your majesty, how is your day?”
Thundaga smiled, “Ah, très bon. Very good, I see you are learning quickly.”
Allium nodded her head, “Merci beaucoup.”
Madam Melody translated, “Thank you very much.”
Cirrus nodded, “Yea… that one I knew, thanks.”
Before anything else could be said, Allium spoke up, “I know… Mom! Could we invite Halo and The princess to dinner please! Im sure it will help him remember everything he forgot.”

Madam Melody shook her head as she replied, “Allium, it isn’t polite to invite her majesty vithout notice. I’m sure her majesty is far too busy to…”
Before Madam Melody could finish her statement, Thundaga interrupted, “Actually… if it’s not too much of a bother, I wouldn’t mind spending the day with you two. It would help Cirrus regain his memory and better acquaint us since you were unable to attend the last few grand galloping galas. That is… if it’s alright with you madam.”
Although she didn’t like the idea, Madam Melody looked at Allium who was giving her a hopeful stare as she sighed, “It’s hard to say no to a face like zat. Very vell, let us retire to ze manor. Ve finished our errands for ze day anyvay.”
Thundaga felt unsure, “If it’s any trouble, then we can postpone for another time.”
Madam Melody shook her head and waved her hoof in a dismissive way, “No-no-no zis is no trouble at all. Any friend of Allium and Cirrus is always velcom in my home.”

Although Thundaga felt that Madam Melody’s words were less than honest, she didn’t have the chance to question them as Allium started jumping around and cheering, “YAY!, Halo, I can show you the manor, and all the many rooms that are so much bigger than the sleeping bay at the orphanage. Like the ball room, the lobby, the Dining room, even the Garden! Well… that’s not a room… but I can still show it to you!”
Although she still wanted to reply to Madam Melody’s statement, Thundaga decided to just ignore it when she saw the joy on Alliums face. As the group started trotting toward Madam Melody’s home, the guards stopped forward as the higher ranking one spoke, “Your majesty, I need to protest to this visit. We still have to meet with local law authorities to discuss matters of the city’s security.”

Hearing the guard, Thundaga stopped as the group also paused at the objection. When Thundaga looked back at Alliums fading expression of happiness though, Thundaga shook her head as she looked back at her guard and replied, “look around you sergeant… the walls are standing, the citizens are currently safe and at this time, there is no worry of an enemy attack. I think that for once, I can rest easy and allow myself a little leave. In fact… why don’t you do the same? Guards… inform the Captain that I will be taking the rest of the day for rest. Then go home to your families. From now till tomorrow, you are free to enjoy personal time. Dismissed.” Thundaga turned back to her party, “shall we?”
The Guard tried to reply, “your majesty, this isn’t the…”
Thundaga replied without turning to him, “Sergeant… I said Dismissed… that would mean that you should reply with?...”
The guard sighed, “Yes… your majesty.”
Thundaga smiled before leaving with the group, “Good, then go, and I'll see you tomorrow.”

After arriving at Melody Manor, Madam Melody and Thundaga sat in the Master Study enjoying tea while Allium Dragged Cirrus to every room she could to show him all the changes since she left the orphanage. As the two mare’s sat in the study, Thundaga spoke, “your home is beautiful Madam, I understand that it has been in your family for well more than a few generations.”
Madam Melody smiled, “oui Majesty, as I recall, it vas one of many building rebuilt from ze Eden’s Kiss Catastrophe.”
Thundaga smiled, “yes… if I remember right, your ancestor of the time was Mr. Octavia Melody. A talented mare who’s beauty was only outshined by her music’s.”
Madam malady nodded as she looked into her tea and replied, “Oui… ve vere once a talented family filled with beauty that was only visible through our music… although… somezing changed as ze generations vent by…it is as if ze music faded.”

Thundaga sighed, “I understand the feeling… but if we continue looking at everything wrong in the world… it will continue to shadow what’s right.”
Hearing a comment like this from Thundaga seemed strange to Madam Melody as she replied, “Excuse me for asking majesty… but, is zere somzing vrong zath shadows ze right from you?”
Thundaga smiled with a smiled that was too fake to ignore, “There is more wrong in this world then even I can ignore… I just wish I could hide it from everypony. However, despite all the wrong that this rebellion claims me to be doing. I know that if I chose to sit on my throne and hide my power from the world, then no doubt. Another leader, or even citizen would seek me out to use it for evil. But enough about my problems… may I ask about Cirrus?”
Although Madam Melody felt that she was seeing another side of Thundaga, she still agreed as she replied, “of course your majesty, vat is it you vould like to know?”

Thundaga gave her a serious look, “do you know about his past?... anything could help. Family, friends, occupation, or at least sompony who would know?”
Madam Melody sighed as she poured herself more tea and replied, “It is true, zat I knew Cirrus before he lost his memories… however, I only knew him as a caretaker to ze foals at ze orphanage. From vat Allium tells me, he vas a kind pegasus who got his cutie mark from high altitude flight. His parents… died ven he vas little, so he spent his whole life in zat very orphanage.”
Thundaga was shocked, “that’s… that’s terrible. How did they die?”
Madame Melody didn’t want to answer truthfully so she replied, “zat part… I do not know. However, he never let it change ze vay he took care of ze foals.”
Thundaga sighed, “I wish there was something I could do.”
Madam Melody shook her head, “ze past is ze past. And nozing can be done to change it.”
Thundaga asked, “Is there anything else… anything… that can help him?”

Madam Melody replied, “Sadly, I do not know any more about him.”
Thundaga sighed, “That’s unfortunate… I was hoping I could understand him a little more. Then maybe I could find a way to help him.”
Although Madam Melody heard rumors about Cirrus and the Lightning Orb she still kept it quiet as she replied, “Majesty… if zere is anyzing in zis vorld that is needed to be known about Cirrus… it’s zat, he is a good pony vith a kind heart. And zat is all I need to know.”
Thundaga smiled at the comment, “you’re right… that is all I need to know. Thank you Madam Melody.”
Madam Melody smiled, “Majesty, I zink it vould be better if you could call me Aria. Zat is my first name after all.”
Just then Allium and Cirrus entered the room as Allium spoke, “And this is the Master Study… it’s like a second bedroom for the lord of the manor, or in this case Madam Melody.”
Cirrus smiled, “Um Allium, this was the first room you showed me.”

Allium hesitated a few seconds in embarrassment as she started to think to herself, then she replied, “Did I show you all fifty three rooms already?...”
Madam Melody spoke, “Allium! Vat have I told you about boasting? It is an ugly attitude zat a proper mare may keep, but only in silence.”
Allium rubbed the back of her head as she replied, “I wasn’t boasting, honest….” She looked back at Cirrus, “so Halo, where are you staying now? How many rooms?”
At first Cirrus rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as Thundaga replied, “He is staying in a royal suite at the Canterlot Castle. Two hundred and fifty rooms the last time I counted. And that’s just the west wing.”
Allium and Cirrus looked at Thundaga in shock as she could only smile in a boasting manner as she continued, “Cirrus… I believe the words you’re looking for are… I win.”
Allium could only pout as the rest of the ponies in the room laughed at Thundaga’s joke as a butler entered the room and spoke, “Madam and Majesty, Dinner is served in ze main dining room.”
Madam Melody smiled, “Zank you Frances, Majesty? Cirrus? Shall ve?”
With a smile and nod, Thundaga, and Cirrus followed as Madam Melody trotted out of the study and made their way to the dining room.

Elsewhere in the kingdom, Zine meditated in the Everfree Forest as Spike landed down next to him and spoke, “seriously?... you’re just sitting here?... how can you just sit here calmly with no idea as to what’s happening in Canterlot?”
Zine kept his eyes closed as he replied with sarcasm, “oh hey Spike, how’s it going?- That’s good to hear. What? Me? Oh I’m fine thanks for asking?- What was that?- oh it’s good to see you too thanks for saying so.”
Spike sighed as he started pacing back and forth, “it’s funny that one who plans so much can seem so calm when we don’t even know if Cirrus was imprisoned, released, or even executed.”
Zine opened his eyes as he sighed, “for Princess Twilight’s world’s greatest assistant, you sure do worry too much. Haven’t you heard the rumors?”
Spike gave him a dumb look as he replied, “um… sorry, I’m a little bit outside of the average rumor chain…”

Zine felt a little embarrassed, “Oh… well… then I'll tell you. According to the rumors, The Thunder Grounds were awakened by a pegasus who used the fabled Lightning Orb. That pegasus is currently a guest in the Canterlot Castle and is rumored to have lost most of his memories. So far all he knows, or has spoken about was the fact that his name is Cirrus, and he is a resident of Ponyville. His friends, and family are currently unknown as is why he was in the Everfree Forest to begin with. So in the meantime, Thundaga will keep him as a guest until she knows more about him.”
Spike felt nervous, “Wait… what if she finds out his parents were the ones who started the rebellion.”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “She’ll deem him a traitor, execute him, and that will be the end of it.”
“WHAT!”
Zine smiled, “got ya…”
“That’s not funny you know!”

Zine waved his hoof in a dismissive way, “Calm down, it’s just a little joke. Even if they did find out who his parents are, they would never execute him.”
Spike was curious, “How do you know?”
Zine smiled sinisterly, “Thundaga has fear too. And right now, her greatest fear, would be to lose the only link she has to her father and his legend. And as far as she knows, he is that link. So much in fact… that I have a theory.”
Spike was curious, “What kind of theory?”
Zine replied as he stood up and began trotting towards his staff, “just a simple idea. Don’t worry about it. What we should worry about is what will happen when the mare of the mountain meets our little friend. Will the heartbroken legend kill the new age hero, or will she accept her fate and help him.”
Spike gave Zine an unamused look, “knowing her hatred towards you… she’ll definitely kill him if you’re the one who asks.”
Zine looked insulted, “What? Am I not likable?”

Spike sighed as he rubbed his head out of irritation, “first off, yes… to a pegasus like her you’re unlikable. And second, it’s not about who you are, it’s about what you did.”
Zine rolled his eyes, “yea, yea, yea, she wants to kill me, I know. Jeez for a pretty face she can definitely hold a grudge cant she?”
Spike nodded his head, “yea… and if she could, you’d be dead right now… by the way, I didn’t say anything to her about Cirrus… should I tell her?”
Zine shook his head, “I'll tell her when we introduce the two… insinuating she won’t try to kill me on sight. Although, a mare like that… can kill me any day she wants.”
Spike gave Zine a stupid look, as Zine shrugged his shoulders, “what?... I'd be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted. You of all dragons should know that I’m a sucker for a good wing span.”

Later in Canterlot Madam Melody and here guests were back in the Study. On one side of the room Thundaga was playing clapping games with Allium. While on the other side, Cirrus and Madam Melody watched as Madam Melody smiled, “I hope zis day has returned most of your memories… or in ziz case, made more.”
Realizing what Madam Melody meant, Cirrus gave her a concerned look, “Yea… about that… I really didn’t lose any of my memories… actually I only forgot what happened moments prior to the accident.”
Madam Melody nodded her head, “I see… vorried your past may land you in ze dungeon?”
Cirrus nodded head, “yea… I was a little… wait…” Cirrus gave her a serious look, “You know about my parents?”
Madam Melody nodded her head, “Oui, Monsieur Toll told me everyzing about it. However, I also decided to keep it quiet around her majesty. Zough, I did tell her about ze orphanage, your talent, and ze fact zat you vere an orphan.”

Cirrus felt a little nervous, “is that all?...”
Madam Melody smiled, “Oui, zere vas nozing more she needed to know… alzough… from the vay she is acting today, I could almost say zat she vouldnt react the same if she did know.”
Cirrus looked back at Thundaga as he couldn’t help but agree. For as long as he had known Thundaga was the pinnacle of evil, and mercilessness in this world. But seeing her, playing foalish games with Allium as if there was not a single care in the world seemed almost impossible. The evil, look of anger or ill concern on her face was filled with a pleasant joy and smiles that Cirrus never knew existed. It was as if it were a dream, and a good one at that. Then all of a sudden, the clock over the fireplace chimed 7pm, as Madam Melody stood and spoke, “Allium, I understand you are having fun, but it is time for your evening studies.”
Allium looked at Madam Melody as she replied, “aww, can’t we just skip it tonight mama?”

Madam Melody shook her head, “remember our agreement, you can only skip it vonce a veek, and zis veeks day vas already used, so I’m afraid skipping is out of ze question.”
Allium stood up in disappointment as she pouted, “all right… I guess I'll go study then.”
Madam Melody smiled, “Now, now, vat do ve say to our guests.”
Allium turned to Thundaga as she bowed in respect, “Au Revoir your majesty it was a pleasure to have you as our honored guest.”
Thundaga smiled peacefully as she bowed and replied, “It was you who invited me Madam Allium, so the honor is all mine.”
Being called Madam from royalty made Allium feel a since of pride as she rose from her bow and trotted towards Cirrus. When she got to him, Allium threw her hooves round him and hugged him as tight as she could as she spoke, “Bye Halo… I hope you can come visit again real soon. And… don’t forget our promise.”

Cirrus hugged her back as he replied, “of course, I couldn’t forget even if I tried.”
With that Allium stopped hugging him as she turned and left the room to where she studied. After Allium was gone, Madam Melody looked at Cirrus and smiled, “It vas a good day for little Allium. I know zis is ze first time I’ve seen her zis happy since ve left ze orphanage.”
Thundaga smiled a pleasant smile, “she is a good filly with a promising future. You should be proud to have raised such a prodigy.”
Madam Melody shook her head, “no, it’s Cirrus who should be proud. It is he who took care of Allium before I adopted her. She never seems to stop talking about all ze fun she had playing vith her friend Halo.”
Cirrus smiled, “all the orphans at the orphanage had no parents, so it was my duty to make all of us seem like a big family. Allium to me was no different than a little sister. So I looked out for her just like any big brother would.”

Thundaga smiled, “so have all of your memories returned to you Cirrus?”
Cirrus thought to himself, “some yes… but there are still a few blanks. Like my home, and... How I ended up in the Everfree Forest.”
Thundaga nodded her head, “feel free to take all the time you need to remember. Little progress is better than none.”
With that said Thundaga looked at the clock and asked, “Well, it’s not too late that we should end the day just yet, so what shall we talk about in the mean time?”
The three started thinking to themselves as Madam Melody replied, “perhaps since ze innocents are out of ze room, ve can talk about somzing zat I have alvays found curious.”
Thundaga replied with a curious tone, “oh? And what would that be?”
Madam Melody asked, “I vas vondering if her majesty could tell us about ze, Peace or Var Campaign. You know since you are ze var hero of zat time.”
Thundaga asked with a concerned expression, “you want to hear… about that?...”
“oui, just a little about ze Griffin Kingdoms and ze time that followed. I have alvays had interest in history and ze history books ver very brief vhen talking about ze end of ze Griffin Kingdoms.”
Thundaga liked at the ground with an uneasy stare as Cirrus replied, “If it’s too much, then I don’t mind talking about something el…”

Thundaga shook her head as she interrupted him, “No… as painful as it was. I think talking about it might make me feel better. And who better to talk about it with than my friends.”
Taking one more bracing sigh, Thundaga continued, “The day after my mother and aunt’s banishment, I in my fit of rage amassed the largest army in Equestrian history. Almost two hundred thousand soldiers… with them, I began marching from Canterlot, on a nonstop convoy to Gryphus. The capital city of the Griffin Kingdoms, and the most powerful fortress that the griffin king had in his talon, rumored to be the only fortress in their history that has never fallen, that is… until I arrived. I turned a five day trip into a three day march, and with my rage still in control, I and my army advanced and destroyed the first of the city’s four walls without warning the very moment I arrived in the city. Shortly after the king tried to fight back, but to no avail. Within five hours after arriving in Gryphus, my army had breached all four walls and spread throughout the city capturing every street and preventing griffin soldiers from regrouping and fighting back. Then… shortly after I entered the Castle… I did what I never thought I would ever do in a battle…”

Cirrus could see the depressing stare on her face as he asked, “What did you do?...”
Thundaga sighed as she continued, “Out of fear, the griffin king and his soldiers were standing unarmed in the throne room with their talons up… but even as he stood there renouncing his throne to me… I couldn’t hold back my anger… I tossed a sword to one of his personal guards and ordered him to take the king’s life… when he refused, I killed him, and handed the sword to the next, giving him the same order as the first guard. I… forced one of the griffin king’s royal guards to do the one thing that all royal guards are sworn never to do… I forced him, to kill the one he was sworn to protect.”
Both Cirrus and Madam Melody were shocked, neither one had ever heard this story before as Madam Melody couldn’t help but speak her mind, “Zat’s… horrible.”
Thundaga nodded her head, “it’s more than that… at the time I only did this to prove to the king that betrayal can be one of the world’s worst ways to die, since he betrayed Equestria as allies. But… my anger proved to show much more. By doing this, I destroyed not only a kingdom… but a guard’s very spirit. This sin… turned out to be just one of many in the wars to follow… but this was truly the end of The Griffin Kingdoms. From here, I had a republic form in the king’s place, and left them to decide who should rule from then on.”

Cirrus put his hoof on his head, “I… I never knew this. According to history books the king was hung in the square later that day, before the republic formed in his place.”
Thundaga nodded her head, “This is true… but he was dead before his corpse was hung there… the history books say only what I wanted them to say. But…not a day goes by that I wish what they say is the truth. This only makes my guards look worse. How am I to uphold my father’s legacy when I have scorned it with such disrespect?”
Cirrus couldn’t help but feel this scenario was familiar, as Thundaga looked at the ground in disappointment and held back her tears. Then, Madam Melody patted her back as she spoke, “Ze past is past, it’s how you choose ze future, zat is vat truly matters. I zink zat if your fazer vere here, he vould forgive you if you kept zis in mind.”
Thundaga gave Madam Melody a curious look, “You think so?”
Madam Melody smiled, “Alzough I am a mozer by adoption only, I know zat as a parent, I vould forgive my daughter if she did somzing terrible and vished to make amends for it. After all, ve all make mistakes majesty, even royalty.”

Since Cirrus knew the subject was dwelling close to the story of Commander Bolt, something he still didn’t believe. He decided to keep his comment brief as he replied, “sure, I’d believe him to be forgiving right?”
Madam Melody nodded, “Zis is true, he vas a forgiving stallion.”
Although it was brief, Thundaga smiled at Cirrus’s comment as she replied, “Then… I'll try to make amends. Every way I can. Thank you Cirrus, Aria, thank you for listening.”
As Thundaga gave a peaceful smile of hope, a tear rolled down her face as she quickly wiped it away and remembered her place, “oh… I apologize. It must be awkward hearing your princess talk with such… never mind. I thank you both for your advice, and hope to put it to good use.”
Hearing Thundaga’s tone go back from casual and friendly, to royal and serous made both Cirrus and Madam Melody sigh in hopelessness as Madam Melody’s butler entered the room, “Pardon ze interruption madam, but I believe a Commander Mist is at ze door for you, your majesty.”

Thundaga sighed in disappointment, “Oh well, looks like our night must end… Cirrus, let us depart back to the palace. Madam Mel… I mean, Aria I thank you for your hospitality. This was… um… an enjoyable experience. Or… I should say… fun.”
Madam Melody could tell that Thundaga was rusty at this sort of thing so she smiled and bowed, “Zank you your majesty for your vonderful visit. I hope zat ve can do it again soon, as long as your schedule allows it. And Cirrus, I vish you luck in regaining your memories. I hope zat soon, you find vhere you belong.”
Cirrus smiled, “Thank you Madam Melody, I hope we can do this again sometime soon.”
With a smile on their faces, Thundaga and Cirrus trotted out of the room and met Commander Mist at the front door as they left the manor and trotted back to the Canterlot Castle.

A few minutes later back at the castle, Thundaga, Cirrus, and Commander Mist trotted through the corridor as Thundaga couldn’t help but notice Commander Mist’s silence, “Commander… is something wrong? You’ve yet to say anything since we left the Melody Estate.”
Commander gave a sharp yet brief glance towards Cirrus before he looked at Thundaga and replied, “It’s a matter that should be discussed later you majesty.”
Thundaga nodded her head as they came to a fork in the corridor, “I see… Cirrus?”
Cirrus looked at Thundaga, “Yes your majesty?”
Thundaga stopped and turned to him and smiled peacefully, “Thank you for today. It’s been a while since I spent time with subjects that wasn’t strictly business. And, I enjoyed it. So… thanks.”
Seeing the peaceful smile on her face made him smiled as he replied, “Thank you your majesty, I also had a good time. Well… since I have to go this way to my room, I guess I'll wish you a good night your majesty.”
Thundaga continued smiling, “Yes… good night to you too.”

Watching Cirrus trot away, Thundaga hesitated before stopping him, “Wait… Cirrus?...” he stopped and turned to her as Thundaga continued, “Since… you showed me a bit of your world today… perhaps tomorrow… I could show you a bit of mine?”
Although he didn’t quite understand what she meant by her world, Cirrus still smiled as he replied, “Sure, that would be nice. Well… good night your majesty.”
With that Cirrus turned back to his path as he trotted away. As he continued, Thundaga smiled peacefully as she mumbled, “Good night… Cirrus…”
As Thundaga watched him trot away, Commander Mist couldn’t help but wonder about the type of smile she was giving as he spoke, “Your majesty… are you aright?... you don’t seem… never mind. I want to give you my report.”

Thundaga nodded as she started trotting back to her room, “Very well… what have you discovered?”
Commander Mist replied, “So far all our leads on the museum robbery are still dead ends, and also nothing on the whereabouts or the identity of the next rebellion gener…”
Thundaga sighed, “enough about that… what about Cirrus?... have you found anything about his lost memories?”
The commander gave her an uneasy look, “None so far… your majesty?... I think you might be getting too friendly with our guest. From my understanding, you canceled your schedule today because he wanted to see a few friends of his. I understand you want to help him… but we still don’t know who he is. What if he happens to be a member of the rebellion trying to get close to you?”
Thundaga sighed, “I know the risks of my actions… and I would advise you to have trust in my judgement.”

Commander Mist continued to argue, “Your majesty, I do trust your judgement, but I don’t trust him. The way he just shows up out of nowhere like he did… it’s too suspicious to ignore. Please, keep your distance from him. I don’t want to give the rebellion a chance to…”
Thundaga stopped and turned towards Commander Mist as she spoke with a noticeable anger, “Commander… I have mentioned that my trust in him is of my own risk… so if you need further convincing, then you better do your job and gather the information needed to return his memories. Now if you will excuse me, I need to rest, so as I said before… good night.”
With anger in her step, Thundaga turned and left the commander speechless in the corridor as she went back to her bedchambers to rest for the night.

Back at the melody manor, Madam Melody was pacing back and forth as her butler was writing a letter for her. As she paused she asked, “How much is left?”
Frances replied, “Just enough to close Madam.”
Madam Melody nodded as she continued, “Then close it vith;
in conclusion I vill renounce my Colonel position and inform you zat my defection vill in no vay endanger ze rebellion. However, I vill claim my neutrality and stand by until ze commander claims his position and decided to lead from ze front. I zink zat vith confidence, ze next commander vill lead us to a new era of peace and harmony. Till zen, I vill have nozing to do vith ze rebellion and vill ensure Cirrus Cloud’s safety.
Zank you for understanding and good luck.
Madam Melody, Former Colonel
P.S. Viva La Rebellion, and
Viva Commander Halo.”

Ch7 Thundaga's World

Thundaga and Cirrus trotted through the royal guards’ training grounds as Cirrus watched the guards sparring with one another. As they continued, a formation of guards trotted by as they chanted, “When I was a little colt, grandpa told me of Star Bolt! He cleared the dark and saved us all, us mighty fighters never fall.”
As the formation continued marching by, Thundaga saw Cirrus’s expression and smiled, “Don’t worry, they aren’t brainwashed. My soldiers are trained to be the best soldiers in the world. And yet as loyal as they are, they are also bound to lawful actions.”
Cirrus gave her a confused look, “Lawful?...”

Thundaga smiled as she continued trotting into the training ground, “Yes, Each one must follow their orders, however if a superior gives an order that seems unlawful, meaning it doesn’t seem right, they have the option to ignore the order. With that, I will be notified of both the soldier, the superior, and the order, and judge it accordingly. If the order was harmless, then I will do what must be done about the soldier disobeying the order, but if the order is in fact unlawful, I will deal with the superior accordingly. Although… my orders are absolute. Disobeying them is an immediate charge of insubordination. But luckily I haven’t had any of those in the past century. Most soldiers trust in my orders and follow them accordingly.”

Cirrus understood her words, however he didn’t want to get into this subject so he just ignored them as he looked at two ponies who were sparring with swords. As the blades clashed, Cirrus had to ask, “Are those real swords? What if one gets hurt?”
Thundaga smiled as she looked at the instructor overseeing the match, “Drill instructor?”
The instructor approached, “Yes your majesty?”
“Bring me a training sword.”
The instructor nodded as he looked at a rack of training swords and used his magic to pull one out and bring it to Thundaga. As soon as Thundaga took the sword she handed it to Cirrus as she spoke, “Look at the blade carefully.”
As Cirrus looked at the blade, he was surprised to find that there was in fact a blade’s edge, but it was rounded completely so that the front of the blade was as sharp as the back only slightly thinner.

Seeing this Cirrus nodded, “oh… so it’s a blade, but at the same time it isn’t.”
Thundaga nodded, “Yes, that way all the weight of a sword is there, but none of the risk. At worst, this could only break a bone if swung hard enough. Otherwise it’s completely safe. Well except for the tip, but luckily I don’t allow thrusting moves in my training. A thrust leaves too much exposure while at the same time, it takes too long to recover. I train my soldiers to take an opponent down quickly. In battle there is no time to dally. Move Fast and Overcome. That’s the motto of the royal guards.”
As the two guards continued sparring, one finally parried the sword away from the other as he placed his blade against the disarmed pony’s neck in a manner to point out his defeat. As soon as this was seen, Thundaga spoke, “Enough!... this fight is decided. Good job, you both fought well.”

As the armed soldier lowered his sword, they both bowed in respect, “Thank you your majesty.”
Using her magic, Thundaga picked up the unarmed soldier’s weapon as she gave it back and spoke, “Now, since you lost this fight, I will have you redeem yourself in a rematch… although you may be at an advantage in this one.”
The soldier gave Thundaga a confused look, “um… ma’am?...”
Thundaga looked down at Cirrus who was still holding the training sword as she spoke, “Cirrus… step forward and show him what you got.”
Cirrus gave her a confused look, “W-what?... you want me?...”
Thundaga smiled, “yes… don’t worry, I will warn him that you have no knowledgeable training so that he may go easy on you. After all, he is a recruit with little training, so in a sense, you two should be on similar levels.”

Cirrus was still unsure as he looked down at the sword, “but… I’ve never even held one of these things before… how am I supposed to win against anypony, let alone a trained soldier.”
Thundaga smiled, “then how about this.” She looked at the soldier, “You will face Cirrus, and however, since he is an untrained civilian, you will go easy on him. Keep in mind however, he does wield the Lightning Orb, although it’s not expected that he will use it.”
As soon as it was said, the surrounding guards looked at Cirrus in shock. Rumors of a pegasus using the lightning orb had travelled throughout the rank, but most considered them to be just speculation. With all eye on Cirrus, the guard replied, “Yes your majesty, I will go easy on him. Mr. Cirrus? Are you ready?”
Although Cirrus still didn’t agree with this, he still stepped forward into the sparring circle as the winner of the last match stepped out. As soon as the two fighters were in the circle, Cirrus tried to hold the sword the right way as he asked, “so… um… like this?”

A few guards chuckled at the untrained Cirrus as his opponent shook his head, “No… first we bow, to show respect towards our opponent.”
With that, Cirrus lowered the sword as the two bowed slightly towards each other. After the bow, the soldier spoke as he raised his sword up, “Alright, now hold the sword firmly like this with your dominant hoof.”
Griping the one hoofed sword firmly, Cirrus held it up as he asked, “ok, like this?”
The guard nodded, “yes… now when the start is called, I will come at you and swing vertically, when I do, hold the sword horizontally above you head, but hold it firmly otherwise, I'll push it out of the way and hit you, alright.”
Cirrus readied himself as he replied, “yea… I think I got it.”
The guard nodded, as he looked at the drill instructor and spoke, “Sir! Ready to begin!”
Cirrus looked at the instructor and added, “yea… me too… I guess.”

The drill instructor spoke, “Both Sides ready!... BEGIN!”
As soon as it was called the guard moved forward as he called “Here I come!”
With that Cirrus raised the sword above his head to block however, as his opponent raised his sword to strike, a voice echoed through the area, “STOP!!!”
Immediately the solder stopped what he was doing as all eyes turned toward Commander Mist who was trotting into the area with an unamused expression on his face. As soon as Thundaga saw him she spoke, “Commander?... do you disapprove?”
The commander didn’t reply to Thundaga instead he looked at Cirrus’s opponent as he asked, “Private… how much training have you had on the sword?”
The soldier replied, “About a month sir.”

Commander Mist looked at Thundaga as he replied to her question from earlier, “This soldier is still gaining experience from his fights… I can’t allow him to fight somepony who has none to give. Therefore I will face the colt myself.”
Feeling that this was more personal interest then practice, Thundaga nodded as she replied with a carless expression and tone, “Very well, take a training sword and step into the ring.”
Commander Mist approached the rack of swords as he drew one and trotted to the starting point for the match. As soon as the commander entered, the other opponent left leaving Cirrus and the commander as the only ponies in the sparring circle. This time however, all eyes including the ponies who were sparring on the other nearby sparring rings were gathered around as almost every royal guard in the training ground gathered to watch the match between the Commander of the Royal Guard and the User of the Lightning Orb.

As the ponies gathered, Commander Mist trotted to his start position as Cirrus lowered the sword, “so um… I know what to do, we are supposed to bow ri…”
Before Cirrus could finish, Commander Mist dashed forward and quickly closed the distance between the two as he raised his sword to swing horizontally. Although he was caught off guard, Cirrus did manage to bring the sword up to block the attack, however, since he didn’t expect it, his sword was knocked away as Commander Mist turned around and kicked Cirrus in his face with both hind legs as Cirrus was tossed through the air landing on the very edge of the sparring circle. As soon as she saw it, Thundaga motioned in a way that she was going to step forward to stop the fight, instead she held her ground and continued watching since she didn’t like the idea of stopping a match that wasn’t officially over. Seeing this out the corner of his eye, Commander Mist smiled as he trotted to Cirrus who was laying on the ground trying to regain his senses, “This fight isn’t over yet colt. Get up and continue!”

Cirrus laid on the ground with a slight ringing in his ears from the shock of the impact, however hearing the commander’s words motivated him slightly as he struggled to ignore the pain and get to his hooves. As soon as he was up Cirrus looked at Commander Mist as part of him wanted to stop, however another part wanted to wipe the smug smile from his opponents face as he raised the sword and spoke, “Alright… I’m ready… this time.”
Seeing this, the commander replied, “We’ll see.”
With a determined dash, Commander Mist rushed back to Cirrus as he raised his sword to strike vertically this time. Knowing what to do, Cirrus raised his sword and blocked the attack as the metal on metal clash echoed throughout the training ground. As the successful block happened, Cirrus smiled, “Ha!”
Less the a split second later, Commander Mist brought up his other hoof as he punched Cirrus in the throat causing him to cringe as Commander Mist parried Cirrus’s sword away as he grabbed Cirrus’s armed hoof and threw Cirrus over his shoulder as the disoriented pegasus flew over his foe and hit the ground on his back.

Looking down at Cirrus who was still trying to regain his breath, Commander Mist spoke, “One block doesn’t win a war. So it would be a good idea to hold all celebrations until the end of the battle… or in this case… fight. Seriously, this is the will that can survive the Lightning Orb… please. I could do much better than this when I was a little colt.”
With that Commander Mist trotted a few steps away as Cirrus regained his breath and tried to stand. Half way up Cirrus rubbed his throat as Thundaga called from the side, “Cirrus! Do you wish to continue?”
Cirrus looked at Commander Mist who gave him an unconcerned look, “Take your wannabe attitude and give up. This was amusing at first, but now it’s just sad.”
Picking himself up entirely, Cirrus gave Commander Mist an angry stare as he held the sword at the ready and spoke, “You haven’t officially won yet, so let’s just end it already. I’m not one for giving up.”
Commander Mist smiled sinisterly, “Oh… you will be… very soon.”

Seeing this Cirrus decided that this time he would go on the offensive as he rushed Commander Mist and attempted to strike him with a diagonal swing. Seeing the obvious move, Commander Mist blocked the attack as he rolled the sword disarming Cirrus, as the sword went flying from his hoof and stuck into the ground a number of feet away. Now unarmed, Cirrus looked at his sword as Commander Mist spoke with his swing, “Eyes on me!”
As Cirrus looked back, Commander Mist was already halfway through a swing and he bashed the back of his swords blade across Cirrus’s head as the impact alone threw the untrained pegasus to the ground. This time Thundaga did step forward, however she stopped herself from saying anything as the drill instructor saw this and asked, “Should I stop the match your majesty? It was the back of the blade that made contact so technically he is still alive.”
Understanding this Thundaga sighed as she replied, “Unless he calls it or loses consciousness, let it continue.”

Hearing her words, Commander Mist smiled as he looked at Cirrus who was laying on the ground, “Hear that colt! Unless you give up, I have all day. Now get up and pick up your weapon!”
Although this time the commander’s words were muffled by a much louder ringing then before, Cirrus still understood them as he struggled to pick himself up as he felt a small amount of blood trickle from his muzzle. Wiping the blood away, Cirrus looked at his sword that was stuck in the ground a few feet away as he stumbled to the weapon to retrieve it. All the while, Cirrus looked at the surrounding royal guards as he noticed that all of them were at a dead silence as they watched him trot completely disoriented to his weapon. When he looked down to retrieve his sword, Cirrus saw something in the reflection. It was Commander Mist who had already closed the gap and was about to strike him in the back of the head. Seeing this all of a sudden made something take control.

With an unexpectedly fast reaction, Cirrus grabbed the sword, pulled it from the ground and ducked at the same time as the commander’s blade flew over his head. With his duck, Cirrus kicked back with his hind hooves hitting the commander in the chest and throwing him into the air. With that one action, Cirrus who quickly turned and jumped towards his opponent, swung his sword with enough force to knock the commander’s sword from his hoof, as he placed his other three hooves against the commander’s chest and used them to slam the commander against the ground on his back before placing the dulled blade of his sword against the commander’s throat and glaring into his eyes with an expression that said; Move and you’re dead. After that, no sounds could be heard from the entire training ground as everypony to include Thundaga and Commander Mist, stared at Cirrus with shock at everything they witness which took place within only three seconds.

As everypony stood speechless at the unexpected actions from a pony who was presumed to have no training, Cirrus who acted without noticing his actions slowly caught up with himself as his expression of rage slowly changed into confusion, and worry. Seeing this notified Commander Mist of his dropped guard as the commander grabbed the sword in Cirrus’s hoof, and used his wings to roll them both over as he pulled the sword from Cirrus’s hoof and held it to his throat as he called, “GUARDS!!!”
Hearing the order, all the guards observing the fight quickly drew their real weapons and held them at the ready as they started surrounding Cirrus and cut out any means of escape. Seeing this Thundaga spoke, “COMMANDER STAND DOWN!!!”
After the order was called, Commander Mist continued holding the training sword to Cirrus’s throat as he looked at Thundaga and spoke, “Your majesty! You saw it! He is a spy! No untrained pony could ever be able to do that as quickly as he did. I’m telling you he is a spy, put here by the rebellion to deceive you!”

Thundaga smiled casually as she trotted through her soldiers and replied, “I did see it… and what I saw, was a sore loser who can’t handle a defeat.”
Commander Mist shook his head, “Your majesty this is serious! His actions were too fast to be fr…”
“Tell me commander… why did you waste time when facing him?... Why did you toy with him using cheap non-lethal shots and allow him to continue no matter how hard you hit him?... Then, when his back was turned you even stooped so low as to try to strike him before he had his weapon secured and was back at the ready.”
The commander continued to defend himself, “Your majesty listen to me! His moves where too fast to be any of my solders so he had to of received them from the rebe…”
Thundaga waved her hoof to silence him, “No… you listen commander! His actions were the actions of a pony who saw himself in danger and reacted in, dare I say it… reflex.”
The commander became angry, “Your saying all of that was a reflex? Impossible! He is a spy! I know it!”
“COMMANDER ENOUGH!!!”

Commander Mist silenced himself after hearing Thundaga’s outburst as she continued, “This match is over… and it would seem that Cirrus has bested you commander. So I would advise that you congratulate him on a job well done, and release him at once.”
“But your ma…”
Thundaga stomped her hoof as an arc of electricity jumped from the ground and made contact with her knee as she spoke with a tone that terrified everypony in the area, “I said… release him… now.”
Knowing that he was risking his own safety with his next words, Commander Mist sighed in defeat as he looked down at Cirrus and removed the sword from his throat, “Very well… your majesty.”
After removing the dull training blade, Commander Mist stepped off of Cirrus and allowed him to stand as the surrounding royal guards sheathed their weapons and stepped back from their target. As soon as everypony was back to normal, Thundaga smiled calmly as she spoke with a casual tone, “Cirrus, congratulations on your victory, now it may be wise for us to retire to an area with a little less tension in the air. Shall we?”

Although it was hard for him, Cirrus ignored the scene that just took place as he nodded his head and replied, “Yes your majesty, lead the way.”
With that Cirrus trotted to Thundaga’s side as the two started to leave the area. However as Commander Mist started to follow, Thundaga stopped as she spoke, “Oh, commander? Since you have so much time in your schedule to roam the training grounds freely, perhaps you can spend the rest of your day training the new recruits. After all, you did mention in your fight that you had, all day… so I’m sure you have no objections.”
Commander Mist was concerned as he tried to replied, “But… your majesty I…”
Thundaga interrupted, “Wonderful, I’m sure the recruits will appreciate it. Oh and I will also be expecting a report on your other duties after the sun has set, after all, it would be irresponsible of me to let you stray on your usual duties. So I'll see you then.”

With nothing more to say to him, Thundaga trotted away leaving Commander Mist with an annoyed expression on his face. With that Cirrus and Thundaga left the area and moved onto the Canterlot Garden as she approached the entrance to a massive hedge maze. Looking at the maze entrance, Thundaga looked at the following guards as she spoke, “Cirrus and I are going to the memorial. Wait here till we return.”
The guards gave her a concerned look as one asked, “Your majesty, are you sure you’ll be alright?...”
The guard gestured towards Cirrus as Thundaga smiled, “Don’t worry, he may have bested Commander Mist… but it will take much more than that to best me. Not to mention…” She gave Cirrus a sinister smile, “He wouldn’t try anything… now would he?”
Feeling like he was threatened, Cirrus gave her a nervous expression as he replied, “N-no your majesty, not even if I wanted to… which I don’t.”
Thundaga smiled as she turned back to her guard, “I’m convinced… aren’t you?”
The guard nodded his head and replied, “If you need anything your majesty, just call out to us, and we will come to assist you.”

With that Thundaga nodded to her soldiers as she began trotting into the maze, “This way Cirrus.”
Nervous by the comment from earlier Cirrus followed closely. As the two continued through the maze, Thundaga noticed his silence as she spoke, “No need to feel nervous Cirrus, I was only trying to ensure my safety with my guards. After what they saw, it’s only expected that they would be nervous of you. Speaking of which… where did you learn to fight like that? Those moves were too fast for them to be taught from any of my instructors.”
Cirrus thought to himself, “I… I don’t know. To be perfectly honest… I was moving too fast for even me to keep up. It was… like flinching, like all of it was some kind of reflex.”
Thundaga gave his a confused look as they turned at a fork in the trail, “A reflex… but… That’s… not possible. I know that’s what I told the commander… however, actions like that were so precise, so focused. I’ve trained literally thousands of soldiers and never had any move like that, and that’s not even the strangest thing.”

Cirrus gave her a confused look, “really? What’s the strangest thing?”
Thundaga looked back at the path as she continued, “The way you walk, talk, and act. The way other ponies look at you, the very personality that that little filly from yesterday admired so much. That’s not the personality of a soldier, not in the least. To see you act the way you do, and see that back there… it was as if for the split second, you weren’t yourself… in fact it was as if you were a completely different pony. One… who has seen war… and survived it. That look on your face… it said that you were going to kill Commander Mist… and that he… wouldn’t be your first.”
Hearing this made Cirrus feel nervous, “Y-Your majesty, I promise you, I’ve never hurt anypony before. I don’t even underst…”
Thundaga waved her hoof in a dismissive way, “No need to explain. I understand that what I saw back there wasn’t the real you… but it still makes me curious. I can only imagine the secrets your past will reveal when your memories return.”

The Two turned another corner as Thundaga looked back down and gave him a smile, “Speaking of your past, I was meaning to ask, why did Allium call you Halo yesterday?”
Cirrus smiled, “Oh, well most of the Foals who arrive at the orphanage are too young to pronounce Cirrus, so a few of them started calling me Halo. You see, Cirrus clouds are usually the highest clouds in the sky and are hard to see unless they cover the sun which creates a ring of light around the sun referred to as a Halo. So Cirrus… Halo… it just stuck.”
Thundaga smiled as she replied, “Ah, I see. I suppose it suits you. Although I think I'd prefer calling you by your name… unless… I were referring to you by a title.”
Cirrus gave her a curious look, “A tittle?...”

As the two approached a fork in the maze, Thundaga quickly changed the subject as she stopped at the turn and looked into the opening, “We’re here.”
As Cirrus approached the turn, he looked to see that what looked like another route in the maze was actually a cleared out section of the maze that had fourteen statues stretched out in two rows all the way down to the end. As he looked into the opening Cirrus approached the first statue as he looked at the name read aloud, “Rose Luck…”
Backing up a bit and looking at the statue of the earth pony Cirrus mumbled, “Hmm… that sounds… familiar.”
Still curious Cirrus went to the next as he read it, “Niether…”
Backing up, Cirrus looked at the statue of a stallion who was carrying a book as he turned to Thundaga and started to speak, “Your majesty who ar…”
All of a sudden Cirrus silenced himself as he saw the statue across from where he was standing out the corner of his eye.

Recognizing the statue, Cirrus turned to it as he approached it and read the name, “Zecora the Enchantress.”
Cirrus’s eyes widened as he backed up and looked at the statue of a zebra, “Zecora… The Zecora?”
Realizing this, Cirrus looked down the line as he started trotting by the statues as he read their names, “Commander Gilda, Captain Spitfire, Captain Rainbow Dash, Rarity…” He turned back to the first row and continued, “Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Prince Shinning Armor!...” Cirrus Stopped trotting as he looked at Thundaga, “all of these ponies were involved in the Eden’s Kiss Catastrophe… they’re the heroes.”
Thundaga smiled as she replied, “That is correct.”
With that Cirrus turned and looked down all the way at the end as he mumbled, “Which means… that down here is…”
As Cirrus approached the last two statues on the line, He looked at the one on the second row as he read the name, “Princess Twilight Sparkle… and,” He turned to the next, “Commander Star Bolt…”

Cirrus looked up at the statue of the cloaked stallion as Thundaga trotted down the line and spoke, “Everypony here, was a part of the team of ponies assembled by my aunt to fight off the Dark Alicorn when he was freed from his prison in Eden. Sadly, half of them were unable to survive the day he arrived in Canterlot. If not for my father’s sacrifice, nopony, not even I, would exist today.”
As Thundaga looked down at Cirrus who was studying Commander Bolt’s statue closely, she remembered something as she smiled, “That’s right… you don’t believe in such stories do you?”
Feeling like he would offend her, Cirrus turned to Thundaga as he spoke, “Well… it’s not so much as I don’t believe them… it’s just…”
Thundaga waved her hoof as she replied, “No need for explanations. I'll admit I am a little skeptic myself since I was born afterward, but as I said; it’s not the story, it’s the lessons that matter. Just know that whether the story is true or not, the ponies really did exist. I knew them all personally.”

Cirrus gave her a curious stare, “Really?...”
Thundaga smiled, “yes… they each had a lesson to teach. Niether taught me to read, Rainbow Dash taught me to fly, Rarity taught me to act proper.” She giggled, “Even Pinkie Pie taught me how to have fun… and through it all, I admired them… Every single one.”
All of a sudden, Thundaga’s expression of joy faded as she continued, “I… I miss them so. They were both my teachers… and… my friends.”
Cirrus could see the pain in her eyes as he replied, “We all eventually lose somepony we care about… but I think that as long as we remember them for the good times, they are never truly gone.”
Wiping the building tears in her eyes, Thundaga smiled, “Funny… my mother used to say the same thing. And that’s why I had this place constructed. To remember them all for who they were.”
Cirrus looked at the statues as he asked, “So… this isn’t a cemetery?”
Thundaga shook her head, “Oh goodness no, this is merely a memorial garden. Everypony here is buried in their home towns, Princess Twilight is in a crypt in Ponyville with the rest of the Ponies of Harmony. Commander Gilda is in Gryphus, Princess Cadence and Shinning Armor are in the Ruins of The Crystal Empire. However… of them all, my father is the only one who has no grave.”

Cirrus was confused, “he doesn’t?”
Thundaga shook her head, “no… my father gave his entire being, body and soul to save everypony in the entire world. So… when the day came that he had to pay what was owed. He disappeared completely from existence. And for that reason… I understand that you, as well as many ponies have the right to be skeptic. If I couldn’t feel him as I do… I wouldn’t believe in him either.”
Cirrus replied, “feel him?...”
“Yes, when I used to look into the Thunder Grounds, there was something about it. A presence, as if he were there, watching over me. But then… the Thunder Grounds lost its charge and faded... Along with that feeling. It’s hard to explain… but… it was there.”
Cirrus looked back at the statue of Commander Bolt as he mumbled, “Maybe… I guess…”
Thundaga noticed that after Cirrus’s comment, the area became awkwardly silent so she looked at the sky as she spoke, “It looks like it’s getting late. Cirrus, let us return to the castle so I can lower the sun and prepare for the night.”

Turning back to the path they came from, Thundaga started trotting back where they came, as Cirrus looked at each statue as he followed. Although he still didn’t believe the stories, he still recognized each statue they passed from when he was a foal. Each carved with perfect detail from the tip of the ears to the markings on their flanks. Part of him wanted to believe the stories like he did when he was little, however he himself could only shake his head at the thought as he mumbled, “How foalish.”
Thundaga didn’t hear him entirely as she asked, “What was that Cirrus?”
Cirrus shook his head, “Oh… nothing your majesty… I was just... I thought I remembered something, but this was something from this morning so it’s not important.”
Thundaga gave him a curious look as she replied, “Alright then… just keep trying, your memories will return in time.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he continued following Thundaga out of the maze.

Later after the two returned to the castle, Thundaga and Cirrus flew to the balcony of her bedchambers which happened to sit on the tallest tower as she looked into the distance and spoke, “This should be a good vantage point.”
Not understanding what she meant, Cirrus gave her a confused look as Thundaga looked at the sun and watched as she used her magic to grab it and slowly lower it over the horizon. Once the sun was gone, Thundaga looked at the other horizon as she used her magic yet again to bring up the moon. Once the moon was in the sky, Thundaga stopped using her magic as she looked into the city and smile peacefully as she watched the residents turn on the lights in their homes one after another. As she watched this, the turned to Cirrus as she spoke, “Cirrus… come.”
Cirrus trotted to her side as she looked into the city and spoke, “Look down there… now tell me… what do you see?”
Cirrus looked into the city as he started thinking about what she wanted to here, “Well… I see a city about to bed down for the night.”

With little interest in that answer Thundaga replied, “I see a kingdom… who… wish for more. When… they don’t even realize what they have.”
Cirrus was confused, “What?...”
Thundaga continued, “Cirrus… I know it doesn’t seem like I do much considering my actions from today and yesterday… but… I’m exhausted almost continuously. I’ve spent so much time trying to make the kingdom a better place that… I’ve neglected my own happiness. To be honest, I’ve not felt happy for a long, long time. But… well… with… y…”
Thundaga shook her head to silence herself as she looked at the moon and spoke, “Cirrus… I wanted to ask you something… but first… I must tell you something. Remember earlier, when I told you that I used to feel my father at the Thunder Grounds?”

Cirrus nodded his head, “Yes your majesty, I remember. You said after the Thunder Grounds lost its charge you stopped feeling it.”
Thundaga nodded, “yes, when the Thunder Grounds faded, so did that feeling… that is… until I met you.”
Cirrus felt confused, “M-me?...”
Thundaga nodded her head as she continued looking at the moon to hid her blushing face, “Yes… the day you awoken the Thunder Grounds… that feeling returned… only, now… it’s when I look at you that I feel it. So… knowing that… I wish to ask you something.”
Cirrus didn’t know where the question was going, but something felt bad in the pit of his stomach as Thundaga turned to him and asked, “Cirrus… Will you stay here, and… become one of my royal guards?”
Cirrus couldn’t believe his ears as Thundaga continued, “I know that with the proper training, you will become one of the best guards this kingdom could ever have… and one day… my commander.”
Cirrus put his hoof on his head, “you want me… to become a guard?”
Thundaga smiled, “yes… I will train you personally so that you can learn to control the lightning orb. Then once your training is complete, you will become my personal guard. All the while we will continue returning your lost memories, and see to the mysteries of your past together.”

Cirrus replied, “But… don’t you have enough guards already? I mean, what about Commander Mi…”
“My trust in him is fading.”
Shocked by the stern interruption from Thundaga, Cirrus tried to think of a proper reply as Thundaga continue, “Cirrus… your fight today was extraordinary, and your ability to talk to the citizens is something that I wish all my royal guards could have…and forgive my honesty but… you see, you’re the first friend I’ve had in… a very long time. All my friend have either met their fate, or left me for their own reasons. I’m… I’m beginning to lose trust in even my own guards. I just… I just want somepony near me with whom I can count on. And who better… than… my best friend.”
Now, Cirrus was the one blushing as Thundaga looked into his eyes hoping for an answer. Cirrus thought to himself as he replied, “I… um… well…”
Seeing that he was conflicted, Thundaga smiled as she looked into the city, “I understand… it’s a hard question to answer, and I apologize for bringing it up so suddenly. So… feel free to take your time. I don’t need an answer now… or even by the end of the week. But please think it through, I… I would like to know as soon as you’re sure.”

Seeing the gentle smile on her face made Cirrus feel a little conflicted as he smiled to hide it, “Thank you your majesty… I’m grateful that you’re willing to be patient with this.”
Thundaga nodded her head, “My pleasure Cirrus, I understand that with a few memories missing, you may want to take time to regain your own identity before deciding, so I’m willing to be patient as long as you’re willing to continue considering it. Now, I think that we both have had rather long day, so if you will excuse me… I would like to get some rest.”
Understanding that he was in her bedchambers, Cirrus replied, “Oh, alright then. I guess I'll see you in the morning then your majesty. Um… good night.”
With that Cirrus turned to the door as Thundaga smiled pleasantly, “Good night Cirrus.”
With that said, Thundaga turned back to the balcony and looked at the moon as Cirrus left the room and turned to the hall. As soon as Cirrus entered the hall he turned only to bump into the pony standing outside Thundaga’s room as he paused and started to speak, “Oh, excuse me I… um… uh…”

As soon as Cirrus saw who he bumped into he became nervous as he saw the unamused expression of Commander Mist as he glared at Cirrus without saying anything. Feeling the burning sting of the daggers that Commander Mist was staring at him, Cirrus felt nervous as he spoke, “Oh… um… g-good evening commander… um… have you been there long?”
Commander Mist replied with a tone of concernless rage, “Long enough…”
Cirrus smiled nervously as he replied while trying to pass Commander Mist on his way back to the room, “Um… okay… well, I’m a little tired so I'll ju…”

Before he could completely pass Commander Mist, the angry pegasus grabbed Cirrus and pinned him against the wall as he spoke with a tone that terrified him, “Now listen to me Colt… you better make yourself comfortable, because I have all of my guards tracking down any information about you and your so-called past. So if I find even the smallest hint, that you are a threat to her majesty… I will come down on you so fast, your lightning orb won’t even be able to keep up. Understand?...”
Too nervous to reply, Cirrus nodded his head as Commander Mist smiled, “Good… and about the princess’s request… I would suggest you forget it. Because if you step even one hoof into my formation of guards, I will make it my goal, to ensure that every woken moment of your life will be miserable. Get the picture?”
Cirrus was still too nervous to speak so instead he just nodded his head as Commander Mist replied, “Good colt…” The commander tossed Cirrus to the ground, “Now get out of my sight.”

More scared then hurt, Cirrus picked himself up as he quickly trotted away before Commander Mist had the chance to do anything else. When he was gone, Commander Mist took a deep breath to calm himself as he trotted into the doorway and spoke, “Your majesty, I’ve come to give you the evening report.”
Thundaga didn’t acknowledge him, instead she continued looking at the moon from her balcony as Commander Mist noticed her silence and trotted closer until he was standing right behind her as he repeated, “Your majesty?...”
Hearing him this time, Thundaga turned to Commander Mist, “Hmm?... oh commander… I didn’t notice you.”
Commander Mist stood at attention as he spoke, “I’m here to give you the daily briefing.”
Thundaga looked back into the distance as she replied with a tone that showed little interest, “is that so…”

Although he knew she wasn’t paying him much attention, Commander Mist continued, “Yes, the security in the kingdom ha…”
Thundaga waved her hoof to stop him as she spoke, “I’m sorry commander… but I’m not in the mood tonight… perhaps you can give me the report in the morning. As for tonight… well… take the night off. I know you went through a lot today so… I think you deserve a little break.”
Commander Mist felt a little confused since Thundaga usually isn’t this passive about the daily report so he asked, “um… your majesty?... are you okay?”
Thundaga smiled as she looked at the moon, “I’m fine commander… I’m… I’m just in a good mood that’s all.”
With the sound of her tone, Commander Mist was certain she wasn’t lying to him. So he could only reply, “Alright… well… I guess, I'll see you in the morning.”

Thundaga stopped him as he turned to leave, “Commander?... have you… discovered anything… about Cirrus?”
Commander Mist didn’t turn to her since his expression became annoyed as he replied as calmly as he could, “No your majesty… I haven’t found anything about him. So far all we have to work with is that he is from Ponyville.”
Thundaga nodded as she replied, “oh… by the way. Yesterday we discovered that he was an orphan who lived in the same orphanage that he stayed at throughout his foal hood. According to Madam Melody he was an assistant there until a few days ago when it was shut down. If you try looking into leads of shut down orphanages I’m sure you will find something.”

Although he was annoyed that he didn’t hear about this when she did, he still kept his composure as he turned to her and replied, “Thank you your majesty, I'll pass this information down to my soldiers to narrow our search.”
Thundaga smiled, “Notify me of what you find. I will like to tell him myself if we unlock his memories.”
Commander Mist bowed in respect as he replied, “Yes your majesty, I will tell you what we discover.”
With that Commander Mist turned and left the room as he closed the door behind him and started trotting down the hall away from the room. As he trotted he saw a guard standing his post in the hall as he approached the soldier and spoke. “You… go down to the local guards’ station in Ponyville and tell them to look through all the records at the court house. Find everything you can about a pegasus named Cirrus and if they know of any orphanages he may have worked at that’s closed down in the past… few… wait…”

Commander Mist thought to himself, “An orphanage… no… it has to be a coincidence… or… is it?…”
Confused the guard gave him a confused look, “Sir?...”
Commander Mist shook his head, “Never mind, I’m going myself, I have a few things to look up in Ponyville anyways. Continue your patrol, that is all.”
With that Commander Mist trotted passed the guards as he mumbled to himself, “I wonder… if he is from an orphanage, could he be from that one… if he is… then this day just went from bad, to worse for out little guest. I can’t wait to see what I find on him.”
With a sinister smile, Commander Mist left the Canterlot Castle on his way to begin his search on his new found rival.

Deep in the Everfree Forest, Zine balanced on a staff that suspended him six feet over the water as he meditated in the silent cave. As he stood deep in his meditative state, Spike entered the cave as he sighed and mumbled to himself, “Zine is still here… is he planning on being here all nig…”
Before he could finish his statement, Zine slowly began leaning to his side as he and the staff fell completely over as he hit the water with a big splash. Feeling a little doubtful of that he witnessed, Spike watched the water for a few seconds of awkward silence until finally Zine surfaced as he took a few seconds to cough up the water in his lungs. After a few seconds of coughing, Zine trotted to the shore as he mumbled through his coughs, “Maybe… I should… choose a better… place to meditate… just in case… I get another call from… my relatives…”

Spike could only chuckle at the incident as he replied, “Is that what happened? You got a message from Zecora or something?”
Zine replied as he started shaking the water from his mane, “Yea… that’s why I lost my focus..”
Spike gave Zine a sarcastic look, “Focus… you?...”
Zine replied with sarcasm, “I know right? It happens so rarely and yet when I do, it gets interrupted.”
Spike disregarded the comment as he replied, “Wait… you received a vision from Zecora right?... well what did she say?”
Zine smiled sinisterly, “My favorite ingredient seems to be digging deeper than expected, so tomorrow I plan on going to Thundaga and collecting our little commander before he is found out. That and… I’m going to take him to Dragon Mountain to meet the legend himself. Hopefully she will understand and help us… unless she decided to kill us first.”

Spike started thinking to himself as he replied, “Well… since Thundaga trusts you for… reasons unknown. She might be understanding.”
Zine gave Spike a confused look, “no… I meant the Mare of the Mountain.”
Spike smiled, “oh no, she will totally kill you first… unless we catch her in a good mood. Then maybe she will just… mortally wound you.”
Zine nodded his head, “Yea… I think she will wound me… trust me… there is a perfectly good reason why she can’t kill us… or me for that matter.”
Spike gave him a confused look, “is this about that spell or something?”
Zine smiled, “yea… or something. Just remember to keep yourself out of sight… I have a feeling when this is all said and done, we will need the intimidation of a dragon to help.”
Spike nodded his head, “Yea, yea, I know the drill. So what are you going to do?”
Zine smiled, “Well first I’m getting some sleep. Three hours of focus really takes it out of me. And next, I’m going to try to think of something believable to tell both Thundaga and our ancient friend. It won’t be a lie, but if I’m good at anything, it’s telling a bent, half-truth with very few details.”

Ch8 The Mare of the Mountain

Cirrus found himself surrounded by a large herd of ponies as he realized he was standing in front of a stage that was set up in the Ponyville plaza. As he looked around he mumbled, “Great… another dream slash event… but… why is this one so… familiar?”
As he looked up on stage he saw Thundaga and a commander from the past trot onto the stage as she looked over the herd of citizens and announced, “Residents of Ponyville! Today I stand before you with terrible and upsetting news. It has come to my attention that recently an unnamed rebellion organization has formed in this very town. And this specific group… is standing with claims that I am betraying you, my own loyal subjects for my own personal gain and interests.”
Recognizing the announcement Cirrus took a step back as he spoke with shock, “No… this isn’t…”

Thundaga continued, “I would like to point out that all the claims of this unauthorized organization are false. According to them I am imprisoning your freedoms as Equestrians in an attempt to control you against your will… however, this along with all other negative propaganda is nothing more than a ruse to turn you all against me.”
Cirrus shook his head with fear, “No… I… I can’t see this… not again…”
Cirrus turned around and tried to avert his eyes, however when he did, he was shocked to see a much younger version of himself standing right in front of him as his younger self looked up at the stage at Thundaga who continued her speech, “Luckily before this group of radicals could gain enough power to threaten our very way of life, I, with the assistance of my commander and guards, Tracked down the leaders of this rebellion and will present them to you now. Captain?”

Cirrus looked up at the stage in an attempt to convince himself that this wasn’t what he thought it was. However, as the two prisoners were marched onto the stage, he found he was only proven wrong. On the stage in front of the entire town were both his mother and his father. As he looked up on stage, Cirrus played back this very memory in his mind, just as it was happening as Thundaga looked at the prisoners and spoke, “Stratus Cloud, and Rain Cloud… You stand here accused of being responsible for an unauthorized rebellion whose objective is to dethrone me and overthrow the kingdom in a coup d'état which could only be done through chaos, and war. Now tell me, and everypony here… are these charges for which you stand accused, true?...”
Both prisoners stood with serious expressions on their faces as Stratus, Cirrus’s father replied with pride, “They are… however, our goal in not to bring chaos to the kingdom… rather freedom.”

Curious, Thundaga spoke, “Freedom… hardly… Speaking with propaganda and wishing to incite war is nothing of the sort. However, I would like to hear this explanation. Exactly what do you mean by bringing freedom to the kingdom?”
Stratus spoke so that everypony could hear, “You prevent war… no doubt about that. However, you limit our freedom. You force peace upon nations outside our own. You say you want everypony to live in tranquility, but instead your tyranny incites nothing but fear and worry for their lives. Locked in your castle, you order your guards to roam the streets and silence anypony who chooses to even mutter the word war. You’re no protector of the kingdom… you’re nothing but a tyrant.”
Looking into the eye of the pony who said that, Thundaga spoke, “… Really… and you stand by those words?... even now?”
Stratus looked onto her eyes as he replied with confidence, “Especially now…”

Thundaga smiled at the prisoners’ bravery as she spoke, “With those words… you admit your crime of treason against the crown… and so… I hereby sentence you to death by blade. Do you have any last words before your sentence is carried out?...”
Stratus looked forward into the surrounding herd as he replied, “I’ve said what I need to… And I will die with no regrets.”
Thundaga looked at Rain, “And you? Do you have any last words?”
Rain replied with a calm voice, “If your father could see this… I’m sure he would be ashamed.”
Although the comment sent a feeling of rage into Thundaga’s mind, she was able to keep herself calm as she replied, “I’d beg to differ. But I will say this, I am impress with your courage, this truly is a shame.”
With that, Thundaga drew her father’s sword as she approached Rain.

Knowing what was about to happen next, Cirrus turned away from the stage as he looked away only to see his younger self watching the stage with a misplaced expression of hope. Soon, Cirrus heard the sound of the herd around him as they gasped at what they saw, and the expression of his younger self, as he watched and slowly became horrified at his sight. Then, with no sounds of whimpering or anger, he heard a body fall on the stage followed by the steps Thundaga was taking across as she approached her next victim. Cirrus closed his eyes as, the herd all gasped a second time as he played back in his mind the exact scene that was happening on stage. Envisioning what was happening, Cirrus listened as Thundaga spoke, “These ponies may have been traitors… but the pride in their words was admirable. They both deserved this warrior’s death, and will be remembered for this honor. However, let this be a message to the rest of this rebellion. If you continue these accusations against me… then you too will die. So please… let this be the only blood of my subjects that I must spill, in the name of peace.”

After hearing this, Cirrus only heard one last sound. He heard the sound of Thundaga sheathing her sword, as everything around him became silent. With his eyes closed, Cirrus tried to breathe and remove this memory as he slowly opened his eyes to find himself standing on the top of a plateau, with the cloaked pony standing in front of him facing in the other direction. When he saw this, Cirrus spoke, “You… you’re the one putting these memories into my head aren’t you… Why did you show me that?”
The cloaked pony replied, “You have been spending a lot of time with Thundaga lately… and in that time you are seeing the sense of peace inside here right?... I just decided to remind you of the reason you avoided her for so long.”
Cirrus gave him an angry look, “By torturing me with the worst memory of my life!”
The cloaked stallion replied, “I wanted to keep your mind open to the pros and cons of your decision.”

Cirrus glared at the stallion, “WHAT!!! Who in Thundaga’s mind do you think you are!?! What is it that you are doing here!?! And don’t do your wake-me-up thing again! At least give me a straight answer!”
The cloaked stallion turned around with the cloak hood still covering his face as he replied, “I can’t tell you who I am… if I do it will corrupt your decision.”
“WHAT DECISION!?!”
The cloaked stallion sighed, “The decision of whose side you chose.”
Calming himself down a little Cirrus asked, “Whose side… what are you talking about?”
The stallion replied as he turned away, “Sooner or later you will have to choose. Will you join the rebellion, or Thundaga? Fight to incite war… or prevent it. Kill one… or kill thousands. Thus is the decision of the wielder of the Lightning Orb.”
With that everything vanished as Cirrus opened his eyes to find himself back in the room that he was staying in as he sat up and rubbed his head, “The wielder of the lightning orb… that’s just a story though… isn’t it?”

Down in the throne room, Thundaga sat in her throne as she read a report on international trade. As she read, an unusual blue portal magically appeared about ten feet from her throne as the whipping sound of the magic broke her concentration as she and the posted guards looked at it. Reacting as if it were a threat, the sixteen guards in the room, to include the ones at the doors, rushed to the portal as they all surrounded it and pointed their spears in preparation for whatever was about to exit it. Curious, Thundaga stood from her throne as she studied the phenomenon and mumbled, “This… isn’t unicorn magic… so wha…”
Before she could finish her quiet statement, a small ball of white slope flew out of the portal and hit the ground with a plop as the surrounding guards took a step back after seeing the unexpected, yet ineffective projectile. Still holding their spears at the portal, the guards looked at one another in confusion as the magical portal started shrinking until it vanished leaving nothing behind but the strange ball of unknown slop on the floor.

After the portal disappeared, one guard slowly approached the small puddle like substance as he poked it with his spear in curiosity. When the puddle failed to react, the guard then dipped his spear in the substance as he brought it to his nose and sniffed it. Seeing that he was examining it, Thundaga asked, “Well… what is it?...”
at first the guards was in disbelief of what he thought it was, but then after licking it he replied in confusion, “It’s… Applesauce?...” He turned to Thundaga, “Your majesty… it’s… just applesauce.”
Thundaga gave the guard a strange look, “what?...”

All of a sudden the now unguarded doors of the throne room flew open as Zine entered, “Knock, Knock! How is everypo…”
before he could finish, all the guards in the room reacted as they immediacy surrounded him and pointed their spears at him as one spoke, “Halt!”
Zine stopped as he replied, “Oh, gee, welcome to me right?… Can I ask? How was my portal spell?... Did my apple make it through?”
Zine looked passed the surrounding guards as he saw the pile of applesauce on the floor and sighed, “Can you guards go one minute around here without smashing somezebra’s apples?... Seriously, this is why I can’t have nice things.”

Giggling at his comment Thundaga looked at Zine as she called, “Soldiers! Stand down! Let him come.”
Although none of them liked the idea, all guards lowered their spears as Zine trotted out of the circle and smiled, “Good colts… now… clean up your mess. We can’t have our royal throne room with sticky floors now can we? What are we, a bunch of barnyard animals?”
The Guards sneered at the zebra as he passed them by and trotted until he was standing exactly where the portal was sitting as he bowed in respect, “Princess Thundaga, It’s marvelous to see you, and your wings look as vibrant and beautiful as they day I met you. Like you haven’t aged a day.”
Thundaga smiled, “I haven’t… and Zine. It’s good to see my most trusted yet untrustworthy friend. May I ask, were you the one who created that portal just now?”
Zine smiled as he rose from his bow, “yes that was me… it’s very hard creating a magic portal without a unicorn horn… which is why… the apple I threw into it didn’t quite make it through. Oh well, at least I know what to do if I ever want to make a fruit salad.”

Thundaga held back her laughter as she replied, “Yes you do. Now, what brings you to the castle, I would expect it to be for reasons other than flattery and testing magic spells.”
Zine nodded his head as he replied, “Am I that easy to read… pity, I should work on that. Actually I’m here to discuss the rumor that’s been traveling throughout the kingdom. About the pegasus who awoke the Thunder Grounds.”
Thundaga nodded her head as she replied, “Yes… now you wouldn’t happen to know anything about that incident now would you?”
Zine smiled in an insulted way, “Well, it’s not so much that I know anything about it… more along the lines that I know everything about it.”
Thundaga was intrigued, “Really… then can you explain what happened?”
Zine sat down as he replied, “Sure… after receiving instruction, I tracked down Cirrus, and prepared a few potions before leading him to the Thunder Grounds where his spirit synced with a great commander’s and resurrected the Thunder Grounds as well as brought out his true power... the renowned Lightning orb.”

Trying to keep up, Thundaga asked “You say Instructed?... by whom if I may ask?”
Zine smiled, “Yes you may. I was instructed by my great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, grand-mother… from my father side of course.”
Thundaga gave Zine a confused look as he smiled and continued, “Well… perhaps you should know her better if I use her name. A name that you yourself is quite familiar with… Zecora the Enchantress?”
Thundaga’s eyes widened “What?... Zecora?”
Zine smiled, “Yes… she came to me in a vision and told me everything I should do… which is why I’m here. I came t…”
“YOUR MAJESTY!”

Hearing the interruption, Zine and Thundaga immediately looked at the throne room doors as Commander Mist rushed in, “Your majesty I…” he paused after seeing Zine, “What is he doing here?”
Zine smiled, “Well if it isn’t everypony’s favorite ingredient?”
Commander Mist sneered at Zine, “shut up you…” He rushed passed Zine and to Thundaga’s side as he spoke “Your majesty, I discovered important news about Cirrus!”
Thundaga gave him a curious look, “Did you?...”
Commander Mist smiled, “Yes, his name is Cirrus Cloud. He is the son of…”
Zine interrupted, “the founders of the rebellion. The same two ponies you executed almost twelve years ago. Since then, Cirrus has been staying in the care of Mr. Toll, or as you knew him, General Rich. That is, until you forced him out of his home and burned it to the ground about a week ago. After that I took him in and helped him to meet the first phase of his destiny.”

Commander Mist gave Zine an enraged look, “You aided a member of the rebellion? I knew it! You’re nothing but a traitor!”
Zine smiled, “who said he was a member of the rebellion… on the contrary, he turned down the offer to join the rebellion and vowed to never have anything to do with them. In their eyes, it’s Cirrus who is the traitor.”
Thundaga sat down in disbelief as she mumbled to herself, “I… killed his family?... what have I…”
Not hearing her mumbling Commander Mist replied to Zine’s explanation “LIES! All of it! You have been helping the rebellion this entire time haven’t you! You will pay for your insolence! GUARDS! ARREST…”
“SILENCE COMMANDER!”

Commander Mist gave Thundaga a confused, “But your majesty he is…”
“I said ENOUGH!!!”
Commander Mist stopped talking as Thundaga looked at Zine and replied “Zine… is everything you’ve said true?”
Zine gave Commander Mist a smug smile as he replied, “Every, last, word…”
Thundaga sighed, “Then… I’m confident that we have nothing to fear from Cirrus Cloud.”
Commander Mist stepped forward, “Your majesty you can’t be serious! Cirrus Cloud is obviously…”
“No threat to us... I know Cirrus enough to know that he wants nothing to do with the rebellion. And if Zine says he is not a part of them… then I trust that he isn’t.”

Commander Mist looked at Zine then back at Thundaga as he replied in concern, “But… but… your majesty… his parents are…”
Thundaga interrupted again, “Dead… and by my hoof… I’m the reason he never had a proper foalhood… and yet he still chose not to stand against me. Do you know what that is commander?... that’s loyalty… unjustified, but loyalty none-the-less. And… I think that if Cirrus knew this past… he would still choose to stay loyal. So as far as I’m concerned… nopony or zebra in this castle will be arrested today.”
Commander Mist was stunned, “But… but…”
Zine smiled, “Now now little ingredient, that’s enough from you… why don’t you go catch a pick pocket or something while us grownups talk.”
Starting to draw his sword Commander Mist spoke, “Why you disrespectful little tr…”
Before could finish his insult, Thundaga put her hoof between the two as she spoke, “Commander… don’t you have other duties to attend to… we can discuss this at another time, or at least once our guest leaves for the day.”
Getting the hint, Commander Mist completely sheathed his half drawn sword as he bowed, “Understood your majesty. I will wait outside.”

With that Commander Mist trotted through the throne room, but paused when he was trotting by Zine, “We will finish this later… don’t think you’ve won zebra.”
With that, Commander Mist continued trotting until he was out of the throne room as Zine watched him and spoke, “Charming… I can see why you hired him.” He turned to Thundaga, “Now… about Cirrus. I came here to request that you release him to me so that I can help him unlock his true potential.”
Thundaga gave Zine a curious look, “Really? And how do you plan to do that?”
Zine smiled, “With Zecora’s help of course. She sent me a vision last night on everything I must do to reawaken the power he holds and teach him to harness it for the better.”
Thundaga was unsure, “And… this is something Zecora said?”
Zine nodded his head, “Not her exact words, but listening to her rhyming that’s what I got out of it. She said that I must take him to a secret ground hidden in a faraway land for secret and solitary training. That way the spirit of Commander Bolt can reawaken and assist him in his true calling.”

After hearing that Zecora told him in rhymes Thundaga started to believe him as she asked, “And what pray tell, is his true calling?”
Zine shook his head, “that… I’m unsure of. All she said is; one with a power, and with nothing to lose, will bring change to the world with great path will he choose. Or… something like that… the only reason I remember that part is because it’s a great rhyme isn’t it? I wonder if she has a book or something where she keeps this rhymes.”
Ignoring that last part, Thundaga started thinking to herself as she replied, “So… to harness the lightning orb, you must take him with you, to a place that I can’t know about?...”
Zine replied, “I’m afraid so… and… furthermore, because this place is sacred as well as secret… I must warn you that we can’t be followed. It’s crucial that none know about this place. So much that if anypony does follow us… it could result in… unfortunate accidents.”
Thundaga gave Zine a skeptic look, “accidents… you mean you will harm them?”
Zine nodded, “I’m afraid so, yes, probably kill them. I promise once his training is complete I will return Cirrus safe and sound, but in order to unlock his true potential, I need him to come with me. Please your majesty.”

Thundaga was shocked, in the three years that she has known him, Zine has never said please, nor had he ever referred to her as your majesty without a hint of sarcasm in his tone. Hearing this completely convinced her that his words were true as she replied, “If this is her will… then let it be so. You have my permission to take Cirrus with you, provided that no harm will come to him, and that you will return him the very day his training is completed, understand?”
Zine smiled as he bowed, “Do not worry your majesty, He will be safe… even if we are traveling to a dangerous place… I say this because I can’t stress how much trust I am asking for that you refrain from sending guards to follow us. If so, I cannot guarantee their safety since it’s only Cirrus that I will protect.”
Understanding the hint he was sending her, Thundaga nodded her head, “you do have my trust… but I warn you now, don’t do anything that I might frown upon. Your choice of magic is still immune to my laws, but your actions with it are not. Remember that.”

At that moment Cirrus entered the throne room as Zine rose from his bow, “of course, I wouldn’t dream of…” He turned to Cirrus and smiled, “Ah, Cirrus Cloud. Good to see you again… well it’s time to go, come along Cirrus?”
With that said Zine started trotting past Cirrus and towards the door as Cirrus gave him a confused look, “What?... Zine?... um… what’s going on?”
Thundaga spoke with an unhappy expression, “Cirrus… Zine came here today and revealed everything. Not only what happened at the Thunder Grounds, but also your past.”
Cirrus gave Zine a worried look as he replied, “He… he did… what?... exactly did he say?”
Thundaga sighed, “Enough… I'll leave it at that. He can fill you in on whatever it is you need to remember later. I’ve decided to release you into his care for the time being. Zine has ensured that with his help, you will be able to control the lightning orb. So… I felt it was better if you go with him so that he can look after you while we sort things out.”
Cirrus was confused, “Control the lightning orb…” He looked at Zine, “Don’t tell me you’re in on this… farce too.”

Zine smiled as he went off subject “funny… I’ve never heard anypony actually use the term farce before… kinda sounds weird to me.”
Thundaga stayed on topic as she replied, “Despite your beliefs Cirrus… I assure you, it’s no joke. This is a matter of great importance. Cirrus… It would appear that fate has plans for you. Though I do not know of its ultimate plan, it could only be something important if my teacher is guiding Zine to fulfil it.” She looked at Zine, “Zine, I leave him in your care.”
She looked back at Cirrus, “And Cirrus… I hope you will continue to keep last night’s request in mind until you return.”
Zine nodded his head as he replied, “I will take care of him and have him back before you know it.”
Confused Cirrus looked at Zine as he Asked, “Do I even get a say in this?...
Zine smiled, “no… but feel free to complain all you want.”
Cirrus looked at Thundaga as he sighed, “Well… I guess I have no choice then…” He bowed in respect, “Your majesty… Thank you for your hospitality. It was interesting to see how the kingdom operates behind the castle walls.”
Thundaga smiled peacefully she blushed, “It was my pleasure… just… be safe.”

With that, Zine looked at the expression on both their faces as he mumbled quietly to himself, “I guess my theory was right…”
Not hearing his comment, Cirrus turned to Zine as he spoke, “Well… if I’m supposed to follow you…I guess you should lead the way then.”
Zine smiled as he patted him on the back, “That’s the spirit, spoken like a true puppet of fate. Now come along, we have somepony important for you to meet. And for somepony like you who is skeptic of everything. You’re gonna love this.”
As the two started leaving the room Cirrus replied with a concerned tone, “A puppet of fate… what’s that supposed to mean?”
Zine smiled as he led the way “It’s just an expression…”
“Funny I’ve never heard it before…”

As the two left the throne room bickering to one another, Thundaga’s expression became sad as she looked at the ground and sighed in disappointment, “I… I couldn’t even say sorry to him. Even when he is standing before me… I couldn’t say anything.”
At that moment Commander Mist entered the throne room as he spoke, “Your majesty… did you let Zine take Cirrus away?”
Thundaga looked at Commander Mist and replied with an unamused tone, “I did…”
Commander Mist stepped closer, “But why… We both know who he is and we know that he is a member of the rebellion. So why would you let a traitor leave!”
Thundaga shook her head, “Commander… We heard Zine explain that Cirrus has nothing to do with the rebellion. And even if he did, war is the last thing Cirrus wants.”
Commander Mist dodged the statement as he asked, “Where did they go?”

Getting annoyed with his tone, Thundaga gave Commander Mist an unamused look as she replied, “That is none of your concern.”
Commander Mist shook his head, “It is… We need to know where they are going. Zine may be taking him back to the rebellion’s hideout. If we follow them we ca…”
“Commander!... You will continue you duties and cease this accusations on Cirrus Cloud!”
Commander Mist stepped forward, “But your majesty…”
“SILENCE!!!... Commander Mist, I am one comment away from relieving you of your position and Removing you from my sight by force. Now I would suggests you spare your reputation the embarrassment and leave at once. Am I clear, commander?”

Seeing that she couldn’t be convinced, Commander Mist bowed as he sighed, “As you wish your majesty. I will obey.”
Thundaga sat back on her throne as she replied, “good… then go.”
Rising from his bow, Commander Mist turned to leave the throne room as he closed the door behind him. After the doors were closed, the guards who were still gathered from when they surrounded Zine, started whispering amongst themselves as Thundaga heard them and spoke with an angry tone, “Guards! As you were!”
Hearing the angered tone, the group of guards quickly stumbled over themselves to return to their posts on the inside of each pillar, with two on each side of the throne and the throne room doors.

Not far into the hall, Commander Mist trotted with an annoyed expression until he saw a three of his pegasus guards and stopped them, “You there… Stop.”
As the guard looked at him, they immediately jumped to attention as one spoke, “Good Morning Commander! How is your day?”
Commander Mist shook his head, “It’s been better… Listen, I have some instruction from you that will be kept low profile. Are you three up for it?...”
The guards nodded their head as the higher ranking guard replied, “For you sir, of course.”
Commander Mist nodded his head, “Good… By now I’m sure word has gotten around about Cirrus Cloud.”

The guards looked at each other as one replied, “I heard rumors sir… but… I didn’t think it was true. It seems too unbel…”
Commander Mist interrupted, “it is true… Cirrus is the son of the rebellion, and Thundaga has grown too attached to believe him to be a threat, so… We will take this matter into our own hooves. Zine the enchanter, just left here with Cloud. If I were to guess, I would say he is leading Cirrus to the rebellion’s hideout. Your mission is to track it down and report back to me.”
The lead guard nodded his head as he replied, “Understood sir, we will report to you as soon as we find their base.”
Commander Mist nodded his head, “Good, and remember… this is a low profile mission. You know nothing, and neither do I, but if this goes well, you will be responsible for finding the rebellion base. An honor for any guard in this day and age. So don’t fail me.”
Leaving this as his last statement Commander Mist trotted away as the guard replied, “Sir!”
With that the guards quickly rushed through the corridor to the castle’s exit as Commander Mist with the opposite way to see to other matters.

Later in the forest surrounding Dragon mountain, Zine and Cirrus made their way through the brush as Cirrus asked, “So… this mare of the mountain? Is she really some dragon or is that just a ponytale.”
Zine shook his head, “it’s just a story I made up and spread through Ponyville so that other ponies won’t try to question her if they ever stumble across her cabin.”
With Zine leading the way Cirrus could only ask, “So… what’s the real story then… is she just a normal mare living on the mountain alone?”
Zine shook his head as he smiled, “Normal… there is nothing normal about this mare. If anything, normal is the last thing that this mare could possibly be. Let’s just say this mare has quite the story around her… don’t worry I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it, it’s a riveting tale that I’m sure you will love to not believe.”

Cirrus Sighed as he replied to the comment, “Yea, yea, go ahead and tell your jo…”
All of a sudden, as the two entered a clearing, Zine held his Staff out to stop Cirrus as he spoke, “Stop… Don’t move…”
Hearing the seriousness in his voice, Cirrus stopped as he looked around in confusion, “What?... what is it?...”
Zine turned around and looked passed Cirrus into the brush as he replied with the same serious tone, “You’re being hunted.”
Confused, Cirrus turned around and looked at the same brush as he replied, “What?...”
All of a sudden, an evil chuckle was heard as the three following royal guards exited the brush as the leader spoke, “Now that’s impressive. You were able to detect us before we even made ourselves known. Bravo zebra.”
Zine held his silence with a confident smile as Cirrus replied, “Royal guards?... Wait… Why are you following us?”
The lead guard replied, “You are the son of the rebellion… and Zine an untrustworthy zebra who spits on the laws of nature. Why wouldn’t we follow two traitor like you?”

Zine’s smile stayed casual as Cirrus Replied, “But Thundaga gave us permission to leave. We wouldn’t be going anywhere if she didn’t trust in where we were going.”
The lead guard shook his head, “her majesty may trust you… but the commander doesn’t… he is the one who orde…”
All of a sudden the area was filled with the most sinister and evil laugh that anypony had ever heard as all eyes locked on Zine who was laughing maniacally. Seeing this, one of the guards replied “What’s so funny traitor!?!”
Zine lowered his laugh to a chuckle as he replied through his laughter, “You guards are stupid… I told you to stop because you’re being hunted and yet you idiots just keep yapping and carrying on.”

The same guard started to draw his sword as he replied in anger, “What did you say you son-of-a-…”
The lead guard opened his wing to stop the soldier, “Stand down…” He looked at Zine, “What are you talking about?”
Zine smiled, “I’ve known you were following us since Canterlot… but I you’re the last thing I would ever worry about… there are much more terrifying things in this forest… and… you’re about to meet her.”
The lead soldier gave him a curious look, “Wha…”
At that moment, three sound where heard. A faint and subtle whistle, a tapping as if a nail were punching through tin, and the sound of a sword falling against the ground. Slowly after hearing the sound, the lead soldier looked to the solder he stopped as he found that all three sounds where the result of an arrow as if fell from a high angle and pierced the helmet of the guard with his sword drawn.

As the now dead soldier fell to the ground, everypony including Cirrus, and excluding Zine, stepped back from the corpse in horror as the lead guard looked at his last soldier and spoke, “Where did that come from?... did you see it?”
The guard pointed towards the mountain as he replied, “It came from there, but that’s impossible… nopony could make a shot like tha…”
At that moment, from the same angle as the first, a second arrow fell from the sky and hit the guard in his throat as the impact alone knocked him to the ground. As the soldier laid wheezing on the ground, his suffering was kept short as a third arrow fell and finished him less than a second later. As soon as he saw it, the officer drew his sword and looked towards the mountain as he quickly tried to identify where the attacker was firing from, however as he looked at the mountain, nopony was within his line of sight. As he gave up on his search, the Guard looked at Zine as he sneered, “Is… is this an illusion?...”

Zine kept his evil smile as he replied, “I'd tell you to run away… but you’re already too late.”
“Wh…”
Before he could finish his question another arrow dropped from the sky as it hit and shattered the blade on the guard’s sword and imbedded itself into the ground. Seeing this, the guard decided to cut his losses as he turned around and opened his wings to fly away. However as he did, another arrow dropped hitting his wings as he jumped into the air, which caused him to hit the ground without any lift. Knowing he was in danger, the guard ignored the pain as he quickly picked himself up to sprint for safety, however just like the last time he tried to flee, an arrow dropped and stopped him as it fell and pierced his hind hoof. Falling to the ground and screaming in pain, the soldier, refusing to give up, tried all he could to crawl away in one final effort to escape with his life. As he did, Cirrus, who was frozen with fear, slowly turned towards Dragon Mountain as he started to see a faint object gliding towards them. Cirrus looked at Zine, who watched with an evil smile as the guard’s blood loss slowed his futile attempts to escape. Seeing that Zine was obviously enjoying this, scared him, as Cirrus looked back at the gliding object as it drew close enough to be identified.

It was a cloaked mare gliding down towards them. Although the cloak was covering her face, the winds around her from flying revealed her to be a greenish mare with a brown tail. Under her cloak, she wore a quiver, and had one of her wings put through a bow that way it would be held while in flight. As the unknown mare landed on the ground between Zine and Cirrus, she ignored the two as she trotted passed them and towards her crawling victim who was now too fatigued to make it to the tree line. As she approached her foe, the solder noticed her presence as he stopped crawling and slowly rolled over to look at her. With his body too weak to move, the winded soldier looked at the mare as he spoke, “M… mercy?... Please…”
The mare sighed as she took the bow out from under her cloak and drew an arrow as she replied, “For a soldier of Thundaga… There is no mercy.”
With the bow drawn, the mare aimed it at the soldier’s head as she released the arrow and ended the soldiers suffering.

Seeing this, Cirrus stepped back in fear as he looked as Zine, whose expression was still a sinister smile. As he looked back at the mare as she lowered her cloak’s hood and she gave the soldier an expression of pity. Now able to see her face, Cirrus could see that the mare was young with a brown mane that was kept out of her face by a blue bandanna. As Cirrus looked at the face of what seemed to be a disappointed mare, he could hear her speak as she mumbled, “Star… I’m sorry… but I couldn’t let him live.”
As Cirrus looked at the mysterious mare, Zine stepped forward as he spoke, “Like a true professional! Those stories give you less credit then you deserve. It’s good to see you Ms. St…”
Reacting to his words, the mare quickly pulled an arrow from her quiver and drew her bow while aiming at Zine and replying with anger, “Zine!... What did I say about the next time you showed your face to me?”
Zine stopped as he replied, “Well, you said that the next time you saw my face, you would put an arrow through it…but we both know that you can’t kill me.”

The mare’s expression stayed angry as she replied to the remark, “Who says it would kill you?...”
Zine’s expression went from a confident smile to a nervous one as he replied, “ah… I… um… I didn’t think about that… maybe I should have considered that before coming.”
The mare replied, “Yea… maybe you should.” Her aim shifted to Cirrus, “And who is this?... one of your lackeys? You don’t seem the type to be taking in strays.”
Nervous that a bow was pointed at him, Cirrus took a step back as Zine smiled, “I’m not… you know how bad I am at house training them. This one however is already tame. After all, you have to be to be able to reawaken the Thunder Grounds.”
All of a sudden the mare’s eyes shifted to Zine as her bow remain pointed at Cirrus, “What… he reawoken the Thunder Grounds?”
Zine smiled, “That’s right… May I introduce to you, Cirrus Cloud, aka Commander Halo, aka The Third Commander.”

The mysterious mare and Cirrus both looked at Zine as they replied at the same time, “What?...”
Zine smiled, “I didn’t stutter.”
The mare lowered her bow as she replied, “This pony used the lightning orb?”
Zine nodded his head with a smile, “he did… I was there when it happened.”
The mare gave Cirrus an untrustworthy look as she replied, “Really… he’s skinnier then I would have expected…”
Zine nodded his head, “yea I thought so too… but like it or not, this is him.”
The mare sighed, “I don’t…” She looked as Cirrus, “so you’re the so called commander right?… well don’t think I'll be calling you commander or anything. Compared to him… you’re just a civilian.”
With a careless expression, the mare put her wing through her bow and closed it allowing the cloak to cover both her bow and body as she turned to the mountain and started trotting away, “Well, Spike is waiting at the cabin so let’s just get this over with.”

With that, Cirrus and Zine slowly followed the mare as Zine looked at Cirrus and whispered, “So, what do you think? Charming isn’t she?”
Cirrus tried to reply so that she couldn’t hear, “Yea… like a rattlesnake. Who exactly is she anyway?”
Zine smiled, “You mean you don’t recognize her? I'd figure from all the stories you know and disbelieve you would recognize a famous character when you saw her.”
Cirrus gave him a curious look, “really?... who is she?”
Before Zine could reply, the mare stopped as she turned to Cirrus and replied, “If you want to know so badly…” She pointed towards another path, “Then look up there.”
Looking up the path Cirrus could see something beyond the trees, so out of curiosity, he followed the path.

When he reached the end of the short path, Cirrus found himself standing in a small clearing as the path lead directly to a large stone pedestal that stood in the center of the clearing. As he approached the pedestal, he could see remnants of what used to be a statue standing on the pedestal as he looked around and found more pieces of what was now an unrecognizable statue. Studying the pedestal, Cirrus trotted around it as he saw a small area on the ground where the earth was loose. Seeing him study the pedestal closely, the mare trotted into the clearing as she and Zine looked at the area as Cirrus found a part of the pedestal that had signs of text carved into the stone. Trying to make out the text, Cirrus started brushing away the moss and dirt that had gathered on the pedestal as Zine approached and spoke, “Looks like you buried the casket… now why would you do a thing like that?”
The mare sighed, “Because seeing a casket sitting outside of a tomb stone kinda gathers attention. The last thing I need are royal guards snooping around here looking for grave robbers.”

As the two bickered, Cirrus tried all he could to read the worn text, however the stone was so worn from age and erosion that most of the text had faded and wasn’t legible. The only words he could make out were, -mare Crusade, and the last words which were Gem of the Night-. With this legible, Cirrus started mumbling as he looked at the text, “Mare Crusade… and gem of the night…” he started to realize something, “wait… could it be Night-mare Crusade?... and here… it’s Gem of the Night-mare… so that would meant that the next word would be…”
Seeing this Cirrus gave the mare a shocked look as he spoke, “Wait… this is a grave… and the mare buried here was…”
The mare nodded her head, “Yea… you’re getting warmer…”
Cirrus turned to the mare in disbelief, “that… that would mean that…”
The mare nodded her head with a smiled, “Allow me to introduce myself. Cirrus Cloud, My name is Captain Gem Stone of The Nightmare Legion.”

Ch9 The Curse of Resurrection

The two ponies and their zebra companion sat in the living room of the cabin as Spike sat outside the window listening at the awkward silence inside. As the four sat in silence, Gem sighed as she stood up and put her bow away in the closet, “I didn’t even want to see you, and yet here you are… sitting here in my house annoying me with every passing second. And turning this good day, into a pain in the plot.”
Zine shook his head, “Now Ms. Stone… that kinda harsh don’t you think?... I mean, Cirrus is sitting right here.”
Gem gave him an annoyed look as she replied, “I was talking about you… but yea… both of you aren’t necessarily welcomed here.”

Cirrus raised his hoof, “Um… excuse me? I’m sorry if you don’t like me or anything but I think we are missing the point of this whole thing.” He looked at Zine, “Exactly why did you bring me here anyways… What am I supposed to do?”
Zine replied, “Oh I’ve been meaning to ask.” He looked at Gem and asked, “Ms. Stone? You know how to control the Lightning Orb correct?... As the Third Commander it’s Cirrus’s fate to learn how to use it.”
Gem gave Zine an angry look, “Ok first of all, I never used the Lightning Orb so chances of me teaching him are almost zero, and second… in what world would you even assume that I’ve forgiven you for what you did to me?...”
Zine sighed, “Geez for a mare rumored to be the Gem of the Nightmare Legion you sure do hold a grudge. It’s not like I ruined your life or anything.”
“No, you ruined my death! I was perfectly fine with my life. No regrets and a sense of purpose with my demise, then you came along and brought me back into a world that I didn’t want to be a part of.”

Before Zine could reply, Cirrus interrupted, “Wait a second… you’re saying Zine is the reason you’re not dead?”
Zine nodded his head as Gem Stone replied, “Yea… one second I’m peacefully content with eternal bliss… then the next, I’m lying in a dusty dirty wood box with an evil necromancer standing over me smiling as if he solved world hunger or something.”
Zine sighed, “I told you I did solve world hunger… a few years back… I just want to keep that as a bargaining chip for when things get hairy. But that’s beside the point, fact of the matter is. I need somepony from an era of Commander Bolt to assist me in helping the Third Commander.”
Cirrus gave him a confused look, “Then… why didn’t you bring back Commander Bolt himself?”
Gem Stone sighed, “Impossible…”

Cirrus looked at Gem Stone in confusion as Zine explained, “The Curse of Resurrection is not only the second most forbidden spells in existence, but it is chock full of restrictions and penalties. For example, to bring back one who is dead, you must have a corpse or some kind of remnant of the corpse to bring the soul back to, otherwise, there is no telling who you could bring back. Commander Bolt has no body in this plain of existence. So bringing him back wasn’t possible.”
Cirrus started thinking to himself, “So… why not Princess Twilight? Isn’t she buried in Ponyville?”
Gem shook her head, “Also impossible, bringing back somepony who died of old age or other natural causes, would only result in returning a dying pony. Bringing back an elderly pony would basically be returning them to the world just so they can die seconds later. The Curse only works on ponies who die of unnatural causes.”
Cirrus looked at Gem Stone as he replied, “So… you were the only choice then, so what are you mad about?”

Gem Stone sighed, “That’s my business… not yours. The bigger question is how did a civilian like you become the one to use the Lightning Orb? Was it a spell or something?” She looked at Zine, “Did you hex him with something?”
Zine shook his head, “Nope, This was all the work of fate. I’m only paving the way for the Third Commander.”
Cirrus got annoyed as he looked at Zine, “Why do you keep calling me the Third Commander!?! I’m not the Third Commander, Thundaga is!”
Zine shook his head, “Wrong again… Thundaga isn’t the Third Commander.”
Spike spoke from outside, “Wait a second Zine, she is the third pony to use the Lightning Orb. She has to be the Third Commander… isn’t she?”
Zine smiled, “Nope, she isn’t, because she didn’t.”

Gem Stone gave him a curious look, “Didn’t what?... what aren’t you telling us Zine?”
Zine gave her a smug smile as he replied, “The Lightning Orb… she didn’t use it. In fact, if I were to guess. She has never used the Lightning Orb. Not in her entire life.”
Although the party inside couldn’t see it, Spike’s expression became confused as he replied, “What?... but… I saw it myself. She’s used it numerous times since she was a filly.”
Zine smiled, “Yea, and it’s quite impressive, no matter how fake it is.”
Both pegasi and the dragon outside replied at the same time, “What?...”
Zine nodded his head, “Yep… fake. I didn’t believe it at first. But when I saw it at the Thunder Grounds, I knew it. Her Lightning Orb is created using magic. It’s similar to the real thing which is why it’s fooled everypony, but the main difference is that unlike a pegasus, who generates the lightning with his hooves, hers is generated in her horn and travels down her to her hooves. I noticed it because I’ve also seen her use it. And when she did, I felt static in the air. But when Cirrus used it… the static was…”
“Only in the ground...”

Everypony excluding Spike looked at Gem Stone as she continued, “I remember… standing next to Commander Bolt as he used it. It didn’t matter what type of Lightning Orb he used. I could always feel the static in the soil beneath me. But… none in the air, until after he used it.”
Zine nodded his head, “Exactly… I have always wondered, how a species that cannot generate lightning from their hooves could ever use the Lightning Orb… but now I know why. It’s because alicorns are incapable of using such things.”
Cirrus was confused as he asked, “So… She’s just tricking everypony to keep them in control?”
Gem Stone became enraged as she replied, “That sneaky little…”
Zine shook his head and interrupted, “No… she isn’t tricking anypony, that would entail that she knows it’s fake. My only guess is that she’s like me. She didn’t know it was fake because she has never had anything to compare it to. Side by side the difference is obvious. But since she never actually saw her father use it, how could she see that it wasn’t the real thing?”

Spike nodded his head as he replied still from outside, “That’s true… Even when he was alive, Commander Bolt only used it on very rare occasions. I think I’ve only seen it once, and that’s because we asked him to use it. Princess Twilight saw it a few more times than me, but that’s only because I wasn’t with them in Eden. There no telling how many times he used it when fighting the Dark Alicorn.”
Cirrus rolled his eyes, “Yea… no telling…”
Zine gave Cirrus a skeptic look, “Don’t tell me you’re still questioning those stories… when you have a character standing here in the same room as you?”
Cirrus replied, “Who’s to say she really is Captain Gem Stone? For all I know she could be just some mare that you cleverly brainwashed into believing this story she is telling.”

Gem Stone gave Cirrus an annoyed look, “Um… Excuse me?... Who’s to say I even care about what you think? For your information, I didn’t want you to come here… That power that you supposedly have is an insult to those who earned and deserve it. Not a sad little orphan who turns his back on everything his parents fought for-Yea I know about you Cirrus Cloud. You’re the one who abandon yourself out of fear. A coward. Sure, I had it rough too… but you know the difference between you and ? I was willing to stand for something in the end… you… you’re still hiding.”
Cirrus was shocked as he tried to reply, “Me?... What about you? You live on a mountain and have no interaction with anypony! And don’t even think about counting your crazy zebra friend, and his pet dragon!”

Spike spoke up, “Hey…that was uncalled for.”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “Not for me… I know what I am.”
Gem Stone shifted her angry expression to Zine as she replied, “And you!... You already know my opinion on this whole plan. So thank you for the gracious visit… but you can take your pet pegasus and leave my house! I have a war to plan and I can’t do anything with you filling my thought with egotistical comments. Spike, you can stay if you want.”
Spike smiled as he stood outside and replied, “Thank you Gem Stone. At least I’m not some pet to you.”
Cirrus asked, “War?... Against who?”
Gem Stone gave him a stupid look as she replied sarcastically, “the griffin prime minister… I felt it was time to drop the hammer on a peaceful nation… Thundaga you idiot! Who else?”
Cirrus replied, “You can’t start a war against Thundaga… that’s suicide!”
Gem Stone replied with a disgusted attitude, “Thundaga is maintaining this kingdom through fear and intimidation. And all in Commander Bolt’s name. I will not allow this to continue. But what do you care… you’re not going with me. You’re too much of a coward. So why don’t you just crawl back into your hiding hole and leave me alone.”

Angered by her comment, Cirrus sighed as he stood up and started trotting towards the door, “Fine… I’ve had enough of all the crazy in this room anyway.”
Zine looked at Cirrus as he asked, “And where do you think you’re going?”
Cirrus replied as he reached for the front door to open it, “I’m going back to Canterlot. At least Thundaga will take me in.”
Cirrus gave him a smug look, “Really?... you’re taking her side in this fight then?”
Cirrus stopped as he opened the door only one inch, “I… um… No!... No I’m not on her side.”
Zine replied, “Then you’re in love with her right?”
Cirrus blushed as he looked at Zine and replied with an angry expression, “NO! It’s because lately, she is the only pony that hasn’t tried to kill me.”

Zine smiled as he sat down with a careless smile, “Oh… alright then… if you want to be executed so soon… then feel free to go back. Nopony is stopping you.”
Cirrus gave Zine a confused look, “Executed?... what are you talking about.”
Zine replied with a smug smiled, “Consider this… three guards just tried to kill you. So it’s obvious that the good commander want us both dead right. And to make the matter worse, we just killed those guards. So…”
Zine waited for Cirrus to finish the statement on his own, but when he was met with nothing but a confused stare, Gem Stone sighed as she finished, “so, obviously the commander will execute you himself as soon as you enter the city. And even though Thundaga would defend you. Commander Mist will see you first since he is waiting for his soldiers to return.”
Realizing that returning to Canterlot was a bad idea, Cirrus replied, “Well… I… um… I guess I'll just go see Mr. Toll then wont I? Maybe he can get me a place to stay for the night or something.”

After hearing that statement, Gem Stone gave Cirrus a confused look, “Wait… you don’t know?”
Cirrus was confused, “Know what?...”
Gem Stone looked at Zine as she asked, “You didn’t tell him!”
Cirrus gave Zine a concerned look as Zine shrugged his shoulders, “I was waiting for the right moment…” He looked at Cirrus’s expression as he looked back at Gem Stone and continued, “Now is the right moment.”
Cirrus was confused as he looked at the two and replied, “Tell me what?...”
Zine sighed, “Well… you see, you can’t really go back to Mr. Toll… not anymore.”
Cirrus gave him a concerned look as Gem Stone sighed, “Cirrus… He’s dead. Mr. Toll was a member of the rebellion so, Thundaga had him killed.”

Cirrus gave Gem Stone a confused look as he replied, “What?... h-how do you know?”
Gem Stone replied without concern, “Everypony in Ponyville knows… He was some, general or something so Thundaga had her soldiers kill him.”
Cirrus shook his head, “that can’t be right… I spoke to him about a week ago.”
Spike spoke from outside, “It was less than a week ago that he died.”
Cirrus gave Gem Stone a confused look, then shifted it to Zine who both responded with a serious stare. Seeing this Cirrus started to reply, “This is a joke… right?... it’s got to…”
Before he could finish his sentence, His worry took control as Cirrus quickly opened the front door and dashed out it before taking to the sky as fast as his wings could take him. Seeing this from outside the log cabin, Spike called, “Cirrus wait!”
Ignoring the call, Cirrus continued on his flight path as spike looked through the still opened front door as he spoke, “One of you may need to go after him. I would, but sunset isn’t for another half hour.”

Zine Sighed as he replied, “oh alright, I guess I'll go get him. Kind of irresponsible for him to just run away like that.”
Gem Stone gave him an annoyed look as she replied, “him irresponsible?... how about the zebra who failed to tell him about this a long time ago. You realize this means he is like us now right?”
Not wanting to think about it, Zine waved his hoof in a dismissive way as he replied, “yea, yea, so what do you want me to do when I find him?... send him away?”
Gem Stone turned away from him as she replied, “I guess we have no choice now… Go ahead and catch up to him… I need to put my quiver away, I'll catch up.”
With a careless expression on her face, Gem Stone left the living room and went into a bedroom as Zine smiled as he turned towards, the front door, “You’re the captain… Ms. Stone.”
With that Zine left the cabin as he made his way towards the only place that Cirrus could possibly heading for. The ruins of the destroyed orphanage in Ponyville.

Later in Ponyville, as the sun was setting for the day, Cirrus stood speechless as he looked over the ruins of the place he once called home as he trotted past the pile of flowers placed by Ponyville’s residents. As he approached the ruins of what could only be assumed to be the front door, Cirrus started to tear up as he trotted through the doorway and imagined what it once looked like as he made his way up what used to be the hallway. With the rubble blocking what used to be the entranced to the rooms around the hallway, Cirrus stopped as he sat down and mumbled to himself, “It… it can’t be real. This… this is just another bad dream… isn’t it? Any second now that cloaked stallion will appear and give me another lecture that I don’t understand… won’t he?...”
As he sat surrounded by the ruble, Cirrus started counting the seconds in his head as he waited for the stallion to appear, however with each passing second, he grew more and more afraid that this dream… was a reality. Finally Cirrus leaned against what was once a wall in the hallway and almost the only wall still standing as his tears began rolling down his face. As he sat there, he started mumbling to himself, “He’s gone… he… he really is gone… isn’t he…”
“Hey! This is private property! I would advise you to mo…wait… aren’t you?”
As Cirrus turned he saw a local royal guard patrolling the area as the guard approached him, “You… You’re Cirrus Cloud right?...”

Feeling a little nervous about how to react Cirrus replied, “Um… y-yea I am… why?”
The guard looked around for other ponies in the area as he replied, “This property has been seized by the royal guards… and you just so happen to be here when this is the place that the rebellions former leader fell… so, am I just supposed to assume that to be a coincidence… or will you care to explain, why you’re here?...”
Cirrus replied, “I grew up here… this was my home.”
The guard looked at the ruins as he replied, “This… was the hideout of General Rich. So if this was your home… then you were living with him.”
Cirrus gave the guard a confused look, “Rich?... the pony who owned this property was named Mr. Toll.”
The guard started thinking to himself, “If I recall… that was the alias he used as he secretly raised the orphans of this place to hate Thundaga. And when I think about it, that would mean that he was secretly raising an army… and you… were his accomplice.”

Cirrus rolled his eyes as he replied, “Really?... Mr. Toll wouldn’t even talk about Thundaga, let along train an army to fight her. Many of the orphans here were orphaned because of her. I should know, I was the first of Thundaga’s orphans.”
The guard gave him a suspicious look as a second guard trotted up and replied, “Really… so not only would the orphans have good reason to hate the princess… but you would too. Is that what you’re saying?”
Cirrus felt a little nervous as he replied, “N-no… I got over my parents deaths years ago. They made their choice when they fought against her.”
The second guard spoke again, “Come to think of it, I heard a rumor that you took on Commander Mist in a one on one match. And rumor says… you won. So would a colt who grew up in a normal orphanage be able to do that?”

Cirrus took a step back knowing that he was being led into a corner, “I… I can’t explain what happened during that match… I… I shouldn’t have won that. He… he held the upper hoof for most of the match… but…”
The guard smiled, “and in three moves, you took him down.”
The first guard who had never heard this rumor smiled, “Really… so I guess you really are an accomplice aren’t you.”
Cirrus shook his head, “No… I was an orphan here. I grew up in this place. I swear I’m not…”
The guards weren’t convinced as one replied, “Why so nervous Mr. Cloud… if you’re telling the truth, then you have nothing to worry about… right?”
The second guard then added, “Or… are we getting close. Either way, for the safety of the kingdom… you’re under arrest. The charges… Suspicion of treason.”

As the two guards started to approach, Cirrus started to back away as he tried to defend himself, “no… I’m not…”
All of a sudden, Cirrus started to see a black smog appear behind the guards as it slowly started engulfed the two from behind. Weigh Cirrus’s expression changing due to the smog, the two guards became concerned as they quickly turned around to see what was concerning their suspect. As they turned around the smoke quickly vanished as the two guards turned to see Zine standing a number of feet behind them. Standing in the twilight of duck with his eyes closed, Zine smiled sinisterly as he called, “Don’t you guards have anything better to do? I’m certain I saw a vicious jaywalker just down the street.”
As soon as they saw him, the guards knew who they were looking at as one spoke, “Y-you?... What are you doing here?”
Zine smiled as he opened his eyes to reveal that the white of his eyes were black as he replied, “I just came to watch the show.”

The other guard replied, “Watch the show? What are you talking ab…”
Before the guard could finish his sentence, he froze as he saw a set of glowing red eyes open from a large creature that appeared to be standing behind Zine hidden in the shadows of the twilight. Slowly the eyes rose into the air as the creature hidden in the shadows revealed itself as a large black dragon. As the guard took a step back in disbelief, He spoke silently to his comrade, “Corporal… do you see what I see?”
The vision wasn’t shared as the second guard looked over Zine’s head and replied, “N-no… I don’t see any… wait… what’s that?...”
As the second guard looked over Zine’s head, he too saw an illusion, only his vision was of a distant flock of something flying in their direction. As he looked at the objects in the distance the second guard replied, “What is… are those? Griffin? And they are armed!”
Seeing only the dragon, the first guard replied with a calm but cautious tone, “What are you blind?... it’s obviously a dragon… a dragon… in Equestria.”

Hearing the reply, Cirrus looked over Zine’s head as he expected to see Spike flying in from the distance. However, as he looked Cirrus could only see Gem Stone trotting up. As she approached Zine, Gem stopped beside him as she put the hood of her cloak down to reveal her eyes which were just as black as Zine’s. When Cirrus saw this, he looked back at the guards that stood between his earlier party and himself as they continued looking into the sky, as one spoke, “We can’t take on a dragon alone. We must report this to the princess!”
The other guards replied, “No sir… We have to fight! We must hold this ground! The Princess should be in the process of organizing a quick reaction force. We must hold them back till they arrive.”
Shaking his head in disbelief the higher ranking guard turned to run, “we can’t take a dragon alone! It’s… it’s too much! RETR…”
Trying to flee to safety, the terrified earth pony guard started running as he tripped over some rubble and fell to the ground.

As soon as the guard hit the ground he quickly rolled over as the made-up dragon reached up and pinned the guard to the ground with his massive claw as its talon’s dug into the ground around the guard ensuring that his escape was impossible. Although the dragon was seen by this guard, to Cirrus the guard was merely laying on his back jerking his body in what seemed to be an abnormal action as he looked back at Zine and Gem Stone in confusion. Zine continued watching the sight with an evil smirk on his face, however, Gem Stone’s expression was more disgust than sinister. Unable to see the dragon, the second guard drew his sword as he looked at his fictitious invaders, then back at his superior in confusion, “Sir! What’s happening!?!”
The pinned guard looked at dragons face as it slowly looked down at its pinned victim as he yelled back, “GET THE PRINCESS!!! WE CAN’T FIGHT IT ALONE!!! GO NOW!!!”
With the Imaginary dragon looking down at the superior guard, Gem Stone could only look away as she knew what was about to happen next. With his prey pinned and his head held high, The dragon opened his mouth as fire was blown out and covering the pinned guard as the guard started screaming in a horrifying way as the fictitious burning fuel covered the guard, giving both the illusion and feeling of his body burning with the intensity as if his flesh was burning.

Hearing the blood curtailing screams but not seeing any flames, Cirrus and the second guard stepped back in fear as the screaming guard jerked his body a few more times before becoming silent and ceased his movement. When the guard stopped moving the other guard rushed to his comrade as he felt his pulse and spoke, “He’s unconscious… but how did they? Some kind of spell?”
Confused the guard looked at Cirrus and yelled, “You! If you are really on our side, go warn the rest of Ponyville! Get everypony inside! The Griffin Republic is invading Equestria, hurry an …”
Before the guard could finish, his conjured foe had reached him as he could see and feel a group of griffin soldiers as they tackled him and held him to the ground. Trying to break free, the guard started swinging his sword around as he tried to attack the illusions. However with each swing the griffin managed to dodge his attack as one grabbed his hoof and pinned it to the ground along with the rest of his body.

Confused and afraid as to what was happening, Cirrus looked at Zine who maintained his evil smile, then at Gem Stone who continued looking away with a look of disgust on her face. Cirrus looked back at the guard as the guards started Yelling to his imaginary foe, “You Griffin Traitors! The Republic will pay for your violation of the peace and war act!”
As the guards laid on the ground, a few more griffins surrounded the pinned soldier as they each took a turn stabbing him with their spears as the guard started screaming in pain. With each feeling of the spears piercing his body, the guard jerked in a horrifying way as the guards actual appearance seemed as if he were possessed as he jerked his body and screamed with no visible wounds on him. Finally, like his comrade before him, the determined soldier stopped screaming when his body went limp as he lost consciousness.

Stunned and speechless of what he had just witnessed, Cirrus looked at the two unconscious guards who laid beside each other as he slowly looked at Zine and Gem Stone as the black in both their eyes vanished and their eyes went back to normal. Trying to figure out what was going on, Cirrus did a complete turn and looked in every direction to see what the cause was before looking back at Zine and Gem Stone as he asked, “What in Thundaga’s world just happened?”
Sighing to remove the expression of disgust from her face, Gem Stone replied, “That… was a forbidden spell… and on that note…”
With an angry and unexpected action, Gem Stone turned towards Zine as she used the momentum of her turn to punch him in his face as hard as she could as Zine was thrown through the air before hitting the ground a few feet away. As Zine laid on the ground stunned by the punch, Gem Stone spoke, “If you ever use that spell while I’m around you again… I’ll will bring every ounce of pain I can give without killing you, down from the very grave you pulled me out of… you understand me?”

Rubbing his face Zine picked himself up as he replied, “Yea… sorry about that… I guess I deserved it. But don’t you mean up from the grave?”
Gem Stone gave him an angry look as she replied, “You heard me… so I won’t even dignify that with a response. Just remember.” She grabbed him by the collar of his cloak as she stared into his eyes with anger “You’d be surprised of what won’t kill you… and I will feel nothing but joy in sharing that pain… understand?”
Feeling a little nervous of her expression, Zine nodded his head, “Um… okay… Dually noted…”
Gem smiled as she replied, “Good…” She released Zine’s collar and turned back to Cirrus as she started trotting towards, him, “As you can see… You really have nowhere to go… but… since I do understand that you are in desperate need of protection… I guess I can look past my own opinion and teach you how to defend yourself. If anything it will make me feel better about kicking you out later.”

Cirrus stepped back, “Wait… you still didn’t tell me what happened here.”
Zine continued rubbing his bruised face as he picked himself up, “Well that was an effect of the Nightmare Elixir. The potion, once expelled towards an enemy, digs deep into the victim’s subconscious and make your deepest and darkest fear a reality. For example, one guard was afraid of dragons while the other was afraid of… griffins for some reason.”
Gem Stone shook her head, “he was probably afraid of taking on an invasion.”

Zine gave Gem Stone an intrigued look as he replied, “Really?... well that explains why he didn’t run away like the other tried to do.” He looked back at Cirrus, “Anyways this potion makes your darkest fear a reality and forces you to experience it as it devours you in a horrifying way.”
Cirrus was confused, “so… it was an illusion?... but… how could you two see it?”
Zine replied as he pulled out a veil and showed it, “Well… this potion is a curse. And as a curse the potion has an effect on both the user and the victim. For example, it won’t activate until the user pours the potion in his mouth. Then he must spit it in the victim’s direction so that the potion can understand the user and the target he intends on attacking. And when the potion activates on the victim, it will only maintain its effect if the user watches the event unfold. So in order for the dragon to attack, I had to stand and watch the whole scene as the guard was burned mercilessly to death. I'll admit it was horrifying… although I’ve seen worse. Luckily the true effect is all mental. Nopony has ever actually died from this spell before… unless you count suicide.”

Cirrus continued giving them a confused look as he looked at Gem Stone, “but… how could you see it?”
Gem Stone Replied with a serious expression, “It’s all part of the curse… luckily I didn’t have to watch… but… I still heard everything that the guards went through.”
Cirrus was still confused, “Part of the curse?... So the potion makes two ponies watch?”
Zine shook his head, “No, it’s supposed to effect only the user, however Gem and I… well… We are bound by… complications.”
“Compli-what?”
Gem Stone sighed, “Curses are curses because they have effects on both the user and the one they are effecting… the same goes for the very curse that brought me back to life. Don’t you remember us saying that there are conditions and penalties for bringing some pony back from the grave?”
Cirrus nodded his head, “well yea… but you never mentioned the penalties.”

Zine nodded his head, as he explained, “Alright then, how’s this… Life is a temporary state. But once it ends… it ends, there is no bringing back life once it’s gone… however… There is a way of splitting it.”
Cirrus was confused, “Splitting… you mean… sharing it?”
Gem Stone nodded her head, “Yes… Zine here split his life into two and passed one half to me. So as a part of him. He and I share… qualities.”
Cirrus was curious, “Like?...”
Zine replied, “Oh, memories, illnesses, feelings, on occasion pain, effects of certain potions, sometimes we can even tell how the other is feeling if the emotion is strong enough.”
Gem Stone sighed, “Well… our connection isn’t that in-depth but it’s very close. Although we should probably get out of here. We may be on the edge of town, but more guards could be on the way, so you should just make your peace and let’s go.”

Remembering the reason he was there, Cirrus replied, “Oh… right… okay then.” He turned to the orphanage as he mumbled to himself, “Mr. Toll… or… Rich… or whatever your name was… Thank you for everything… I… I’ll miss you.”
Wiping the tears that were starting to form in his eyes, Cirrus turned to Gem Stone as he spoke, “okay… I’m ready to go.”
Gem Stone nodded her head, “Good…” She turned to Zine, “We’ll fly ahead… as much as it pains me to say it. I'll see you back at the cabin.”
Zine nodded his head, “Sure, I'll see you then.”
With that Zine started running away from the area as Gem Stone and Cirrus took to the sky and started flying back to her cabin on Dragon Mountain. As they flew, Cirrus had a thought on his mind that was bugging him so he had to ask, “Hey Gem… or whatever I’m supposed you call you? Mountain Mare?”
Gem Stone sighed, “Ms. Stone is fine.”
“Yea… Ms. Stone… well… I have to ask. You say that you and Zine share a life, and pain right… so… what about that punch you gave him?...”

Gem Stone replied, “I didn’t feel it if that’s what you’re asking. We only feel pain that can affect certain things such as stamina or blood loss.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he asked what was on his mind, “so… what if something happened that one of you can’t survive?”
Gem Stone replied with a serious expression, “You mean… what if one of us dies right?... it should be kind of self-explanatory… but if something happened that one of us was unable to survive… then… we both won’t survive. So… we will both die.”

Ch10 Commanders Halo, Mist, and Mage

As soon as Cirrus opened his eyes, he felt confused as he found himself looking at a large formation of Royal guards as they marched towards him. Almost immediately Cirrus knew this was the past since all the guards’ armor was gold instead of dark grey. Backing away from the approaching formation, Cirrus turned around to see that not only where they marching in the middle of the street in Canterlot, but on the other side, marching towards them were another army of royal guards, only this army’s armor was navy blue. As Cirrus backed out of the street, he watched as a brown earth pony standing at the head of the blue army, drew his swords and pointed it towards his enemy, “ONWARD!!! TO BATTLE!!!”
With that order, the army with blue armor charged passed their leader as they rushed towards the gold army with their weapons drawn.
Seeing this the white stallion at the lead of the gold armor called as he drew his sword, “The princess will not fall to traitors! CHARGE!!!”

Like their enemy before them, the soldiers in gold charged forward as the two armies clashed in the street in a mix of sparks, blood, and carnage that Cirrus knew he had to get away from. Trying to find a way out, Cirrus flew into the air to get out of the street. However as he flew up he saw a cloud of arrows flying towards him from a high angle. With the cloud quickly approaching Cirrus quickly raised his altitude to fly over the falling arrows, only to be surprised by a large boulder as if flew right by him and collided with a tower in the city as the tower slowly began leaning before crashing into the street and destroying a number of building in the destruction. At first, Cirrus couldn’t believe the destruction he saw that took place, but when he looked at the rest of the city, his jaw dropped. Looking over Canterlot, Cirrus found that a majority of the city was either destroyed or burning. Everywhere he looked, Cirrus saw towers toppled over, buildings burning, Civilians fleeing through alleys, griffin dropping explosives that intensified the damage, large boulders crashing into the city from outside, and even a large gaping hole in the cities perimeter wall and all under the cloak of a red eclipse above.

Shocked at what he saw, Cirrus landed on a tall and stable building as he looked at the soldiers fighting in the streets, “This… this is horrible.”
A voice replied, “This is the face of war…”
Knowing who was talking, Cirrus turned around and looked at the cloaked stallion whose face was even more concealed due to the low light from the eclipse. As he looked at the cloaked stallion Cirrus asked, “What’s happening… is this some kind of war? When did this happen?”
The cloaked stallion replied as he trotted to the edge of the rooftop and looked into the street, “almost sixteen centuries ago. And not just that… but look down here.”
Curious, Cirrus trotted to the stallion’s side as he looked into the street. Down below, Cirrus saw Gem Stone as she fought through the carnage below, firing each arrow with perfect accuracy and dodging all enemy attacks without fail. Seeing this Cirrus was amazed, “That’s… Gem Stone?... so this is… the battle of Canterlot?

The stallion replied, “Yes, this battle is the very one that ended the war. And with it… her life.”
Cirrus asked, “This is why you’re showing me this isn’t it? You want me to see what Gem Stone went through.”
The stallion shook his head, “Not all of it… but I want you to know who you’re staying with. This is a pony who gave up on life until she found a reason to fight. And with it… she wasted it.”
Cirrus gave the stallion a confused look, “Wasted?... what did she waste?”
The stallion replied, “Her talent, her purpose. Her very life. She was nineteen when she died and she didn’t even get to experience the good things about life. All she saw… was war.”

Cirrus tried to look at the upside to it, “But… it’s that war that made her strong. Doesn’t that count for anything?”
The stallion shook his head, “Not if it kills you. But now… you have a chance. That is… when you make your choice.”
Cirrus gave the stallion an annoyed look, “oh… so we are on this again… So if I choose to help Ms. Stone, then I will be choosing the side of the rebellion right?”
The stallion turned away and looked at the Canterlot castle in the distance as he replied, “Irrelevant… your choice must be made for your reasons… I’m just giving you comparisons between your choices. After all… you are the third commander. Your decision will bring peace to the kingdom… or so they say.”
Cirrus got annoyed as he spoke, “Shut up about that third commander crap. Just tell me straight… what should I do?”

Cirrus looked at the Canterlot castle as he saw princess Celestia standing on the high balcony looking into the city with an unhappy expression as the stallion replied, “It isn’t my choice to make… it’s yours. Whatever you’re choice, just think about those around you. Your decision will affect their lives.”
Before Cirrus could reply, he heard a loud noise behind him as he turned to see a catapult boulder as it bounced across the rooftops destroying everything it touched as it rushed towards the them. Reacting out of reflex, Cirrus raised his hoof to protect his face. However as he did, he quickly found himself laying on a couch with his hoof raised to protect himself from nothing. Knowing that it was just another vision, Cirrus placed his hoof over his face as he mumbled, “Well that’s an interesting way to wake me up…”
With that Cirrus started looking around the cabin living room as he noticed that it was still the middle of the night. Looking around, he saw Zine sleeping on a nearby rug, as he mumbled to himself, “that’s right… she had only one bed and made us sleep in the Livingroom… at least I got the co…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Cirrus quickly laid back down when he heard the door to Gem Stone’s bedroom open as she stepped out. Curious, Cirrus pretended he was asleep as he listened to Gem Stone as she made her way across the house and to the front door. After a few seconds of silence which he assumed Gem Stone was looking around the room, Cirrus heard the front door open and shut as she left the house. Once she was outside, Cirrus sat up and looked out the window as he saw Gem Stone fly into the air and land on a tall tree as she looked into the distance with a worried expression. As Cirrus watcher her standing in the tree, he couldn’t help but feel concerned. Her usual expression of anger, carelessness or seriousness was gone. It was replaced with an expression that showed worry… or fear. Cirrus could only watch as she continued looking into the distance, then slowly the sun began rising from the exact distance she was looking in.

As the sun rose, Cirrus could only watch as the twilight of dawn started cascading over her as she continued watching, unfazed by the sudden change in light. At first Cirrus just though she wanted to watch the sunrise but then he saw something that caught his attention. On her cheek glistening in the twilight, Cirrus saw a tear rolling down her face. It seemed so subtle, yet that’s what it was. Cirrus could only watch in concern for a few more seconds as Gem Stone wiped away the tear and slowly glided back to the ground as the trotted towards the front door of the cabin. Knowing she was coming, Cirrus laid back down as he quickly pretended to sleep as Gem Stone entered the house and looked around to see that the room was still. With a hopeless sigh, Gem Stone trotted through the house towards her room, however as she passed the couch she spoke, “Three hours till your training begins… better rest up till then.”
Feeling a little embarrassed that he was found out, Cirrus raised his head up and watched Gem Stone as she trotted through her bedroom door and closed it behind her. Cirrus wanted to ask about what he saw outside, but since it seemed to be a matter that weighed heavily on her emotions, he decided to let it go as he laid back down and went back to sleep.

Later after the three had woken completely up, Cirrus, Gem Stone, and Zine went outside as they each started attending to their planed day. Zine sat over a boiling caldron, mixing some ingredients as Gem and Cirrus stood next to a table of weapons. As the two looked over the table of weapons, Gem Stone looked at Cirrus and spoke, “The first thing you need to learn is what type of weapon fits your skills… so have you ever used anything on this table before?”
Cirrus liked at the various weapons as he pointed to the sword, “well… I held one of those once.”
Gem gave him a skeptic look as she replied, “Once… okay… you know how to use it?”
Cirrus hesitated before replying, “Um… sorta.”
Gem Stone sighed as she replied, “In other words… you know nothing about it… right?”

Cirrus nodded his head, “yea… I held it once in a spar against Commander Mist. But I didn’t know anything about using it.”
Gem smiled at the mental image, “really… so how bad did he beat you?”
Zine was mixing his brew as he chuckled and replied for Cirrus, “He didn’t… Commander Halo won that fight… Game… Set… and match.”
Gem Stone gave Zine an annoyed look, “Zine… don’t butt in unless you decide to be serious… for once.”
Spike who was lying beside the cabin raised his head as he looked at Gem Stone and replied, “Actually… Zine’s right… none of us saw it… but the rumors say that the fight ended with Commander Mist on the ground and Cirrus standing on top.”

Overlooking their discussion over the rumor, Cirrus looked at Zine as he spoke, “What’s this commander Halo business?”
Zine smiled, “You are a commander now… and I think that Commander Cloud sounds like a dish soap. So Commander Halo sounds so much better don’t you think?”
Cirrus replied with an angry expression, “Stop calling me Commander!”
Gem Stone cleared her throat to get their attention, “um, excuse me?... can we return to the lesson?... Now whether you did beat Commander Mist or not doesn’t matter. The next time you face him it won’t be a simple spar it will be a fight to the death, so do you think you can face him with a sword?”
At that moment, Both Zine and Cirrus replied to the question at the same time, however their answers were different. Cirrus replied with, “Sure I guess…”
But Zine replied with, “Nope…”

Curious as to Zine’s answer, Both Cirrus and Gem Stone looked at Zine as Gem asked, “Really… and why would you say that?”
Zine replied, “Because, I will be the one to take care of Commander Mist… after all he is an important ingredient, so he must be handled… delicately.”
Cirrus asked in confusion, “Ingredient… for what?...”
Zine replied, “I’ll worry about that… For now, just focus on what’s important.”
Cirrus gave him a curious look, “and… what is that?”
Zine smiled, “whatever your teacher says… and not letting her kill you.” He looked at Gem Stone, “Ms. Stone?...”
Gem gave him an annoyed look as she replied, “Thanks Zine… Alright Cirrus, since you carried a sword before… even if it was a pointless few minutes. We can get started with that go ahead and take the sword from the table and let’s go… the place where I train is about a quarter mile from here.”

As Cirrus started trotting towards the table, Zine spoke as he poured the last ingredient into the brew, “and a hint… of… whatever this stuff is supposed to be. And done.” He looked at Spike, “Alright Spike, I think the potions is finished in case you want to test it out.”
Spike looked at Zine and spoke, “oh it’s done already?... I didn’t think the potion would be finished this soon.”
Zine smiled, “When it’s curses or forbidden spells, it takes time… but this harmless kiddie stuff is way too easy for me to take my time on.”
With that, Zine dipped a ladle unto the brew as he scooped out as much potion as it could hold before pouring it into a bowl and turning to Spike, “Well… here you go. Hopefully this is enough to work… and not horribly disfigure you for the rest of your life.”

As Spike took the bowl from Zine he gave him a concerned look, “Wait… Disfigure?... I thought this was supposed to be harmless?... and temporary.”
Zine nodded his head, “well yes… but the ingredients are touchy, and we all know that in large doses a spell can have alternate effects. But this should be fine… sorta…”
Spike gave Zine an annoyed look, “You’re just making this up as you go aren’t you?...”
Zine smiled, “See, that’s why we are such good friends Spike. We know each other so well.”
Spike sighed in hopelessness as he held up the potion and replied, “Well here goes nothing.”
With that the large purple dragon poured the potion into his mouth and swallowed what to him seemed to be barely a drop. After he swallowed the potion, Spike smiled as he looked at the tiny bowl in his claw, “hmm… it tastes sweet.”
Zine rolled his eyes, “yea… that’s the rose bush dew… yuck… I hate working with that stuff… makes me feel all girly like I’m baking a batch of cookies or something. I tell you before I die I will be the first to find a way to use that stuff to cast a curse. That’s my new life goal.”

Still within earshot, Gem and Cirrus were looking at the table of weapons as Gem smiled and spoke sarcastically, “If that’s your life goal, then you have more problems than even I could have guessed.”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “well when you only follow fate, you have to find a hobby…” He looked at Cirrus and smiled, “Or two.”
After seeing the odd way he added the last part of his sentence, Cirrus felt somewhat nervous to what he meant, but before he could reply, a loud noise came from Spike’s belly as if it were growling in pain. As the noises came, Spike started holding himself as he moaned, “oh… I don’t feel so good… did… did you poison me Zine?”
Zine shook his head, “With Rose bush dew… impossible. That’s an ingredient that cures more than poisons. It’d be like trying to give you a cold with cold medicine.”

Feeling an aching pain in his gut, Spike held his stomach as he leaned against a tree trying to bear the pain, “ooooowww…”
Seeing his pain, Gem Stone asked, “Spike… are you o-”
Before she could finish her sentence, the sounds in Spike’s stomach stopped as a segment of scales on both side of his Spikes on his back began parting as Wings sprouted from the soft tissue under them. As the wings stretched up high they revealed themselves to be almost the width of his body as his pain riddle flinch caused them to flap with one powerful gust as Gem, Cirrus, Zine, the table of weapons and the caldron were tossed to the ground from the power of the wind. After that brief moment, the pain quickly ended as Spike realized what he did and looked at his massive wings, “I… I have wings… I can fly.”
as the ponies and their zebra friend picked themselves up, Zine replied, “true… although I would wait before attempting it. The effects are temporary and I would want you to be at a high altitude when your wings vanish. You are far too big for us to catch if you fall.”

As the two pegasi picked up the scattered weapons, Gem gave Zine an annoyed look, “we?... you would make me and Cirrus do it.”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “We, you, what’s the difference?”
Spike reached up and grabbed one of his wings to take a closer look as he spoke, “The likeness is incredible. It looks as if I was actually born with them. How did you do this?”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “Magic… how else. Besides, you never know when a flying dragon will come in handy. But as I said, this is only a test. Once we find out how long it lasts we can start using it to our advantage. Then, whenever we truly need it we can fully put it to use. Unless the pain was too much to handle.”
Spike shook his head, “oh um… no it was just unexpected. I think I can bear it next time.”
Gem Stone placed the last weapon on the table as she spoke, “Well now that the show is over, we can get back to the lesson.” She picked up a sword and started to give Cirrus another one, “Cirrus let’s start training… as for Zine…” She gave him a sinister smile, “He will be cleaning up the potion he spilled on my lawn. Before my grass decides to sprout wings and fly away.”

Realizing what he was told, Zine looked at the toppled over caldron as he saw the mess made from the gallons of potion that spilled onto the grass, “Great… I knew I would regret making a permitted potion… why do they always have to be made in large quantities?”
Everypony in the area gave him a funny look as Zine noticed this and sighed, “Permitted… the opposite of forbidden… Geez read a book every now and then.”
Gem sighed, “Whatever, I'll expect this potion to be cleaned up quickly so if you want you can find us in the forest training when you’re done.”
With that, Cirrus took the sword from Gem’s hoof as she led the way to her own personal training grounds. After the two were gone, Zine trotted to the potion and looked at the mess he had to clean up. As he looked up at Spike, he could see Spike looking through the thin membrane of his dragon wings as Zine sighed, “Careful, you keep that up and you’re likely to go blind.”

Far off in Canterlot, Thundaga was sitting in her throne room as Commander Mist, a small team of royal guard’s, and a chained group of ponies entered the room as Commander Mist spoke, “Your majesty! We have good news. These ponies were caught stealing supplies from an armory in Trottingham.” He approached one of the prisoners and motioned towards him, “And I have reason to believe, that this pony here… is the Descendent of Kindness.”
Thundaga stood from her throne as she started to approach the prisoner, “Colonel Camera Shy… am I correct?”
The chained pegasus nodded his head, “Yes… you are.”
Thundaga sighed, “I see… your ancestor Fluttershy was a dear friend of mine. She would be ashamed to see her family trying to start war in the kingdom.”

Colonel Shy replied, “And let you continue?... Look at the state of the kingdom! The Citizens are afraid to talk in fear of being executed for treason, the poor stay poor, the unhappy stay unhappy and for WHAT!?! So you can force peace on the entire world and favor your armies and ego over everything else in the kingdom? Yea… my ancestor would be ashamed alright… but not for me. She’d be ashamed of seeing the great commander’s daughter becoming some-thing as cruel as you.”
Angered by his words, Commander Mist drew his sword as he approached the Prisoner, “why you disrespectful-”
“Stand down commander…” Commander Mist sheathed his sword as Thundaga looked at the prisoner and continued, “His words are imperiling… and yet, they remain as only words. So… if he likes to talk then perhaps… he can answer a question for me.”

Thundaga placed her hoof on the hilt of her sword as she stood in front of the prisoner, “Now… I understand that the rebellion has a new general leading them… so I'll ask, who is your new general?”
The colonel didn’t reply, so knowing that he was hiding it, Thundaga drew her sword as she swung it at the colonel. Luckily, she judged her distance accurately, as the blade’s tip flew by leaving a small cut on the colonels muzzle deep enough to immediately begin bleeding, but far enough to be harmless to anything vital. As the blood started running from his cut, the prisoner placed his hoof on his wound as Thundaga spoke, “Silence, will not be your ally. I would suggest you answer my question. Who, is the next Rebellion General?...”
Again, the stallion answered with silence as Thundaga sighed in disappointment, “Very well… Commander?... Give him better incentive.”
Commander Mist trotted to one of the other prisoners as he grabbed the prisoner by his mane, drew his sword, and placed the tip of the blade against his throat, “This one?...”
Thundaga nodded her head, “Sure… he seems worthless enough… Kill him.”

Quickly reacting to her words, Colonel Shy spoke, “Wait!... What are yo-”
Thundaga interrupted, “if you won’t speak… then we will start executing your soldiers in front of you until you talk.”
The pegasus replied, “N-no you can’t!”
Thundaga smiled, “oh?... and why can’t I?... Everypony here is a prisoner for theft… and if they are with you… then their crime has been bumped up, from theft… to treason.”
Colonel Shy tried to defend them, “They aren’t even part of the rebellion! They are just a few hired hooves I asked to help me. They didn’t know anything about who I was or what my intentions with the weapons would be! They were just being paid to follow my instruction!”
The commander chuckles, “well, then they will be paid to die for it too.”
“NO YOU CAN’T!!!”

Just then right as Commander Mist started moving to kill the held prisoner, Thundaga used her magic to stop his hoof as she spoke, “I can, and I will. Unless… you give me a name… that’s all I ask. In fact… how about we make a deal. I'll overlook your accomplices if you only tell me his name. You will be the only one charges with treason and executed, while your accomplices… will be charged only with theft.”
Both Commander Mist and Colonel Shy were shocked as the pegasus replied, “What?... you’re… you’re showing them mercy? But you’ve ne-”
“That is my offer… take it now or leave it… all I need is a name… and they will live.”
Colonel Shy was suspicious, he knew he couldn’t let his comrades die, but this offer had never been made before to any rebellion members so it wasn’t unexpected that he hesitated as Thundaga sighed, “too bad, I guess treason is their cr-”
“Alright!!!... I… I agree to the offer and if you will spare them execution… then I'll gladly accept your offer. The name you need to know… is Dash.”

Thundaga smiled, “Oh… the Descendent of Loyalty… I should have guessed. Guards… put Colon… I mean… General Dash’s name at the top of the priority list. I understand he is in hiding, so we will double our search for him.”
With that, Thundaga sheathed her sword as she turned back to her throne. Seeing this Commander Mist asked, “Your majesty… what should we do with the prisoners.”
Thundaga replied as she reached and sat in her throne, “Take the colonel to Trottingham, have him charged with treason and give him anything he wants for his meal tonight. It will be his last.”
The commander asked, “And… the others?”
Thundaga gave him an unamused look, “they will be charged with theft and given fair trial for that crime. Take them to the dungeon to await trial.”
The commander was confused, “Y-your majesty?… you mean you were serious about changelings their crime?... I though you said that to get a name.”

Thundaga nodded “An agreement is an agreement. If I chose to go back on my word… then I'd only be proving the rebellion right. I will uphold my part of the agreement, just as he upheld his.”
Commander Mist objected, “But they are traitors! They are clearly working for the rebe-”
Thundaga interrupted, “If you are so concerned, then start an investigation! However, as of this moment, they will not be harmed for any reason. I will try to avoid orphaning any more foals.”
The commander felt suspicious, “Is this… because of the incident with Cirrus Cloud?”
Although Thundaga blushed slightly she replied in anger, “This is of my own will and reasoning! Do not assume that Cirrus had anything to do with my decision!”
He continued, “But y-”
“My decision is made and it will stand!!!”
Knowing he was pressing his luck Commander Mist decided to give up as he sighed, “yes your majesty… we will follow the order.”
With that the guard’s and Commander Mist turned the prisoners around as they all started leading them out of the throne room.

Seeing to the guard’s orders, Commander Mist tried to follow behind the prisoners until Thundaga stopped him, “oh… and Commander?… stay for a second, I need to have a word with you.”
Knowing that it wasn’t good, Commander Mist stopped and trotted back to Thundaga as she used her magic to hold up a scroll, “As commander of my armies… could you perhaps explain this to me?”
With that Thundaga used her magic to toss the scroll towards him as it rolled to his hooves. Seeing this, he picked it up, opened it, and read it to himself. After knowing what it was, Commander Mist gave Thundaga a nervous look as he replied, “um… w-what’s this?”
Thundaga gave him an annoyed look, “I would suspect that you would recognize the daily accountability report that I receive every day at dawn, informing me of how many soldiers I have total, how many are accounted for, and… how many are not… and yet do you see the number there in red?”
Commander Mist looked at the bottom of the form and replied, “y-yes… five?”

Thundaga replied with a tone to match her annoyed expression, “Yes… five… Five soldiers were unaccounted for at dawn this morning… and then… two of those five were recently found in Ponyville with effects that show they had a run-in with Zine… now that would mean only one thing. Zine fought both those soldiers in an effort to defend himself. Which would only leave me to assume the other three are in the same state somewhere in Equestria.”
Playing dumb Commander Mist asked, “Would you like me to track the three down your majesty?”
Thundaga shook her head, “I need nothing from you at this time… except an explanation. Why would Zine need to fight my guards, when I clearly recall telling you to leave him be?”
Knowing he was found out, Commander Mist replied, “Your majesty… I needed to find out where they were going. It’s crucial that we find the rebellion hideout a…”
“Silence…”
Hearing the enraged and quiet tone made Commander Mist feel nervous as Thundaga continued, “It appears that you aren’t in the proper state to follow orders correctly… very well. For the next week, you are striped of your title and relieved from duty without pay. You will go home, and if I see you in uniform, or hear any of my solders say that you have given them orders of any kind… then it will be you who is wearing the chains in front of me… understood?”

Commander Mist hung his head in shame as he replied, “I understand your majesty. But… may I make a request?”
Thundaga replied with an angry tone, “No… you may not.”
With that Commander Mist removed his helmet as he placed it on the ground in front of him before turning and trotting towards the throne room door. But before he got to it, Thundaga spoke up, “And one more thing… those three missing soldiers… just know that their lives are on you. So if I were you… I would pray that they are unharmed. Because Zine will not be held responsible for them… think about that.”
Commander Mist turned back to Thundaga and bowed in respect, however he didn’t reply to the comment, instead he merely rose from his bow and left the throne room.

An hour later, Back in the Forest surrounding Dragon Mountain, Zine and Spike were arriving on the training ground as Gem Stone and Cirrus were sparring with swords. When they arrived, Cirrus was picking himself up from the ground as he griped the sword in his hoof and charged towards Gem Stone. As he raised the sword to attack vertically, Gem Stone sighed in hopelessness as she casually parried the blade away and knocked Cirrus to the ground. Trying to keep himself going, Cirrus rolled over as he charged again, only to have here react the exact same way as she knocked him to the ground with what seemed to be no effort. Feeling annoyed and frustrated, Cirrus continued rolling back onto his hooves as he repeated the same action, only to have it end with the same result. Finally after the fifth attempt, Gem Stone had enough as she blocked his next strike, Grabbed his hoof, Turned around and used her wings to vault her opponent over her shoulder leaving Cirrus to fly almost seven feet before hitting the ground with enough force to stun him from getting back up.

Smiling at the fight, Zine spoke, “Keep it up commander… I think she’s getting worn out.”
Too stunned to pick himself back up, Cirrus continued laying on the ground as Gem Stone approached him, “Well… at least you have the same never say die attitude… but you’re far from any commander I know. You’re too slow and predictable…”
Worn out, Cirrus tried to speak, “I… I thought you were an archer… how are you so good?”
Gem Stone smiled, “Against you… I don’t have to be. But then I’ve also been practicing since I was resurrected so I’m a lot better than I was during the war. But I digress.”
With that Gem Stone spun the sword around and acted as if she was going to stab him. But instead she just stuck the sword in the ground next to his head as she spoke, “Let’s move to the next lesson... I’m thinking… Archery.”

Cirrus sighed in frustration as he rolled over and picked himself up from the ground. As he rubbed his head from the impact he felt, Cirrus looked at Gem Stone as she picked up a bow and quiver from a nearby tree. As he saw the quiver he had to ask, “That arrow holster thing… what’s those markings on it?”
Gem sighed, “It’s called a Quiver… and the markings… My cutie mark, and the emblem of the Nightmare Legion.”
Cirrus was confused, “The Nightmare Legion… but… aren’t they the bad guys? I thought Nightmare Moon wa…”
With an annoyed tone, Gem Stone interrupted him, “We fought for Commander Bolt… not Nightmare Moon.”

Seeing that the conversation was getting heated, Zine butted in, “Um, Ms. Stone? I see your still using the quiver I stole for you. I’m glad you like it.”
Cirrus gave Zine a curious look, “Stole?... from who?”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “I took that along with a few other artifacts from the Nightmare Crusade Exhibit at the Canterlot Museum.”
Gem nodded her head as she added, “Well… technically he retrieved my quiver since it was a gift to me a long time ago. He only stole the other artifact.”
Cirrus asked, “Really? What other artifact did you take Zine?”
Zine smiled, “I took Ms. Stone Quiver for her, and Commander Mist’s spear.”
Cirrus was confused, “Commander Mist’s spear?... Why would you take that?”
Zine smiled, “I took it simply to agitate Commander Mist. I figured I insulted his security by taking the items, I decided to rub it in by taking something that belonged to his family.”

Cirrus gave Zine a hopeless look, “really… all that to rub it in?...”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “What?... I thought it was funny. Plus I gave it back.”
Gem rolled her eyes, “And to think I share a life with this guy.” She looked at Cirrus as she spoke, “alright Cirrus let’s get started, Have you ever held a bow before?”
Cirrus shook his head, “no.”
Gem Stone sighed as she replied, “Of course you haven’t… well come with me and I'll show you how to draw it. Then we can go from there.”

With that, Gem Stone and Cirrus trotted to an area as she gave him a bow and started showing him about how to draw it and balance while doing so. As the two practiced, Spike looked down at Zine and whispered, “Why didn’t you say anything about Commander Bolt’s shield? Didn’t you steal that too?”
Zine nodded his head as he whispered back, “I did… but I’m not finished with it just yet. Once I’m done with it I'll return it as well and tell them. Till then, the Commander and Captain don’t need to know about it.”
Spike was confused, “Why?”
Zine smiled, “let’s just say, that another descendant of the Nightmare Legion has a task that needs to be done with it first. Till then… Neither the commander or the captain need to know about it.”

On the far end of Canterlot Commander Mist was trotting through the corridor of a hospital as the doctor trotted beside him, “He is making progress, now it’s actually possible to hold a conversation with him… however he is still suffering from paranoia.”
Commander Mist nodded his head, “good, do you think he will ever fully recover?”
The doctor nodded his head, “it is possible… but considering the rate of his recovery, it won’t be any time soon, one year at the very least.”
The commander sighed in disappointment, “Well… till then I’ll continue keeping the princess safe… even if she doesn’t seem to trust me anymore… Can I see him?”
The doctor nodded his head, “Of course commander, Just try not to excite him. It’s been weeks since his last episode, and we hope to keep it that way.”

As the two approached a door in the hallway, Commander Mist nodded his head, “I understand. Thanks Doctor.”
With that, the Doctor unlocked the door as Commander Mist slowly opened it to reveal a much older stallion who was lying in a bed reading a book. As the stallion looked up, he spoke, “Mist?...”
Commander Mist entered and waited for the doctor to close and lock the door behind him as he spoke, “Commander Mage, it’s good to see you, how are you feeling?”
The suspicious commander gave him a skeptic look as he replied, “I ain’t saying nothing to a fool hardy imposter like you unless you can prove that you’re the real Mist. Tell me something only he would know”

Commander Mist sighed, “You are a descendant of the Element of Honesty.”
“Bull… everypony knows that!”
“You became a commander right after the last commander, the Descendant of Magic passed away.”
“Anypony can find that out!”
“You had a crush on Thundaga and was the only royal guard with the courage to ask her out on a date… and she clocked you in the jaw for it.”
Commander Mage and Commander Mist stared each other down for a brief moment until Commander Mage broke the silence, “Fine!... I’m convinced!”
With that the stubborn commander closed the book and sat it down as he spoke, “it’s good to see that changelings never got to you. Hopefully they never got to the princess either.”
Commander Mist shook his head, “Commander, the princess and the rest of the kingdom is safe. The changelings are extinct. They have been for almost three hundred years.”
The older commander waved his hoof off as he replied, “Baaa… all folklore. See that’s what they want you to think. But really, the changeling are amongst us. Taking the place of ponies left and right. I wouldn’t rule out that they have already infiltrated the castle as a servant or Thundaga forbid, a guard.”

Commander Mist sighed, “Sir… I’m sure you’ve heard this numerous times before… but the changelings are extinct. What you saw last year was the results of a powerful spell casted by that zebra we saved in Zebrica.”
Commander Mage chuckled, “that kooky spell caster we spared in Zebrica? Come now, that zebra has neither the strength nor the power to summon the army of changelings that attacked me in the forest. If anything, he was the lucky one. We were just going to imprison him for suspicion but thanks to that army of changelings, he was captured and killed quick and painlessly. While the rest of us can only sit and wait for us to go down, one by one.”
Commander Mist shook his head, “Zine is still alive, and… under Thundaga’s good graces no less. I wish I could convince her that he isn’t what he seems.”
“I should say not. He’s a changelings in disguise. Just like that doc that says I’m crazy, the mail colt, and everypony in the rebellion. It’s just a matter of time before the princess finds out. Then, I'll be back out of this… place and in command of my armies once again.”

Knowing there was no convincing him, Commander Mist sighed, “Sure sir. And when your back, we will welcome you with powerful bro-hooves.”
The joyful commander smiled, “Darn right you will… then I can whip that flab that my soldiers are gathering right off… speaking of which… where is your armor soldier?”
Too ashamed to admit his actions, Commander Mist replied, “The armor is tarnished sir… and I know how you are with appearances so… I knew it would be a death sentence if I trotted up to you in tarnished armor.”
Commander Mage nodded his head, “Ah… right then, I guess I would have you doing wing up if you came to me in tarnished armor. But the next time you come to see me… it will be spot free … or I'll have you doing laps around the castle until your wings fall off, you got that?”

Commander Mist nodded his head, “Understood sir.
Commander Mage could sense that something was bothering Commander Mist so he asked, “Mist… why would a new age commander come to see an old timer like me anyways… don’t you have something better to do?”
Commander Mist sighed, “Actually… I wanted to ask you for some advice.”
“Kay, shoot.”
“Thundaga has been… acting strange.”
Commander Mage slammed his hoof on the book, “SHE’S A CHANGELING!!!”
Calming him down Commander Mist waved his hoof, “no, no it’s not that… Recently she took in a pony who, we assume has awoken the Thunder Grounds with the Lightning Orb.”

Commander Mage was surprised, “The next commander?...”
Commander Mist gave an annoyed sigh, “no, far from it. But… I think, the princes has become too emotionally attached to him. For the few days he was in the castle, she was neglecting her royal duties, and fraternizing with him in a way that seemed… unsettling, if not unprofessional. I think she has fallen in love with him.”
Commander Mage smiled, “well there you go, problem solved. Bout time she decided to settle down with a stallion… even if it ain’t me.”
Mist gave him a grim look as he replied, “yea… but he is working for the rebellion.”
Commander Mage was shocked, “What?... are you sure?”
Commander Mist nodded, “yes… his parents were Black and Rain Cloud.”
Mage started thinking to himself as he replied, “so… that little sprout grew to take his parents place did he?... this is a problem.”

Commander Mist continued, “And it gets worse. Thundaga refuses to listen to reason when we try to convince her that he’s an enemy. Today she released five rebellion ponies with petty theft because of her own affection for that rebellion colt. It’s like she’s going soft on us. I’m worried… that she will drop her guard long enough for the rebellion to take advantage of her mercy.”
The older commander thought to himself as he replied, “Then… you as her commander must do his job. Look after her and make sure she doesn’t do anything that risks herself too much. If it were me… I would keep the colt locked away in the dungeon.”
Mist sighed, “Tried that… Thundaga won’t let me put him in.”
“Then keep a guard on him at all times. Should be easy for a commander to do right?”
“I would… but right now we have no idea where the colt is. Zine took him off for some special training so they could be anywhere in the kingdom.”

Commander Mage sighed, “Well… if that changelings took him off, then the problem is solved. He will be replaced with a changeling and the princess will see right through that creature’s disguise. Either way, keep your eyes and ears open. And remember to always trust Thundaga, and remember the royal guard motto.”
Commander Mist gave his old mentor a confused look, “Move fast and overcome?... how’s that supposed to help me?”
Commander Mage replied, “is that what it is?... I thought it was never question the princess… hm… no wonder the soldiers gave me a confused look when I told them that.”
Looking at a clock in the corner of the room, Commander Mist spoke “Well I guess I'll leave, I have plenty of duties to attend to.”

Commander Mage nodded his head, “Good, then go see to them. And for Thundaga’s sake, watch out for those shapeshifting insects out there. They’re crafty pests and when they get the chance, they’ll steal your identity and make off with the kingdom.”
Knowing that it wasn’t real, Commander Mist nodded his head as he turned to leave, “Sure sir, I will go beyond my best for the kingdom.”
Commander Mage smiled, “ah my old motto, you say it well, but it means more then to merely say it.”
Commander Mist nodded, “I know what you mean sir. Well, I'll be off sir. Don’t torment these doctors too much sir.”
Mage chuckled, “Those changelings? If they want to act like docs then I'll treat them like docs.”
With that Commander Mist smiled as the doctor opened the door allowing him to leave the room.

Ch11 My Fear

Gem sat in a shed as she hammered a pin into an arrow that locked the metal arrow head onto the shaft. As she focused on the sharp edges of the arrow head, she could hear sounds from her own memories as they slowly made themselves known, “Hold the line!- They are coming sir!- GO, GO, GO!!!”
As the sounds of her memories got louder in her mind clouding out what she was doing, a voice interrupted as it caught her off guard, “um… Ms. Stone?”
Although she was caught off guard, it barely showed as the hammer missed the pin entirely and hit the shaft of the arrow with enough force to snap it.

Hiding the mistake, Gem kept her expression as she turned to Cirrus and replied, “Yes?...”
Cirrus saw the mistake but ignored it as he replied, “I’m… not doing so well. Could you come out here and give me a pointer… or five?”
Sighing in an annoyed way, Gem Stone placed the arrow in a nearby trashcan as she picked up her bow and trotted outside the shed to see his target. When she got outside, she saw Zine meditating next to the sleeping Spike as her glance went past them to Cirrus’s archery target that was sitting about ten feet away from the ready line. As Gem Stone looked at the target she could see one arrow embedded in the very edge with the rest of the quiver’s arrows scattered in front and behind the stationary target.

Looking at the almost bare target, Gem Stone spoke, “Well… at least you got one.”
Cirrus sighed, “No… I didn’t. That was Zine seeing if he could do it… Apparently he can, better than me anyways.”
Gem nodded, “yea maybe the bow isn’t your weapon of choice… So what else would you like to try?”
Zine replied in his meditative state, “might I make a suggestion?”
Gem Stone looked at him as she replied, “If you have to.”
Zine opened his eyes as he stood up and replied, “Your focus seems to be mainly offense. Perhaps you could try something a little… defensive.”
Gem Stone gave Zine a curious look, “defensive… like… a spear?”
Zine nodded his head, “sure… but better make it a staff. A spear blade is considered offensive.”

Cirrus was suspicious, “What do you mean defensive… are you hiding something from us?... again?”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “plenty… but that’s not the point. Fact of the matter is; you are the Third Commander. The very commander said to bring peace to the kingdom as prophesized.”
Cirrus was confused, “okay… all I hear is this Third Commander stuff… but exactly who foresaw this?”
Zine smiled, “ever heard of the name Zera?”
Both Cirrus and Gem Stone gave him a clueless look as Spike sat up and replied, “Zera was a fortune teller who was born in the Everfree forest. If she foresaw it, it came true, from the changeling extinction, to the fall of the Cristal Empire… she even predicted Thundaga’s rise to power. Although she kept that one to herself.”
Cirrus replied, “Rise to power? So she’s a pony from before Thundaga’s reign.”
Zine shook his head, “not at all… Zera was a zebra.”

Both Gem and Cirrus were confused, “A zebra?”
Zine chuckled, “yes… a zebra. Born right here in Equestria to a zebra and a changeling no-less. She was one of my ancestors. Daughter to Zecora the enchantress of the Everfree, and her husband Zeil of the Black Sand.”
Gem Stone replied, “Of the black what?”
Spike replied, “It was the name of the kingdom changeling colonies used to be in. So it was given to him when he presented himself to Princess Celestia.”
Cirrus nodded, “okay… noted. So what does this have to do with me?”

Spike continued, “Before leaving Equestria, Zera wrote down a number of predictions that she wanted me to keep safe. But she gave only one rule, I must never interfere with anything on the list. Meaning that even when I saw something I didn’t like… and I did… I couldn’t try to change it. And from that day forward, I’ve been marking the things off one by one. But… shortly after the conflict between the dragon and ponies began, a royal guard found the list and gave it to Thundaga. And after that, Thundaga’s guards started spreading the contents of that same list through the rumor chain all over Equestria. Luckily there were only four things left on that list.”

Cirrus gestured that he wanted Spike to continue, “And they are?...”
Spike replied, “The will of the past, shall make itself known. A Great Spirit will awaken. The Third Commander will wake the Thunder Grounds and bring peace. And a dark entity will return with the power of the pegasi.”
Cirrus and Gem looked at each other in confusion as Gem asked, “those are pretty vague, any idea of what they mean?”
Zine replied, “The will of the past, are the visions I’ve been getting from my ancestors. And I can only guess the spirit is the Lightning Orb in Cirrus.”
Gem nodded, “okay and the commander of peace is Cirrus… but what about the last part. What is the dark entity that will return? Is that Thundaga’s rise to power?”
Spike shook his head, “see for many years I thought that it was… but something was off. When I went down the list of events, I found out that they were all in order. Everything, from the wars started outside of Equestria and their results, to the execution of the changeling Queens, even the Cerberus puppies. All in order. But… that dark entity prediction was the last thing on the list. So it can’t be Thundaga. And… that’s not the worst part.”

Cirrus asked, “Really?... what’s the worst part?”
Zine answered, “That last thing on the list, is the last thing on the list.”
Cirrus was confused, “meaning?...”
Gem sighed, “Meaning that the dark entity… could very well be the end of the world as we know it. Right?”
Spike shrugged his shoulders, “yea… that or she may have had no visions of anything after that one. I’m hoping that she just ran out of things to write down. But even still… I’ve never been able to find out what that dark entity is. All I know, is that it says return. So it was here before.”
Gem replied, “I have an idea… you think Nightmare Moon might return?”
Hearing this made Cirrus feel nervous as Zine shook his head, “I was thinking more of a changeling queen returning for revenge or something. Who knows? Even I couldn’t figure out what it was. And dark magic is literally my specialty.”
Cirrus felt a little more nervous now, but not as much as when Spike nervously added, “you don’t think… that The Dark Alicorn might come back… do you?”

Now Cirrus was so nervous, he had to take a seat as Zine shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Well right now that doesn’t matter… what matters is that we get this commander ready for the first obstacle.”
Cirrus gave Zine a confused look, “Obstacle… what obstacle?”
Zine smiled, “Thundaga, of course.”
Cirrus shook his head, “Ms. Stone is teaching me to defend myself in case I get attacked again. She isn’t trying to get me ready to fight a war…” Hesitating in thought, Cirrus looked at Gem Stone in curiosity, “Wait… are you?”
Gem Stone sighed, “I was… but I’m not so sure now.”
Cirrus replied in anger, “Seriously! After everything I said you’re still trying to get me to go against her?”
Gem nodded her head, “Zine suggested it, but since we have yet to discover your fighting skill, I’m starting to have even more doubts than before.”

Cirrus became even angrier, “WELL GOOD!!! I told you before I don’t want to have anything to do with this quarrel between you and Thundaga. Choosing to stand against her is certain death.”
Gem Stone smiled in a smug way, “Oh, I see… you’re afraid of her aren’t you?”
Cirrus shook his head, “No, I just know what she is capable of.”
Gem turned away, “it’s alright to be afraid you know. Everypony is afraid of something.”
Zine cleared his throat loudly as Gem added, “Well… except Zine.”
Zine smiled “Thank you Ms. Stone.”
Defending himself Cirrus replied, “I’m not afraid of her! You just don’t know her like I do.”
Gem sighed “Yea, yea… she killed your parents. You know, that that’s not a good enough reason to be afraid. Look at me, a dragon killed my parents and you don’t see me running and making excuses to avoid Spike. In fact, he happens to be the best friend I have.”

Getting her attention Zine cleared his throat loudly again as Gem gave him a hopeless look, “Like I said… the best friend I have.”
Zine gave her an appalled expression as Spike chuckled and replied, “Thank you Gem, I’m happy to have a friend like you too. Aside from all the other weirdos I know.”
Zine replied with an annoyed tone, “Ouch, my ego… actually, that one is kinda true. Touché Spike.”
Cirrus replied to Gems words, “Look, I may be nervous around her, but I’m not afraid of her.”
Gem Stone shook her head as she trotted away, “Whatever… if you’re not afraid… then why don’t we try something else for training.”
Cirrus felt skeptic, “What exactly are we going to try?”
Gem Stone opened her wings as she jumped into the air and started hovering, “Come with me and you will find out.”
With that Gem Stone started flying away from the training ground as Cirrus quickly took off to catch up with her.

After the two were gone, Spike looked down at Zine, “So… is there anything about the prophecies that you didn’t want to mention to Cirrus or Gem Stone?”
Zine gave him a skeptic look, “no… why would you think that there was?”
Spike shrugged his shoulders, “Because you are who you are. You keep so many secrets, I can’t even tell what is or isn’t true with you anymore.”
Zine smiled, “granted I do keep my secrets… however, the prophecies are most certainly true, but… even I don’t know anything about them. Never the less, the First Commander of Unity, and the Second Commander of Courage are very difficult role models for the Third Commander of Peace to live up to. But if we are lucky, this thing won’t end in a horrifying death. Possibly some maiming, but not a death to speak of.”
Spike gave him a dull look, “your optimism is inspiring.”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “I do what I can.”

Later out in the middle of an empty grass field, Cirrus stood looking over the grass and he asked, “Ok I understand what you want me to try… but why are we here?”
Gem replied as she trotted away from him, “This area is clear enough that we don’t have to worry about forest fires. That and if you succeed, the royal guards won’t be lured to my house.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he replied, “oh I see. And that’s why you got the bucket of water too right?”
Gem nodded her head, “yep. Now do what I said and start focusing on what you need to do. Clear your mind and focus on channeling all your energy into your hooves.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he replied, “Okay… here goes.”
With that, Cirrus looked at an archery target that sat almost one hundred feet from where he was standing as he started to concentrate.

So he placed all of his focus on the target and what he wanted to do, Cirrus started feeling a strange yet familiar feeling. The bottom of his hooves started to tingle as if his hooves were falling asleep, however as they did, he could also feel them getting really warm as if he were standing on a sheet of metal that was being heated from beneath himself. As he started to feel this, Cirrus looked at his hooves in confusion to the strange feeling. However as he did, the feeling quickly vanished as he lifted one of his hooves to look at the bottom. As he did Gem sighed, “You broke your concentration… what are you doing?”
Cirrus replied, “Sorry… I felt something weird on my hooves.”

Gem sighed, “That’s the electricity storing on your hooves. You need to stay focused or you won’t be able to channel it.”
Cirrus sighed, “why are we doing this?... I told you already, I can’t do the Lightning Orb. Only alicorn can d-“
Before he finished his sentence, Cirrus paused when a cloud in the sky covered the sun and casted a shadow over the landscape. When he saw this, Cirrus looked into the sky at the approaching of cloud cover as Gem replied, “As much as I want to believe you, I did see the lightning orb the other day. So if Zine says you created it, then I can only assume that to be the truth. So as much as I don’t like it, I need to teach you how c-”
Cirrus interrupted, “yea… um… how long is this supposed to take?...”

Gem Stone couldn’t believe how Cirrus interrupted her as she replied with an annoyed tone, “Um… excuse me?”
Cirrus continued, “I was just wondering because it looks like it’s going to rain soon.”
“What?” Gem looked into the distance at the approaching rain clouds as she replied, “yea… so… what of it?”
Cirrus tried to think of an excuse, “Well… um… if it rains… then how am I supposed to control the lighting orb? Wouldn’t the falling rain interfere with it?”
Gem sighed, “Well… sure maybe. But I recall Commander Bolt using it in the rain a few times so it should be fine.”
Further arguing, Cirrus replied, “Yea but… well… when it rains… it thunders right?”
Gem gave him a funny look, “probably… so?”
Cirrus replied, “well if there is lightning in the area… then how are we supposed to know if its mine or if it’s just the storm?... we can’t determine my progress if I can’t tell what lightning is mine… right?”

Gem thought to herself as she replied, “I… I guess so… but that doesn’t mean that-”
Cirrus smiled, “Good, then it’s settled. We will head back to the cabin for the rest of the day and wait out the storm. Then tomorrow if it’s all clear we can come back and try again. Okay?-Okay lets go.”
Moving too fast for Gem to respond, Cirrus flew into the air and landed next to the archery target as he picked it up and got it ready to move. Seeing this, Gem felt skeptic as she flew to him as he mumbled carelessly, “We can’t leave this here right now, otherwise we will have to come back for it later.”
Seeing his suspicious activity, Gem asked, “Cirrus?... are you okay?”
Without even looking at her, Cirrus continued getting the target ready as he replied, “I’m fine… we just can’t leave this here is all.”

Throwing the target and stand over his back, Cirrus spoke, “well, I’m ready to go.”
Although Gem wanted to put a stop to what he was doing, she instead went along with it since something about the way he was acting made her curious. Usually he was always accepting enough to go along with whatever was happening, but for some reason, he was going against the flow. So despite her intentions to continue the lesson, she just decided to follow closely as Cirrus carried the heavy archery target and flew back to Dragon Mountain with no explanation of his change in attitude.
Back at the cabin, Zine was watching as Spike practiced hovering with his wings without tossing everything in the area away by the gusts created. As he watched Zine spoke, “how long has it been this time?”

Spike replied as he continued hovering, “About an hour. You were right about upping the dosage. The last time we tested it my wings were gone within half an hour.”
Zine smiled “your wings?... You talk as if it’s going to be permanent.”
Spike replied, “I know it won’t be… but… could you make it?”
Zine nodded his head, “I'll see what I can do.”
Spike smiled, “Thanks, I'd be pretty cool if it could alwa-”
Before he could finish his sentence, Spike’s wings started to evaporate as Spike fell from the twenty feet in the air and crashed onto the ground.

After hitting the ground, Spike sat up and rubbed his head as he spoke, “ouch… that hurt.”
Zine chuckled, “Well, one hour it is. Next time we’ll up the dosage. I would like to see if I can bump it up to at least three hours. What do you think?”
Spike smiled “sure, you won’t hear any complaints from me… but… why that long?”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “Well if we had to, I'd like you to be able to make a round trip from here to Canterlot and back. You never know when it could be helpful.”
Spike was skeptic, “Really? Are you sure you won’t ever know when it will be helpful?”
Zine shrugged his shoulder, “Well… I do have an idea of when we may do that… but till then, I would just like to be prepared.”

Before Spike could reply, Cirrus and Gem landed in the area as Cirrus looked at Gem and asked, “Okay where do you store this thing?”
Still trying to figure him out, Gem pointed towards a tool shed that sat outside her cabin as he replied “kay, I'll put this up.”
As Cirrus trotted to the shed to put away the target, Gem with her perplexed expression watched him as Zine asked, “So… how did it go?”
Gem Replied, “I’m… not sure.”
Spike and Zine gave her a confused look as Spike replied, “Really?... then why are you two back so soon?”
Zine agreed, “Yea… I expected you to train him into the late hours of the night.”
Gem shook her head, “I intended to… but… something is odd. He started mentioning the approaching rain and just… withdrew.”

Knowing something she didn’t, Zine smiled, “Oh… really… why do you suppose he did that?”
Feeling odd that Zine was hiding Cirrus’ secret, Spike held his silence as Gem replied “I’m not sure… but I guess for a civilian like him, now is as good a time to call it a day as any. Commander Bolt literally beat my training into me… I thought about doing the same… but… Commander Bolt could see that I had fight in me. But I don’t see even the slightest hint that Cirrus would even try to defend himself. And I don’t have the heart to beat up somepony who isn’t willing to fight back, eventually.”
With that Gem Turned away from Zine and started trotted back into her cabin as Zine smiled, “Perhaps he needs more time then.”
Gem Sighed as she continued, “Yea, maybe.”
Smiling at what he knew, Zine watched Gem go inside as Cirrus returned from the shed and asked, “So, what have you two been up to today?”
Spike replied, “Just testing the wings potion again. Luckily we are getting more time out of it then yesterday.

Cirrus nodded his head, “that’s good, at least you’re making progress.”
Zine smiled in a joking manner, “yes, and judging from your early return, you haven’t made any have you? Yesterday it was learning to carry a sword, and fire a bow. And today it was continuing archery failure and… whatever it was you two were up to, which I assume was also a failure.”
Cirrus replied, “Yea, well… I guess I need a little more practice at… well… everything. Honestly I’m just not cut out for this sort of thing. I understand she is teaching me to defend myself in case I’m attacked by one side or the other… but, I’m just not the type to start or finish a fight.”
Zine nodded his head, “well I'd expect no less from the commander of peace.”
Cirrus sighed, “Can you please cut out the commander stuff… its getting really old fast.”
Zine smiled sarcastically, “I'll stop saying it once it’s proven false. Till then just keep at it.”

Cirrus sighed as he waved his hoof dismissively and started trotting towards the cabin, “Yea yea…”
As Cirrus went inside, Spike watched him with an unsure expression as Zine saw this and spoke, “what’s on your mind Spike?... starting to doubt him?”
Spike replied, “I’m not sure… I saw the lightning orb from the distance so I do think he did it… but, considering everything that’s happened since… it’s getting a little hard to believe it.”
Zine nodded his head, “true… but as of yet, he still hasn’t fully become the commander we need to change this world. But he is right about something.”
Spike looked at Zine, “really? And what’s that?”
Zine smiled, “there is a storm on the way. So you better get to shelter before it gets here.”

Later that afternoon, Cirrus was in the kitchen cooking as Gem trotted in and asked, “you’re cooking?... I didn’t think you knew how to cook?”
Cirrus smiled as he stirred the food, “Yep, taking care of as many foals as I have you learn to make things that can feed large groups. I may not hold my own in battle, but cook a decent meal, I can do.”
Gem asked, “So what are you making?”
Cirrus smiled, “vegetable stew, sorry I borrowed a few vegies from your garden out back.”
Gem smiled as she sat at the dining room table as spoke, “its fine, I never learned to cook, that was my mother’s talent. And, she died before I could learn.”
Knowing that this wasn’t a subject that anypony would want to talk about, Cirrus replied, “oh… well, maybe I can show you sometime. In… exchange for your fighting lessons.”

Gem Stone smiled, “Sure.” Her smile faded, “Can I ask you something?”
Cirrus felt nervous in the sudden change in expression as he replied, “um… sure, go ahead.”
Gem Continued, “When we were trying to use the lightning orb, you paused. Can I ask why?”
Cirrus tried to stall, “I paused… what do you mean?”
“You looked at your hooves and broke your concentration.”
Feeling a little relieved that she wasn’t talking about his unusual attempt to avoid the rain, he replied, “oh, well I was feeling something weird in my hooves.”
“Weird?”
“It felt like I was standing on a storm cloud”
Gem nodded her head, “you mean the tingling feeling?”
Cirrus nodded, “yea… but it was weird. Afterwards I started feeling a warming sensation, on the bottom of my hooves.”

Although she didn’t know anything about that, she still nodded her head, “The lightning orb heats water in the soil. I’m sure that’s what you were feeling.”
Cirrus nodded as he replied, “I guess.”
Gem continued, “Well… if that’s what you felt then I can only assume you were close.”
“Close?... to using the lightning orb?”
Gem Stone nodded, “yea, you seemed to be on the right track to actually pulling it off. Although it still doesn’t prove that you actually can. Not until you use it. But we left too soon.”
Cirrus started to reply, “Yea because of th-”
Before he could finish, the loud sound of heavy rain started emulating from the ceiling as both of them looked up. Looking at where the sound was coming from, Gem replied, “yea… the rain.”

At that moment there was a loud boom from lightning outside as Cirrus nervously trotted away from his cooking stew and spoke, “Ok looks like it’s done for the most part, whenever you’re ready just pour you a bowl. I’m going to get a… thing… so you have an attic, or a basement or something?”
Not knowing what a quote-unquote thing was, Gem replied, “no… but what are you looking for I think I can find it fo-”
Another boom was heard as Cirrus nervously interrupted, “no problem I think I can find it myself.”
With that, Cirrus quickly trotted into the living room as he found the closest door to him before trotting inside and closing it behind him. After the door was shut, Gem turned off the unattended stove as she trotted into the living room and looked at the door in confusion. After a brief and awkward silence from both sides of the door, Zine trotted in from outside dripping wet as he mumbled in frustration, “Well… at least it’s better than the alternative. I thought I was having a wet meditation for the first time. Boy would that have been embarrassing.”

As Zine shook the water off himself, Gem asked, “Um Zine… do you know anything about this?”
She gestured to the door Cirrus was behind as he replied, “What?... the broom closet?”
Gem shook her head, “No, the pony hiding in the broom closet.”
Zine smiled, “Ah, I assume this pony is the commander right? Let’s just say it has something to do with what you two talked about earlier. As for me, something smells good so I’m gonna get me some of whatever’s cooking.”
With that said, Zine made his way passed Gem and into the kitchen. At first, Gem didn’t understand what he meant about an earlier conversation, but then as another boom was heard from the thunder outside, she could hear a lot of shuffling in the closet that Cirrus was hiding in as if he were pushing everything inside away from him in fear. After hearing this, Gem sighed as she knocked on the door, “Cirrus? You okay?”
Cirrus replied, “yea I’m just um looking for the thing… for the um… stew.”
Gem spoke, “yea, but I don’t think there is anything in there for the stew… just some old brooms and coats from winter.”

Cirrus hesitated before replying, “yea… but I’m um… well you see I ne-”
Before he could finish, another loud boom shook the house as Gem heard what could only be a slight yelp in his sentence as he quickly silenced himself from the sound of the lighting. Hearing this, Gem sighed as she replied, “Cirrus?...”
“Um… yea?”
“You’re afraid of lightning… aren’t you?”
Cirrus hesitated before replying in an ashamed and angry tone, “Fine!… I’m afraid of lightning, Okay! Go ahead and make fun of the one pegasus who is scared of lightning. We control storms, clouds, and rain… and here I am, too afraid to do what our species are meant to do. I’m the only pegasus in the world who is scared of our own storms. The only one who’s… not meant to do what he’s here for.”
Knowing how hard it was for him to admit it, Gem sighed again as she sat down and leaned against the door, “I'd hate to do this to you… but I’m gonna have to one-up you again.”
“wh-what?...”
Gem replied, “I mentioned that everypony accept Zine is afraid of something… well… I’m afraid of the sunrise. Or… something like that.”

Confused, Cirrus asked, “the sunrise?...”
Gem sighed, “Every morning… since I have returned. I’ve not missed a single sunrise. I can’t say entirely why I still watch them… but. Every time I see it. I’m afraid.”
Cirrus replied, “Afraid?... of what?”
Gem sighed, “I’m afraid, that… The moon will rise behind it. And… Blot it out.”
Cirrus hesitated, “blot it out… you mean, like an eclipse.”
Although he couldn’t see it, Gem nodded as she replied, “Exactly an eclipse. You see, when I finally left the orphanage, the world was already shrouded in an eclipse. And almost immediately after that… I joined the Nightmare Legion and… became Commander Bolt’s trainee. Although, war wasn’t in anyway something I enjoyed, it was still the best decision I had ever made. Commander Bolt… he taught me so much that I grew attached to his guidance. He and my comrades; Storm, Snow, Drib, and Viscous. They were all the best part of my life. Because… they were my family. So, in a way, I’m afraid of the sunrise because I’m worried that the moon will eclipse it… but at the same time, I’m hoping it will. Because… the Nightmare Eclipse… was the one time in my life, that I felt… happy.”

Cirrus didn’t know how to respond, so he held his silence as Gem continued, “I think… that my greatest fear… is forgetting those times. I worry that, one day I'll wake up and find that, I’ve forgotten Commander Bolt entirely. The way he looked, the way he talked, even the sound of his voice.”
Tears started building up in her eyes as she continued, “he… was literally the best part of my life… and when I died, his training was all I had to be proud of. But… when Zine brought me back… he… he… wasn’t here. I had been dead for almost sixteen centuries… and when I returned, Commander Bolt was nothing more than a memory. And not just him, Storm, Snow, Drib, Viscous even Roza, Rafi, and Orem… They’re gone… they’re not here and… I wonder if… I should even be here too? Sometimes… I think… I don’t even belong in this world. Like, I don’t have a reason to live.”
Hearing the sadness in her voice, Cirrus leaned against his side of the door as he replied, “You have a goal… and that’s more than I can say about me. If anything… you have more reason to be here than even me.”
Although it cheered her up a little to hear that, she still smiled as she replied, “Not according to Zine… but you know what? You need to prove that to me before I start to believe it. Till then… you can stay in there as long as you like and when you’re done, you can get started on proving me wrong.”

With that, Gem stood up as she started to trot into the kitchen, however before she got too fare, Cirrus stopped her, “Ms. Stone?...”
She paused, “yea?”
Cirrus asked, “You mentioned everypony is afraid of something?”
Gem nodded, “yea?”
He asked, “What’s Spike afraid of?”
Gem smiled, “from what I understand, zombies.”
Cirrus replied, “oh… and is it true that Zine isn’t afraid of anything?”
She nodded her head as her smile faded, “yea… it’s true.”
Cirrus asked, “how is that possible?...”
Gem sighed as she replied, “Cirrus… We all experience hardships, and some of us worse than others. But Zine… he managed to block a number of his memories from me, but the memories I saw… I wouldn’t wish it on any of my enemies. Not even Thundaga.”
With nothing more to say on the subject, Gem turned and continued into the kitchen before Cirrus had the chance to reply.

As Gem Stone entered the kitchen, she saw Zine sitting at the table eating the stew as he smiled, “Better make you a bowl, this stuff won’t last long.”
Gem nodded her head, “are you sure he’s the one? You do realize that he will be risking not just his life, but the lives of all who decide to follow him.”
Zine nodded his head, “I don’t write fate… I just abide by it. Why?”
Gem replied, “No reason, I just don’t want him to risk his life if he isn’t involved.”
With that, Gem trotted past him and started preparing herself a bowl of the stew as Zine smiled and replied, “in other words… you’re getting attached.”
Gem paused as she looked at him and blushed, “attached? I’m only trying to keep those who aren’t involved from getting hurt.”
Zine smiled as he stirred his food, “this won’t change your mind… will it?”
Gem shook her head, “Of course not… Thundaga mu- will be defeated. But… what about Cirrus?”
Zine sighed, “As the Third Commander, we must keep him safe… if he isn’t ready, then I would suggest postponing your plan.”

Gem Stone finished making herself a bowl as she trotted back to the table, sat down, and replied, “I can’t do that… the longer we wait the more civilians will suffer. We must stop Thundaga as soon as we can… and the only way I can do that is to go to her myself.”
Zine sighed, “If you must, then I would suggest taking the commander with you.”
Gem shook her head, “no… if he isn’t ready then he will stay here. Like you said he must be kept sa-”
Zine interrupted, “he won’t be kept safe if we both are dead…”
Pausing at the seriousness of his tone, Gem Stone watched as Zine’s expression went from serious to a confident smile, “If we both die… who will train him? No, if you go to Thundaga… you must take him with you. Then, you might have a chance of surviving.” He started stirring his stew as he continued, “Cirrus may not be ready for a fight, and perhaps a fight is something he will never be ready for. However, he is still the Third Commander, and Thundaga knows it. By taking him with you, you are giving Thundaga a reason to meet with you. And if he speaks on your behalf, you might be able to get close to her. So, as I said, it would be in your best interest… to take him with you.”

With that Zine continued eating his stew as Gem sighed, “if you say so… then I'll consider it. But only, only… if he can prove to me that he really is the Third Commander. If he can, then I’ll take him with me. But if not… then I'll send him away. I know you like him… but I couldn’t live with myself if I sent somepony into battle who was such a… a-”
Zine smiled, “Civilian?”
Gem shook her head, “no…a foal.”
Zine nodded his head as he stood up to put his bowl away, “foal or not, we need him if we are going to bring peace to the kingdom.”
Gem sighed, “you say he will bring peace to the kingdom… how is he supposed to do that?”
Zine placed his bowl in the sink as he replied, “Zecora failed to mention exactly how. She didn’t even tell me if it meant killing Thundaga or not… but make no mistake, when you go to Canterlot, you can do whatever you want… but I will explore that you refrain from harming the ingredient. Cuz as I said before.”
Zine started to leave the room as he smiled in an evil way, “the ingredient… is mine!”

Ch12 You Are The Third Commander

Cirrus found himself standing in the same field he did training in as he looked around and mumbled, “What?… why am I here?”
A voice replied, “Funny that Gem Stone would choose this place to teach you the Lightning Orb. Considering what it used to be.”
Knowing the voice but still clueless about the identity, Cirrus turned to see the cloaked stallion standing on the top of a hill looking down as he replied, “really? Why do you say that?”
The stallion replied, “Because this place, which is now peaceful and full of life, used to be distraught and full of death.”
Cirrus was confused, “full of death? What d-”

Before he could finish, the cloaked stallion stomped his hoof on the ground as the grass all around quickly vanished into thin air as the dirt beneath it slowly changed to mud with deep craters, broken weapons, bodies, and armor in colors that signified that five different nations of six different species of soldiers fought in this now lifeless landscape. As soon as this happened, Cirrus looked at the remnant of a lost battlefield as he spoke in shock, “what?... this… this was a war zone too?”
The cloaked stallion replied, “Yes, it was… this was a place where many lives were lost. And seeing what it was… makes you truly value what it is now.”
With that said, the weapons, bodies, and scars all vanished as the grass quickly re-grew covering the mud and the craters beneath it. After seeing the change, Cirrus spoke, “You’re right… seeing what it was back then… makes it seem like a different world.”

The cloaked stallion smiled, “It’s proof that time truly can heal all wounds. Sadly… I learned that lesson too late.”
Cirrus smiled, “did… did you fight on this battlefield?”
The cloaked stallion nodded his head, “yes.”
“and… Gem Stone?”
The stallion answered again, “Yes. But… she also didn’t learn that lesson. She acts like the past doesn’t matter, but that’s just the past with her parents. As for everything else… well… you heard what she said… about the sunrise?”
Cirrus replied, “You’re right… she is solely focused on her past… and… it’s causing her pain.”
The stallion continued, “Learn to control the Lightning Orb.”
Cirrus sighed, “I can’t. The Lightning Orb is a talent that only alicorn can use. And even if I could… what am I supposed to do with it? I don’t know if you’ve been watching or if you’re a figment of my imagination… but I can’t fight.”

The stallion smiled, “you don’t have to… the Lightning Orb is a unique power, with it, not only can somepony extinguish life… but they can even save it. It’s that same power that can change the course of all that happens around us. Think about it, the first commander used it to unify three kingdoms who were at war with one another, into forming one massive kingdom of tranquility. The second, stirred the quarrel of two royal sisters and through his courage gathered the last of a dying species into facing an evil that was assumed to be invincible. I can only imagine of what the Third Commander can do with it”
Cirrus sighed in an annoyed way as he replied, “Okay… I’m not going to argue since I know that nothing I say can convince you that I’m not the Third Commander, so I’ll just ask… How do you know for certain that I am the Third Commander?”
The stallion could only smile, as he replied, “Because she can see it too.”
Cirrus was confused, “who?...”
The stallion didn’t reply, instead, he slowly faded away as Cirrus woke on the couch in Gem Stone’s cabin. Rubbing his head in an annoyed way Cirrus sighed, “she?… she who?”

Later in the kitchen, Gem Stone entered to see Zine as he waved his hoof around in an attempt to locate the kitchen table in front of him. As soon as he felt it, he ran his hoof along it until he was able to find a chair to sit in. as she watched the confusing sight, Gem asked, “uh Zine… what are you doing?”
Looking back at her with unusually solid white eyes, Zine smiled, “oh… I’m trying to find a place to eat my breakfast. Sorry I raided your garden but with my current condition all I could find was lettuce. So I guess I’m gonna have a salad for breakfast.”
Gem gave him a confused look as she started to reply, “Lettuce? But I didn’t grow any-” As soon as she saw what was in his bowl she smiled, “oh… that… sure knock yourself out.”
Zine smiled, “Don’t mind if I do.”
As he said that Cirrus entered the kitchen as he saw Zine’s white eyes, “Woah… what uh… what happened to you.”

Knowing that Cirrus probably meant his eyes, Zine smiled, “oh, good morning commander. Just testing out a spell I found in an old book.”
As Zine took a bit of what was in the bowl, Cirrus asked, “Are… you okay?”
Zine smiled, “Me? Sure, I’m just trapped in a cyclic paradox is all.”
Cirrus was confused, “a cyclic… what?”
Zine took another but as he replied, “Oh, the spell I tested is supposed to grant me the ability to see the future.”
Gem became curious, “okay… well obviously it isn’t strong enough to affect me. So what do you see?”
Zine sighed, “Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
Zine nodded his head, “yep, right now, all I see is pitch black.”
Cirrus sighed, “So, it doesn’t work.”

Zine shook his head, “on the contrary, it works too well.”
Gem was confused, “I thought you said you only see black.”
Zine nodded his head, “yes, because of the paradox. Let me ask, if you could see the future, and you saw something you didn’t like… then would you try to change it?”
Cirrus nodded his head, “yea, who wouldn’t?”
Zine nodded his head, “then by changing it, the future you saw would also change… however if the future you saw was something you liked, then you wouldn’t try to change it then would you?”
Gem nodded her head, “yea… so.”
Zine smiled, “so how can you change a future, when you do nothing to change it? The spell is preventing me from seeing anything I would hope to change by showing me nothing at all. Ergo… a paradoxical loop.”
Gem sighed, “So it would be better to just say that this spell only blinds you then doesn’t it?”
Zine nodded his head as he continued eating, “Yep… sad to say this spell is a complete bust. Oh well, looks like we will just have to do without.”

As Zine took another bit of what he thought was food, Cirrus asked, “Um… what are you eating?”
Zine replied, “Oh, just a salad I found Ms. Stone’s garden. Want some?”
As he took another bit and started chewing Cirrus replied, “um Zine… you’re eating poison joke leaves.”
As soon as he heard that, Zine stopped chewing as he looked down at the bowl, “really?”
Gem smiled, “yea… really.”
With that, Zine swallowed what was in his mouth as he looked at the bowl for a few seconds, “hmm… I though it tasted a little… spicy.” Then he shrugged his shoulders in a carless way as he stuck his fork back into the blue leaves and continued eating as Cirrus spoke up, “Stop that!!!”
Zine chewed as he replied, “It’s fine… even the poison joke wouldn’t think to hurt me.”
Gem sighed, “Yea probably. Anyways, Cirrus you ready to go out and train? It’s supposed to rain again tonight but the day should just be an overcast till then.”

Cirrus nodded his head as he replied, “Um… okay… but… are you sure?”
Gem nodded her head, “yea, I met with a weather pegasus this morning. He confirmed it with me so we don’t have to worry about a thing. You’re not getting out of training this time.”
Although he was relieved that there would be storms, he still didn’t like the idea of going back out to try the Lightning Orb again. So Cirrus just sighed, “Alright… I guess there is no getting out of it.”
Although he still couldn’t see, Zine smiled knowing that Cirrus could actually talk his way out of it if he tried, but since Cirrus had already thrown in the towel, Zine could only reply, “Break a leg commander… or better yet, let Ms. Stone break it for you.”

Gem Stone smirked, “Don’t tempt me.” She looked at Cirrus, “alright let’s go, same place as yesterday and for the same reason. Remember what we talked about last night? I’m still expecting you to prove me wrong.”
Cirrus smiled, “Alright… I'll try.”
With that, the two started leaving the room as Cirrus spoke, “Will you be alright here while we are gone?”
Zine smiled as he waved Cirrus off, “I'll be fine, the spell should only last another hour or so. Anyways I'll just wait here unti- hm?... Hey, I think I see s- oh nope… nope it’s… it’s just the poison joke kicking in. yea… yea… my tongue just went numb… now my head went numb too.”
Ignoring what he just said, Gem Stone pushed Cirrus out of the room as she replied, “Well good luck with that, come on Cirrus we have to get going if we are going to make any progress today.”
With that the two left their zebra companion as they both left the room and house.

Later at the field that he tried to train on before, Cirrus stood about fifty feet from a sitting archery target as Gem Stone returned from setting it up and spoke, “okay Cirrus, now focus. Concentrate on channeling the lightning you have to your hooves, then… I guess to the target.”
Cirrus gave her a funny look, “oh, that’s right… you don’t know how to use the Lightning Orb.”
Gem Sighed, “And yet I still know more than you… and you’ve used it before. So what does that say?”
Cirrus sighed, “Nothing since I still don’t believe I used it.”
Gem replied with an unamused expression, “You won’t know until you try. Now shut up and focus.”
Hearing this, Cirrus nodded his head as he looked at the target and started to focus.

As he concentrated on his target, Cirrus started to feel the heat buildup in the bottom of his hooves as the tingling feeling started to make itself known. Ignoring the feeling this time, Cirrus continued holding his focus on his target as the electricity started channeling through the ground, fare enough for even Gem Stone to feel it ten feet away. With this, Cirrus continued holding his focus as a small dark cloud started to appear above his head just far enough out of his peripheral vision so that he didn’t notice it. As the cloud hovered above, Gem Stone smiled at the progress as she mumbled to herself, “that’s it… he might actually pull this off.”
Not hearing her words, Cirrus continued focusing as Gem Stone called to him, “That’s it Cirrus, now, Hit the target!”
Trying to keep his focus, Cirrus drowned out her words as his focus started centering even more on the center of the target that sat fifty feet from where he was standing.

As his focus narrowed, the cloud above his head grew slightly more as it started flickering with the light of the building electricity inside. Finally the cloud began sending out small arcs of electricity from above his head as one went far enough to draw his attention to what was happening outside his view. When this happened, Cirrus looked up at the cloud in curiosity as he mumbled, “wh-what is tha-”
in mid-sentence, a large arc of electricity jumped up and curved back onto the other side of the cloud as Cirrus reacted to the miniaturized lightning by jumping back away from the cloud as his break in concentration caused the lightning cloud to fire a bolt forward and into the ground ten feet in front of where he was standing. Reacting to the lightning, Cirrus fell to the ground and quickly pushed himself back, as the bolt that hit the ground started running up towards the target before veering off course and leaving a long black trail of charred grass that passed the stationary target before vanishing from sight.

Shortly after the cloud stopped shooting the bolt, the small black cloud vanished as Cirrus could only lay on the ground breathing deeply in the fear that he was experiencing. Excited about what she saw, Gem smiled as she rushed to the black line left from his attempt. As she reached the line, she looked along the line as she called, “You did it! Cirrus you really did it! You used the ligh-”
While talking, Gem Stone started to turn back to Cirrus, but as soon as she saw the state he was in, She paused. Cirrus, was laying on the ground with an expression of pure fear on his face. His breathing was deep and loud as he tried to recover from the trauma he just put himself through. Seeing this, Gem started trotting towards him, “Cirrus?... are you okay?”
Wide eyed and still in shock, Cirrus didn’t reply as she approached him and repeated, “Cirrus?... Cirrus!”
With the emphasis in her last word snapping him out of it, Cirrus’s eyes darted to Gem who spoke, “Cirrus?... Are you okay?”

Slowly returning to his senses, Cirrus replied, “Wh-what was that?”
Gem smiled, “You did it. You used the Lightning Orb.”
Cirrus rubbed his head, “but… that’s impossible?”
Gem shook her head, “no… it’s not. Cirrus, you proved yourself. You did it. I can honestly say it now… You are the Third Commander.”
Cirrus sat up as he tried to figure it out, “But… it couldn’t… I’m not… I… I can’t be.”
Gem smiled, “You are. You used the Lightning Orb. Not very well, but still. You are the Third Commander. And… you will change the kingdom.”
Cirrus shook his head as he looked at the ground in shame, “no… I can’t…”
Gem shook her head, “yes you can, Cirru-“
“I meant I WON’T!!!”

Hearing him snap like that silenced her as Gem Stone gave him a concerned look and replied, “what do you mean… you won’t?...”
Cirrus shook his head, “I… I can’t do that again… I… I won’t do that again.”
Gem Stone realized something as she replied, “because… of the lightning?”
Cirrus glanced up at her for a brief second before looking back down, “yea… because of the lightning.”
Gem Stone replied, “You don’t have to be afraid you know. The Lightning Orb can be controlled with practice.”
“I don’t care.”
“In time it will become harmless to everypony around you.”
“I don’t care.”
“We can get passed this if you just try to be-“
“I DON’T CARE!!!”

Pausing at his screamed words which echoed in the horizon, Gem gave Cirrus a concerned look, “w-what?”
Cirrus looked her in the eye, “I won’t use it again… I won’t even try… because I’m not going to do it again.”
Gem Stone started to get annoyed, “why?...”
Cirrus replied, “I can’t do it… I just… I can’t.”
Gem Stone started to get angry, “Because you’re afraid?...”
Cirrus nodded his head, “yea… because I’m afraid.”
Gem Stone became enraged as she reached up and punched Cirrus on the side of his face, knocking him to the ground, “Y-you… Selfish! COWARD!!!”
Looking back up at Gem’s rage, Cirrus rubbed his face as she continued, “You think this is a game!?! Why are you here!?! Why put up with this? You came to me to learn to fight! And now you’re just going to give up? If you knew what you were capable of why go along with it?”

Cirrus replied with a shameful reply, “I… I didn’t think it was real… I… I had nowhere else to go, and… you still offered me the chance to try, despite how many times I told you I couldn’t.”
Gem Stone gave him an unamused stare, “and… what makes now so different?”
Cirrus replied, “I… I can’t use the lighting orb. I can’t handle lighting. I can’t be around it… even if it’s in my control I can’t handle it.”
Gem shook her head, “why is it so scary if you can prevent it from hurting you?”
Cirrus shook his head, “I… I just can’t do it… no… I won’t do it.”
Gem shook her head as she turned away from him in disgust, “you’re so pathetic. I understand what it means to be afraid but at least I face my fear every day. How are you supposed to survive if you can’t even use the power that gives you the advantage?”

Cirrus shook his head but didn’t reply as she sighed, “Figures…”
Cirrus looked her in the eye as he replied, “I can’t help it!”
Gem shook her head, “yes you can… you’re just too selfish to try.”
Hearing this made him angry as he picked himself up and replied, “You don’t know what it’s like! I don’t have battle experience! I can’t just conquer my fear like you or Commander Bolt! I’m not-… you know what? Forget it!”
Fed up with the conversation, Cirrus turned to trot away as Gem saw this and replied with an angry tone, “and where are you going?”
Cirrus waved his hoof over his shoulder in a dismissive way as he replied, “I’m going to the cabin to cool down… I’m tired from the Lightning Orb anyways.”
Gem angrily caught up with him as she reached up to grab his shoulder, “You’re not going any-”

As soon as her hoof made contact with his shoulder, something took hold of Cirrus as he jerked his shoulder away before quickly turning around with his opposite wing open as he flung it under Gem Stone’s hooves taking them out from under her body. Without suspecting the surprise attack, Gem Stone was helpless as Cirrus’s reflexed attack was finished off as he brought his rear hooves around and kicked her torso, tossing her through the air before she even had the chance to hit the ground from the first attack. As Gem Stone was tossed a number of feet from where she was standing, Cirrus regained his senses as he paused and watched in shock as Gem Stone hit the ground rolling. By the time she realized it, Gem Stone had already stopped rolling as she picked herself up and looked at Cirrus in shock, “w-wha…”
As he saw her expression, Cirrus could only remind himself of the prior even as he turned away and took to the sky with nothing to say about the second time this reflex took hold of him.

Too surprised to stop him, Gem Stone could only sit on the ground as she mumbled to herself “That was like… the time when Star…”
All of a sudden, she snapped herself out of it as she looked over the open field at the nearest tree line and called, “Are you going to just sit there and watch! Or are you going to explain to me what just happened!?!”
Staff in hoof and a smile on his face, Zine stepped out from behind a tree as he started trotting towards her and called back, “Well! That was interesting! I guess we know how he beat the ingredient in a fight now don’t we!”
As Zine trotted close enough for Gem to reply without yelling she spoke, “Yea… I guess so. So what are you doing here anyways?”
Zine smiled as he offered his hoof to help her up, “Oh just passing through so I decided to check in on the commander’s training.”
Ignoring his hoof, Gem Stone stood up as she replied, “Yea, sure you were. So how long were you there?”

Zine replied as he sat down, “I arrived at about the time the Lightning Orb missed the target. I gotta say, for his second try he was almost on point with his aim. I guess that, and his little reflex was all a part of the Third Commander’s actions.”
Gem Stone gave him an annoyed look, “You say that as if the Third Commander is a second personality or something.”
Zine trotted passed Gem Stone as he looked at the target and the black line that curved slightly off the targets path, “Didn’t it seem that way?... I mean did you even see his face when he did that?”
Gem gave him an annoyed look, “no… I was a little too busy being tossed through the air.”
Zine smiled as he looked at the start of the black line under him and rubbed his staff on the charred grass, “His eyes weren’t his own… his expression wasn’t one of simple Cirrus cloud. It was the full blown Third Commander who had control… for both the Lightning Orb, and that little defensive number he did on you.”

Gem looked at the ground and replied as she rubbed the part of her body that was kicked in Cirrus’s attack, “you’re wrong… that maneuver… wasn’t the Third Commander at all. That was Star Bolt’s kick… I know that pain anywhere.”
Zine gave her a confused look, “Star who?... Oh you mean Commander Bolt don’t you? I suppose the reflex could be somewhat of a flashback from Commander Bolt’s past. But then again it wouldn’t explain how Cirrus could have done it. I guess all we can chalk it up to, is just hidden potential.”
Gem Sighed, “yea… but even if it is. He refuses to use the Lightning Orb now. If he is supposed to bring peace, then how can he do it without using the power that makes him the Third Commander?”

Zine smiled as he looked back at her and replied, “Who knows… The prophecy says that he will bring peace. It didn’t say anything about using the lighting orb to do it.”
Gem gave Zine a confused look, “so… he won’t use it?”
Zine shrugged his shoulders as he replied, “Who knows… I told you already the future I saw this morning was black, so either it was a paradox…or…”
Gem gave him a concerned look, “… the darkness?...”
Zine nodded his head, “yea… but… it was most likely the paradox thing. After all, you know how I am. Even if I did see something I wouldn’t mind happening in the future, I would likely try to change it just for the heck of it.”

Gem Stone sighed in hopelessness, “yea… that sounds like you.”
With that Gem turned to the target as she pulled an arrow from her quiver and laid it across her bow. Seeing this Zine stepped out of the way as he asked, “What’s up? Aren’t you going after the commander?”
Gem drew the bow and released the arrow as it flew towards the target and hit dead center in the bulls-eye, “Why?… you heard him. He needs time to cool down. So, that’s what I’m going to give him.”
As she readied a second arrow, Zine replied, “So… did you ask him yet… about tomorrow?”
Gem released the second arrow as it hit the first, splitting it down the middle as she replied with a sigh, “no… I doubt he will now anyways.”
Zine gave her a funny look, “aren’t you convinced now?”
Gem nodded her head as she readied third arrow, “yea… but… if he won’t use the Lightning Orb he might get himself killed.”

As Gem released her third arrow which hit and split the second just like the last, Zine replied, “Fine… then I'll ask him.”
As Gem reached for another arrow, she paused, “no… I'll do it. You should see if Spike will be going too.”
Zine shook his head, “that’s a no-go. Spike and I will be lounging about at your cabin while you are away. After all I have no reason to go to Canterlot.”
Gem looked at Zine, “really? You’re not going deal with the component, or whatever nickname you decided to give Commander Mist?”
Zine shook his head before looking at the potion on his staff and replying, “Oh heavens no. if you pluck a fruit before its time, it will be too sour to the taste. The commander isn’t ready to be taken care of just yet. That ingredient, needs more time to ripen.”
Gem gave Zine a suspicious look, “Exactly what do you mean by that.”
Zine smiled as he turned away in a dismissive way, “All in good time Ms. Stone… All in good time.

Hours later as day was coming to an end, Gem Stone was returning to the cabin as she trotted into the kitchen, and saw Cirrus standing over the stove, “So… um… What are you making?”
Feeling a little awkward Cirrus replied, “Um… Steamed vegetables… I um… wanted to make something to say sorry for… well… you know.”
Feeling bad, Gem Stone sat down at the table as she replied, “no… I should apologize. I keep forgetting that you didn’t volunteer to be a soldier, and that you were dragged into this against your will. So… I’m sorry for trying to push you past your limit.”
Cirrus smiled, “It’s fine… and… sorry for the kick… I honestly didn’t have control over it so… I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
Gem rubbed her side where she was hit as she replied, “No problem… look it didn’t even bruise so it’s okay. But… I did want to ask you something.”

Cirrus opened the pot to check the food before closing it and replying, “Sure… what is it?”
Gem Stone blushed slightly as she replied “Well… I was wondering if… well… you wanted to go with me tomorrow.”
Seeing her blush slightly made him feel a little awkward as he replied, “With you?... um… where?”
Gem Stone replied with a serious tone, “Tomorrow. I’m going to Canterlot. I’m going to confront Thundaga.”
Cirrus was shocked, “Wh-what? You’re going to see Thundaga? I told you that’s a death sentence.”
Gem Stone shook her head, “I don’t care… I still have to do something. The kingdom is in pain and all the citizens want is to live peacefully without fear from their ruler. So I’m willing to bring that life to them. One way or another.”
Cirrus shook his head, “Then… why not talk it out? If we talk to her peacefully we may be able to reason with her”
Gem sighed, “Cirrus… Thundaga is evil. And I know for a fact that you can’t reason with evil. So we can either accept what she is doing… or fight back.”

Cirrus turned completely towards Gem Stone as he replied, “She isn’t all evil. Trust me, I’ve seen a peaceful side to her. If you just talk to her, she is bound to listen.”
Gem felt skeptic, “really… and how do you know this?”
Cirrus replied, “Because she opened up to me and another friend of mine. She actually regrets some of her past decisions. Evil isn’t capable of such feelings. So that only proves that there is good in her somewhere.”
Gem asked, “So…if you think you can talk to her… then you might be able to convince her to stepdown?”
Cirrus nodded his head, “Well… I don’t know about that. But it’s better than challenging her and condemning ourselves to an execution.”
Although she wasn’t fully convinced, Gem still nodded her head as she replied with a tone that showed her true opinion, “Fine… then do it...”
Cirrus was confused as he replied, “wait… what?”

Gem sat back in her chair as she replied, “come with me tomorrow. Face Thundaga with me and convince her to change her ways. If you do that… then maybe we can solve this without anypony getting hurt.”
Cirrus tried to understand, “wait…you mean peacefully?”
Gem replied, “Well it’s against my personal feelings. I'd rather just put an arrow into her head… but if we can solve this without anypony getting killed… then I guess that’s fine too. But in order for this to happen, you have to come with me. So… will you?”
Cirrus thought to himself as he replied, “if I do… then you have to promise me that it will be a peaceful encounter.”

Gem nodded her head in agreement, “it will be.”
“And that means… No weapons.”
Gem paused, “Wh-what?...”
Cirrus repeated, “You heard me… no weapons. No bow, no quiver, no daggers, swords, or anything that shows we are there to harm her. Then, and only then will I choose to go with you.”
Gem sighed in disappointment as she replied, “fine… if that’s what it takes… then we will both go unarmed. Deal?”
Gem Stone held out her hoof to bro-hoof him as he trotted to her and bro-hoofed her back, “Deal.”

Far off in Canterlot, Commander Mist was sitting in the middle of the library isle looking through a few books as a royal guard trotted towards him, “Excuse me sir, but this section of the library is restricted to either Royal Guards or Thu-”
Annoyed, Commander Mist turned to the guard as the soldier quickly realized who he was talking to, “Oh… uh… C-commander! Sir, I apologize sir. I um… I didn’t recognize you without your armor o-” Mist’s look became stern as the guard changed his words, “w-what I meant was… um… I didn’t expect to see you here sir.”
Commander replied with heavy enough sarcasm that it was hard to tell if he was serious or joking, “What, just cuz I’m a commander means I don’t know how to read?”
The guard became nervous, “N-no sir… w-what I meant was… I… I di-”

Saving the guard from further embarrassment, Commander Mist raised his hoof to silence him, “Calm down captain. I understand what you meant.”
Feeling embarrassed, the guard rubbed the back of his head, “Um… s-sir… if I may? What exactly are you doing here?”
The commander turned back to the three books he had in front of him as he replied, “Soldier… how strong is your loyalty to Thundaga?”
The soldier felt nervous about how he should answer as he replied, “W-well… As all guard should, I will risk my life for her safety sir.”
The commander continued, “Would that also include going behind her back?... For her protection, I mean.”
Confused, the soldier gave him a concerned look, “Sir?...”

Commander Mist flipped through the books as he spoke, “look here… these two books are the storied behind the previous commanders. Commander Hurricane, and Commander Bolt. While this last book is a list of prophesies that Zera of Zebrica predicted before she left Equestria and renounced her citizenship. But first, the Commanders… you know their stories correct?”
The soldier replied, “Yes sir, I do.”
Commander Mist replied, “Then you know clearly as to how they both met their end?”
The solder nodded, “yes sir, Commander Hurricane died facing the Dark Alicorn, and Commander Bolt died after he traded his life for the return of the Eden’s Kiss victims.”
Commander Mist shook his head, “wrong… Commander Bolt did sacrifice himself, but do you know how he died first?”

The guard was confused as he shrugged his shoulders as his answer. Commander Mist sighed as he flipped through one of the books and stopped on a page as he pointed to the text and summed it all up, “Commander Bolt dies fighting the Dark Alicorn, just as Commander Hurricane did. In fact both of them died the exact same way. The Lightning Orb.”
The guard was curious, “the Lightning Orb? But I thought it was that power that helped them.”
The commander nodded his head, “it did, however at the end of Commander Hurricane’s life, he used that very ability in its most powerful way. He used it to vaporize himself, a few of his soldiers and the Dark Alicorn hoping it would stop him and save the princesses of Eden. Then in Commander Bolt’s Story he did the same thing only this time, he used it when the Dark Alicorn was weak enough to actually die from it.”

The guard looked at the book and scanned through the page as he replied, “I understand the similarity sir… but what does it have to do with the princess?”
Commander Mist replied as he opened the third book, “Look here, we all know that the Third Commander has made himself known right?...”
The guard nodded, “Yes sir, it’s that Cirrus pegasus isn’t it?”
Commander Mist nodded, “yes… well I’ve been doing research and I have reason to believe that not only is Cirrus Cloud a traitor to the kingdom… but he will try to use the Lightning Orb to destroy Thundaga.”
The guard became concerned, “Are you sure sir?... do you have any evidence to support this theory?”
Commander Mist looked at the book, “isn’t this enough evidence? Look at history! Commander Hurricane, Faced an alicorn, vaporized himself and said alicorn in the name of unity. And here, Commander Bolt, Faced an alicorn, vaporized himself and said alicorn in the name of courage. So… think about it, Commander Cloud… rivaling an alicorn…”

The soldier’s expression became one of shock, “and will vaporize himself in the name of peace…”
Commander Mist nodded his head, “yes… and that’s not even the worst part. Look here at Zera’s last prediction.”
The Soldier looked at the book and read what it said, “A dark entity will rise wielding the power of the pegasi?...”
The soldier gave Commander Mist a concerned look, as the commander explained, “Zine… I’m willing to bet that Zine is pulling all the strings here. He’s brainwashing Cirrus Cloud into killing himself and Thundaga… and when they both are gone, Zine will attempt to recover her power and use the Lightning Orb to take the kingdom for himself.”
The guard’s became even more shocked, “B-but… I though he said that he didn’t want to rule over anypony?”
Commander Mist replied with a serious tone, “We are talking about a zebra who can bend nature to his very whim. His words hold no honesty nor trust. He is nothing but a dangerous zebra… and with his magic, he can do anything he wants. And he will defeat anypony willing to stand in his way.”
The guard spoke, “we must warn the princess!”
Commander Mist shook his head, “she won’t listen… she is too infatuated by that colt to ever fight back. The best thing we can do, for her safety and the rest of the kingdom, is to find and kill them both before they have the chance to harm her.”

The guard felt concerned as he replied, “sir… with all due respect, the princess has ordered us to refuse your orders until you return from your suspension.”
The commander replied with an annoyed tone, “Then don’t consider it an order. Consider it a request. The princess is in danger, so I would request that any extra soldiers you may have can pull an extra duty by searching for Cirrus Cloud and Zine of the Everfree. And it would also be requested that when they are found, they will be arrested or killed for the safety of our princess. And also by request, you should keep this quiet around the princess so that she can focus on more pressing matters like ruling her kingdom.”

The soldier didn’t know how to reply as he tried to speak, “s-sir… I-”
Commander Mist gave him a stern look, “and as a royal guard who is sworn to protect her majesty. I would suggest you accept this request. In Thundaga’s name and safety. Unless… your loyalty is flawed… then perhaps as soon as my suspension ends… As your commander, I will be inclined to test it… wouldn’t I?”
Understanding the hint that was thrown his way, the guard sighed in defeat, “Yes sir, when you put it like that, I feel that I should accept your… request. I will ask my idle squads to begin searching for Cirrus Cloud and Zine of the Everfree.”
Commander Mist smiled, “Good, and when my suspension ends, I'll see to it your soldiers are rewarded for their charitable request. Now go see to it.”
The Soldier nodded his head as he replied, “yes sir.”
With that the soldier turned and left the area as Commander Mist smiled and mumbled to himself, “I don’t know if he is the dark entity or not… but whatever Zine has planned, will not succeed. And Cirrus, He will learn quickly that only one of us will hold the title of commander. One way… or another.”

Ch13 A Peaceful Encounter?

Zine stood outside Gem Stone’s cabin as he looked at the hazy weather outside. With the overcast too thick for the sunlight to shine through, the landscape seemed dull and dreary as Zine spoke, “The sky is dark, the mist is thick and the wind is still… it’s as if all of nature is sending us hints of a bad omen.” He smiled sinisterly “This is gonna be an interesting day.”
Gem Stone who only heard the last part of his statement, exited her cabin wearing a cloak as she replied, “you can still come with us if you want.”
Zine shook his head, “no thanks, I need to meditate anyways.”
Gem shrugged her shoulders, “suit yourself.” She looked through the front door, “Cirrus! Let’s go!”
Cirrus exited the cabin also wearing a cloak, “okay I’m ready… why do we have to wear these again?”
Gem replied, “If the Royal Guards are still after you, we would be better off if we at least tried to keep attention off of us.”

With that said Gem started trotting towards the road as Cirrus replied, “yea… and it would also be easier to hide weapons under cloaks… wouldn’t it?...”
When she heard that Gem stopped as Cirrus continued, “Ms. Stone?...”
Gem replied without turning around, “yes?...”
Cirrus asked, “are you hiding weapons under your cloak?...”
Knowing the answer Zine smiled, “Busted…”
Cirrus held out his hoof, “hand it over…”
Sighing in disappointment, Gem turned around as she trotted to Cirrus and pulled her bow out from under her cloak. As she handed it to Cirrus, He continued, “and the quiver.”
Giving him an annoyed look, Gem unslung her quiver and gave that to Cirrus as she spoke, “there… happy?...”

As she turned to start back down the trail, Cirrus replied, “I will once you give me the dagger you’re hiding.”
Gem paused in shock as Zine spoke up, “whoa… pretty sharp commander… I didn’t even catch that one. Oh and the pun was intended.”
Gem gave Zine a dirty look before turning back to Cirrus as she pulled the dagger from under her cloak and replied, “You can’t blame a mare for trying.”
Tossing the dagger aside, Gem continued, “There… that’s everything. Unless you’re brave enough to check under my bandanna.”
Giving him a look that said don’t even try it, Cirrus replied, “no, no. I believe you.”
Gem nodded her head as she turned to the path, “then let’s go. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get this taken care of.”
With that said, Gem Stone turned and flew into the air towards Canterlot, as Cirrus took off and flew closely behind her.

Although the humidity of the air made visibility poor, it still didn’t slow them down as Cirrus and Gem Stone flew straight to Canterlot and arrived within the hour. As soon as they arrived at the city gates, the two trotted through as Gem spoke, “okay, now let’s go to that castle.”
Cirrus started to reply but as he did a random mare approached Cirrus, “Excuse me, but are you Cirrus Cloud?”
Cirrus started to reply “y-”
before he could finish, Gem stepped between the two as she interrupted, “It depends on who’s asking.”
Seeing that Gem Stone was on guard, the mare replied, “A friend… one who wishes to warn you. The Royal Guards are searching for you. It would be a good idea if you tread carefully sir. I worry that your life may be at risk.”

Afraid that he would say the wrong thing, Cirrus kept his silence as Gem replied, “Thanks… but I think we can manage.”
The mare replied as she nodded her head, “You’re his officer?… understood ma’am. But know that you have our support. Stay safe; Viva La Commander.”
Trying to keep their meeting short, the mare quickly rushed past with nothing more to say. As soon as the mare was out of sight, Cirrus asked, “What was that about? Why did she call you my officer?”
Gem replied, “I’m not sure… but it would be a good idea to heed her words. The best way to not draw attention would be to blend in with a crowd. What’s the most populated road to the castle?”

Cirrus was unsure, “I don’t know, I wasn’t here long enough to know the roads.”
Gem Stone thought to herself, “I would guess Main Street… but then again the city has change completely since I was here last. In fact, it’s been destroyed then rebuilt since then.”
Rolling his eyes Cirrus replied, “Right… sure it has.”
Gem Stone gave him an annoyed look, “don’t tell me that even after using the Lightning Orb, you still don’t believe the stories.”
Cirrus replied, “I have my reasons. One explanation isn’t enough to convince me that any of those stories are true. Even if Commander Bolt was a pegasus, that doesn’t mean I believe he exists or ever did.”
Gem sighed in hopelessness, “I’m done trying to convince you. Let’s just get to the castle.”

With nothing more to say on the subject, the two trotted down the road until they arrived at Main Street. As they began trotting up the street, the two continued as they both kept their head low enough for the hood of their cloaks to cover a portion of their faces. Although they were able to keep their identities hidden form the uniformed guards. It wasn’t long before a guard who was off duty happened to pass the two as he saw Cirrus’s face and recognized him. Keeping his discovery quiet, the off duty soldier acted as if nothing was wrong as he casually trotted passed the two and approached the first uniformed guard he saw and reported his finding, “Sir… Black cloaked duo… one is an unknown mare… but the other is Cirrus Cloud.”
Holding his composure, the uniformed guard nodded his head as he gestured to his fellow guards to follow him. When six guards were gathered, they quickly moved in and surrounded the two as one ordered, “You two! Halt!!!”

Knowing that they were being called, Cirrus and Gem Stone stopped trotting as the group of guards quickly approached the two as the nearby spectators quickly move out of the way from what was happening. As the two were surrounded, One called, “You there! Your Cirrus Cloud aren’t you! You’re coming with us!”
Before Cirrus could reply, Gem Stone replied, “Really?... under what charges?”
The soldier looked at Gem Stone as he replied, “That is none of your concern. So just stay out of it.”
Gem Stone replied, “As a former guard, I know quite well that in order for a Royal Guard to make an arrest, he must first not only know of the charges, but if asked, present them to the suspect in order to ensure that his arrest is not only liable, but legal.”
The guard gave her an annoyed look as he replied, “Be that as is may; this is official business set down by the commander of the Royal Guard. We have no reason to state his charges, nor pass them on to the likes of you.”

Gem Stone smiled confidently as she replied, “Good… then it would seem that your orders are out ranked by ours then. So we will be on our way.”
Thinking she was talking her way out of it, the guard became annoyed, “Out ranked?... Did you not hear me? This is an official order from Commander Mist of the Royal Guard! Stop us, and you will be arrested for interfering with Official business.”
Gem nodded her head, “yes… and it’s out ranked. Say what you want… but we are also under official orders… only this one, is a royal order.”
With that said, all the guards and Cirrus gave Gem Stone a confused look, as the leading guard replied, “royal order… Whose order?”
Gem replied with confidence, “why… Thundaga’s of course. She has entrusted me with training Cirrus Cloud in proper use and control of the Lightning Orb. A task that only I can provide. So by interfering with my orders… you’re interfering with a royal decree.”

Another guard yelled in reply, “You’re Lying! If she had given such an order, we would have been briefed on it!”
Gem replied as she turned her head to that guard, “you would… if you had the clearance for it… however since the subject of the Lightning Orb is a touchy one, she would have only briefed those involved to keep this information from falling into wrong hooves like, oh I don’t know… the rebellion.”
The lead guard spoke again, “This has to be false… there is no way you’re under royal orders.”
Gems smiled sinisterly, “are you sure… if you think I’m lying, then by all means, arrest us… but if I’m telling the truth, then there will be consequences for interfering with a royal decree… ranks might be lost. If not court-martials issued. You know… that sort of thing.”
Feeling unsure of his decision the guard tried to weigh his options as Gem continued, “although… this can be solved peacefully and without fault… all you have to do, is lead us to Thundaga and she will clear it up. If I’m lying, you can arrest us, and if I’m telling the truth, you can pass on knowing that there won’t be any consequences. Your call… lieutenant.”

The guards tried to think of what to do as a few seconds passed before Gem spoke, “Well?...”
The guard became annoyed, “Hold your horses… I’m thinking.”
A second guard replied in anger, “Sir, she’s lying! She is just trying to bluff her way out of this.”
Gem smiled as she gave the soldier a confident look, “An officer of the Royal Guard, never bluffs when his soldier’s life is on the line.”
hearing this comment, the leading guard sighed, “an officer eh… well then ma’am… we will speak with Thundaga and see if this little story of yours is true. If it is, then all will be forgiven… but if it isn’t… then Cirrus will be arrested for conspiracy to commit treason… and you, will be under arrest for impersonating a Royal Guard officer. How’s that?”
Nervous Cirrus looked at Gem as she smiled casually, “Sound good… now lead the way.”
The guard nodded his head as the group turned and began traveling up the road in a formation that kept both Cirrus and Gem Stone surrounded by escorting guards.

Later, Thundaga was standing on a bridge that sat over the waterfall on the edge of town as she looked at the water that poured over the falls and into the hazy valley below. As she watched the falls, a royal adviser stood beside her as he spoke, “As you can see your majesty, the humidity and rain has increase the flow of the falls so much that our water wheels are producing twice as much heat for our iron smelting factories. With this increase in productivity, we will be able to produce twice as much iron for the armories then before.”
Thundaga smiled, “excellent… keep track of the next shipment and notify me of the numbers as soon as you have them. This will be helpful for arming our next batch of recruits.”
The adviser nodded his head, “yes your majesty, I'll see to it personally.”

With that said, the Adviser left the princess as Cirrus, Gem and the escorting guards approached with the lead guard speaking, “Your Majesty! We have to di-”
Before the guard could finish, Thundaga looked at the group as she saw Cirrus and smiled, “Cirrus, it’s good to see you again, and…”
Thundaga gave Gem Stone a curious look, but said nothing as one of the guards spoke, “Your majesty, this mare claims that she was specially chosen by you to train Cirrus Cloud in controlling the Lightning Orb.”
Thundaga replied as she looked closely at Gem Stone and replied, “did she now?...”
The guards started to become irritated, “You mean, you didn’t select her for this task?”
Before Thundaga could reply, Gem Stone lowered the hood on her cloak as she explain, “Well… I didn’t say I was specially chosen. I only said that I was given the task to train him… The stallion who gave me this task, passed it on from you if I’m not mistaken. After all, you know as well as I that Zine will find a way out of doing anything that would even reflect helping others. Wouldn’t you agree your majesty?”

After hearing the explanation Thundaga could only chuckle as she played along, “oh… I see. So when I gave Zine permission to train Cirrus, he just passed it onto you. I must apologies if it was a bother. Zine always did have a way of doing things that was less then… well…”
Cirrus and Gem Stone replied with the same word at the same time, “Trustworthy?...”
Thundaga giggled, “Yes you took the word right out of my mouth.” She looked at the guards, “well it would seem that although they were easily misinterpreted, this mare’s words are in fact true. She is Cirrus’s instructor and is now welcome in my presence.”
Although the guards didn’t like being proven wrong, one still spoke up, “But… your majesty! She claims to be an Ex-Royal Guard. And not just that… She was impersonating an officer!”

Thundaga gave Gem Stone another curious look as she replied, “oh… was she?... I’m sorry to say, I don’t recognize her as any of my previous officers… but I will ask. If you are an ex-guard… then may I have your name and rank?”
Gem Stone smiled with pride, “certainly… My name is Captain Gem Stone… My title, Commanding Captain of the Nightmare Legion.”
As soon as she said that, everypony excluding Cirrus, gave her a shocked look as Thundaga started to reply, “Wh-what did you sa-”
Before she could finish, one of the guards spoke up as he replied in shock, “It… it is her! Look, she looks the same as the painting in the Archery Academy!”

As soon as he said that, another archer mixed amongst the guards spoke up, “You’re right!... but… how is that possible! Didn’t she die over a thousand years ago?”
The leading guard spoke up, “BULL!!! Now this one has to be a lie! Who would be stupid enough to say that she is a thousand year old dead pony when she clearly is standing in front of us? If she is who she says she is… then prove it!”
At that moment the rest of the guards started arguing as they each agreed, “Yea Prove it!” “She’s lying.” “It’s a rebellion trick!”
Holding her silence, Thundaga didn’t stop the guards bickering as she watched Gem Stone in hopes of seeing whatever proof she had to offer for the claim.

As Gem Stone heard all the bickering from the six guards, she could only give a hopeless sigh as she raised her wing enough to bring the cloak up from her flake, revealing her cutiemark as the bickering guards silenced themselves and stared in amazement at her one of a kind cutiemark. With the area silenced by the unmistakable proof, Thundaga could only smile as she looked at the sheath on her father’s sword belt as she replied, “The marks match… although I think I will continue to hold my suspicion… after all, it’s not every day that an ancient mare from a different era comes to visit my kingdom.”
Gem Stone nodded her head as she replied with an unconcerned and rude tone, “Sure… whatever you say…”
After that was said Thundaga started giving Gem Stone an unsure stare as Gem responded with the same stare as the area was soon filled with an awkward silence. Seeing this Cirrus lowered his hood as he spoke up, “Um… your majesty?”

Hearing his words, broke the tension as Thundaga looked at Cirrus, “hmm?... oh that’s right. Cirrus may I ask how your progress is coming along? Have you learned how to control the Lightning Orb yet?”
Cirrus shook his head in disappointment, “um… well… I’ve learned how to use it… sorta… but… you see…”
Seeing his hesitation made Gem Stone sigh, “he’s astraphobic… He managed to create the Lightning Orb at will… but… his fear is too much for him to handle. So after what he considered, a near death experience of using it successfully. Cirrus has sworn away from using it again.
Thundaga gave Cirrus a concerned look, “Astraphobic… you’re afraid of lightning?”
Cirrus nodded his head, “yes…”
Thundaga nodded her head, “then… you came back, to reject my offer then… didn’t you?... Cirrus… I didn’t offer you that because of the Lightning Orb… I offered it to you because of your views on peace.”
Gem Stone replied, “Well I didn’t know anything about an offer… but the reason we are here is because I requested it.”

Thundaga became interested as she replied, “Oh… did you?”
Gem Stone replied with a serious tone, “yes… I needed to speak with you about something.”
Thundaga nodded her head, “I see… and since I know who you are… I wish to ask you something as well.”
Gem nodded her head, “alright… Ask away.”
Thundaga turned to look over the waterfall as she asked, “Are you truly who you say you are?”
Gem nodded her head, “yes… I am Captain Gem Stone.”
Thundaga sighed, “Zine had his hoof in this didn’t he?”
Gem replied with a sigh, “Yea… his signature in this sort of thing has never been subtle has it?”
Thundaga giggled a little, “True, when it comes to subtlety he always find ways around it. So… you have had the pleasure of knowing my father personally, right?”
Gem Stone nodded her head, “I did… yes.”
Thundaga asked, “What was he like? I know I’ve heard it before from Mother, Aunt Tia, and all the Element of harmony users… but… I want to hear it from a soldier’s point of view. From somepony… who fought beside him in battle.”

Gem Stone smiled, “A soldier of soldiers. Just as the stories say. Strong, dependable, and with a sense of justice that made everypony… even his enemies respect him. He would make reckless decisions that only risked his life and would never overlook the wellbeing of his soldiers. Mental, or physical. He was a true commander, and… a true hero.”
Thundaga liked the answer as she smiled, “I wish I could have met him… to… show him the kingdom I created in his name.”
Gem Stone sighed in hopelessness, “yea… sure…”
Although Thundaga heard the disappointment in Gem’s tone, she ignored it as she asked, “So… what is it that you would like to ask of me Captain?”
Gem replied, “Well first… I would like it if you didn’t refer to me as captain… I’m no soldier of yours so I would request you don’t refer to me as if I were.”

Since Gem Stone’s tone wasn’t as disrespectful as the previous comment, Thundaga didn’t take offence to her statement as she replied, “very well, is that all?”
Gem Stone nodded her head, “no… there’s more…” Taking a deep breath to brace herself, Gem Stone gave Thundaga a serious look as she spoke, “Thundaga of Equestria… I’ve come here to ask that you relinquish yourself from the throne.”
As soon as she had said it, Everypony in the area, the guards, Cirrus, and even Thundaga turned and gave Gem Stone a surprised look as Thundaga replied, “u-um… Excuse me?...”
Gem Stone repeated herself, “I Captain Stone of the Nightmare Legion am asking that you step down from the throne of Equestria.”

When they heard her words repeated the guards became irritated as one drew his sword, “What did you say!?! Are you aiming to form a coup d’état? Are you trying to take the throne for yourself!?!”
Gem Stone gave the guard an unconcerned look as she replied, “Not at all… I don’t want to rule anypony nor do I ever want to rule a kingdom… I just don’t want Thundaga to be in control.”
Feeling nervous about how bold her words were, Cirrus held his silence as the same guard started to approach Gem Stone with his sword at the ready, “Why you disrespectful-”
as soon as the soldier approached Gem Stone with his sword at the ready, Thundaga lifted her wing high as her sudden action silenced and stopped the guard from doing anything as she lowered it and spoke, “Ms. Stone… Are you being serious right now?”
Gem nodded her head as she gave her a serious stare, “yes… I’m entirely serious.”

Slowly Thundaga started to smile, as that turned to a small chuckle, until finally ending at full blown laughter. When she laughed, Gem Stone became annoyed as Thundaga slowed her laughter enough to reply, “Now this is a new one… Never in my five hundred years of rule have I ever had this happen to me. I’ve had assassins try to kill me to take the throne for themselves, I’ve had Large armies try to invade to take the kingdom by force, heck I’ve even had princes ask for my hoof in marriage to try to claim the kingdom as their own. But never in my entire life had I ever had a pony kindly ask me to step down. And to make it even stranger, she doesn’t even want the throne herself.”
After that, Thundaga continue laughing as the guards started laughing with her leaving Gem Stone to get irritated, “I wasn’t asking kindly… I was telling you to step down.”

Although the first time she said it made it seem like a possible joke, this time, it seemed more like a threat, as Thundaga’s smile faded as she replied in a serious tone, “Oh… and why should I do that?”
Gem Stone replied, “Look around you… this isn’t the kingdom that Commander Bolt fought for. The military families are treated with favoritism while the civilians who are being protected are starving in the streets. Under your rule, ponies are being forced to join the Royal Guard because in order for them to receive even the slightest attention in this society you have to be or have been a soldier at one time. The slums are full of poverty stricken ponies who haven’t the health or the strength to be soldiers. And the only thing you’ve done to help them, is to force your peace upon them like a tyrannical dictator. You refuse to help those who can’t help themselves, and anypony who complains is silenced. And you do this all in the name of Commander Bolt… you disrespect what he gave his life for… and I can’t accept that.”

Unhappy with Gem Stone’s words, Thundaga gave her an unamused look as she replied, “So… for that, you decided to dethrone me then… is that it?”
Gem Stone nodded her head and replied with determination, “yes… that’s right.”
Thundaga sighed before turning back to the waterfall as she looked into the mist covered valley and replied, “I can’t help but admire your boldness for saying such things… but sadly I will not do as you ask. As a princess I must hold my kingdom’s pride amongst all other things. Including… the rants of an imposter.”
Gem’s expression became annoyed, “What was that?... an Imposter?”
Thundaga replied in anger, “Isn’t it obvious? You faked your name in order to gain Cirrus’s trust, then used the same identity to convince him to bring you to me. Isn’t that right? You see… the real Captain Gem Stone wouldn’t be angry with the way the kingdom is… she would be happy to know that what she and Commander Bolt fought for was being upheld.”

Gem Stone replied with anger in her voice, “what we fought for… We didn’t fight to hold the entire kingdom hostage, let alone the world! We fought to complete Commander Bolt’s goal. To unite the two sisters and bring an end to the fighting!”
Thundaga nodded her head, “yes… and that’s what I did. I brought an end to the fighting… not just here, but everywhere. In this new world, war has become a thing of the past. If anypony starts a war, I and the rest of the world will come down on them, without fear, and without mercy.”
Gem Stone replied, “Exactly, like a tyrant coming down on those weaker then herself. You’re nothing more than a vicious predator. Anytime somepony new shows their face, you kick them down to prove that you’re better than them… you’re no better than a schoolhouse bully.”
Thundaga smiled, “And you a parasite. Probing the trust of a new pony and using him to get close to your goal… you’re nothing more than a hypocrite.”

The tension between the two made Cirrus feel nervous as Gem Stone smiled, “better a hypocrite, than a failure of a daughter.”
This comment proved to be the last of Thundaga’s patients as she replied in anger, “I grow tired of this farce… Soldiers… Dispose of this poser.”
The guard closest to Gem Stone smiled as he replied, “with pleasure your majesty.”
With that, the guard raised his swords into the air with the intent to strike Gem Stone with a vertical swing but before he could, Gem Stone took a quick and saddle step closer as she shifted her body around the solder, grabbed the back of his head and slammed his face into the stone floor beneath them.

The soldier’s body went limp as soon as the impact rendered him unconscious. With quick and hastened movements Gem Stone picked up the soldiers sword as she quickly turned towards Thundaga and charged, “FIGHT YOUR OWN BATTLES!!!”
With those words, Gem Stone charged towards Thundaga with the sword at the ready as two guards between the them tried to stop her. As the first one swung his sword, Gem easily blocked with her sword as she parried the unicorn’s sword away from her. At that time the second soldier also swung his sword vertically as Gem dodged this blade entirely before grabbing the first soldiers horn and slamming his face into his comrade’s rendering them both unconscious. As the two guards fell to the ground, Gem continued her charge with almost no decrease in her previous speed.

As Gem Stone came within striking distance, she jumped in the air and raised her sword to strike Thundaga in the back of her head, however as she did, Thundaga quickly drew her sword, turned around and blocked the attack as she smiled, “You want a fight… you got it!”
With that, Thundaga parried the blade away as she brought up her other hoof and punched Gem Stone in the face with enough force to send her flying into the air away from her. Although the punch caught her off guard, Gem still managed to regain control as she rolled herself over and landed on her hooves as she quickly readied herself for another attack. As soon as she landed, the remaining guards quickly charged at her as Thundaga called, “Stand down!”
Stopping in their tracks, the soldiers looked at Thundaga as she spoke, “If she is Captain Stone, then she shouldn’t have a problem defeating me. So… let’s see if she can prove her identity.”

With that said Thundaga stood at a prepared stance with her sword turned sideways as if to insult Gem Stone by revealing her father and mother’s cutiemarks painted on the side of the blade. Although it did irritate her slightly, Gem Stone could only ready herself as she replied, “Then go ahead and try… but just so you know… you have no right to bear his sword.”
Thundaga ignored the comment as she changed her stance to a defensive one and replied, “Good… it’s been a while since I’ve faced a pony worth my time… so go ahead, I'll let you have one more chance to take me down.”
Gem Stone replied as she began charging, “As you wish!”
Charging out of anger, Gem Stone raised the sword and tried to strike Thundaga with a horizontal swing, however as she swing, Thundaga raised her sword and blocked the attack as she parried it away and took a swing of her own aiming for Gem’s neck. Seeing the swing, Gem managed to duck downward and dodge the attack, however she wasn’t able to dodge the punch that came from her other hoof as the unexpected attack hit Gem Stone in her muzzle as it tossed her away from Thundaga and back to where she originally charged from.

Like before Gem was able to regain her control and land back on her hooves, but this time as she landed, she started to feel dizzy as she dropped to a knee to breathe. Seeing this Cirrus called, “Ms. Stone! Your majesty! I think she’s had enough! Ple-”
“SILENCE!!!”
When he heard the command Cirrus silenced himself as Thundaga looked at him with anger in her eyes, “A soldier chooses for herself when she if finished. You on the other hoof don’t have that right to plea for her life. She is the only one who may plea for the fight to end… but for true soldiers... that won’t happen.” She looked at Gem Stone, “will it Ms. Stone?”
Regaining her breath, Gem Stone stood back up and unlaced her cloak as she let it fall to the ground, “You’re right about that, and we’re just getting started… right?”
Thundaga smiled, “that’s the spirit… now, it’s my turn to go on the offensive.” She changed her stance, “Ready?...”

Changing her stance to defensive, Gem Stone replied, “Whenever you ar-”
Before she could finish, Thundaga opened her wings and used them to thrust herself forward with a speed that was too fast for her to keep up as Thundaga closed the distance and found herself standing within striking distance before Gem could even finish her sentence. Although she was caught off guard from her opponents speed, Gem Stone barely had the time to raise her sword and block Thundaga’s horizontal swing as Thundaga smiled, “Impressive… but still… TOO SLOW!!!”
With that Thundaga parried Gem’s blade as she brought the sword back and hit Gem Stone across her face with the back of the blade. Although the attack stunned her, Gem Stone still managed to ignore enough of the pain as she brought her sword back with the intent on hitting Thundaga on her face with the blade.

Unfortunately her attack was pointless as Thundaga reached up with her opposite hoof and grabbed Gem Stone’s sword wielding hoof before the blade could make contact. Gem Stone struggled to free her hoof as Thundaga smiled, “nice try… but you won’t win that easily.”
With that Thundaga reared her head back before bringing it back in and bashing her head against Gem’s with enough force to stun her and make her release her sword. With Gem too stunned to defend herself, Thundaga had no problem turning and tossing the defenseless mare over her shoulder as Gem flew through the air before colliding with the bridge’s stone railing without any attempt of slowing or softening her impact. As Gem Stone hit the railing overlooking the falls her body fell to the ground as Thundaga picked up the sword she was using as she smiled, “a solder is nothing without her weapon, so here… HAVE THIS BACK!!!”
With that yelled, Thundaga tossed the sword as hard and accurately as she could as the sword flew towards Gem Stone and pierced everything in its path as the tip of the swords blade exposed itself on the opposite side of the stone railing.

Far off in The Everfree forest, Zine immediately broke from his balanced meditation as he fell from his staff and splashed into the shallow pool below. Hearing the splash, Spike quickly looked over at Zine as he started to speak, “Zine? Are yo-”
“S-Spike!”
Hearing the strain in his voice Spike stopped talking as Zine struggled to pick himself up, “W-we… We have to get to Canterlot!... We have to get there now!!!”
Hearing the urgency in his voice, Spike quickly rushed to Zine’s saddlebag as he brought it to him as the weakened zebra picked up his staff, grabbed the saddlebag and started searching for something inside. As he did, Spike spoke with worry, “what is it?... did… did something happen to Gem and Cirrus?”
As he replied, Zine pulled a flask out of his saddlebag and tossed it towards Spike, “Not yet… but if we don’t get there soon… we both are going to die.”

Seeing the urgency in his expression, Spike quickly caught the flask, opened the top and swallowed the potion inside as he braced himself for the pain that came with having wings sprout from his back. As soon as the wings appeared, Spike asked, “What about me… should I try to keep myself hidden?”
Zine replied, “Not really… but if you want, fly high. There is too much mist, fog and haze to make you out in the sky, although we will be seen when we arrive… there is no preventing that. Just hope the guards don’t try to attack you out of fear. I don’t think any of them have seen a dragon before.”
With that Spike nodded his head as he picked up the weak zebra in his claws and took to the sky flying as fast as his wings could carry him.

Back in Canterlot, Gem laid against the stone railing with fear in her eyes as blood ran down from the cut that the sword gave her when it flew by her face and imbedded itself into the stone railing of the bridge. Seeing the terrified expression on Gem’s face made Thundaga smile as she spoke, “come now Ms. Stone. That can’t be everything you have. Unless, you truly are an imposter. But if you aren’t… then quickly recover your weapon… because here I come!”
With that Thundaga charged, this time without the aid of her wings as Gem Stone quickly regained her senses and tried to pull her sword from the stone railing. However with her body too weak from the previous set of attacks that she took, she was unable to pull the sword from the wall as Thundaga reached her and swung horizontally at the cornered mare. Barely able to dodge, Gem dropped to the ground as Thundaga’s sword scraped across the stone railing making a deep cut in the stone. With no room to counter, Gem couldn’t do anything as Thundaga used her other hoof to grab Gem by her bleeding face and slammed the back of her head against the stone rail before tossing the stunned mare over her shoulder again as Gem flew helplessly across the bridge before hitting the railing on the opposite side and falling to the ground in pain.

This time, the impact was too much for Gem to take as she laid helplessly on the ground as Thundaga casually began trotting towards her, “so… you truly are an imposter. If you were her, you would have been able to beat me, after all… my father’s soldier were the strongest this kingdom has ever had. And nopony not even I could ever hope to face on of his officers and win. Especially his most trusted officer.”
“YOUR MAJESTY!!!”
As Thundaga approached Gem, she paused at the call as she looked over at Cirrus who spoke, “Please! Mercy! Can’t you see she’s had enough! She can’t call off the fight because she doesn’t even have the strength to do so! Please, no more! She can’t take anymore, if she does she’ll die! I’m begging you stop this fight!”
Thundaga gave Cirrus an unamused stare as she replied, “Cirrus… why did you bring her here? Was it because of who she said she was? Or was there more too it?”
Cirrus didn’t know how to answer as he hesitated. Trying to peace it together Thundaga pointed her sword at Gem Stone and moved the part of her mane that was covering the weak pegasus’s face as she continued, “can’t you see, she isn’t who she says she is? She’s nothing more than a pawn used by the rebellion to turn you against me… or… were you never on my side to begin with.”

Feeling her mane moved slightly, Gem struggled to try and move to continue the fight, but her efforts proved useless. Seeing this, Thundaga looked down at her and spoke with a sympathetic tone, “here… let me help you with that.”
With that said, a dark haze of magic ran down from Thundaga’s mane as it wrapped itself around Gem’s neck before picking up the stunned mare and carrying her over the river as she dunked the helpless mare into the river and held her under the surface. As Gem’s submerged body struggled for air, Cirrus called, “NO! Ms. Stone! Your majesty please Stop! She’ll drown! Please let her surface!”
After hearing that, Thundaga pulled Gem Stone back out of the water as Gem’s started coughing while Thundaga spoke, “well, well… your cutiemark didn’t wash away. I would have guessed that it was painted on. And yet… you look the exact same as you did before, so it’s obvious that you certainly look like captain Gem Stone. Although… I’m still not convinced.”

Cirrus continued his plea, “Please! Your majesty! She’s had enough. If you let her go now then she can promise to leave the kingdom and never return! Just please, don’t kill her!”
Hearing the continued plea started to make Thundaga think, “Cirrus Cloud! For some time now I’ve been waiting on an answer to your offer… so… What will it be?”
Cirrus was confused with the sudden change in subject, “Wh-what?”
Thundaga continued, “You’ve obviously thrown your hoof in with this rebellion tractor… and yet… you claim that you have no support for the rebellion itself. But on the other hoof… you still haven’t proven to me that you support my cause neither… so where does your support lie… the rebellion, or kingdom?”
Cirrus didn’t know how to react, “Wh-what… I… I um…”
Thundaga looked Cirrus in the eye from a distance, “who do you support… the rebellion or Equestria? War or Peace? This excuse for an imposter or me?”
Cirrus tried to think of what to say as he tried to reply, “I… I um… W-well I uh…”
Seeing that he was stalling more, made her sigh with disappointment as she replied, “very well… then let your actions reply for you.”

With that, Thundaga turned away from the river as she brought Gem Stone to the other side of the bridge where the river turned into a waterfall and held Gem Stone over the falls. With Gem Stone hanging over a tall waterfall, a wave of magic flowed from Thundaga’s mane as it wrapped itself around Gem’s wing as a loud crack was heard followed by a scream from Gem Stones mouth. , “Tell me now Cirrus! Do you wish to save this warmonger! Or save the kingdom! Her life, or the lives of everypony around you! Answer now!”
Cirrus looked at her in shock, “Wh-what did you do?”
Thundaga replied with anger, “I wing is an important part of a pegasi’s body. It can make travel faster, and also, save the pony from a great fall… to bad this imposter’s wing is now dislocated… wonder how she will fare from this height.”

Cirrus couldn’t believe what he heard, “what?... are you going to drop her?”
Thundaga replied with an annoyed expression, “Not if you don’t make me.”
Cirrus quickly tried to think of an answer as Gem Stone Spoke through her pain and fatigue, “you… you coward.”
Thundaga’s eyes shifted to look at Gem Stone, “Excuse me?...”
Gem continued, “you think that bribing him with my life will make him choose a tyrant over the rest of the kingdom?... p-pathetic… this only proves that you don’t have the right to hold his name. An action like this… would only bring shame to both your father and mother.”

Hearing this made Thundaga smile as she figured something out, “wait a second… if I recall… Captain Gem Stone was in love with my father at one time wasn’t she? So that means… oh… oh this is priceless.”
Gem’s struggling expression showed confusion as she replied, “wh-what?...”
Thundaga turned her head to look Gem Stone in the eye as she continued, “this isn’t about the way I rule the kingdom… this isn’t even about how the subjects feel at all. This whole thing is about you, isn’t it? It’s all about you… and your jealousy.”
“wh-what are you talking abo-”
“oh don’t play dumb Captain. This is all about how the stallion you love, ended up with another mare, and gave birth to me, isn’t it? About how you were robbed of your happiness and in the end, I’m the result of your love and another mare, am I right?”

Gem tried to reply, “th-that’s not tr-”
“oh come now, you know it’s true. You never had the happiness you deserved and the stallion you loved lived the remainder of his life with another mare and completely forgot you. That it isn’t it? No happy ending four you is there? You act as if this was to favor the rest of the kingdom, like you were preforming an act of charity towards everypony around you, but in actuality this is nothing more than a selfish act. And a pathetic attempt to get what you want, to make yourself feel better about your death.”

Gem Stone became irritated, “Sh-shut up…”
Thundaga smiled at how her words were sinking in as she continued, “Well if I’m wrong then convince me… Name one pony besides Cirrus or Zine that this would benefit. Name one name… and I'll take it all back.”
Quickly Gem Stone tried to think of a name to give, however, nopony came to mind. Try all she could she never learned the names of anypony other than Cirrus, Zine, and Spike, and for spike’s safety she decided not to say his name. However, when she tried to reply with a random citizen, she had no name to give. With no answer to say, Gem Stone held her silence as Thundaga smiled at her obvious expression, “As I thought… you truly don’t know anypony that this helps do you?... do you even know anypony amongst the rebellion either?... No?... then it’s all true. You’re only doing this for yourself.”

With Gem Stone not saying anything to defend herself, Thundaga shook her head, “How sad… I guess this proves that you are who you say you are… but I never knew that one of the ponies I looked up to, was so selfish… pity.” She looked back at Cirrus, “Cirrus?... have you made your decision? Will you choose me… or her?”
Both Cirrus and Gem Stone only replied to both situations in silence as Thundaga looked at Gem Stone, then back at Cirrus as she sighed, “Very well… then let this decide for you.”
Thundaga turned to Gem Stone as she sheathed her sword, “Sorry captain… but it appears fate isn’t on your side… again.”
With that Thundaga ceased using the magic that held Gem Stone over the waterfall, as the flightless pegasus fell alongside the water in the falls, and vanished into the mist. Seeing this Cirrus called, “GEM STONE!!!”
With that he looked back at Thundaga who smiled, “make your decision now commander… Her… or me.”

Knowing there was almost not time to hesitate, Cirrus quickly rushed to the closest rail as he jumped from the falls and fell into the thick haze as he vanished amongst the mist. When he jumped from the railing, Thundaga took a step towards him as if she was trying to stop him, however after the step she stopped as she could only stand still staring at the railing as she mumbled, “N-no…”
trotting to the railing, Thundaga looked into the mist shrouded valley as she mumbled, “he… he chose her… but I thought he… I… I thought we… could…”
All of a sudden a soldier from inside the city yelled at the top of his lungs “DRAGON!!!”

Reacting to the sudden call, Both Thundaga and the four remaining guards looked to the sky as they saw the massive shadow that Spike and his wings were casting on the haze above. As soon as they saw it, the higher ranking guard looked at the rest of his soldiers, “Battle Stations! Prepare for comba-”
“NO!!!”
Confused, the soldier looked at Thundaga as she gave her orders, “The dragon has shown no hostilities towards us. So we have no reason to harm him. Put all soldiers on standby and wait for my order. If he is here to harm us, then and only then will we fi-”
“HE’S COMING!!!”
Thundaga silenced herself as she looked to the sky as Spike broke through the clouds and flew straight towards them.

Expecting this to be a continued assault from earlier, Thundaga drew here sword and waited for her aggressor to come close enough to strike, however as he got closer, it became clear that Spike wasn’t diving towards her, but instead, he dove past her as the massive dragon flew over the bridge and dove into the valley as he to vanished into the thick and misty haze that concealed the entirety of the valley. As soon as he passed, Thundaga re-sheathed her swords as she mumbled, “that dragon… it was Spike… it has to be. And… if it is… then… is he supporting the attempt to dethrone me? And, why would captain Stone do the same? Do they… truly hate me so?...”
Trying to think to herself, Thundaga’s expression went from confused to angry as if a switch was flipped, “You’re right… my cause is just and my decision final. They are the ones who fight for the wrong reason. And if they try again… it is they who will pay for their treachery.”

The guards gathered around her as the lead soldier spoke, “Your majesty, we have assembled a search party and are ready to pursue Cirrus Cloud and his companion.”
Thundaga shook her head, “no… let them run.”
The guard was shocked, “but your majesty? Th-”
“One is incapable of fighting while the other has lost her will… we have nothing to fear from either one of them. However, heed this order; Cirrus Cloud and the mare referring to herself as Captain Gem Stone are hereby banished from the city of Canterlot. If they show their face here again… they will be captured and executed for conspiracy to commit war on the kingdom. Also bring me Zine… He has gone too far and will be tried for his crimes against nature… his punishment… will also be execution.”
The guard nodded his head as he turned to leave, “yes your majesty. At once.”
Before the guard could get too far away, Thundaga stopped him, “also… Find and bring me commander Mist… it appears I owe him an apology.”

Minutes ago, in the valley Cirrus was diving alongside the falling water as fast as he could as he saw Gem Stone falling below. Diving with as much speed as he could muster, Cirrus managed to catch up to her as he reached out and wrapped his hooves around her to get a good grip. Then as he looked down, he saw the rocky river below approaching as he quickly pulled up into a high speed flight that took him through the hazy valley. As he flew Cirrus found himself dodging strangely shaped rock formations that stuck high out of the river as he zig-zagged through the valley. As he continued dodging what appeared to be tall stones, Cirrus found that with his current strength he was unable to pull up since the obstacles were coming at him too rapidly to change his elevation and Gem’s extra weight made his mass too great for his speed to control properly. As he dodged the rocky towers, Cirrus quickly looked down at Gem’s face to see if she was alright, but as he did, he saw her eyes just opening as an intense flashback of an open battlefield filled his mind causing him to hesitate.

Hesitating too long on the flash back, Cirrus looked back up to see another rock formation coming towards him. With too little time to dodge, Cirrus braced himself as he still made the attempt, however as he did, the obstacle clipped his wing as it caused him to spin out of control and fall into the water with a splash. Although Cirrus knew how to swim, the combination of the strong river current and Gem’s weight made it impossible for him to do so as the water pulled him along making it hard for him to breathe. With the current keeping him underwater too long Cirrus found himself blacking out as he held onto Gem Stone as hard as he could. Soon, the exhausted pegasus started to lose consciousness, however, as he opened his eyes to look around, he could see a large shadow hovering over the water as it reached into the river and grabbed them both just as everything went black.

Ch14 Zine's Lost Fear

The campfire glowed brightly in the hazy valley as Zine sat next to it poking it with the bottom of his staff. After a few seconds, the bottom of his staff caught fire as he pulled it from the fire, and looked at the flame and whispered, “one… two… three… four… fi-”
By the time he reached five, the flame went out as the bottom of the wood started smoldering as he mumbled, “Five days… unless… I counted too fast. Either way… there are only a few days left till time.”
with that said, Zine stuck the bottom of the staff in the sand surrounding the campfire as the sand put the embers on the staff out leaving a dark burn mark on the bottom of the wood. As he pulled the staff from the sand, Zine looked at the potion inside the glass vial at the top of his staff as he mumbled, “I wonder… what move will he make till then?”
As he looked into the pasty white potion in his staff, Cirrus and Spike arrived carrying fire wood as Cirrus asked, “Hm? Did you say something?”

Zine smiled, “Nope, just wondering what will happen now that you’ve officially declared war on Thundaga.”
Cirrus sighed as he placed the wood next to the fire, “please don’t remind me. I hoped that things could have gone peacefully, but that was just wishful thinking.”
Zine nodded his head as he replied, “Of course it didn’t go peacefully, otherwise this story’s ending would have been dull. And who would want that?”
“Wait… What did you say?”
Zine smiled innocently, “oh nothing, you two found quite a bit of fire wood.”
Spike nodded his head, “we found a few trees not too far from here. It’s not much but it will keep us warm if we decide to stay the night… so… how is she?”
Zine sighed, “she’s not doing so well… she is in a lot of pain.”
With that, Zine looked at the wall of the valley at an oddly shaped rock structure that resembled a cave as Cirrus replied, “I would guess so… she took quite the beating from Thundaga, then there’s her wing.”
Zine shook his head, “the pain she is feeling is deep enough for even me to feel… however, it isn’t physical pain… its emotional.”

Cirrus looked towards the cave as he replied, “really?... Is it all because of what Thundaga said?”
Zine shook his head, “who knows… Regardless of which, she needs somepony she trusts to talk to. Maybe that will cheer her up. How about you commander? She trusts you after all.”
Cirrus was surprised, “me?... are you sure? After what happened in Canterlot, I don’t think anypony would trust me.”
Zine nodded his head, “yes… and yet she does… much more than you think.”
Cirrus replied, “really?… but… what do I say?”
Zine smiled sarcastically as he replied, “Are you okay, would be a good start. But I think she just needs a friend to vent to. Spike and I can handle things out here, after all I have an errand for Spike to run while we are here.”
Cirrus sighed, “All right then… Well I guess I’ll do what I can.”
With that, Cirrus entered the cave as Zine started telling Spike what he wanted him to do.

As Cirrus trotted through the cave he saw Gem sitting on a large stone with a sad look on her face. Cirrus didn’t know what to say, but since his presence was obvious, he felt that leaving would only escalate the problem so instead Cirrus trotted to Gem Stone and sat beside her as he averted his eyes and tried to think of what to say. At first, Cirrus knew how to break the ice, but when he turned to Gem Stone, he changed his mind so he looked away and tried to think of something else to say. As he tried to collect the words, Gem Stone who stared at the floor in the corner spoke first, “I… I owe you an apology.”
Cirrus looked at her, “what?”
Gem Stone continued looking away as she replied, “you told me that facing her was a death wish… and… I ignored your warning. Not only that, everything she says was right. I’m… I’m nothing but a selfish hypocrite.”

Cirrus was concerned, “What? Why would you say that about yourself?”
Gem sighed in disappointment, “I used you… to get close to her. I put you in danger and all because I was jealous… she… she is the daughter of the stallion I loved… and… another mare. She was born because I wasn’t good enough to live through the battle of Canterlot. And… for that reason… I hated her.”
Tears built up in Gem Stone’s eyes as she continued, “I viewed the nightmare legion as the only time in my life where others around me mattered… but when I came back from the dead… I didn’t even make an attempt to know anypony around me… and to make it worse, out of jealousy I made up a petty excuse to hate Thundaga and challenge her to a fight… but… it only opened my eyes to what I truly am… a sad, pathetic, failure… and a hypocritical has-been who only cares about herself and nopony else.”

With that said, tears began rolling down her face as Cirrus replied, “I don’t think you’re a failure, you st-”
Gem looked at Cirrus with tear filled eyes as she interrupted, “How can you say that? Do you know what the one thing that a soldier is supposed to do above all others?... We are supposed to survive the battles we fight. But… I didn’t. In the midst of a retreat, I fell by an arrow and died before even getting out of Canterlot. Let’s face it… I am a failure. An-”
Cirrus cleared his throat and interrupted, “As I was saying, you’re not a failure. I said that going to Canterlot was a death wish… but here you are. You had the courage to tell Thundaga your mind without hesitation or even showing the slightest bit of worry. Seeing what you did… well… I could never be brave enough to do such a thing. If anything, I admire you more after what you showed me. Your cleverness in talking to the guards, your confidence in your own abilities… even the way you dodged, blocked, and survived a direct attack from Thundaga herself. Ms. Stone… that was inspiring to see, and… now… I want to help more than ever.”

Gem blushed a little as she averted her eyes, “you’re just saying that to cheer me up… aren’t you?”
Cirrus shook his head, “not at all. Seeing the way you handled that… I truly believed that if anypony could defeat her, it was you; Captain Gem Stone of the Nightmare Legion.”
Smiling through her tears, Gem replied with sarcasm, “Oh now you believe the stories, right?”
Cirrus shrugged his shoulders, “well… I’m still willing to question a lot of it… but… if anything I believe you are who you say you are.”
Gem Stone wiped away her tears as she replied, “I never asked, but… Why don’t you believe in those stories?”
Cirrus sighed as he replied, “I did believe them when I was little, but… I stopped… on the day my parents were executed.”
Gem was concerned, “why?”

Since it was a hard subject to talk about, Cirrus had to give a bracing sigh before replying with a question of his own, “in your own words… how many close calls did you have in your adventures?”
“Close… Calls?”
Cirrus nodded, “yea, like… arrows being blocked at the last second or somepony pushing you out of the way of a catapult boulder or something like that?”
Gem though to herself as she replied, “I… never kept count… off the top of my head… ten… maybe more.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “exactly, in all those stories, axes were stopped at the last second or arrows hit enemies before they could strike or, y’know… all sorts of stuff like that. So, being as young as I was… I kinda expected that to be the way things worked. So… with that in mind… you could probably guess why I snuck out to see my parents’ execution against Mr. Toll’s wishes.”

Gem Stone gave him a shocked expression as she replied calmly, “you… thought that something would save them at the last second… didn’t you?”
Cirrus looked at the ground in embarrassment, “I was just a foal, why wouldn’t I? If the stories were true, then it would only seem obvious that at the last second, an arrow would hit Thundaga, or a mysterious fighter would block her swords or something right?... but… it didn’t… As a young foal, ignorant to the way things were… I watched from the front of the herd, as Thundaga stabbed, and killed my parents right in front of me. First my mother… then my father. And all… with my hero’s sword.”
Gem Gave him a sympathetic look, “I… I didn’t know.”
Cirrus sighed, “after that… I assumed that all those old stories were nothing but ponytales. Stories meant to entertain little foals and make them feel like there could be hope in this hopeless existence. For while I even believed that they were made up by Thundaga to encourage little ones to join the Royal Guard. But, the way she talks about it, and the way you talk about it… make it seem a lot more real than the words on a page.”

Gem Smiled, “yes, and consider this. Right now we are sitting in another segment of the stories.”
Cirrus was confused, “another segment? What do you mean?”
Gem continued, “We are sitting inside of a building that used to be in old Canterlot. The Canterlot that I saw when we attacked the city sixteen centuries ago.”
Cirrus looked around, “wait… you mean this cave?”
“Not just this cave, all the rock formations outside. They are left over building from when Canterlot fell from the mountain. The towers we dodged, the windows in the rocks, all part of the old Canterlot before the Eden’s Kiss Catastrophe.”
Cirrus thought to himself, “So… it all is real. All of it. From these ruins… to… you.”
As Cirrus looked at Gem she blushed slightly as she replied, “Yes… even me… but… I guess none of that matters anymore. I failed, Thundaga won, and it only proved how petty I can be.”

Cirrus sighed, “I told you, that’s all water under the bridge.”
Gem smirked, “or over the falls…”
Cirrus smiled at the uplifting joke as he replied, “Yea… so… what are you going to do now?”
Gems expression showed that she was troubled as she replied, “well… I… I always wanted to see what the Griffin Kingdom was like. Commander Bolt told me it was a war mongering nation, but now that Thundaga made it a republic, I’m willing to bet it’s more peaceful than it used to be.”
Cirrus was surprised, “Wait… you mean… run away?”
Gem Stone sighed, “There is nothing left here… for any of us. Everything I had died centuries ago, same for Spike. Zine never had anything here to begin with… and… if it’s not too much trouble.” She blushed a little, “do… um… would… you like to come with m-… us?”

Cirrus was shocked, not because he was asked to go too, but that she was considering leaving in the first place. He could only ask, “What about Thundaga?”
Gem shook her head, “you said it yourself… it’s a pointless fight. You saw it, I gave almost everything I had and she stomped me without even breaking a sweat. Even if I had a thousand more years to train, I can’t face a goddess and win.”
Cirrus shook his head, “But we can win… You did everything I thought was impossible. You faced Thundaga, you told her to step down and you even fought her and lived. You did everything, and all I did was put you down. I think… that if you can go that far and live to tell about it… then… next time… when you, Zine, Spike, and I help… we can beat her.”

Gem gave an unsure expression, “I don’t know… we barely got out of there with our lives to begin with-”
Cirrus put his hoof on her shoulder, “just think about it for a little bit. When you rest enough… maybe, it will seem like a better option. After all, I wouldn’t think that Commander Bolt would ever abandon a goal that isn’t finished yet. So why should we?”
With that said, Cirrus stood up and left Gem Stone in a state of shock. As he left the room of the ancient building, Gem could only stare as she mumbled to herself, “For a second… he sounded like…” She shook her head to snap herself out of it, “no, it’s impossible. He isn’t Star Bolt… even… if I… kinda… want him to be.”

Outside, Zine was poking the fire as Gem’s emotions hit him causing him to smile and mumble to himself, “She’s in love… interesting.”
With that, Cirrus trotted up as he asked, “hm? Did you say something Zine?”
Zine shook his head, “Nope just admiring how you cheered her up.”
Cirrus gave him confused look as he sat down by the fire, “cheered her u- oh that’s right. I forgot you two share emotions. Glad to hear it. I was worried I would make things worse.”
Zine shook his head, “yea, A commander making his captain feeling worse would be bad wouldn’t it?”
Giving up on convincing him, Cirrus sighed, “yea… I guess so.”
With that Cirrus picked up a stick and started poking the fire as Zine smiled sarcastically, “Commander… if you had to make a choice, who would you choose? Ms. Stone, or Thundaga?”
Cirrus gave him a hopeless look as he replied without hesitation, “Seriously? Isn’t it obvious? I'd choose Ms. Stone.”

Zine was surprised at how quickly he answered, “whoa, really? Not to pry or anyth-… okay specifically to pry… Why Ms. Stone?”
Cirrus sighed in hopelessness, “well since I am already associated with attacking Thundaga, I think commanding her army would be a bad idea. But if Gem had an army I’m sure with her trust on my side I would probably last a little longer… even if I don’t expect to last long in a fight.”
Zine gave Cirrus a hopeless stare, “really… her army?...”
Cirrus nodded his head, “well yea, wait… isn’t that what you were asking? Whose army I would rather lead?”
Waving his hoof in dismissal, Zine replied, “Uh, yea, sure it was.”
Although Cirrus was skeptic that the question was misread, he still disregarded it as he replied, “um… Zine… can I ask you something?”
Zine looked at Cirrus as he continued, “I um, wanted to ask you about your fear. Ms. Stone says that… you’re fearless. Is that true?”
Zine nodded his head as he replied, “it is…”

Cirrus asked, “How is that possible? I thought nopony was fearless?”
Zine smiled, “that is true, but as you can see, I am no-pony.”
Cirrus tried to guess, “Is… it some kind of spell? A potion you drank? Or, did you do some sort of special training?”
Zine shook his head, “no nothing like that.”
Cirrus seemed intent on finding out, “well… can you give me a hint? Write it down? Something?... anything?...”
Seeing that Cirrus was determined Zine asked, “Why do you want to know so badly?”
Cirrus sighed in shame as he replied, “well… I’ve decided to be a part of what Ms. Stone is trying to do. During her fight with Thundaga… I could only sit and watch, no matter how much I wanted to help, I…”
Cirrus looked at the ground in shame as Zine finished his sentence, “you couldn’t fight back… because of your fear of the Lightning Orb.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “I don’t know how to fight, and the lightning orb is all I have to my advantage… but I can’t use it. Whenever I think about it… I feel as if I’m falling from an incredible height, with no way of stopping myself. It scares me so much that I can’t move. So… I want to know how to become fearless, like you. I want to be able to use the lightning orb properly regardless of my fear. And if you tell me how, I can.”

Zine gave him an unamused look, “so… by knowing my way, you think you can become fearless? Just so you can fight back?”
Cirrus nodded his head, “yes… please, teach me.”
Zine shook his head, “no… fear is not something you should just get over, it’s something you must push through at will. What your problem is you need to weigh your options. Would you rather go through a few second of fear, or watch something worse happen. A second of fear, or a lifetime of regret.”
Cirrus gave him a confused look, “and… that’s your secret?”
Zine shook his head, “no… mine is far worse.”
Cirrus continued to push, “then tell me and maybe I can find a way to push through.”
Zine shook his head as he sighed in disappointment, but said nothing. Since he didn’t reply, Cirrus continued, “So… you’re just going to push me aside?”
Zine didn’t reply instead he went back to poking the fire with his staff as Cirrus sighed, “fine… I guess I'll find another way to deal with th-”
“Placement Trials…”

Cirrus gave Zine a confused look, “what did you say?”
Zine replied with an upbeat tone, “Placement Trials… ever heard of them? Fascinating ritual that we zebra go through. You see, you ponies call them cutiemarks. Marks that define what makes you special and shows the world what your special talent is. As for us, we call them placement marks. Marks that define your skill and announce your roll and placement in the tribe. Some of us earn ours naturally, however when we turn ten, we have no choice but to take part in a special ritual called the Placement Trials.”
Cirrus became interested as he asked, “so… is that where you got your placement mark?”
Zine nodded his head as he replied, “yes… but… at a price. You see when I was little I was completing spells far beyond my age. So much in fact that my parents who were just-so-very proud of me, convinced the Chief to make me take the Placement Trials early. So while most the zebra in the trials were ten or eleven… I was five.”

Cirrus could detect an unenthusiastic tone when he mentioned his parents, but he ignored that as he replied, “that’s impressive, five years earlier than the rest. I’m sure you were excited right?”
Zine smiled sarcastically, “well, I would have been… if it wasn’t for the law of the trials.”
Cirrus was curious, “law? What was that?”
Zine continued, “The law of the trials is this… Every zebra who takes part in the trials will only be considered successful if and when the placement mark appears on his or her flank. However if the mark doesn’t appear by the fifth attempt of the trials, the zebra will then be banished from the tribe and must set out alone to attain their mark elsewhere.”
Cirrus thought to himself, “So that means?”
Zine replied, “If I didn’t get my mark by the time I was ten… I was going to be banished from the tribe.”

Cirrus was concerned, “were you?”
Zine waved his hoof in a dismissive way, “slow down… I'll get to that. Needless to say, I started the trials using my most challenging spells. One by one, I knocked them out without even breaking a sweat. But no matter how many I completed… my placement mark never appeared. I was disappointed, but then the chief said that harder spells might be what I need, and that a mark created from something incredible could only mean great things for my future. So… I studied all year, and returned with spells that were not only more challenging. These were spells that even the village elders had a hard time completing. But… no matter how many I flawlessly completed… my mark didn’t appeared.”
Cirrus asked, “Was your talent something other than magic?”
Zine shook his head, “I didn’t know, but that didn’t stop me. I started looking through spell books far beyond my skill level. So much in fact that news reached the five tribes of Zebrica, so when the third placement trials began, I even had elders form other villages watching with anticipation at the spells I was completing. Stuff so advanced that none of my village elders could have done them on their own.”

Cirrus was amazed, “whoa, magic that made you the best zebra in your whole village?”
Zine nodded his head, “yea… but… after the third placement trials was over… I was three for three on the loser board. It wasn’t that I wasn’t doing the spells right… it’s just that even after I completed them all flawlessly, my mark still didn’t appear. So… for the fourth year, I even traveled to the sacred central capital of Zebrica, where its rumored that all the most challenging zebra spells are kept. Spells that were the most powerful spells know to the world. I thought that if there was anything that would do it… it was in there.”
Cirrus was wrapped around the story as he spoke, “wow… then what happened?”
Seeing that Cirrus was hooked on the story like a foal to ponytales, Zine continued, “Elders from all over Zebrica came to witness what I would pull out during the fourth Placement trials. Every one of them knew that if I used a spell from the Central Capital, and get my mark. Then I would be marked as one of the most skilled zebra’s in the entire nation. But… my skill, and completion of each spell was only insulted since… my mark… still refused to appear.”
Cirrus was a little disappointed, “fourth try too?”
Zine nodded his head, “yea… fourth try too. My parents wanted me to get my mark so badly that they tried to convince the chief to give me until my fifteenth birthday to get my mark, but… the chief’s word was final. We will follow the law of the trials. On the fifth year of my participation in the trials, if my mark wasn’t there by the end of that day… I would no longer be a part of the Western Tribes of Zebrica.”

Cirrus felt concerned, “so… what did you do?”
Zine sighed as his tone became darker, “the day before the fifth attempt came… and I was so nervous, I spent the entire day meditating in hopes that I would gain help from my ancestors… and sadly… that’s exactly what I got.”
“Sadly?...”
“An ancestor revealed himself to me, he said that his name was Zeil of the Black Sand. He, was a changeling.”
“A changeling?”
“Yes… and he told me of a spell that would not only be the one that would earn me my mark, it would also someday have an effect on the world’s very future. So out of desperation, I listened to what was needed to complete this spell so that I could us it and attain my mark… however, when I heard of the ingredients… I became nervous. This spell was not only a powerful one… but because of its ingredients, it’s considered an incredibly forbidden one. Because one ingredient that I needed to add, was the blood of a deceased zebra.”

Cirrus’s eyes widened “Wh-what? You… had to kill somezebra and take their blood?”
Zine shook his head, “At the age of ten?... back then I actually had a heart so the idea of killing somezebra was out of the question. Luckily there was an elderly mare who had passed the night before, and was awaiting burial. I was desperate so when nozebra was looking I snuck into the hut where they were keeping her and took a few drops of blood from her corpse.”
“What? But weren’t you afraid you would get caught?”
Zine shrugged his shoulders “I thought that if I added the ingredient without telling the observer of what it was I could get my placement mark and get away with it. Zeil told me that my mark would appear when the potion was halfway done and that nothing else would matter once my mark appeared.”

Cirrus asked in anticipation, “so… when the day came… what happened?”
Zine replied as his tone showed a little anger, “the day came and everyzebra who has ever dabbled in magic showed up to see what I would have in store. Word of my magical talent spread as far as the seas so they were all excited to see what spell would bring me my mark. So, with an anxious sigh, I began creating my potion. Each ingredient I added changed the brew just as Zeil told me it would. But then came the time that I would add the Blood of a deceased zebra. As flawless as I expected, I pulled the hidden vial from my bag of ingredients, pulled the cork from the top and poured the drops in.”
Cirrus became anxious, “then?...”
Zine’s tone became dark, “my mark appeared… but so did something I never expected to see. A smoke cloud shaped like a blood red dragon emerged from the brew and rose above the herd of zebra as it looked over the entire village before returning back down and diving into the caldron.”

Cirrus sat in amazement as he asked “what did I mean?”
Zine replied in anger, “I didn’t know it at the time… but it was confirmation, that the blood sacrifice, had been accepted… meaning…”
Cirrus realized it, “the zebra’s watching knew you added blood.”
Zine nodded his head as his expression became angry, “exactly… before I knew it, I was pinned to the ground and held there as the strongest worriers of the village rushed in and placed spears against my neck preventing me from moving. As I was held there, I was terrified, there I was a ten year old zebra with no idea of what was going to happen as I was immediately treated as a criminal. A few minutes later, heavy iron cuffs were strapped to my hooved as they dragged me away… literally dragged me against the ground out of the trial hall. Screaming in fear, I called to my parent who were standing near the door as they dragged me by. But then the guard asked them if I was their son, my mother looked away in shame, while my father said, no… I have no son.”
Cirrus was shocked, “they… abandoned you… after pleading so hard to get you into the trials in the first place?”

Zine nodded as he replied with anger, “yes… and that, was nail one in my sanity’s coffin. Later they dragged me to a hut at the edge of the village. There the chiefs of the four border tribes and the central minister were standing there as the minister spoke. He said that my crime was unforgivable, so my punishment will match the crime. He said that what was earned will be returned, and that I would spend the next fifteen years as a prisoner bearing the mark of eternal shame. Then following the fifteen years of imprisonment, I would be put to death.”
Cirrus was shocked, “all that, for completing a spell?”
Zine shook his head, “no… all that for attempting the spell. The most forbidden spell of our kind. So forbidden, that speaking of it is also considered a crime. That’s why I never knew of it, it wasn’t even in the forbidden section of spell books.” His expression became saddened “So after telling me of my crime and punishment, it began. They started by taking what I earned in the trials.”
“Your Placement Mark?...”

Zine nodded, “my mark… First they strapped me to a table faced down, and from there all four chiefs took turns using a red hot dagger to cut one line across my placement mark. Deep enough so that the mark will be permanently ruined, and so that if I were to be seen by other zebra before my death, they would know of my crime and of my punishment.”
Zine placed his hoof on X shaped scare over one of his placement marks as he mumbled, “I was still a foal, and they held me down cutting into my flesh with a blade that sealed the opening wound on contact. I can still feel it burning… I can still… hear my own screams. And by the time it was all done… my placement mark had two slashes across each one, the so-called… Mark of Shame. Then, they blindfolded me, and continued dragging me to a cave far outside the village. Before I knew it, they took the blindfold off, unchained my hooves and tossed me into a solid iron room that had to be about seven by seven feet with an iron door that was closed and welded shut behind me.”

Cirrus was shocked, “they welded the door shut?”
Zine nodded, “yes… with only a small door on the ground, that would open to slide a food tray in in the morning, and open for me to slide it back out in the evening. This… was my new home, no windows, no sun light… not even bars. This was a prison meant for a criminal of nature, in other words. Any zebra willing to perform one of the three most forbidden spells.”
Cirrus was curious, “what are the three spells?”
Zine replied, “Well… the first and least of all is the capture spell… which… I can’t say since discussing the spells effects are also considered forbidden. Next would be the resurrection spell, which you’ve seen first hoof. However the final spell is the very one I committed during my placement trial… I just didn’t know it, since discussing the spell is also forbidden so it’s not surprising that I didn’t know it was that bad.”

Cirrus smiled with the irony, “yea… seems odd that a spell can be so forbidden that you aren’t even allowed to be told that it isn’t forbidden in the first place… so, what happened next.”
Zine’s expression faded from his face as he replied, “well… I served my punishment. For fifteen years I sat in that cell with no contact with the outside world in any way other than that tin tray that slid in in the morning and was expected to slide out in the evening. And let me tell you something, sitting with no contact and nothing to occupy your mind for that long… pays one heck of a toll.” Zine’s expression showed tension, “Five months had passed… before I came to the sad realization that there was nothing left for me outside those walls. In three years… I lost all hope in freedom, or escape. In five… I lost hope with my very life. After eight years though… I went completely and utterly insane.”
Cirrus was concerned, “h-how?...”

Zine smiled in a way to show he was hiding pain, “I surrendered to fear… and… it drove me to see and hear torment far beyond my own comprehension.”
Cirrus gave him a curious look as Zine saw this and explained, “for eight years, I stared at a solid iron door… eight years… knowing that the next time that door would open… would be the day I would be executed, and the worst part… I didn’t even know how they would do it. Would they kill me quick and painlessly like an arrow to the head, or would it be long and painful like burning me alive? Would they make it simple and clean like snapping my neck, or horrifying like being drawn and quartered? Would it be with a normal weapon like a spear, or something abnormal, like a hungry lion? For years… I sat and thought about literally millions of ways they could kill me knowing that any one of them no matter how horrific it could be, was the way they would do it. Think about it… by that time… I was eighteen… and my life would end before it could begin.”

Cirrus could see the pain in his expression as he spoke, “wow… that’s… that’s horrible.”
Zine’s pain then faded as an eerie smile appeared, “then… something happened… something I never expected.”
Cirrus asked, “What?”
Zine gave him a look that sent a chill up his spine, “On my thirteenth year of my imprisonment… my fear left me.”
Cirrus felt nervous with Zine’s somewhat psychotic expression as he asked, “L-left you… H-how did that happen?”
Zine’s crazed smile slowly started to show in his eyes, “My fear… turned to curiosity. As I sat there wondering about how they would kill me… I slowly became curious myself… so much… that I wanted to know how they would do it. I wanted to see a punishment befitting a criminal of nature.” His smile became worse, “I wanted to know everything about it… how they would do it, the tools they would use… I even wanted to know the name of who would do it. I started wondering about the pain I would feel and became curious of what it would feel like… would it be drowning like getting a burn on your hoof… or would it feel simple like a cut from a thorn bush. Or maybe… the soothing burn of a poisonous plant rash. The list went on and on.”

Cirrus started to become afraid of Zine as Zine started to look at the fire with the crazed look still on his face, “I was wondering…if it was a beheading, would they use a guillotine or an axe… or better yet, a dull axe so it wouldn’t so much as remove my head, but make it so that my neck would break and they would have to hit me more than once. The curiosity flooded my mind, it became the subject of very dreams, so much that I had plenty of dreams at night where I was killed in multiple ways, sometimes even more than one in a single dream, like burning me alive before dropping me into the ocean with a boulder tied to my hooves. It became so common… that I would begin placing bets to see if I could guess how they would do it. The feeling of knowing was… intoxicating.”

Cirrus had no idea how to respond, it was as if the cleaver egotistical stallion that he knew was completely replaced by a husk of a stallion with nothing but suffering on his mind. As he sat silently beginning to question his trust in Zine, the broken zebra’s expression slowly turned to a simple smile as he continue, “My fear… my fear of death and everything else I had… faded, and was gone forever. For the last two years… these somewhat… soothing thoughts ran through my mind… until that day… the day it was expected to all end… finally came. From the moment that day began, I woke to my usual meal of hay and water, and sat watching the iron door as the sound of chisels breaking the welds echoed through the cell. From the moment that began… my excitement filled my body so much… that it took all I had to hold still as I heard the metal clasp on the outside of the door break free, as the solid iron door slowly creaked opened to reveal something that even I didn’t expect to see.”

Zine looked back at Cirrus as he continued, “the guards at the door weren’t Zebrican at all… they were ponies.”
“Ponies?”
Zine nodded his head, “yes… as soon as the door opened, a group of Equestrian Royal Guards entered the cell, lined up on the wall, and stood at the ready. As surprised as I was… I didn’t show it. My confident smile stayed on my face as I slowly ran my eyes down each wall looking at each guard who responded with an expression that showed simply, that they were all afraid.”
Cirrus was curious, “they were afraid of you?”
Zine smiled confidently, “yes… although they hid it behind a serious look… I could see it in their eyes and feel it in the cell. Each and everypony in that cell was afraid of me… and I loved it. Feeling their fear somehow gave me even more of an excitement in the situation. It radiated through the room like a soothing warmth in a cold freezer. Then I looked at the cell’s door to see the only one in the room who wasn’t afraid of me, the one soul whose fear wasn’t felt in the air… Thundaga.”

Although Cirrus slowly faded from the story by Zine’s obvious stroke of insanity, he started to come back to the story as he replied, “Really?... what happened then?”
Zine smiled, “Well I spoke, Are you the one here to kill me? However she replied with a question of her own, Are you related to Zecora of the Everfree? I replied, yes since I remember hearing that old story from my grandparent when I was very little. She continued by stating that she was from Equestria and that she wanted to offer me a position in her court. She explained that if I were to use my magic to help her in any way asked, I would be given freedom to perform any magic of my choosing so long as it brings no harm to her subject, her guards, or the integrity of her kingdom itself. At first I said no, but then, I started to think of how the offer would benefit me in ways other than canceling my execution. When I considered it, I decided to make a request along with what was already offered. So… I explained my request and Thundaga kindly accepted.”
Cirrus asked, “What did you request?”

Zine held out his staff and replied, “This…”
Cirrus looked at the staff and the potion filled flask on the end of it as he asked, “That?”
Zine smiled, “This my friend… is the unfinished potion that had me imprisoned in that cell to begin with. This… is the forbidden potion I created all those years ago.”
Cirrus looked at the potion in disbelief, “that can’t be possible. Didn’t you say they imprisoned you before it could be finished? Surely they would pour the potion out wouldn’t they?”
Zine shook his head, “no… this potion may have not been finished… but that doesn’t mean its safe. If they were to simply pour it out… the results could be disastrous. This potion is the most forbidden spell in all Zebradom… its power if left uncontrolled can bring forth an event that could cause mass-… oh you’re good… You almost tricked me into telling you what it could do. Clever commander, but let’s just say they had good reason for keeping this locked away.”

Knowing that there were some things that even he wouldn’t ever understand, Cirrus slowly looked into the fire as he asked, “so… what happened next?”
Zine shrugged his shoulders as he started poking the fire again, “like I said, I got my potion and came back to Equestria. Since living in a castle was too spacious even for me… I chose to move to the Everfree Forest, where one day I stumbled upon Spike sleeping in a cave. Since I told him that I had no intention on telling anypony he was in the kingdom, Spike and I slowly became friends. And the rest is history.”
Rethinking the reason for asking, Cirrus replied, “So… getting over my fear may be harder than I thought.”
Zine shook his head, “it isn’t hard at all, like I said, your fear isn’t something to merely get over. It’s something to decide. Eventually you will have to make a choice where the option will be your life or your fear. So when that happened choose wisely. To be honest, I think you can not only beat this. I’m willing to bet you may be able to beat Thundaga if you gain the will to fight.”

Out of curiosity Cirrus asked, “really?... and on what history are you basing this off of?”
Zine smiled, “none.”
Cirrus gave him a hopeless look, “Wow, you’re bad at this whole motivation thing aren’t you?”
Zine smiled, “Yea, then again I’m not the motivating type.”
Cirrus sighed, “I can see that.”
All of a sudden Spike came walking through the mist as he carried a bag in his claw. As he walked up Zine smiled, “oh you’re back… so, how was it?”
Spike shook his head, “Gem Stone’s place wasn’t a problem. I got the bow quiver and even a small sword. But your hut is crawling with royal guards. I couldn’t get anything out of that place.”
Zine nodded his head, “so it would seem that Thundaga has branded me a criminal. So much for our deal.”

Cirrus sighed, “sorry, I bet that it has something to do with my and Ms. Stone’s incident. Zine shook his head, “nah I’ve been expecting this for a while. Besides, I’m already a criminal… let’s just consider this a parole violation.”
As he said that Gem Stone came out of the ruins as she spoke, “um… Cirrus?”
The group turned to Gem as she continued, “I’ve thought about what you said… and… I’ve decided that you’re right. Commander Bolt would be disappointed in me for just turning away like this. So, I’ve decided that I’m going to help you.”
Cirrus smiled, “I’m glad you agree Ms. Stone. Welcome back.”
With that Gem Blushed as she asked, “Um… Cirrus… back in Canterlot, when I was tossed from the bridge… you um… called me by my name. Well… if it’s alright with you… could you do that from now on?”
Cirrus smiled, “Sure, I can do that… Gem Stone.”
Zine smiled, “how about me?”

Gem gave him a hopeless look, “it’s still Ms. Stone to you… or in this case… Captain Stone. If Cirrus is returning as commander… then I will happily be his officer.”
Zine nodded his head, “I have no need for titles… just call me Zine… Your Untrusty Black Mage.”
Smiling at Zine’s play on words, Cirrus replied, “sure… I'll leave the last part out though.”
Spike smiled, “I'll just be your dragon. Or if you want your faithful assistant.”
Smiling at what Spike added, Cirrus nodded his head as Gem noticed something and spoke up, “you know… this is all nice and all, but if we are going to try a second attempt at Thundaga’s throat we are probably going to need more than just us.”
Zine nodded his head, “agreed, Thundaga has an army. To face her we will probably need one of our own.”
Cirrus smiled as he replied, “yes… and I know just the place to get one.”

Back in Canterlot, Thundaga stood on the balcony of her room as she looked into the city with an unhappy expression on her face. As she stood there, Commander Mist entered as he spoke, “Your Majesty? You wanted to see me?”
Thundaga nodded her head but her expression stayed, “yes… I wanted to apologize. I may have treated you unfairly, however as your princess it is my duty to see to the loyalty of my soldiers and to prevent mutiny. As you know I was attacked earlier today and I banished both Cirrus Cloud and Gem Stone from Canterlot. Also I have issued an arrest on Zine of the Everfree. He had committed an atrocity against nature that went too far.”
Commander Mist nodded, “I heard, that’s why I arrived late. My first action was to go to his home and arrest him myself… but he wasn’t there. The place was empty, so I could only assume the coward fled the kingdom.”

Thundaga looked back into the city as she replied, “no… he may be crafty… but he’s no coward. Wherever he is, he has become a risk… one that can’t underestimate… or ignore. Put the city on high alert. Anypony, carriage, or train that enters the city will be searched. Contraband such as armor and weapons will be ceased and it possessors arrested. But if you find anypony that is on our watch list, they will be brought to me.”
Seeing that the old Thundaga he knew was back Commander Mist smiled, “Yes Your Majesty, at once.”
With that Commander Mist left the room as Thundaga looked into the city with a tear rolling down her cheek, “Cirrus… he choose her over me… I thought… he’d be different. I thought, he would understand what I’m doing. I guess… the only pony I can trust… is myself. I… we must tread carefully from now on. Or we will lose Equestria to war.”

Ch15 Old Friends

Thundaga trotted along a long line of chained captives at the city gates as Commander Mist trotted beside her, “there is almost thirty of them. Twenty were carrying weapon or armor with them. The rest are suspected supporters or members of the rebellion.”
Thundaga looked over the shame filled faces of the captives as she replied, “is that so…”
Thundaga approached one as she spoke, “you… have you heard the name, Zine of the Everfree, or for that matter, Captain Gem Stone of the Nightmare Legion?”
Nervous, the prisoner replied, “Y-yes your majesty. Zine… not the other pony.”
“Then would you mind telling us where he is?...”

The prisoner became confused as he replied, “um… I’m sorry, but don’t know your majesty…”
Thundaga gave the prisoner an unamused look as she replied, “then do you know if he has supported the rebellion in any way?”
The prisoner shook his head, “I… I don’t know your majesty… I’m not a member of the rebellion. I swear, I’m just a traveler who carries a sword for protection. I don’t even kno-”
Unconcerned with his reasoning, Thundaga raised her hoof to stop him, “Silence… We’ve heard enough.”
With that Thundaga turned away from the prisoners and began trotting away as Commander Mist asked, “What would you like us to do with them?”
Thundaga replied, “Kill them…”

Commander Mist nodded his head in agreement as he replied, “Of course your majesty, what I meant was, when would you like the execution ceremony to be?”
Thundaga paused as she looked at commander mist with an angry look. As she looked at him, she used her magic to draw his sword as the turned the blade towards the prisoners before flinging it across the area before embedding it into the chest of the stallion she just finished talking to. Afraid for their lives the prisoner’s stepped away from the victim as the dead pony fell to the ground. After seeing this, Thundaga replied with a tone loud enough for everypony in the area to hear, “Now! Execute them here and now! All of them!”

Hearing their fate, the prisoners started stumbling over their chains to try and flee for safety, only to find that there was no escape as the guard readied their weapons to follow their orders. Fearful for the prisoners, the civilians in the area averted their eyes in worry as one of the prisoners spoke up, “Thundaga!!!”
Curious, Thundaga turned towards the prisoner as he yelled, “I FEAR NO STORM!!! I FEAR NO ST-“
Before the captive could repeat his words, a royal guard charged him with a spear before plunging the blade into the stallion’s side and silencing him permanently. As the prisoner fell to the ground, the rest of the guards started killing the rest of the panicking prisoners as Thundaga turned away from the captives and replied to his words, “Then… We must try harder.”

High over the clouds of Equestria, Cirrus and Gem Stone soared as Spike flew not too far below them with Zine on his back. As the two pegasi continued, Gem Stone panted as she spoke, “I don’t know how you do it. The air up here is so thin, it almost hurts to breathe.”
Cirrus replied with no strain in his words, “It is, but this is probably the safest way to travel right now. Not very many Royal Guards will expect to see us this high. Besides, this is good for your breathing. If anything it will train your lungs and make you stronger… although I understand if you can’t handle it, not everypony can be as strong as me.”
Cirrus smiled in a smug way as Gem replied, “name the time, the place, the weapon, and make it on the ground, and I'll take you down without trying, Commander.”
The two smiled at the playful banter as Cirrus replied, “I don’t know… I’m fairly certain I can run faster scared than you can angry.”

The two shared a laugh as Gem replied, “If that’s your only ace in the hole then we are in more trouble than I thought. Speaking of which, are you sure they’ll help us?”
Cirrus replied, “I had a friend who was a part of them a long time ago. I hadn’t seen him in over a decade, but if he is still there then they might, either way it’s worth a shot.”
Not far below the two pegasi, Zine rode on Spikes back as he spoke, “Just so you know… this is a little weird for me.”
Spike nodded his head, “No problem, kinda makes me think about how Twilight felt when I road on her back all those years ago.”

Zine gave Spike a strange look, “wait… you mean Princess Twilight?... you rode on her back?”
Spike nodded his head, “well yea… but I was a baby dragon back then so I was much smaller than I am now.”
Zine shook his head as he smiled, “still, who in their right mind would ever ride a pony… that’s just plain weird.”
Spike smiled, “coming from you… that says something. By-the-way… do you intend on telling them the truth? You know, about who you are?”
Zine replied, “When it becomes necessary, I'll tell them. Till then, I’m sure they won’t die if I continue to keep it quiet. Who knows, maybe they won’t ever know. But… if it comes to it. I will be the one to tell them.”

At about that time, both Cirrus and Gem Stone lowered their altitude as Cirrus spoke, “we are almost there, time to move down.”
Spike nodded his head, “good, I can’t handle this height, my lungs need much more air then you three.”
Cirrus smiled, “Well at least I know what to do if I ever make a dragon mad.”
Zine smiled, “yep, kiss your plot goodbye.”
With that Cirrus smiled at the joke as the group slowly lowered their altitude until they found themselves below the cloud cover overlooking an unusually organized cluster of dead trees as Spike spoke, “what?... is this… Sweet Apple Acers?”
Cirrus nodded his head, “yea… or what’s left of it.”
Gem Stone gave them a confused look as Zine Explained, “a number of years ago, this was once the most fertile orchard of apples that anypony had seen… but not long ago, Apple Barrel one of the last of the Apple Family was deemed a traitor to the kingdom and arrested for his crimes of supplying the rebellion with food. After that he was executed and the orchard, having nopony to take care of it, fell to ruins.

Cirrus nodded his head, “I remember the way it used to be. Apples as far as the eyes could see. Now only a few trees still grow but… they are hard to find.”
Spike sighed in disappointment, “yea… this place used to be beautiful. Now… it’s hard to look at.”
With that the group flew over the massive grove of dead apple trees until they finally arrived at an old secluded barn as they landed next to it. As soon as they landed, Gem Stone cringed in pain as Cirrus asked, “you okay Gem? How’s your wing?”
Gem smiled through her pain, “it’s fine, just a little sore.”
Zine replied, “little?... I can feel it from here. Which is weird by the way since I don’t have wings. It feels like a pain in the hair on my coat. Like an itch on the inside of your skin that you can’t scratch.”
Gem sighed, “It’s fine… nothing I’m not used to ignoring, I had to deal with far worse than this before.”
Zine gave her a skeptic look, “Really?... name one time?”
Gem gave him a hopeless look as she replied, “um… when I died.”
Zine nodded his head, “oh yea… almost forgot about that.”

Spike spoke up, “Um… fillies? I'd hate to interrupt but we have other matters to attend to here.
Cirrus nodded, “Spike’s right, we need to find where they stored the cider barrels. Spike wait here, you can use the barn for cover.”
Zine smiled sarcastically, “good idea, world’s coming to an end, so I could use a well-aged drink. Ms. Stone could us two, if she’s of age. And Spike… could use about three… barrels.”
Both Gem Stone and Spike looked at Zine at the same time, “What’s that supposed to mean!?!”

Ignoring the comment from both sides, Cirrus trotted into the back of the barn as he looked for what brought him to this forgotten structure in the first place. As he continued, he found a small secluded room in the back with three barrels sitting horizontal on a barrel rack. As he approached the three, he noticed that the center barrel had the word Alcoholic in big red lettering on the lid. After seeing this Cirrus raised his hoof and knocked on it five times with slight hesitation between knocks so that they could each be heard clearly. After hearing the knocks from where they were talking, Zine and Gem approached the doorway to the small room in curiosity as Cirrus listened carefully for what would happen next. As Gem looked into the room she started to ask, “What’s going o-”
“Shh-”

After being shushed by Cirrus, Gem stopped talking as the three listened carefully until a small scratching sound could be heard on the floor under the barrel rack. As soon as he heard the sound, Zine smiled as he spoke sarcastically, “listen to that… sounds like mice.”
Ignoring his words Cirrus spoke loudly, “I fear no storm.”
After saying this, a moment of silence passed as Gem asked, “Why do you say tha-”
All of a sudden, the wooden floor in front of the barrel rack dropped about an inch as the sudden drop from under his hooves caused Cirrus to jump back in surprise. After backing off the dropped floor, Cirrus, Gem and Zine watched as the floor started sliding under the barrel rack to reveal a staircase that went deep underground beneath the barn. Knowing this was supposed to happen, Cirrus gave a bracing sigh she spoke, “alright… follow me.”

With that said, Cirrus began trotting down the stairs as Gem and Zine followed closely behind. After a few minutes of trotting, the steps ended into a small room with a door at the back wall. However before The trio could approach the door, it opened as a caramel colored stallion came through the door as he closed it behind him and smiled, “Well, a fine howdy-doo to you Mr. Cloud.”
Confused by the unknown stallion Cirrus spoke, “You know who I am?”
The stallion nodded his head, “do I? Everypony here knows who you are, just as they know Zine behind you. Although I don’t think anypony would expect to see you here… then again after what happened in Canterlot, I’m sure it was just a matter of time. By the way, welcome back. I don’t think you remember me but I remember seeing you here a long time ago…I remember everypony who comes here.” He looked at Gem Stone with happy curiosity, “But not you? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before. Can I ask your name? I’m always happy to meet a new friend.”
Feeling a little cautions Gem Stone replied, “My name is Captain Gem Stone. I’m Commander Halo’s Officer.”
“Commander Halo?... now that’s fun to say. Way better then Commander Cloud. Now when I see you I can say Halo commander.”
Zine smiled, “hey, that’s a good play on words.” He looked at Cirrus, “I like this guy commander, can he join our army?”

Gem Stone shushed Zine as the stallion stood at attention and smiled, “well Captain it’s nice to meet-cha. My name is Butterscotch. Butterscotch Pie.”
Cirrus gave him a curious look, “Butterscotch? Aren’t you the owner of sugar cube corner?”
Zine smiled as he replied for him, “As a matter-a-fact, he is. As well as a descendant of laughter.”
Butterscotch smiled joyfully, “Yes indeed-e-doo. That’s me, but right now, I’m just a Lieutenant Pie of the rebellion.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “Nice to meet you lieutenant. We came to see the rebellion general. We have a request that might help us both.”
“Us both?”
Cirrus nodded, “yes, as in us and the rebellion.”

Butterscotch thought to himself for a second then nodded, “Welp, if it will help us both then I’m sure the general won’t mind me showing you in.”
With that Butterscotch turned around and opened the door as he spoke, “Okeydokey then, just follow me please.”
Nodding his head in agreement, Cirrus started following Butterscotch as he exited the room into a large cavern that was lined with balconies and rooms. As they continued through the massive cavern, Cirrus looked around as he spoke, “So this is the rebellion hideout?... I remember it vaguely but it seemed much smaller back then.”
Butterscotch replied, “When you were a colt, this place was only one level of rooms, but since then we’ve had to dig deeper and add more caverns for the growing number of members. Not only do we organize the rebellion’s members and strategies here, we also provide homes for members who are hiding from the royal guards. Not everypony who is found out by the princess is killed, some manage to run away, so we hid them here.”
As they continued, Gem sighed, “A base and a refugee camp… the rebellion thinks of everything don’t they.”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “Or they make it up as they go. It’s not hard to turn a storage room into a guest room.”
Butterscotch smiled, “yep, we just react to what happens. You can’t always plan for what’s unexpected. All you can do it to plan that things won’t go according to plan.”
Gem Stone sighed, “Ain’t that the truth.”

With that, the group continued until they approached a room that sat in the very back of the cavern as they entered to see General Dash sitting at a table with seven other ponies. As they entered into what could only be described as a meeting, Cirrus and the group stayed quiet as General Dash looked at a map on the table as another pony spoke, “We lost five soldiers in Trottingham. One was executed leaving Canterlot after a supply run with the Canterlot wing. After that however, the other four were too scared to continue. Three gave up entirely while the last one decided to seek out the Third Party.”
General Dash sighed, “Reassign three from Cloudsdale to the Trottingham branch. If our numbers drop too much in one town we will lose surveillance on Thundaga’s idle forces. What about the Gate count in Canterlot?”
A large light green earth pony replied, “Well, we ain’t got that count just yet. Yesterday afternoon, we had four captured and executed at the gate, but we still got no word from our supply unit from this mornin’.”
“How many?”
“I'd figure seven, but still nothin’ on whether they got through or not.”

General Dash sighed as he replied, “Wait a little longer then if needed send a runner on recon. If something happened to them we need to know wha-…”
As General Dash looked around the room, he spotted Cirrus on the side as his expression showed that he wasn’t happy to see him. With that, General Dash turned away from the other ponies in the meeting as he looked at Cirrus and spoke with an unamused tone, “Cirrus…”
Cirrus gave him an unamused look back, “Dash…”
General Dash replied, “I didn’t expect to ever see you here again.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “I never expected to see you as General of the Rebellion.”
Dash nodded, “Well with General Rich gone, somepony had to take his place. And we all know that you wouldn’t, even if we asked.”
With that said, the two stared each other down in a tension filled silence as Zine looked at Gem Stone, “Um… did I black out again? Or am I missing something?”

Noticing the confusion, Cirrus explained, “Back when we were colts, Dash and I used to be friends, that is until-”
“you abandoned us.”
Hearing Dash’s interruption Cirrus replied, “My parents died.”
“Yea… then you abandoned us.”
Cirrus became annoyed, “I saw what the world was and I made my choice to avoid the problem.”
Dash continued, “Yea… by abandoning us!”
Giving in, Cirrus sighed, “yea, I abandoned you.”

Smiling with pride Dash replied, “Good… that’s all I wanted to hear.”
Gem Stone gave Dash a look of pity as she spoke to Zine, “wow… he’s almost as bad as you in the ego department.”
Both Zine and Dash looked at Gem Stone and spoke at the same time, “I resent that!”
With that General Dash looked at Butterscotch as he spoke in an annoyed tone, “Um… Lieutenant Pie? Why are they here in our meeting room? Didn’t you once consider that they could be spies for Thundaga?”

Butterscotch shook his head and replied with a carefree, “nope.”
Annoyed by the lack of explanation Dash continued “and why not?”
The smiling stallion replied in a confident tone, “Well, Cirrus is a fugitive of Thundaga and he knew the password. And Zine is neutral and has been here before.”
Dash continued, “And what about this mare! We don’t even know who she is!”
Butterscotch shook his head, “Well that was true, but then she told me here name, so now we know. So since I know who she is now it didn’t seem bad letting her in since she was with Cirrus.”

The large earth pony spoke, up, “Can’t go arguin’ with logic like that.”
Dash looked at the stallion that spoke, “Can it Barrel!” he looked back at Butterscotch, “Just because you know her name doesn’t meant that she is harmless! She could still be a spy for Thundaga! Who is she anyway?”
Gem spoke up, “my name is Captain Gem Stone. I’m Commander Halo’s officer.”
Dash was skeptic, “Commander Halo?... wait a sec… Gem Stone? You’re the one that started the mess in Canterlot yesterday aren’t you? Both of you. It’s because of you two that we are facing this problem as of late.”
Cirrus was confused, “problem? What are you talking about?”
Another pony in the meeting spoke up, “Since you two attacked Thundaga, Canterlot’s been put in a form of sub-lockdown. Anypony entering or exiting are searched thoroughly and anypony carrying anything she doesn’t like, are imprisoned or executed. Although so far, we’ve yet to see anypony imprisoned.”

Cirrus as shocked, “what?... but… why?”
Dash sighed in hopelessness, “isn’t it obvious? You attacked her and showed that her life is more vulnerable then she expected. So, she beefed up security in hopes of making it harder for anypony to get to her. In other words, you made our goal, that much harder. Not to mention slapping you and your captain with a banishment order, and an arrest warrant for Zine. Now she won’t stop it nothing to see all three of you on her execution platform. Not to mention myself and every pony in this room.”
Cirrus sighed, “Then… we have to act fast.”
Dash was confused, “we?...”
Cirrus gave him a serious look, “General Dash, we are here to request some help in a counter attack on Thundaga. We request that you and your army can give us aid in attacking Thundaga.”
Dash was unamused, “you want me… to have my army help you take down Thundaga?”
Cirrus nodded his head, “yes, Gem Stone got close enough to face her and still survived unscathed. I think with your help we can force our way in and take her down once and for all.”

Placing his focus on the word unscathed, General Dash looked at Gem Stone an noticed the healing cut on her face as she saw what he was looking at and spoke, “It’s um… just a flesh wound.”
Replying with a hopeless stare, General Dash spoke, “right… sure it is…” he looked back at Cirrus, “you came all the way here, with the intent on having the rebellion help you fight back at Thundaga?”
Cirrus nodded his head, “I know we have our differences… but yes. With your help, we can make this kingdom peaceful.”
Dash started to smile as he replied, “in all this time… I never expected you, the son of the rebellion’s founder to come here asking for help to take down Thundaga. So with that…”
His smile faded, “my answer is no.”
Leaving no explanation, General Dash turned back to the meeting as Cirrus replied in shock, “no?… but, why not?”
Dash replied with an angry tone, “You think that the rebellion is your personal scapegoat? Please, we have better things to do then to support a crazy zebra quack, an unknown mare with what rumors say is an identity issue, and a wishy-washy colt who abandoned what his parents gave their lives for. Now if you will excuse me, I have a meeting to attend and you aren’t welcome here. Lieutenant Pie, show them to the door and get them out of the hideout. They don’t belong here.”

Before Butterscotch could confirm his instruction Cirrus stepped forward, “You know the name Mr. Toll don’t you?”
Replying only with a look of intrigue, Dash held his silence as Cirrus continued, “Before he died, he told me that if I ever needed a place to stay, that this place would welcome me with a home and possible employment. As you know, I and my soldiers here are fugitives. So… here I am, wanting a place to stay. Mr. Toll was really your General Rich right?… then his last order should still stand.”
Worried that he would look bad in front of his troops, General Dash sighed, “Fine… if you want a place to stay, then the rebellion will honor General Rich’s last request.” He looked at a pony in the meeting, “Apple barrel, Find Commander Halo and his officers a vacant room with three beds.”
Both Gem and Cirrus were surprised as the large earth pony with the southern accent stood up, “sure thing sir. I'll make sure they are taken care of.”
Still a little surprised as who was trotting towards him Cirrus spoke, “A-Apple Barrel?”
The large pony smile, “Good to see ya again sprout, it’s been a while, you know bein’ dead and all. But I'll explain it on the way. Let’s get movin’ while the room’s still vacant.”

With that, Apple Barrel led Cirrus Zine and Gem Stone out the door as the trio followed closely. Having left the tension filled room, Cirrus asked as they trotted, “What happened Apple Barrel? We thought you were dead?”
Apple Barrel smiled, “Everypony thought that, but thanks to Zine here. I’m alive and kickin’.”
Zine smiled in a lack of modesty as Gem gave him an angry look, “Did you bring another pony back from the dead without telling me! We share a life you know, I would like to know if I have to worry about another pony dying and taking us with him!”
Apple Barrel gave Gem a confused look, “well… I don’t know nothin’ about anypony being brought back from the dead. Zine just helped me fake my death is all. He used some dream replacin’ mumbo jumbo to make the executioner think he killed me out of anger the night before. So when it went up that I was no-more, everypony just assumed I was executed as planned. After all, nopony is gonna worry bout a doomed prisoner dyin’ the day before his execution, it’s like filling a water bucket the day before a rain storm. Bucket’s still filled, don’t matter how?”

Cirrus was still confused, “but… your ranch? It just… died.”
Apple Barrel replied with a disappointed tone, “Yea, a dead colt can’t grow apples. And I do miss the groves, but it ain’t so bad. I found ways to still grow apples down here. It ain’t much, but it keeps me fed, and keeps spirits up down here. Nothin’ like a good day’s work to drown the sadness of the day away.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he replied, “well… it’s good to see you either way. I remember when Dash and I would always come by to play in your groves.”
Apple Barrel smiled, “yea I remember that. I also remember you two sprouts helpin’ out during harvest season in return for some of ma’s apple pies too. Darn shame she was caught not long after your parents. They were such good folk.”
Cirrus sighed, “Yea… too bad Dash and I aren’t as good friends as we were back then.”
Apple Barrel gave Cirrus a stern look, “Now don’t ya go all sobby eyed on me. The General may be in a foul mood, but he still talks about ya. Heck not a month goes by without at least one complaint about how you left all those years ago. It ain’t much but it says he misses ya. Who knows, I’m willin’ to bet he might change his mind about helping ya real soon. After all, he is a descendant of loyalty.”

Cirrus smiled, “that from a descendant of honesty… that really cheers me up. Thanks Apple Barrel.”
Apple Barrel smiled, “Not a problem, to be honest I’m lookin’ forward to what the commander of the Third Party can do.” He looked forward at a room they were approaching, “welp, here ya go. It ain’t much, but it’s a warm bed and a roof over your head. If ya need anything feel free to holler.”
Not catching the comment about the Third Party, Cirrus replied with a nod as Zine smiled, “Well if you’re asking, I do need something to help me with a spell.”
Apple Barrel smiled, “sure thing. What are ya after?”
Zine smiled, “a manticore.”
All three ponies gave him a clueless look as Apple Barrel replied, “I… um… pardon?”
Zine replied casually, “yea, I need a manticore for a spell. And… it needs to be alive.”
The three continued giving Zine a confused look as Cirrus replied, “What in Thundaga’s graces are you going to do with a manticore?”
Zine replied, “I said I need it for a spell… besides, you’ve seen how they look at me, they are way too afraid for me to capture alive.” He looked at Apple Barrel, “you said if I need anything… and that’s what I need. A live manticore, caged preferably.”

Feeling uneasy with the request Apple Barrel replied, “I’ll um… see what I can do.”
With that Apple Barrel turned to trot away as Gem gave Zine an annoyed look, “making friends wherever you go aren’t you… see this is why I can’t take you anywhere. Why would you request something like that?”
Zine smiled sarcastically, “well he said anything, so I took him up on that offer. Besides, like it or not, we need that manticore for our goal.”
Cirrus asked, “Care to explain why?”
Zine shook his head, “a rather dangerous spell. Forbidden, so… no. just know that you will be on the safe side of it… so long as you don’t know about it.”
Gem Sighed, “So it’s just another dangerous spell to worry about right?”
Zine smiled with confidence, “Come now, when have I ever done anything to put you in danger?”
Cirrus and Gem Stone both raised their hooves to answer the question as Zine rephrased, “okay when have I knowingly put you in danger?”
Cirrus and Gem kept their hooves up and gave Zine a hopeless look as he sighed, “Well I didn’t kill either one of you yet so just know you have nothing to worry about.”
Both ponies kept their hopeless look as they both replied, “yet?...”

Back in the meeting room, General Dash continued talking with the other ponies in the room as the door opened again with Butterscotch and Madam Melody entering. As soon as he saw them General Dash became annoyed, “Really Lieutenant?”
Butterscotch shrugged his shoulders, “hey, friends don’t let friends wait outside, besides I can’t help it if you’re this popular today.”
With that, Madam Melody spoke up, “Bonjour General… I came to see how you vere villing to handle ze situation in Canterlot? I understand zings arn’t going so vell?”
General Dash replied with an annoyed tone, “It’s a matter in the rebellion’s hooves. As I recall you’re not a member of the rebellion anymore since you defected to the Third Party.”
Madam Melody shook her head, “On ze contrary, zis matter now falls under everypony in Equestria.”
General Dash was curious, “how do you mean?”
Madam Melody replied, “Zis morning seven of you troops tried to enter Canterlot did zay not?”
Dash nodded his head, “They did, do you know what happened to them?”
Madam Melody nodded her head, “Oui, zey vere executed at ze gate.”

Hearing this, General Dash sighed, “oh… I was worried this would happened. But that doesn’t explain how it involves the Third Party.”
Madam Melody nodded her head, “it involves us, because seven rebellion ponies ver killed, however tventy-two, civilians died as vell.”
Dash was concerned, “Civilians?... you mean, none combatants?”
Madam Melody nodded, “Oui, ponies zat had nozing to do vith ze rebellion, or ze Zerd Party.”
Dash became angry, “She’s targeting civilians now?”
“Intentionally? No… However to her ze line between friend and foe has become, how you say… blurry. Zis has made all of Equestria dangerous to both soldiers and civilian. A problem for boz of us?”
Dash sighed in agreement, “yes… and it can cause more problems than solutions too. So what does the Third Party intend to do?”
Madam Melody sighed, “Vell, first zing is first. Ve must locate ze commander. Zen ve c-”
Dash interrupted, “Cirrus?... he’s here.”
Madam Melody gave him a look of shock, “Qu'est-ce que c'est?”
General Dash nodded his head, “I don’t know what that means but yes he is here. I just had Apple Barrel show him to a room, it would seem he needed a place to stay for a while.”

Madam Melody was surprised, “Vell zat explains ze dragon at ze entrance. Vas… he aright?”
Dash nodded his head, “Cirrus? Yea he was fine. His officer was a little battered but considering who they went up against, bumps and bruises are a godsend. They arrived here a few minutes ago requesting help in a counter attack against Thundaga. Sadly, I feel it’s in my soldiers’ best interest to have nothing to do with him. Besides, now that you’re here you can contact the rest of the Third Party and have them come help.”
Madam Melody nodded, “Agreed, ve vill assemble zem at vonce. It may take a couple of days but zey vill be happy to finally meet him.”
Dash nodded his head, “Sounds fair enough, so what will you do once they get here?”
Madam Melody smiled, “Who knows, it vill depend on vhat ze commander says. After all, ze Zird Party are his soldiers, and zey vill follow all orders of zere commander.”

Ch16 Return of the Nightmare Legion

As Cirrus sat looking over the wall, he could only wonder how many names were on it. The wall in front of him started at the floor and stretched through all four stories until stopping at the ceiling of the large cavern as it held an uncountable number of plaques. Each plaque contained a number of nameplates, while each nameplate held the same information. The pony’s name, the date of their birth, and the date of their execution. Literally hundreds of names hung on this wall, and even more were being added just as he was sitting there. However, none had his full attention more than the three framed photographs that sat in the bottom center where they were easy to both see and read. The first, was General Black Cloud, the next Colonel Rain Cloud, and finally the more recent, General Arthur Rich. Cirrus could only sigh, all three were not only the most important names on the wall, they were also the three ponies responsible for raising him at one time.

Continuing to look over the photos, General Dash trotted up as he spoke, “I expected to find you here. I guess it is always a sight to see whether you are a member of the rebellion or not.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “there are many more names then the last time I saw this. Back then there were barely ten.”
General Dash nodded, “back then the total number of members barely made up half of this wall. In fact Apple Barrel is the last member who was a part of the rebellion back then. Not counting the ponies who left the rebellion by choice.”
Cirrus sighed in disappointment, “so many lives lost, and all for a chance at a better life.”
General Dash sighed in annoyance, “I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t pity them. They all fought for the same thing, we fight for now. It’s too bad though… we are no closer to ending this war then they were.”

Cirrus nodded his head as he looked at General Dash, “Hey Dash? Remember when we were little, how your dad’s Wonderbolts would always perform for us since our parents were in the rebellion, then you complained that one time. Since your dad always made you watch their practice, you complained about how one pony was off by a few seconds?”
The two laughed as General Dash replied, “Yea, I remember. He was so mad he made us perform the routine for almost an hour since he thought I quote, questioned a professional?”
Cirrus replied through his laughter, “How many times did we crash into each other that day?”
Dash shook his head and replied, “I don’t know, but I still have the bump on my head from when we lost control and crashed into that barn.”

The two shared a few seconds of laughter before Dash looked at the wall where his father’s name was as he continued, “yea… and though it sucked, I still think that was one of my favorite memories.”
Cirrus nodded as he added, “yea… anything is better than when our moms got together and tried to explain the birds and the bees to us.”
Dash and Cirrus both cringed as Dash replied, “yea… and your dad didn’t make it any better when he brought out the stuffed animals as an example.”
Cirrus chuckled, “well it’s safe to say the only lesson learned was that forcing yourself to forget something isn’t as easy as you can hope.”
The two shared another laugh as they both slowly stopped as they continued looking at the wall in silence.

Soon the silence broke as Cirrus asked, “What happened to us Dash? Seems like things only got worse as time went on.”
General Dash sighed, “Well… after your parents died, you grew a deep hatred for the rebellion and… we just sort of drifted apart.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “yea… not long after, I heard the news about your dad and how you joined the rebellion to take his place. Since then… I just didn’t care anymore.”
Dash nodded his head, “I know… I didn’t want it to come to it, but when you started to shun the rebellion, they started looking down on you. Many even accused you as the one who sold out General Rich when he died. I on the other hoof knew better. Sure you didn’t want anything to do with us, but I knew that if anything had happened you would never sell us out.”

Cirrus nodded his head, “a few days ago I wouldn’t even talk to the guards let alone help them. And now… I started a war against them.”
Dash smiled, “your parents would be proud.”
Cirrus replied with regret, “What difference would it make? I can’t fight, Gem Stone wasn’t strong enough and to be honest, she is the strongest pony down here. I started a fight that we obviously can’t win.”
General Dash gave him a concerned look, “then why did you start it?”
Cirrus shook his head, “I don’t know?... Gem Stone said that she was ready to give up after the fight with Thundaga. But… after seeing her stand up to Thundaga the way she did… I don’t know?... it reminded me of my parents. How they stood up to Thundaga the day they were captured and the day they died.”
General Dash nodded his head, “I never saw their execution. My dad told me that we should focus on how they lived, not how they died. But the stories told about their execution is still told to this day. About how they stared Thundaga in the eye and told them what they think. It’s always inspiring to new members of the rebellion.”

Cirrus sighed, “Well, as inspiring as it was, it won’t be enough to help. I mean, look at my great army, An ancient solder who already proved that she can’t win. A psychotic zebra who would only fight back if he were to get anything out of it. A Dragon who would be helpful but can’t fight against an army. And me a commander who is afraid of his own ability. That’s my army… and I’m supposed to be their commander.” He put his hoof in his head, “what sort of mess did I get myself into?”
General Dash smiled, “well it’s not like we didn’t see this coming… remember when we were little, I always said that one day you would lead a great army. And now you are.”
Cirrus became annoyed, “this isn’t a joke, if I attack Thundaga with what I have, she and her army will wipe the floor with us.”
Dash replied with a serious tone, “it’s not a joke, sure it isn’t the rebellion that I was expecting, but look at who you’re with. An ancient dragon who remembers the Ponies of Harmony, and Commander Bolt. A mare who fought beside Commander Bolt himself, and a zebra who despite being a little… crazy, actually wants to bring this fight to her doorstep.”

Cirrus was confused, “but how do you know about tha-”
“I had a chat with Spike… what you think that you can leave a dragon on my front lawn and I won’t say anything?”
Realizing what he meant, Cirrus looked back at the memorial wall as he replied, “oh… you talked to Spike did you?”
Dash nodded, “yea… and he told me everything… how Captain Stone was the Mare Of The Mountain, how you are the Third Commander, and how Thundaga was a fake commander this whole time.”
Cirrus sighed, “And how she doesn’t even know it?”
Dash looked at the wall and nodded his head, “yea… and now under your command you can lead a counter attack on Thundaga in an all-out fight.”
Cirrus chuckles in hopelessness, “you say that as if I could actually win. You know I don’t have the ability to lead an army.”
Dash smiled, “neither did I… I didn’t even want to become general. And when I did, everypony below me disagreed with it.”

Cirrus looked at General Dash as he asked, “Then why did you?”
Dash looked back at him, “because I was ordered to.” Cirrus was confused as he continued, “The day before General Rich died, he sent out a letter with his last three orders. One; the pony to succeed him would be me, despite any objections from my superiors. Two, if the time came, we would take you in and give you a home and employment if needed, despite our opinion of you. And three, no matter how dark the situation could become, we and the next generation of ponies must never give up on the rebellion’s ultimate goal. The return of the kingdom’s harmony.”
“You said superiors objected… what did you mean?”
Dash smiled as he looked at General Rich’s photo, “I was a lieutenant… one of the lowest ranks of officers down here. And yet… he still chose me to take over. He said something about the key to victory is in the hearts of the next generation.”

Cirrus smiled, “that sounds like him… but still, it doesn’t solve the problem that we don’t know what we are doing”
Dash shook his head, “well… I guess we can only play it by ear. Granted I want to help you, but with our current numbers the rebellion wouldn’t last an hour against Thundaga and her armies. In the past three weeks we’ve lost seventy percent of our original numbers.”
Cirrus was surprised, “What? All to execution?”
Dash shook his head, “Some… but most of our forces either quit, or defected to-… ya know what, come with me. There is something I want to show you.”
With that Cirrus could only give General Dash a strange look as the old friend lead him away from the wall and further into the cavern.

As the two traveled, General Dash led him onto the second story walkway as they trotted along the main cavern as a large number of ponies were working in the center of the underground plaza. As they continued, Cirrus could see most of them setting up tents as he asked, “What’s going on? Are a bunch of ponies evacuating Canterlot?... has it truly gotten that bad?”
Dash nodded as he continued up the walkway, “it has… but that’s not who they are. These ponies are part of a recently formed army that we’ve dubbed The Third Party.”
Cirrus thought to himself before replying, “The Third Party… oh I think I remember Apple Barrel saying something about them yesterday… but what was it he said again?... I was about to ask him about it but then Zine made a ridiculous request that caused me to lose my train of thought.”
General Dash smiled, “I would tell you about them, but I think that’s a job better suited for their acting commander. She could explain it better than I could.”

Nodding as his reply, Cirrus continued following General Dash until they reached a staircase at the end of the walkway leading to the third story walkway. There waiting for them was a number of ponies that he knew. First was Allium and Jet who were arguing over something one said to the other. Then, Madam Melody and Gem Stone who were also arguing about a subject, and finally Zine who sat and smiled at the sight as he waved his hooves around in a gesturing motion, “Dance puppets, dance.”
Hearing his words, all four ponies looked at him with an angry stare as they spoke at the same time, “YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!!!”
Hearing the commotion, Cirrus approached as he asked, “Um… am I interrupting something?”
At that moment, both foals looked at Cirrus as they smiled and rushed to hug him, “Halo!!!”
As the two hugged him, Cirrus patted them on the backs as he replied, “it’s good to see you too. How have you two been?”

Allium smiled as she replied, “it’s great. Madam Melody is the best parent I could have. When she heard you were here she had our butler bring me so I could see you.”
With that Jet replied with an annoyed tone, “Nu hu… Captain Dash is the best! He had a Wonderbolt bring me here when he found out Halo was here!”
As the two looked at each other in anger which pointed out what the earlier argument was about, Cirrus smiled, “oh… I see… wait…” He looked at General Dash, “Captain Dash?”
The general smiled, “I’m also captain of the Wonderbolts, and Jet’s foster father.”
Cirrus smiled, “oh, so the pony who picked up Jet from the orphanage was one of your Wonderbolts right?”
Jet smiled, “Yep that was Cloud Streak he is the second fastest pony in the sky, but no matter how fast he is, he isn’t cooler than you. After all, you’re the Third Commander!”

Smiling with modesty Cirrus replied, “I’m not that great…” He looked at Madam Melody, “Madam Melody, it’s no surprise that you are in the rebellion since Mr. Toll was.”
Madam Melody smiled, “Oui, he vas… however I am not.” She stood at attention as she saluted Cirrus, “Commander Halo, I am Major Melody. Acting Commander of ze Zerd Party. And you’re second in command.”
Before Cirrus could reply to the surprising statement, Gem Stone stepped in, “um… Excuse me?... but if anypony is second in command under Commander Halo… it me. After all, I was the Commanding Captain of the Nightmare Legion. Third in command, after Nightmare Moon and Commander Bolt”
Madam Melody gave her an unconcerned look, “I have no doubt zat you ver commanding captain of ze Nightmare Lesion… however… As ve know, a major is higher zen a captain.”
Staring at each other in anger and pointing out their argument’s subject, Cirrus waved his hoof around to get their attention, “um excuse me? I’d hate to interrupt what clearly entertains Zine…”
Zine gave him an unhappy look, “Awww…”
Cirrus Continued, “but… what’s this about the Third Party?”

Madam Melody Smiled, “Oui, let me explain. Ze Zerd Party vas established by me ven I defected from Ze rebellion. I assembled zem from ze ponies who ver eizer vaiting for ze Zerd Commander to make himself known, or from ponies who vanted to follow me from ze rebellion. Ve are ponies who vant nozing more zen to fight under ze Zerd Commander and assist to bring peace to ze kingdom as vas foretold.”
Cirrus was confused, “Fight under… me?”
Gem Stone smiled, “Yes sir… in other words… they are under your command, Commander Halo.”
Cirrus became nervous, “w-what? You mean… they are… my army?”
General Dash nodded his head, as he replied, “Yep… all devoted on following Commander Halo’s orders.”
Cirrus shook his head, “but… I don’t know how to command an army.”
Gem Stone stepped forward, “You don’t have to. The only ponies who need orders are the ones in front of you. Minus the foals.”

Confused Cirrus looked at the ponies around him as Madam Melody clarified, “Sir… Ve are your officers. Vis your order, ve shall see to it zat ze soldiers are taken care of. You command us, ve command zem. Zat is ze key to having officers, is it not?”
Cirrus was unsure, “b-but i…”
Gem Stone placed her hoof on his shoulder, “Cirr-… Commander. We will be beside you to help. All you need to do, is tell us what you need, and how we can help, and we will see to it.”
Cirrus shook his head as he spoke in anger, “I don’t know what I need alright!”
With that, everypony stared at Cirrus with concern as he explained, “I’m not good with words like Zine… I’m not strong as you. I don’t even have any experience with others that can remotely help.”
Jet stepped forward, “that’s not true! When the flu made all of us sick, you were able to tell the rest of us what to do to help them get better.”
Allium added, “That’s right and when Mr. Toll was out of town, you planned all those fun things for us to do till he got back.”

Cirrus started to argue, “That’s different, I was only doing what you all enjoyed while taking care of you.”
Gem Smiled, “then you’re over qualified. Soldiers are just foals with more discipline. In the end if you can plan for taking care of twenty foals, then you should have no problem leading about ten officers to take care of the rest of your army… after all, Zine is the biggest foal here.”
Zine smiled, “Well, compared to an old mare like you, I’m barely a day old.”
Gem gave him an angry look, “What was that!?!”
Cirrus thought to himself as he replied, “but… what should I say?”
Gem smiled, “anything you want, just remember, they look to you for motivation so talk like a commander. Around them, I am Captain Stone, and when they talk to you, it better be sir, or commander.”
Madam Melody sighed, “Please, zis isn’t some boot camp. He can speak to zem visout formalities..”

As Madam Melody and Gem Stone started back at giving each other dirty looks, General Dash spoke, “look, I understand things aren’t easy… but leading an army isn’t supposed to be. Needless to say, the third party is made up of sixty percent of what used to be the Rebellion, so now you have at least ten thousand soldiers at your command. Add that to my seven thousand and you have a formidable army… however it’s still nothing to Thundaga’s three hundred thousand that’s scattered all across Equestria.”
Cirrus still was clueless, “but what do I s-”
All of a sudden, a commotion echoed through the cavern as everypony’s attention went to the front of the cavern as Spike slowly tried to step through the herd of working ponies, “sorry, sorry, excuse me, sorry, nice hat, sorry.”
Back at the balcony Cirrus looked at Dash, “Wait… how did Spike get in here?”
Dash nodded his head, “A dragon hanging around outside might draw attention so I showed him where the supply elevator was. But…”
Zine smiled and held in his laughter, “Spike has been stuck in there for the past three hours. The big guy was just barely big enough to get through.”

As Spike was making his way through the cavern he looked forward and could see the group that were eye level with him as he spoke, “oh commander, there you guys are.”
As soon as he said that the ponies in the center of the cavern started speaking amongst themselves, “wait… did he say commander?” “Did he mean Commander Halo?” “Is that the Commander?” “Is he the Third Commander?” “Is that him?”
Hearing the commotion, Cirrus felt a little nervous as Gem Stone spoke, “Sir… looks like you need to address your troops.”
Cirrus looked at her, “What?… but… what do I say?”
Zine replied, “Say whatever you want… you are the commander, say something that a commander would say.”
“Like what?”

Gem Stone repaid, “reinforce their decision. Right now, your soldiers are meeting you for the first time, and I’m sure they want to know if they made the right choice to fight for you.”
Cirrus looked at Gem, “but how do you know that?”
Gem smiled, “because, I was the same way. With Commander Bolt all those centuries ago, and with you a few days ago. They want assurance that you will bring peace to the kingdom, while keeping their wellbeing in mind.”
Cirrus thought to himself as Madam Melody added, “Zink of zem as ze foals from ze orphanage. Tell zem vat zey vant to hear.”
Cirrus nodded, “okay…so do i just start talking or…”
Gem Stone smiled as she winked, “don’t worry sir, I'll get them ready for you. Just follow my lead, and in front of them, my name is Captain Stone, Captain, or just plain Stone.”
Seeing her wink, Cirrus felt skeptic as he replied, “Um… okay.”

With that, Gem turned around and started trotting up the stairs to the third story walkway as her confident smile, faded into a careless scowl. Confused by her change in expression, Cirrus just continued following until they reached the third story as Gem looked over the railing at the crowd below as they continued bickering amongst themselves. As she looked over the herd, her expression became angry as she yelled, “AT EASE THAT POINTLESS CHATTER!!!”
Hearing the angry tone in her voice, the bickering herd almost immediately silenced themselves as Gem Stone continued, “COMMANDER ON THE FLOOR!!! ATTEN-TION!!!
Most of the herd knew what to do as they quickly jumped to the position of attention. As for the rest, they saw the actions of the others and quickly followed suit until everypony in the center of the cavern, minus Spike was standing straight with their eyes forward as they waited for instruction.

Seeing that the herd was now ready to be addressed, Gem Stone turned to Cirrus as she saluted and spoke with an official tone, “Commander Halo, your soldiers are ready to be addressed!”
Seeing the actions from the floor below them, General Dash smiled, “oh she’s good.”
Zine smiled, “that’s Captain Gem Stone, second best soldier of the Nightmare Legion. If anypony can be official, it’s her.”
Back on the third floor walkway, Cirrus nodded as he approached Gem Stone and whispered, “What do I do now?”
Gem whispered back, “salute me back, then turn to them and say at ease, then you can begin talking.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he saluted her and spoke so everypony could hear, “Thank you G-” Gem’s expression got angrier as Cirrus corrected himself, “I mean, Captain Stone.”
With that, both ponies dropped their salute as Gem Stone took a few steps back and stood behind Cirrus as he turned to the herd and spoke, “um… At ease!”

With that, all the ponies watching from the center of the cavern relaxed their stance as Cirrus continued, “I um… I understand the reason you’re here is to see the Third Commander right?... Well… You’re looking at him. My name is Cirrus Cloud, and if you have heard the rumors, then you would know that I have been marked as the Third commander. And… I’m sure you also heard the rumors of what happened in Canterlot a few days ago right… well… I'll lay those rumors to rest.”
Cirrus gestured to Gem Stone as he continued, “A few days ago, Captain Stone and I approached Thundaga and made a request. Although Captain Stone did all the talking, our feelings were the same, as she told Thundaga to her face, that she should step down and relinquish her status as Princess of Equestria.”

Hearing that, made a bunch of the ponies in the herd whisper amongst themselves as Gem Stone called in anger, “AT EASE THE CHATTER!!!... Sir?...”
Nodding to Gem Stone, Cirrus continued, “Yes… we faced her and made this demand, and… as anypony would expect, she retaliated with violence. Following the demand, Captain Stone and Thundaga faced each other in a one on one fight. Sadly… Captain Stone was unsuccessful, however she and I both managed to escape with our lives. Though our attempt was futile, we will not give up so easily. Therefore, I have come here to gather more forces. I promise you, we will make a second attempt to bring peace to the kingdom. Just as the prophecy says, I will bring that peace, even at the cost of my life.”
With that the herd started looking at each other in reassurance as Zine smiled before calling to Cirrus, “Commander! Tell them about your plan!”

With that Cirrus gave Zine a confused look as he replied too quietly for the herd to hear, “my… what?...”
Zine continued, “You know. Your plan for your second attack on Canterlot! It was a brilliant plan when you told us about it! You should tell them too!”
Feeling like he was placed on the chopping block, Cirrus looked at the herd as they each showed expressions of curiosity towards how he would reply. Seeing their expressions, Cirrus hesitated, “uh…”
Although it was too quiet to hear, Gem replied in anger behind him, “Zine, you idiot. What are you doing?…”
Knowing that he caught him off guard, Zine smiled as Cirrus looked back at the herd and replied, “okay… my plan… well… first I will need all of you to, um… Hone your skills.”

Replying with a clueless look, the herd held their silence as Cirrus explained, “We may be an army, but we all have skills that allow us to stand out. Some of you have experience that pushes you ahead of your peers. I say hone that skill. Practice your swords play, Increase your flight speed, and challenge your magic. That way you will become a formidable opponent alone and as a whole. A wise pony once said, in order to defeat your opponent, you must first know how to defeat yourself. Use it! And if you’re already proficient in your skills, help those around you. Let’s make this army one that Thundaga will think twice before challenging and I promise when we face Thundaga we-”
“In Three days!!!”
Cirrus gave Zine a confused look as he added to his called statement, “give or take a day or so.”
Because he thought the time was too short, Cirrus replied, “in less than a week! We will face Thundaga again, and this time, we will gain our peace, No matter what!”
With that, the herd started cheering as Cirrus looked back at Gem Stone behind him who was applauding slowly in acceptance of his speech as Cirrus sighed in relief.

With that Cirrus turned away from the herd and trotted to Zine as he spoke I anger, “What’s this three days crap? And what are you trying to do, turn them against me? Why did you tell them I had a plan?”
Zine smiled in sarcasm, “well I merely assumed you did. You mean we rushed here so quickly without a plan? Seriously sir, a commander should be better prepared.”
Getting close enough to the ledge to hear the conversation, Spike added, “quickly?... we spent the night in the ruins of old Canterlot.”
Gem trotted up as she replied, “as much as I hate to admit it… and I do. Zine has a point. If anything this reassured them for the time being. However, we still have a lot to do before they feel content with this.”
At that moment, Apple Barrel and Butterscotch Pie approached as Butterscotch smiled, “Halo Commander.”

Zine smiled, “Ha! That’s still funny.”
Apple Barrel rolled his eyes before stepping forward and saluting, “Commander Halo that was a mighty fine speech you gave up there. And I for one would like to offer our services to ya, as your new officers. Of course we can’t accept anythin’ below lieutenant if that’s alright with you sir.”
Cirrus gave him a confused look, “we?”
Butterscotch added, “Yep, I want to join too. This party seems to fun to just trot away from.” He looked at General Dash, “oops, sorry General. We didn’t mean to defect in front of you, but you know. We didn’t want to wait till he had too many officers.”
General Dash sighed as he replied, “Sure, go ahead. It’s not like you’re joining an army that we are fighting against. If anything its good competition for the rebellion to compare ourselves to. As long as our goals are the same, it doesn’t matter who you fight for.”

Zine smiled as he held out his hoof and patted Butterscotch Pie on his shoulder, “welcome aboard friend, this will make things fun.”
Butterscotch Pie gave him a funny look as he smiled and replied, “Whoo, that was weird. For a second there I thought I felt a cold chill go up my spine. Or a twitch in my ear, But that would be impossible… wouldn’t it?”
Zine smiled as he replied, “Maybe, I seem to have that effect on others… the spine one at least.”
Cirrus smiled as he reached out to bro-hoof them, “Welcome to the Nightmare Legion.”
Gem Stone gave him a surprised look, “Wh-what did you say?”
Cirrus looked at her as he replied, “oh, sorry. I thought about giving the Third Party an official name. and of all things, I decided to name it after the Nightmare Legion. I think that as a second assault on Canterlot, the name seemed appropriate. That is, unless you object.”
Smiling at the offer, Gem replied, “no, it’s fine. With the kingdom the way it is, it certainly seems like another Nightmare Crusade. So if that’s what you want to call us… then I'll agree to it.”

Cirrus smiled, “Then it’s settled. From this point on, we are the New Nightmare Legion.”
Zine smiled, “I’ve been called a nightmare before, but never like this. Kinda makes me feel like I belong. Anyways…” he turned to Apple Barrel, “Where are we on that manticore hunt? We have less than a week you know.”
Apple Barrel gave him a confused look, “what? You were serious?”
Zine smiled, “of course I was, I wouldn’t ask you to take on a manticore as a practical joke now would I?”
Cirrus gave him a hopeless look, “uh… yea… probably.”
Zine shook his head, “well this time I’m not. A manticore is definitely needed. Especially if we intent to take on Thundaga.”
Gem Stone gave him a serious look, “is this spell really that necessary?”
Zine replied with a node, “absolutely. I can’t give details, but without this spell, our chances for success will be near zero.”

Seeing the seriousness of Zine’s reply, Cirrus sighed, “If you’re sure, then we should probably do as you ask.” He looked at Apple Barrel, “hey do you know if anypony down there is a hunter or trapper?”
Apple Barrel nodded his head, “Yes sir, I reckon we have a few in there.”
Cirrus replied, “Good App-”
“Lieutenant…”
Hearing Gem Stone’s correction, Cirrus nodded as he corrected himself, “Lieutenant Barrel, gather as many of them as you need and go after a manticore. Feel free to use any resources available but be careful. I hope you can catch one without anypony getting hurt.”
Apple Barrel nodded his head as he replied, “sure thing sir, we’ll do our best.”
With that Apple Barrel started trotting off as Butterscotch stepped forward, “what about me? What can I do to help?”
Cirrus shrugged his shoulders as he replied, “honesty… I don’t know.”
Zine smiled, “I do… Lieutenant Pie? I need you to deliver a message to Canterlot for me. It isn’t dangerous, but it needs to be done.”
Concerned, Butterscotch looked at Cirrus as Cirrus asked, “what message?”
Zine replied with a smiled, “a friend… or at least a trustworthy acquaintance. Nothing to concern yourself with for the moment commander. Just know that this too has to be done.”

Unsure of Zine’s actions, Cirrus replied, “Well… if it needs to be done, then do it. Just make sure Lieutenant Pie is safe in this delivery.”
Zine smiled, “don’t worry, he will be safe. In fact the message isn’t even dangerous. If he gets stopped by royal guards he wouldn’t even get in trouble.”
Cirrus nodded as he started to trot away, “then I'll leave you to it. As for me…” his expression became a combination of annoyed and tired, “I need to think of a plan for the fight.”
As Cirrus trotted away Gem stopped and gave Zine an untrusting glance, “what are you up to?”
Zine smiled, “I don’t know what you’re talking about… I merely need to contact a pony whose skills can help. That’s all.”
Gem Stone replied, “Really? And who is that?”
Zine smiled, “her name is Tundra. I asked her to make something for me a week ago. If she is done then I want her to deliver it here. If not, then I hope she can put a rush on it.”

Gem continued staring at him, “and that’s it…”
Zine smiled, “of course… would I lie?”
Gem didn’t respond instead she stared at him in awkward silence as he smiled sarcastically, “right… I would wouldn’t I?… what I mean to ask was, would I lead us further into danger?”
Gem Stone replied with a serious tone, “the real question is… do you know of what I might do to you if you did?”
Smiling with an uneasy stare, he replied, “of course, I’m aware of all the horrible displeasures you can bestow on me without killing me, so don’t worry about a thing, you have my word that no danger will come of this.”
Gem replied, “See to it that it doesn’t.”

With that Gem Stone trotted away as Butterscotch spoke, “wow… and I thought you were scary.”
Zine sighed in relief, “really… sometimes I wonder who is really the crazy one?… oh, wait… it’s still me.”
Zine chuckled at his own joke as Butterscotch joined him in a laugh before Butterscotch stopped laughing and asked, “Oki-doki Tundra was it? Where in Canterlot is she?”
Zine replied, “On the far end next to the Castle Gate, she is in charge of the facility located just across the street of those gates.”
Butterscotch thought to himself, “That’s funny, there isn’t anything there but a royal guard post… but wouldn’t that mean?”
Zine smiled sinisterly as he replied, “Yea… She is the commanding officer of the royal armory. Her name is Major Tundra Storm of The Equestrian Royal Guards.”

Ch17 Thundaga Declares War

As Cirrus opened his eyes, he found himself standing in what looked to be a parade in the center of Canterlot. As the city was booming with confetti, cheering and music, Cirrus flew to a rooftop and looked down into the streets as he tried to understand what everypony was celebrating. Finally a float pulled onto the center of the street as Cirrus could make out the ponies on it. First was Princess Twilight Sparkle the Pony of Magic, next Captain Rainbow Dash of the Wonderbolts the Pony of Loyalty, then Apple Jack the Pony of Honesty, Then Rarity the Pony of Generosity, Fluttershy the Pony of Kindness, Pinkie Pie the Pony of Laughter, and finally a baby dragon who Cirrus could only assume to be Spike.

As the float rolled by, Cirrus mumbled, “Is this… the end of the Eden’s Kiss Catastrophe?”
“No, this is a celebration that happened twenty years later.”
Confused, Cirrus turned around to look at the cloaked stallion as the shadowy figure made his way to the ledge and looked into street, “notice, the Ponies of Harmony aren’t as young as they were during that incident. Not to mention Canterlot is completely whole with no ruins in sight.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “okay… then what is this parade for?”
The stallion pointed into the street, “look there…"

As Cirrus looked back into the street, he could see another float following the Ponies of Harmony’s as Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, an Adult Princess Umbra and an unknown buffalo stood on it waving to the surrounding public. As they waved, Cirrus noticed something strange about Princess Umbra, “Why does Princess Umbra look so… troubled?”
The stallion replied, “This parade is meant to celebrate the long lasting relationship between the ponies of Equestria and the Buffalo Tribes of the Badlands. But that’s not why you’re here… this is…”
All of a sudden the surroundings changed to the Canterlot Castle corridor as Princess Umbra and Princess Luna trotted through the halls. As they trotted, Princess Luna spoke, “Umbra? What is on your mind? You seem somewhat distraught… I thought you enjoyed Chief Strongheart’s company?”

Princess Umbra nodded her head as she replied, “I do, Chief Strongheart is amongst my closest of friends… however…”
Luna gave her a curious look, “however?...”
Umbra continued, “Mother… I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that I will be eighteen years old in three days.”
Princess Luna smiled, “I know… Pinkie Pie is excited about the party she will be planning for you. But surely that isn’t the reason you feel troubled.”
Princess Umbra shook her head, “not at all… it’s just… what if I were to cancel my party? In fact what if I were absent from my birthday entirely.”
Princess Luna looked at her daughter as she asked, “what are you saying Umbra? Where would you be?”

Princess Umbra took a bracing breath as she replied, “tomorrow begins the basic training for the next recruit of Royal Guards… and… I wanted to join them when they began.”
Princess Luna smiled, “is that all?... if you wish to partake in some of their training then that shouldn’t hinder your birthday party.”
Princess Umbra shook her head, “no… I want to attend their training for the entirety of the training schedule. I want to experience it just as our guards do… that includes having absolutely no handicap for my royal status. I will train with them on the same grounds, sleep with them in the same barracks, and suffer with them through the same training. As such I do not want any special treatment from the instructors.”

Princess Luna was surprised, “you mean you want to participate in the training as if you yourself were training to be a royal guard?”
Princess Umbra shook her head, “no… I want to participate because I’m training to be a royal guard. I want to experience what our guards do, so that they will know that I can and will do the same. I want them to know that if I were to ever risk their lives that I would be beside them doing the same.”
Princess Luna shook her head, “Umbra… we are princesses… as such we must rely on our guards to protect us, just as our subjects rely on us to protect them.”

Princess Umbra shook her head, “mother… I trained with the best the world has to offer. Commander Gilda, Zecora and Zeil, Princess Twilight, even Prince Shining Armor. I trained to become strong so that the subject can rely on my protection just as they did my father. But how can I commands soldiers without knowing of the trials they go through during the simplest of training exercises.”
Luna tried to add, “It’s not about protection, it’s ab-”
Umbra interrupted, “All are willing to give for the princess… so why shouldn’t a princess be willing to give for all?”
Knowing that there was no convincing her otherwise, Princess Luna sighed, “Are you sure you want to do this?... You know that the entire kingdom already respects you for your kindness towards them… do you really want to go the extra mile for that little addition to your status?”

Princess Umbra nodded as she replied with a serious tone, “I’m not looking for an addition to my status as princess… I care about everypony in this kingdom. Guard, citizen, friend all just words that describe everypony that I’m willing to protect with my very life. Tell me… how can I protect them if I don’t have the training to do so? I want to train with the guards, so I can better understand their strengths as well as my own. I’m strong as is… but with that mutual respect that I can get by training with our guards, then I… we can become a shield of protection that will sway even the worst of our enemies. All I ask, is that you let me become that shield.”
Knowing the determination that her daughter was willing to show made Luna sigh as she replied, “very well… if you are willing to go through it, then I will allow it. Just remember that as a princess the subjects rely on more than just your protection.”

Princess Umbra smiled as she replied, “Of course mother, as a princess I will always place the needs of my subjects before my own….” She hugged her mother, “thank you...”
Smiling at the tender moment as it slowly faded to darkness, Cirrus looked at the stallion and spoke, “so… Princess Umbra was a determined princess wasn’t she?”
The stallion nodded his head, “she wanted to live up to her father’s legacy… but considering who her father was, this task wouldn’t be easy.”

Cirrus gave the Stallion a skeptic look, “You’re Commander Bolt… aren’t you?”
The stallion smiled, “I am… surprised?...”
Cirrus shook his head, “not really… I had my suspicions since you only started invading my dreams after the incident at the Thunder Grounds.”
Commander Bolt smiled, “So… now what? Now that you know who I am, will it change anything?”
Cirrus shook his head, “probably not… but I still have to ask… you said Princess Umbra was your daughter right? And Thundaga also claims to be your daughter… so… are they sisters?”
Commander Bolt shook his head, “no…”
“Then… they are the same pony?...”
“In a sense… yes… but in actuality, no. they are two different ponies.”

Cirrus was confused, “then… what is Thundaga? You said that Princess Umbra was defeated by darkness, so… is Thundaga the darkness?”
Commander Bolt shook his head, “no… Thundaga and the darkness are like Umbra and Thundaga. They are linked, but they are two different entities.”
Cirrus asked, “Then… what is the darkness?”
Commander Bolt replied with a serious tone, “The darkness is its own being… it’s a monster of undefined evil that acts on the will of its host, before claiming what it wants.”
Cirrus asked, “If it’s a being… then what exactly is it? Does it have a name?”
Commander Bolt replied, “The darkness is called-”

As Commander Bolt continued mouthing the name of the creature, no voice was heard as it was overshadowed by another voice that spoke, “Commander Halo… Sir it’s time to wake up.”
With that Cirrus woke to a dark room as he looked around to see Zine sleeping in the bed next to him, while Gem Stone stood next to his bed, “sir… it’s time to greet your soldiers and to monitor their progress.”
Now awake, Cirrus sat up as he rubbed his head, “Gem… what time is it?”
Gem Stone replied, “Sir, it’s zero five hundred hours. And although I don’t mind you calling me Gem here, remember in front of the soldiers, it’s Captain.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “okay… so what time is it again?”
Gem Sighed, “sir it’s five a.m.”

Cirrus smiled, “there wasn’t that easier to say?... wait… Five a.m.? Why so early?”
Gem Sighed, “sir as our commander it’s expected that you lead by example. Since the soldiers are up early it’s good that they know you are up early too. Besides, it’s time for your training.”
Cirrus gave her a dull look, “I thought we already tried and failed on the whole training thing?”
Gem smiled, “yea you did… but this isn’t combat training. This time, I’m going to teach you how to be a commander. So get up, get ready, and meet me outside when you’re done.”
Without letting him reply to her, Gem Turned around and trotted outside as Cirrus moved to the edge of the bed as he thought to himself. Though he didn’t hear the name of the creature that Commander Bolt told him about, its name still popped into his mind as Cirrus mumbled, “can such a monster… truly exist?”

Later, Cirrus and Gem Stone trotted through the rebellion hideout as Gem mumbled to him, “Always trot with confidence, and keep your eyes forward unless your attention is required to go elsewhere. Never look at the ground and try to keep changes in expressions to a minimum. One pace ahead of me and to my right. You need to be where I can address you if needed. Remember, I look to you for guidance, so you never have to look to me for results.”
Cirrus sighed as he continued trotting in the position she mention, “Why is it so difficult to be a commander?”

Gem Shrugged her shoulders, “who knows, I was a lower rank so I never questioned it.”
“Commander Halo!”
Looking at a few soldiers that were approaching, Gem Stone mumbled, “Okay, it’s alright for them to approach you as long as they salute you on arrival. Once they do that, it’s your choice to talk to them or to turn them away, but if you talk to them, feel free to remind them of their composure when addressing you.”
Cirrus sighed, “this day is gonna drag on forever… isn’t it?”

As the two ponies approached him, they saluted as one spoke, “Sir, I mean commander. It’s good to meet you in the flesh. I was in Canterlot the day you and Captain Stone fought Thundaga and I must say, it’s inspiring to see somepony standing up to her like that.”
Cirrus smiled as he looked at Gem, “See… I told you.” He looked back at the ponies and continued, “thank you both… however it was Captain Stone who did most of the work. I was just present.”
The two smiled as they continued, “Either way sir, we’re happy to be a part of the Nightmare Legion. It’s a real honor to fight beside you both.”
Cirrus smiled, “Thanks but the honor is mine, to have so many willing to fight for peace. That is the real honor.”
The two saluted as the one replied “thank you sir. We need to return to training. Will you stop by to see us in action later?”
Cirrus smiled, “of course I will, I will always have time to see what you guys can do.”

The two smiled as they dropped their salute and continued passed the two towards the area where their training was taking place. As the two trotted out of earshot, Gem gave Cirrus a surprised look, “wow… for a second there it seemed like you were a veteran commander, telling them that you had time for them. Even I didn’t think about saying something like that.”
Cirrus smiled with modesty, “well… I just thought it would encourage them a little besides, I witnessed a similar situation this morning so I figured it would be good to see what their training consists of.”
Gem became curious, “a similar situation earlier?... when?”

Cirrus knew that saying it was in a dream would seem weird so he just shook his head, “n-never mind.”
Although Gem was curious as to what he was talking about, she could only give him a confused look as her attempt to reply was stopped by a loud roar that echoed throughout the cavern.
Hearing the ferocious roar, both Gem and Cirrus looked in the direction it echoed from as Cirrus asked, “What on earth was that?”
Gem replied, “I’m not sure, we should probably investigate though.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he turned towards the direction they were looking, “you’re right. Let’s go.”

With that the two started trotting through the large cavern towards the area that the loud roars continued to echo from. Not long after, the two finally arrived in an area where a large platform was being lowered from the surface as a massive cage rocked back and forth on the wooden scaffolding. As the massive wooden elevator was being lowered, Cirrus looked at the cage and could see a large manticore chewing at the metal bars as the enrage creature tried to free himself from his captors. After noticing the ferocious beast in its cage, Cirrus then looked to the ground below the platform as he saw Apple Barrel signaling the ponies that were lowering the platform as he spoke, “steady... Steady… all together now.”
As the wooden platform finally reached the ground, Apple Barrel, called, “alright, that’s enough. Now let’s get it onto the wagon.”

With that a number of ponies pulled a wagon into place as a group of unicorns started using magic to lift the cage and place it onto the large wagon. As the cage was being moved, Cirrus and Gem approached Apple Barrel as he saw them and saluted, “Mornin’ sir. Come to see the catch? Careful now, don’t get too close. Ever since we caught her she’s been as rowdy as a jack rabbit.”
Cirrus looked at the angry creature as it unawed on its bars and reached for nearby ponies as he asked, “she does seem ticked off. Did anypony get hurt catching her?”
Apple Barrel shook his head, “nah, nothing more than a few scratches. We managed to keep a safe distance while luring her into our traps. Although… a few scratches still hurt.”
With that said, Apple Barrel gestured to a few ponies with large bandages wrapped around their heads and torsos as Cirrus replied with an uneasy stare, “well… if you say they’re okay… then I trust you.”

As Cirrus finished talking, one of the loading unicorns spoke up, “Lieutenant Barrel, the cage is secure. Where should we take her?”
Apple Barrel replied, “Take her to the lab and wait outside. The general said Zine would be doing his mumbo jumbo stuff there.”
There soldier saluted, “understood sir”
as the soldier left to follow his orders, Gem asked, “So where is the General anyways?”
Apple Barrel replied, “Oh he’s off takin’ little Jet back to the Wonderbolt academy. He should be back soon. Till then let’s get this honoree critter to Zine for his spell castin’ stuff.”
Gem smiled, “You don’t seem too enthused about magic do you?”
Apple Barrel smiled, “Course I don’t, earth ponies like myself can’t understand two bits of any of that magic stuff. Course I don’t think anypony could be enthused about Zine’s type of magic. But, an order is an order. Ain’t like I’m the type to say no to one”
Cirrus smiled, “I guess you’re right about that. Either way let’s hope this wasn’t a waste of time.”

Far off in Canterlot, Commander Mist was in his office filling out paperwork as a greenish mare with a red mane knocked on his door, “Commander Mist, it’s Major Storm. Permission to enter sir?”
Commander Mist replied as he continued focusing on his paperwork, “granted…”
With that, the female guard entered the room and saluted as she spoke, “Sir… I came to deliver my leave form personally. I assume everything is in order.”
With that, the mare laid the paperwork on his desk as Commander Mist looked at the form under reason for leave, “Emergency? Exactly what kind of emergency?”
Major Storm replied, “This morning I received a message from my family in Trottingham. My grandmother has been ill and the doctor says that she is on her last leg. So, I would like to visit her before her time comes.”

Seeing the seriousness in her expression, Commander Mist nodded, “Very well… you will be given a week’s leave. However, you must return before that week is up. Thundaga has been gathering the best our army has to offer for a secret mission this evening, and though you won’t be there to attend, we will need you for the following conflicts that will result from it.”
Major Storm was curious “Secret mission? What mission is that?”
Commander Mist replied without concern for her curiosity, “I cannot disclose that information, all I can say is that it will confirm whether the rebellion is a joke or a serious threat.”

Unsure as to his actions, the mare could only nod her head as she replied, ‘understood. Thank you sir, I’m sure my family will be happy to see me.”
As Major Storm started to turn to leave Commander Mist stopped her, “One second Major… before you go I was wondering if you’ve heard the rumors that is being muttered through the ranks.”
Major Storm gave him a curious look, “rumors?... what kind of rumors sir?”
Commander Mist replied, “Lately I’ve heard rumors of a Third Party gathering recruits for an army of some kind. Although there isn’t any proof that these rumors are true, I have no doubt that if they are, then it’s possible that Zine, Cirrus, and that Gem Stone pony are responsible. So… have you heard anything about it?”

Major Storm smiled as she shook her head, “not at all… it’s most likely little barrack stories told amongst the lower ranks to keep themselves amused during guard duties. Until I see solid proof, I can only ignore such talk. However, if you suggest we act on it, then I'll be willing to follow whatever guidance you would offer on the subject.”
Commander Mist shook his head, “no need… if it’s idle chit-chat, then I would make a suggestion to the ranks that it needs to be laid to rest. But if you somehow stumble upon any proof… then you must notify me immediately, understood?”
Major Storm saluted Commander Mist as she replied, “I will sir. Thanks, and I'll see you in a week.”
With that said, Major Storm dropped her salute as she exited the office and proceeded towards her destination.

Later Cirrus, Gem, Apple Barrel, and General Dash were standing outside the Rebellions magic lab as they watch the manticore viciously claw and gnaw on the bars trying to free itself from its prison. As they watched Cirrus looked at the group as he spoke, “wow… three hours and he’s still as ticked as he was when he got here.”
Gem nodded her head, “I don’t know what’s more surprising, the fact that it was captured or the fact that it didn’t kill anypony in the process.”

General Dash smiled, “never underestimate our hunters, we find ways to manage on our own.”
The manticore then opened its massive jaw and closed it over two bars as it started closing its powerful jaws, bending the bars closer together. Seeing this made most of the ponies feel nervous as Cirrus spoke to Apple Barrel, “should we do something? What if it gets lo-”
“Oh, he’s a big kitty isn’t he?”

All of a sudden, the manticore with its jaws still over the bending bars, shifted its eyes over to where the unexpected voice came from. However once the beast saw who spoke, its eyes widened as it quickly released the bars and stared in fear at Zine as he approach the area. As Zine drew closer to the cage, the manticore started backing up until it was against the back bars as far away from Zine as it could possibly get. Seeing the unusual change in the manticore’s attitude, Apple Barrel spoke, “shoot, I ain’t seen a change in personality like that before. You use some kind of spell or somthin’?”
Zine gave Apple Barrel a sinister smile as he replied, “Not at all… it doesn’t matter how ferocious a beast is… it knows evil when it sees it.”
Zine approached the bars as he looked into the cage and spoke, “It looks big enough… this one should do.”

With that Zine turned around and pulled a rolled up cloth from his saddlebag as he asked, “did this manticore kill anypony when you were hunting it?”
Apple Barrel shook his head, “nope, just a few scratches why?”
Zine sighed in disappointment, “well I was hoping that if anypony was looking for revenge they were free to do the honors, but since there is no reason, I'll just have to take care of it myself.”
As Zine laid the cloth on the ground he unrolled it to reveal a razor sharp dagger as he held it up to check the blade. As he did, General Dash asked, “Take care of it? You mean, kill it?”

Zine looked at a nearby soldier as he gave an order, “bring me as many buckets as you can, and light the fire under the caldron in the lab. I’m going to need it ready as soon as possible.”
The soldier looked at General Dash as he nodded his head, “Do what he says for now.”
The soldier nodded as he went to follow the order given, Zine looked back at Dash and answered his question, “of course I am… how else am I going to gather its blood?”
All of a sudden everypony in the area was surprised as Cirrus asked, “gather its blood?... what in the world are you going to do?”
Zine smiled, “just a harmless spell… well… harmless to us anyways.”

At that moment the soldier returned with a large number of buckets that were stacked inside of each other as Zine looked at the pony and spoke, “alright… get ready because as soon as a bucket is full I'll need you to take it to the cauldron and pour it in. be sure you act quickly, we can risk any of the blood drying up before it gets to the cauldron.”
Not hearing the earlier comment, the soldier gave him a confused look, “um… what was that?”
Zine sighed, “I said we need to fill the cauldron with its blood and try to get it to a boil before it dries up.”
Cirrus nervously asked, “c-can blood even boil?”

Zine smiled as he unlocked the gate to the cage, “it sure can, if you know how to do it… now I will like to advise anypony that has a weak stomach to leave immediately… this is gonna get a little… messy.”
With that warning, almost everypony in the area including Cirrus, Gem Stone, General Dash and Apple Barrel turned around to leave as Zine soon found himself standing alone with only him and the soldier he instructed left in the area as he sighed, “wow… weak herd…”
with that he turned to the Manticore who tried to back up even furether but was stopped by the bars on the other side of the cage. As Zine trotted closer he griped the dagger firmly as he gave the terrified creature an evil smile, “here kitty, kitty, kitty…”

Far away from the site, Cirrus, and Gem trotted quickly away from the area as Cirrus mumbled, Wow… just when I think he can’t get any worse. He goes and pulls something like this. Sometime I wonder if he really is on our side.”
Gem Sighed, “To be honest, me too… but considering what he’s been through I suppose I can’t blame him for his insanity.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “I know… he told me about his past. It’s a hard thing to listen to.”
Gem nodded her head, “I know… it’s bad enough that our parents were killed… but his are still alive and breathing but neither one wants anything to do with him.”

Cirrus had to ask, “Did he ever try to get revenge for what happened to him?”
Gem shook her head, “you know I asked him the same question, but he said that there wasn’t any point. Getting revenge for the distant past was a waste of time. Or so he says. I think…. he enjoys the results of what happened too much. Think about it, he’s fearless, he has no worry to use dark magic, and he has been relieved of anything in Zebrica that he could possibly miss. No home, no family and no place in this world… it’s sad in a way… but then again… he’s kinda like us.”
Cirrus shook his head, “no… He’s exactly like us. Spike too. We’ve all had a happy life at one time and had it taken away from us unfairly. Hopefully… We’ll be able to get it back, or something similar.”

Meanwhile at the Wonderbolts Academy, Jet sat on the plateau training ground watching the students perform as he pouted, “It’s not fair… Dad got to say and hang out with Halo all day while I’m here watching this…”
hearing this one of the instructors looked at Jet and smile, “aww come on Jet, this isn’t so bad. I thought you liked watching the future Wonderbolts train.”
Jet continued pouting, “Yea… but none of them are as cool as Ha- huh?”

As Jet watched the Wonderbolts train, his sentence was cut short when the white clouds in the sky quickly multiplied while turning black and bringing a dark shadow across the grounds. As the midday sky slowly started to resemble an evening overcast, the instructor called to the students, “Everypony on the ground NOW! All hooves on deck!”
As the students stopped their drills and landed on the runway, a second teacher rushed up as he spoke to the first, “that’s strange, the weather called for partly cloudy skies. What in the world are those guys at the cloud factory doing?”
The second replied, “I don’t know… but I have a ba-”
“LOOK!!!”

At that moment, everypony’s attention went to the dark skies as Thundaga and a small formation of Royal Guards slowly descended through the clouds and towards the ground as they landed and formed up with Thundaga standing at the lead. After they landed, the formation held its ground as Thundaga’s eyes centered on the closest teacher as she started trotting towards him. As she approached, the teacher bowed as he spoke, “your majesty, I wasn’t expecting a surprise visit, are you here to encourage future Wonderbolts?”

Ignoring the question, Thundaga replied with an unamused stare, “Are you the lead instructor?”
Before the stallion could reply, another pony stepped up as she replied, “your majesty, I’m the lead instructor… is there something I can help you with?”
Thundaga looked at the mare as she replied, “yes… we understand that the pony in charge of this facility used to be Captain Dash of the Wonderbolts, correct?”
The mare nodded her head, “He was… but as you know, ever since we found out he is a member of the rebellion, he was banned and is no longer welcome on these grounds.”

Thundaga wasn’t convinced, “Is that so… well… then you’ve nothing to fear… Gather all the faculty and students to these grounds… we will be hosting a school assembly here for everypony attending or teaching in this academy… no exceptions.”
Trying to maintain peace, the lead instructor looked at her fellow teachers and spoke, “gather all the students and faculty here as fast as you can. Have them form up on the runway.”
Nodding their heads at the instruction, the teacher’s fanned out and rounded up all faculty and students. Although Jet was neither, the lead instructor had him fall in behind the faculty as the whole academy emptied its buildings and gathered every pegasus and griffin in the academy onto the runway.

About thirty minutes later, Thundaga found herself standing in front of two large formations. One of students and a smaller one of teachers. As soon as they were ready, the lead instructor approach Thundaga as she bowed, “your majesty, all students and faculty are present and accounted for.”
Thundaga smiled as the replied, “good, then fall in with the teachers and await our instruction.”
Nodding her head, the instructor fell in with the faculty as Thundaga trotted to the front of her formation and looked at the academy’s occupants one last time. Knowing that things were going according to plan, Thundaga turned to her soldiers as she gave an order with a serious expression, “Surround the students, and place them all under arrest for suspicion of treason! Then! Arrest all the teachers!”

As the guards started spreading out to surround the student formation, one of the teachers stepped forward, “No! You can’t!”
Thundaga replied with an unamused tone, “oh?… looks like we already did…”
Another teacher called, “The students did nothing wrong!”
Thundaga turned to the faculty as she replied, “if they are innocent then their innocents will be proven and they will be set free. However, we will hold them in the dungeon until proof is found.”
The first teacher spoke again, “this isn’t right, and you know it!”
Thundaga gave an angry glare as she replied, “if you wish to stop us… then go ahead… otherwise… we would suggest you hold you’re tongue when speaking to royalty.”
With anger taking control, the enraged pegasus charged at Thundaga as he replied, “There is nothing royal about you!!!”

When Thundaga saw the angered teacher quickly approaching her, she gave him an unconcerned stare as a bolt of lightning dropped from the dark clouds above as it hit the high speed pegasus long before he reached her, as the stunned pony fell to the ground and rolled a large number of feet before ending his high speed crash with a painful slide stopping right in front of Thundaga’s hooves. After seeing the bolt hit the pegasus, Jet looked to the sky as he mumbled in shock, “those clouds… are they all her lightning orb?”
Too stunned to move, the injured pegasus struggled to pick himself up as Thundaga kicked him in his side and rolled him over so that he was laying on his back. With the pegasus coughing in his pain, Thundaga placed her hoof on his throat as she pressed down causing the coughs of pain to turn into coughs of choking. As the teacher struggled to free himself, the lead instructor stepped forward, “Your majesty please! Let him go! He didn’t mean anything by it, he was just concerned for the student’s safety th-”
“Silence!”

Confused the instructor silenced herself as Thundaga continued, “We know that this place is really a small haven for members of the rebellion. Just as we know that everypony here is still loyal to that traitorous General of yours. And this pony right here… was living proof.”
Worried about what was going to happen, the herd of teachers stared at their pinned comrade as Thundaga drew her sword and held it high over his head, “For your action against the crown! We hereby sentence you… TO DEATH!!!”
With that Thundaga dropped her blade as another teacher stepped forward, “NO!!!”

Although the word echoed throughout the entire campus, it stopped nothing as the blade pierced its target, and killed the pined stallion right in front of his comrades. As soon as they saw this everypony’s face, whether they were student or teacher stared in fear at Thundaga as she pulled her sword from the corpse and flung the blood from the blade. Then with the sword still drawn, Thundaga looked at the formation of teacher as she spoke, “Which one of you told us… no?... Which one defended this traitor as an accomplice?...”
the entire formation replied with silence as Thundaga allowed the silence to carry on for a few seconds before sighing in disappointment, “As we suspected… you are all traitors, and this academy… is nothing but a breeding ground for more. Well, let’s take care of that.”

With that said Thundaga looked at the closest building to her which was the faculty classrooms as she smiled, “Starting with this…”
with that said, a spark jumped from her hoof as a bolt of lightning dropped from the clouds above hitting and tearing through the roof of the structure as the building remained standing now with a massive hole in its roof. Seeing that the building was still standing Thundaga mumbled, “The structure is stronger than expected… perhaps more is needed.”
With that said, a barrage of lightning dropped from the sky like rain as the bolts hit the building one after another tearing through the roof, the walls, and the cloud foundation as the building slowly started to descend as the lightning continued pummeling the crumbling structure until it descended below the plateau’s horizon and fell to the earth below.

Leaving no room for mourning, Thundaga turned to the building on the other side of the summit runway as a second rain of lightning bolts dropped from the sky as they quickly tor through the structure leaving it to also crumble as it too fell from the sky. One by one, Thundaga started placing her focus on the many cloud building that hovered around the plateau runway as lightning fell like rain onto every structure leaving massive holes in both the buildings and their cloud foundation as the surrounding students and faculty members watched the chaos in horror.

As the buildings crumbled around the mountain, a few faculty whispered to one another as one spoke, “What do you think guys… last stand?...”
Most of the formation nodded, while the rest replied with a yes as one pony turned to Jet who was standing in the back of the formation as he spoke, “Jet… Listen carefully… When we give the word, a lot of stuff is going to happen all at once. When it does… I want you to leave the area as quickly as your wings can take you. Don’t stop for anything… we need you to tell the general what’s happening here. Can you do that?”
Jet nodded as he replied, “okay…but what about you?”
The pegasus smiled, “don’t worry about us… we’re the Wonderbolts we’ll be fine. Just focus on getting out, we’re counting on you.”
With that the formation of faculty looked at Thundaga who was still launching her attack on the surrounding building as the lead instructor spoke quietly, “ready… NOW!!!”

As soon as the order was given, the faculty quickly scattered and focused their attack on the Royal Guards and Thundaga as both Jet and the students used this opportunity to either fight back, or flee to safety. With the element of surprise on their side, the faculty and students that fought were able to overpower the Royal Guards as they turned their attack towards Thundaga and continued their charge. However, Thundaga had already prepared for such a scenario as she took her attention away from the destruction of the academy as she looked at the attacking ponies and called, “COMMANDER LAUNCH THE ATTACK!!!”
With that order, Commander Mist and a large army of Royal Guards dropped in from above the storm clouds as the overwhelming army dropped in to neutralize the threat. Although the hidden army was unexpected, the outnumbered pegasi continued their charge knowing that it would be their last, as the two clashing forces met, quickly turning the summit runway into a battlefield. With everything around him turning hostile, Jet did exactly as he was told as he dashed towards the end of the plateau, dove from the edge, and flew strait into the forest below to hide from anypony that might be following him.

As soon as he reached the trees, Jet took cover in the leaves as he stopped and tried to catch his breath as he looked back to the plateau behind him. Trying to catch his breath as fast as he could, Jet tried to breathe deeply, but as he looked back at the plateau training ground, he could only gasp in disbelief. Trying to convince himself that what he was seeing wasn’t real, Jet glided to the ground and watched in dread as the Wonderbolt Academy Main Hall fell through the haze above and crashed into the ground at the base of the mountain. When he saw this, Jet started to tear up, the world as he knew it was full of adventure, but seeing this happen before his eyes, seeing his world literally come crashing down around him, was almost too much for the young colt to bear. And although the battle above couldn’t be seen from the ground, Jet tried not to imagine what all the sound were as he heard sounds of metal clashing, hooves trampling, and wounded screaming. With this sight, and these sounds hitting him, Jet could only place his hooves over his ears as he cringed, “what?…what’s happening?… why is this happening?… what should I do?... How should I-”

Before he could finish his sentence, he was silenced when a bolt of lightning came down behind him, as large shadow cascaded over him causing him to freeze in terror. After seeing the shadow, Jet could only turn slowly as he found himself looking at Thundaga who stood over him with an unconcerned look on her face and her eyes locked on him. As soon as he saw her, Jet found himself completely frozen in fear. His mind kept telling him to run away, but no matter how much he wanted to, his hooves remained frozen in place. Staring into what he thought would be his last sight, tears began rolling down the terrified colt’s face as Thundaga looked down on the colt, and spoke with little emotion in her voice, “you there…what is your name?... Tell us?...”
Trembling in fear, Jet tried to reply, “J-J-J… J-J-J…”

Knowing that his fear was too much for him Thundaga replied, “You can’t answer… no matter… it’s irrelevant… Since you cannot speak, we will not ask as to the location of General Dash or the Rebellion Hideout. Instead… we will like you to deliver him a message. Tell the general that as of this day… Equestria is officially at war with the rebellion. If he does not surrender himself and his soldiers, we will begin hunting down the family members of the rebellion, and start executing them for suspicion of treason. However, if he were to turn himself in… then his soldiers will receive full pardons while he alone will stand before the executioner. This is our first, last, and only offer, it would be wise for him to consider it. Now go…”

With that, Thundaga started trotting passed the terrified colt and took to the sky to fly back into the battle above. As she arrived, most of the fighting had subsided as Commander Mist rushed to Thundaga, “your majesty, we were able to subdue the Wonderbolts, however a large number of the students were able to flee in the confusion.”
Thundaga replied with an unamused tone, “let the cowards flee… our work here is done. Gather the wounded, and kill the prisoners… The first battle of this war is now over.” she started trotting away, “And as expected… we were victorious.”

Ch18 Arms For a War

The meeting room seemed depressing as everypony sat at the table with unhappy looks on their faces. Cirrus, Gem Stone, Madam Melody, General Dash, Apple Barrel and a few other officers of the Rebellion sat with nothing to say as General Dash sighed and replied to what brought about this mood, “how… how many Wonderbolts are accounted for?…”
The rebellion officer replied, “all of them sir… after we identified all the bodies at the site… we found that all of the Wonderbolts excluding you were there… and… none survived the fight.”
Cirrus asked, “How is Jet?”
The rebellion soldier replied, “He’s fine… but he’s traumatized over the whole ordeal. We sent him to the medical ward to rest. We hope he might be able to sleep it off.”
Cirrus sighed, “We can only hope, he’s tough for his age, but he is still just a colt.”

General Dash slammed his hoof on the table in anger, “I can’t believe this! This time she’s gone too far!”
Cirrus thought to himself, “true, but something seems… off.”
Gem asked, “What do you mean commander?”
Cirrus replied, “This… doesn’t seem like something Thundaga would do. This just doesn’t seem like the Thundaga I know.”
Cirrus was met with blank stares as Madam Melody nodded her head, “I agree vis ze commander. Ze Zundaga I know vouldnt do such zings eizer.”
General Dash gave both Cirrus and Madam Melody a dumb look, “What… are you talking about?...” his expression became angry, “this is Thundaga! You know, the mare who has been holding the kingdom hostage for centuries. This is exactly like something she would do!”
Cirrus shook his head, “Before, I would agree with you. But there is more to her then what we know. Major Melody saw it, Allium saw it, and I saw it. Thundaga is dangerous, but she’s not heartless. She spared my life twice, and Gem’s once.”

Gem Stone objected, “Commander, she threw me from a bridge, after dislocating my wing. She didn’t spare me at all. She counted on your loyalty to let me die.”
Madam Melody though to herself, “Vait… she tossed you from a bridge and expected ze commander to let you fall?”
Cirrus realized something, “but… she knows perfectly well that I wouldn’t let that happen to anypony. Why would she?...”
General Dash sighed as he replied with an angry tone, “listen to yourselves… this isn’t her? Why would she do that?... don’t you understand!?! This is Thundaga! This is nothing new to us! Are you supporting her now! Are you actually sympathizing with her after what she did to the Wonderbolt Academy? Is that what’s happening here!?!”

Apple Barrel spoke up, “Now, now general, they didn’t mean anythin’ by it.”
General Dash continued in anger, “Commander… Major… say what you want but the fact still remains… the Wonderbolts… my family… Is gone! The only course of action now… IS WAR!!! We will go to battle and destroy her!”
Cirrus gave him a surprised look, “What? But that’s crazy?”
Gem Stone spoke up, “Calm down General, the commander is right, reacting in anger won’t solve anything. You said yourself that you didn’t have the forces to fight her before her declaration. How is now any different?”
General Dash still in a fit of anger replied, “I don’t care! She drew the line in the sand, now is the time to cross it.”

Gem replied, “Listen to me! I’m trying to tell you that you can’t fight her! If you march into battle now, you and everypony in your army will die!”
“SHUT UP!!! If we let Thundaga do this to our families then what kind of general would I b-”
Before he could finish, Apple Barrel stood up, trotted to him, and punched General Dash in his muzzle as he was knocked out of his chair and onto the ground. Stunned by the sudden punch, General Dash laid on the ground for a few seconds as Apple Barrel turned to Cirrus and Saluted, “Commander Halo, sorry for actin’ out of character sir. I s’pose you should have given me the order to ring his bell before actually doin’ it.”
Cirrus shook his head, “it’s alright lieutenant, you did exactly what I was thinking anyways.” He looked at General Dash, “Since you’re on the ground right now, take the time to listen up while you’re there… I know how angry you are, and I know what that kind of anger can do… but right now you need to think logically. Thundaga drew the line in the sand because she knew you were hard headed enough to cross it without a second thought. What we need you to do is to calm yourself down first then consider your retaliation carefully. Right now, Zine is at work on a spell to help, and the rest of my army is training. Soon we will do something as retaliation, but till then the best thing to do is to stand by and wait for an opportunity. When you’re finally ready to consider your options, then maybe I'll listen. Till then… I think this meeting is over.”

General Dash sat up and gave Cirrus an angry look, but didn’t reply as Cirrus looked at Madam Melody and asked, “Major, where is Allium right now?”
Madam Melody replied, “She is vith Jet. Alzough zey argue a lot, she is vorried for him after vat he vent zrough.”
Cirrus nodded, “alright… because of the state of the kingdom, I will suggest she stay here indefinitely until this mess blows over. Till then, you will continue to have command over the soldiers and see to it that they continue their training.” He turned to Apple Barrel, “Lieutenant Barrel, and gather information of all soldiers who were part of the rebellion before joining the Nightmare Legion. Let them know that their families are at risk for Thundaga’s threat, and if necessary allow them time to relocate their families as needed.”
Apple Barrel nodded his head as he replied, “Will do sir.”

Cirrus looked at Gem Stone, “Captain, you will continue to act as my second. But right now I need you to go into Ponyville and gather as many books on Commander Bolt and his battle tactics as you can. I don’t know much, but maybe they will inspire a course of action.”
Gem nodded, “yes Sir, and anything I don’t find, I'll try to remember for you… funny, you sound like a commander now.”
Cirrus smiled, “good, if I can fool you I can fool Thundaga.”
Chuckling at his joke, Cirrus concluded, “You have your orders… now let’s fall out.”
As Cirrus turned to leave one of General Dash’s officers spoke up, “wait! You think you can just get away with that? Your lieutenant need to answer for-”
“It’s fine...”

Surprised, the room looked at General Dash as he stood up and spoke, “Losing the Wonderbolts and my academy hit me pretty hard… much harder than any punch you can give me lieutenant… but… I was being a little foalish. I apologies… and… hope that if the time comes, you can offer me some words of wisdom, Commander.”
Cirrus smiled in a joking manner, “don’t worry, as soon as I find them, you will be one of the first to know.”
With that, the group left the small room as they each split up to do as they were told.

As Cirrus trotted through the tunnels, he could see the members of the rebellion and nightmare legion alike talking about the disaster at the Wonderbolts Academy. However as he continued, he found himself thinking about some of Gem’s lessons as they echoed in his mind, “A commander must keep his composure no matter the situation. Whether he is standing in an active battlefield, or trotting through the camp, he must understand that if his face shows worry or sadness, it can spread to his subordinates. I’m not saying you should be laughing in battle or smiling when a comrade dies, but at most times, showing no expression is better than the alternative.”
As he thought about these words, he started to notice everyponies expressions of worry as he mumbled to himself, “No expression?… easier said than done.”

Although the lesson was in his mind, his expression still had a hint of doubt as Cirrus entered the main cavern to see Spike helping some nightmare soldiers set up a food stall as he looked at Cirrus and smiled, “oh, hey commander. Uh… you okay?... you look a little uneasy.”
Cirrus replied, “I’m fine… I just have a lot on my mind. You’ve… heard what happened right?”
Spike’s smile faded as he nodded his head, “yea… I heard. I know Thundaga’s supposed to be evil and all… but considering who she used to be… it’s unsettling to hear her act like this.”
Cirrus gave Spike a curious look, “who she used to be… you mean Princess Um-”

Before Cirrus could finish his sentence, the doors leading into the magic lab blew open as a large dragon compiled entirely of red smoke flew through the cavern as everypony in its path jumped out of the way as it sent most of the cavern into a fit of panic. As the red dragon flew through the crowd, it knocked over tents and other obstacles in its path. As the blood red dragon tore through its surroundings, Zine quickly rushed out of the Lab as he called out, “Nopony panic! Nopony Panic! He won’t hurt you! Or… He won’t attack you at least. Sorry! Sorry! Wow that looked expensive. Sorry! Sorry! That looks like it hurt. Sorry! My fault! Sorry!”
As the dragon continued tearing through the cavern, everypony in its path quickly jumped out of the way until it approached Spike, as the red dragon paused and tilted its head in confusion leaving Spike to do the same before mumbling, “what the?...”

The smoke dragon stared in confusion at Spike for a brief moment before turning around and flying back towards the lab. As it drew closer, Zine had to drop to the ground to dodge the dragon as it flew passed him and towards the doors that closed behind him. Seeing this he called, “HEY! SOMEPONY OPEN THA-!”
Before he could finish, the smoke dragon hit and shattered the wooden door as Zine continued, “um… never mind.”
After blasting through the doors like a freight train, the dragon circled the cauldron one last time before diving into the cauldron and vanishing into the brew. After the dragon was gone, Zine sighed in relief as he looked at the damage, “is everypony okay? I promise that didn’t happen last time. Don’t worry I'll pay for everything broken… just… add it to the commander’s tab. Label it Zine’s doing. He’ll know what it means.”

Trying to forget what happened, Zine started trotting back to the lab as Cirrus called in anger, “ZINE!!!”
Hearing his name Zine turned to Cirrus as he smiled innocently, “oh… commander you’re already here… um… so… how’s it going?”
Cirrus replied in anger as he pointed to all the damage that was caused, “you mind telling me what that was!?!”
Zine looked at all the damage as he replied, “oh… right… sorry about that, but they will probably send you a bill for that… don’t worry it’s probably not as bad as it looks.”
Cirrus shook his head, “not that! I’m talking about the Dragon!”
Zine leaned to the side and looked passed Cirrus at Spike who was giving him an unamused look, as the zebra looked back and replied, “um… sir… that’s Spike… I thought we went over this already.”
Cirrus shook his head, “Not that dragon! THE RED ONE!!!”

Acting innocent, Zine nodded as he replied, “Oh! That dragon… It was just an effect of a spell. Still nothing to worry about.”
Cirrus tried to lower his voice as he replied, “Nothing to worry about?… A blood sacrifice is nothing to worry about!?!”
Zine smiled with pride, “Well look at you. Remembering a lesson from my story… and here I thought you weren’t paying attention when I talk about magic.”
Although Zine was smiling, Cirrus showed was scowling as he asked, “Whose blood did you use?”
Zine waved his hoof in a calming manner, “Calm down sir, the blood used was my own. This particular spell called for the blood of the caster, not the blood of the deceased like last time.”

Cirrus felt uneasy, “what exactly will this spell do?”
Zine shook his head, “sorry sir… I can’t tell you that. As I explained before, there are only three spells that use the blood of zebra, and all three are the most forbidden of our kind. This particular one… is number three. But… as I said. I can’t tell you what it does. Only that it’s called the Capture Spell… and for good enough reason.”
Cirrus gave him a skeptic look, “And it won’t harm us in anyway?”
Zine smiled in a reassuring way, “as much as its effects would say otherwise… it won’t. I didn’t make this for you sir. So you and everypony in the Nightmare Legion will be safe. You have my word.”
Cirrus sighed as he replied, “As much as I can’t trust you… I’ll let you finish this spell. Just let me know… are there any more unusual ingredients for this spell that I should know about?”

Zine shook his head, “not at all, all that’s left to do is add phoenix feathers and let it boil for about ten hours. After that I need to let it curdle so that I can make it into a ball and carry it by hoof… from there… I can’t say anymore.”
Cirrus continued giving Zine a look of distrust as he asked, “And there won’t be any more surprises?”
Zine smiled in embarrassment, “there shouldn’t be. The dragon was much different from the last time. Perhaps it reacts differently depending on the zebra. Don’t worry though. The rest of the ingredients shouldn’t be as violent.”
Cirrus started to reply, “good, then do what you have to the-”
“Commander Halo?”
Cirrus turned to Butterscotch Pie as the caramel pony returned from his messenger task. As the earth pony approached, Cirrus greeted him, “oh, welcome back lieutenant. I guess your message was delivered successfully?”

Butterscotch smiled, “well… yea, the message was delivered… but um… we need you to come to the hideout’s gate. We have a bit of a problem… just a little one though.”
Zine smiled, “ah… a messenger you are, but problems with the messenger?”
Butterscotch smiled nervously, “yep, they want to take her as a prisoner… but that’s not on me, I told them that she isn’t an enemy but um… the rebellion soldiers aren’t so sure.”
Zine nodded his head, “no problem, I can take it from here. Commander, would you accompany me? For an ex-sceptic like you… this is gonna be a real eye opener.”

As the two started trotting, Butterscotch started trotting with them until Zine stopped him, “you don’t have to come with us. I can handle it from here… in fact if you can, go into the lab and find the jar of phoenix feathers and add three to the potion in the caldron. After that you can put the lid over it and let it boil for a good while. I'll be back to handle it before anything else needs to be done.”
Butterscotch was curious, “Okie-dokie three feathers… but… are you sure I should do it? I don’t know much about magic.”

Zine smiled, “don’t worry about it. I’m sure you can do it. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had some gypsy magic in your family. Just add the feathers as if you were baking a cake. Only instead of batter, it’s boiling blood, and instead of eggs… it’s phoenix feathers.”
Butterscotch nodded his head as he replied “welp… I don’t know what a gypsy is… but I'll do my best…” he realized something as his expression became curious, “Wait… what was that last part about boiling blood?”
Leaving no reply, Zine turned and began trotting towards the gate to the hideout as Cirrus followed.

When they arrived to the room that separated the staircase entrance and the rest of the cavern the group entered to see a female Royal Guard standing in the center of the room with a patient smile on her face while six rebellion soldiers stood surrounding her with the tips of spear blades pressed against her neck as she spoke, “well it’s about time… I’m getting an itch on my back and they won’t let me scratch it.”
As the group entered, Zine smiled, “ah, Ms. Storm it’s good to see you. Funny I didn’t think you would wear your armor here. Not the brightest move on your part, you’ve basically painted a target on yourself.”
Major Storm sighed, “I kinda had no choice. You see, with the security at the Canterlot gates as high as it is, I had to be wearing armor to bring your purchase with me. Otherwise, I would have been taken in and probably executed. Now if you don’t mind… can I assume the pegasus your with is Commander Halo?”

Unsure whether he can trust this mare or not, Cirrus replied, “yes… My name is Commander Cirrus Cloud, but most ponies call me Commander Halo. And… you’re Ms. Storm?”
The captive mare smiled as she replied, “yes… My name is Major Tundra Storm. And as of today… I am an informant for the Nightmare Legion.”
Cirrus was confused, “an… Informant?”
With no room to shrug her shoulders she replied, “Informant, insurgent, call me whatever you want, but I believe the most common term would be a spy.”
Zine smiled as he explained, “Major Storm here wants to defect to the Nightmare Legion. She and I met a while back and she told me that if I were to ever stumble upon the Third Commander, that she would happily join your army.”

Cirrus gave him a funny look, “what?... why did you wait this long to tell her about me then?”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “you didn’t have an army till the day before yesterday. Before that it was just you, me, Ms. Stone, and Spike.”
Major Storm started to speak, “as soon as I got your message I-” She sighed in irritation, “can you call off this guards please… it’s hard to talk with spears on my throat.”
The guards looked at Cirrus as he nodded as a signal as the guards responded by lowering their weapons and backing away. Free from her captive, Major Storm rubbed her neck as she replied with sarcasm, “thank you… geez. Hard to talk with the worry of impalement. Anyways where were we?”
Zine smiled, “you were about to show us what you’ve been working on… is it finished?”

Major Storm reached behind her as she held up a big box and replied, “Yes it is… although the color might be off… you said he was sky blue.”
Feeling unusual, Cirrus looked at Zine as he replied, “well… I call it sky blue. Why what color would you say he was.”
Major Storm replied, “He’s Closer to either a dark cerulean blue, or a sea green. Realizing they were talking about the color of his coat, Cirrus spoke up, “um… what’s this about?”
Major Storm smiled as she opened the box and smiled, “it’s about this.”

At that moment, Major Storm pulled out a diamond shaped shield from the box as she held it up and showed it off. From the tip of the top point to the bottom was almost three feet across while it was about two feet from the right to the left. Two of the four sides were only a foot long, however the bottom of the shield was extended down making the other two sides two feet while the edges of the shield on these sides were sharpened to resemble a sword’s blade. The center of the shield was bowed out with straight edges that made it resemble a three dimensional diamond. All four edges of the shield were silver creating a strip that lined both the blade and non-bladed sides. On the inside of the silver stripe was a sky blue field that filled in the inside entirely, while in the center of the shield with the peak of the diamond’s bow in its center was a white halo that circled the peak with a white cross on its inside, resembling Cirrus’s cutiemark.

Looking at the large shield, Cirrus spoke, “whoa… is… that for me?”
Major Storm smiled, “sure is Sir. Consider it a gift to christen my defection from the Equestrian Royal Guards to the Nightmare Legion. Although I was asked to make this about a month ago.” She looked at Zine, “oh, and I was sure to return Commander Bolt’s shield as requested. Just like the last, only this one I sent to Thundaga instead of Commander Mist.”
Cirrus was confused, “Commander Bolt’s shield?”

Storm smiled, “yes sir, I used it as a sort of blueprint for this shield. Like the other the smooth edges and reinforced steel make it a perfect weapon to both defend and attack. Although I used a stronger mix of iron and aluminum to increase its strength. It’s slightly heavier, but I could promise that no arrows of our royal guards will ever be able to penetrate it. And the micro-serrated blade will allow it to cut through even the toughest hide. To be honest, this is the best my family has ever made. And we’ve been making weapons since the time of Discord’s rule. But like all shields, it won’t help you, if it’s not between you and your enemies’ weapons so remember to use it properly.”

Cirrus looked at Zine as he asked, “you planned this?...”
Zine smiled, “a good commander needs a good weapon. Besides, what better weapon for the Commander of Peace to carry then a shield. Needless to say, Major Storm here it the best weapon smith the kingdom has to offer. And when I heard her mention that she wanted to be stationed outside the castle, I started to get curious.”
Major Storm nodded, “true… with my reputation, Thundaga wanted me to be placed in the main castle armory, but to be honest I like my job, not my boss. True that I must follow her orders at all times, but in the grand scheme of it, that doesn’t mean I have to respect her. Thundaga is the ruler, but I don’t like how her power is being flaunted over everypony in the kingdom like it is. A good princess looks out for the kingdom and its subjects. From what I’ve seen, she only looks out for the kingdom. And recently… she’s become a lot worse.”

Cirrus nodded his head, “yea… we heard about what happened at the Wonderbolt Academy.”
Major Storm shook her head, “it’s not just there. All over Equestria. She’s turned this kingdom into a prison. The mayors of every town have been taken out of office and replaced with her highest ranking officials. The security on the border has increased. Every town with gates have started randomly searching traveling civilians. I just don’t know what gotten into her. Ever since she started using the royal we she’s become… I don’t know… evil.”
Cirrus was confused, “royal what?”
Zine explained, “The Royal We. Some royalty refer to themselves as if they were two ponies instead of one. For example, I is now we, my is now our, and me is now us. It’s a strange way to talk, but then again, who’s going to question the princess? If she says apples are now oranges, a royal decree will go out and it will become the norm.”

Cirrus thought to herself, “She’s been referring to herself as two… hm…”
Zine was curious, “what’s up commander? Figure something out?”
Cirrus shook his head, “not really… just a curious thought.”
Major Storm smiled, “Either way, I’m here now and whatever you need, I'll be happy to help sir. I would just prefer to keep my cover with the royal guards for now. I can be of better use as a mare on the inside.”
Zine nodded his head, “you have a point. Welcome aboard. Since you are a skilled guard, you will maintain your rank and title and be placed under my command. But most of your actions, including your royal guard status will remain hidden from the rest of the Nightmare legion. Not saying it will happen. But I’m sure a number of my soldiers are holding grudges against the royal guards. So it would be better to avoid letting them know you were one of them.”

Major Storm smiled “Understood sir, If you want I can remove my armor, I will just need a bag to keep it in while I’m here.”
Cirrus nodded, “sure, will you be staying long?”
Major Storm nodded her head, “less than a week yes. If I’m here longer than that, then I will risk breaking my cover. Also I need to fit you for the strap on your shield, it won’t take long but I need to make it tight enough for you to wear it comfortably. So…”
that said, the armored unicorn used her magic to pull a tape measure, a pen, and a notepad from her saddlebag, “hold out your hoof.”
Cirrus was confused, “seriously… here?”

Major Storm nodded her head, “a commander must be ready for battle… not to mention I’m the best weapon smith in the kingdom, if your weapon isn’t ready for you when you need it, then what good am I… so, even before I get settled here…I need your hoof please.”
Cirrus hesitated before holding out his hoof to her, “um… okay…”
As soon as his hoof was accessible, Major Storm wrapped the measuring tap around his hoof as she carefully studied the measurement before speaking, “hmm… you’re much skinnier then I expected.”
Cirrus gave her an unamused look, “why does everypony say that?”
Zine smiled, “Cuz it’s true…”

After getting the measurement, Major storm used her magic as she jotted down the measurements and put all the item away, to include the unfinished shield back in its original box, “looks good sir, I'll have it ready for you by morning.”
Zine smiled, “good…cuz tomorrow marks day three…”
Cirrus gave him a concerned look, “okay I'll bite… what is day three supposed to be?”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “who knows, the last day of the sub-peace maybe.”
“Sub-peace?”
Zine thought to himself as he replied, “well… you could say it’s the last day for us to relax like this… after tomorrow, things get… interesting.”

Cirrus started to ask Zine what he was talking about, but before he could Gem Stone came trotting down the entrance steps as she saw him and smiled, “oh commander, good timing, I have those books you as-”
Before Gem could finish her statement, she saw the obvious royal guard in the room as her expression became serious as she looked at Cirrus and asked, “Commander… who is this?”
Cirrus replied, “Oh, welcome back Captain Stone, this is-”
Major Storm saluted as she replied, “Ma’am, my name is Major Tundra Storm. It’s an honor to meet you Captain Stone.”
Although she was still skeptic, Gem saluted back as she replied, “Uh… thanks.”
Major Storm continued, “Hearing how you put the tension on Thundaga in Canterlot, It’s a real inspiration to all us who are unsure of Thundaga’s rule.”
Still unsure, Gem looked at Cirrus as he explained, “Major Storm here is one of Thundaga’s soldiers who wants to defect. Although her defection is kept quiet so for the time being, she is a spy for us. And from what I hear, she is also a master weapons smith.”

Gem realized something as she looked at Major Storm who replied, “Well… master is sort of an understatement. But yes, there is no pony better in the entire kingdom who can make weapons like I can.”
Gem Stone asked, “major… you say your name is Storm… are you related to Captain Iron Storm of the Nightmare Legion?”
Major Storm smiled, “in fact I am. Since long before even his time, my family has built weapons for all generations of royal guards. In fact it was my family who crafted the sword used by Shining Armor during the Eden’s Kiss Catastrophe.”
Zine smiled sarcastically, “didn’t that one break?”
Major Storm gave him an annoyed look, “well yea, but I don’t think any sword could have survived the power that wiped out an entire civilization.”

Gem Stone spoke up, “Captain Storm… was like a father to me. I honestly don’t know if I would be here if he wasn’t there to help train me.”
Major Storm smiled, “well… I honestly can’t say anything about him since… I never met him. But if you say he was a great stallion, then I’m happy to be his descendent. And if you ever need me to look at your bow or make modifications, just ask.”
Seeing that the two would get along, Cirrus smiled as he looked at Gem, “you got the books captain?”
Gem Smiled, “oh yes I did sir. She reached into a saddlebag, here, I was only able to find two books on the war, but if you need any more info on the original Nightmare Legion, just ask.”
Cirrus took the books as he smiled, “thanks, I'll look them over and see if I can come up with a strategy on the upcoming battle.”

Major Storm gave Cirrus a concerned look, “battle? So you are planning an attack?”
Feeling a little cautious about his reply, he hesitated, “well… not yet. But it’s not like things will get any better as time goes on. I know I’m not much of a commander yet… but as a commander, I’m not going to wait till Thundaga has us completely surrounded before giving the order to fight back.”
Gem smiled at his words as Zine patted him on the shoulder, “Well said, Commander Halo.”
Major Storm smiled, “well, you got me convinced sir. If you ever need any help from my position. Just say the word.”

With that said, Cirrus turned to the cavern doorway as he spoke, “Thanks, a high ranking Royal Guard just might come in handy. Well I'll be in the lab if anypony needs me. Hopefully things will be quiet enough for me to read these books.”
Zine smiled, “It will be… until I get back to finish the potion anyways. But for now… I’ll show the Major to a changing room. It’s not safe for a royal guard to go traipsing about here. She’s liable to get jumped by the entire cavern.”
With that said, Cirrus nodded as the group went off to do the tasks they had planned.

Back in Canterlot, Thundaga sat in her throne in a tension filled silence as her magic was used to hold an old teardrop shaped shield in the air as Commander Mist entered and spoke, “Your Majesty? You summoned me?”
Thundaga turned the shield around as she continued sitting and spoke in an angry but calm voice, “Commander… what is this?”
Commander Mist looked at the emblems painted on the damaged surface of the ancient shield as he replied, “That’s Commander Bolt’s shield isn’t it? But… when was it recovered?”
With no change in her angry tone, she replied, “this morning, a mail carrier was apprehended at the castle gate with it. It was in a parcel addressed to us. We don’t know who sent it… and yet they mock us with the same trick as Commander Mist’s spear.”
Commander Mist was curious, “Should we turn our focus back onto the museum robbery?”

Thundaga shook her head, “don’t bother… we already know who is responsible. We just realized it this morning.”
Commander Mist asked, “Really? Who?”
Thundaga explained, “consider the following… what three items were stolen from the museum. First, Commander Mist’s spear, an item carried by your family name. Next, Commander Bolt’s shield, the weapon carried by my father, the second commander, and the symbols of the Nightmare Legion. And finally…”
Commander Mist thought to himself, “Captain Gem Stone’s quiver… carried by Captain Gem Stone herself… who… was supposedly with Cirrus the other day.”
Thundaga nodded, “exactly, as you know… Captain Stone revealed herself here a few days ago in a pathetic attempt of overthrowing us. So although the other two artifacts are recovered, it’s only expected that the last is in her hooves.”

Commander Mist replied in anger, “so it was that mare who stole the artifacts isn’t it?”
Thundaga shook her head, “no… she may hold the artifact, however look at the other two. One, wielded by my father the second commander and a spear held by your family. The shield would have been stolen for Cirrus who is reported as the next commander.”
Commander Mist replied, “So it was that pegasus who stole them?”
Thundaga shook her head again, “wrong again commander, if anypony, it was Zine. He brought Captain Stone back from the dead, so he recovered her quiver so that she would use it since it would hold sentimental value for her.”

Commander Mist stomped his hoof in anger, “I KNEW IT!!! I knew all along that that traitorous zebra was responsible for this. I never trusted him! Ever since the day we let him out of that cell he’s been nothing but trouble. I never liked him.”
Thundaga smiled in amusement, “yes… and that’s why he took your families’ spear too… I can only guess he took that just to spite you further.”
Commander Mist replied in anger, “that miserable son of a-… wait… that explains why he took the spear and quiver… but why did he take Commander Bolt’s shield? If he still had it I would understand, but… why would he return it if he wasn’t going to have Cirrus use it.”

Thundaga rotated the shield around with her magic as she replied, “this hole in its surface was dealt by Nightmare Moon. I would guess that with this damage… it couldn’t be useful. And repairing it wouldn’t be good neither since metal this old isn’t as strong as it used to be. However… for some reason this shield was kept and held from us for a few weeks. So in that time… what could it had been used for? Nevertheless, there is only one obvious decision that needs to be made in this matter. We must seek out Zine to figure it out… and since Captain Gem Stone obviously has the quiver in her possession, I am revoking the banishment of Cirrus Cloud, and Gem Stone, and ordering a warrant for their arrest.”
Commander Mist bowed his head and smiled, “yes your majesty, I'll issue the order immediately.”
Thundaga nodded, “see that you do… we want them brought to us alive, that way … we can finish this with our own hoof.”

Ch19 The Commander's Suggestion

Cirrus found himself standing in what seemed to be a barren wasteland as he looked around in confusion. As he examined his surroundings, Cirrus tried to find something around him to help tell him where he was, however before he was able to make a guess, an odd glowing sphere in the sky seemed to grab all of his attention. Curious, Cirrus watched the magical sphere closely, but as he did, he realized that it was growing quickly as it flew towards him at an earth shattering speed. Seeing the imminent danger, Cirrus turned to run away from the area as the yellow magical orb came crashing down behind him creating a massive crater in the earth while the shockwave tossed Cirrus far from the impact and leaving him to hit the ground and roll a few feet. Relieved that the sphere missed him, Cirrus quickly picked himself up before rushing back to the crater’s edge to see what happened to the orb.

As Cirrus looked into the crater, he could see the magical barrier clearly while making out what looked to be the shadows of two alicorns inside the sphere. All of a sudden the magical orb exploded outward sending both mares in opposite directions as the two thrown ponies hit the edges of the creator and rolled helplessly out each side while the two regained their control and landed outside the crater on their hooves, sliding a number of feet before coming to a complete and dusty stop. As soon as they stopped sliding, the two mares looked up and glared at one another in anger. The first mare was easy to recognize, it was an adult Princess Umbra, who stood at a battle ready stance, with her father’s sword in hoof. Cirrus then looked at the other mare but didn’t know who she was. The second alicorn was a dark midnight purple, much darker then Thundaga, with a slightly darker shade of purple in her mane than her coat. As for her eyes, they were a dark midnight blue but held a sort of aura of darkness about them that hazed from the edges of her eyes, and ran down her entire body.

Although, Cirrus didn’t know this mare, he could easily tell from all the time he spent with Zine, that her expression was evil as she smiled in a sinister way, held up a black bladed short sword, pointed it at Princess Umbra, and spoke with a royal tone, “You claim to be of the same blood… and yet you’re nothing like your father. You’re weak!... it’s no wonder your po-”
“Shut up… you have no right, nor honor to speak of him… This is my kingdom! And as its princess… I will not allow further harm to come to my subjects.”
Smiling at the princess’s threat, the wicked mare replied, “And you’re going to stop me?”
Princess Umbra opened her wings as she gave a bracing stance, “I will… or I'll die trying!”
With those words, Princess Umbra used her wings to push off the ground as her body darted towards her opponent at an almost unimaginable speed. With her enemy charging, the sinister mare replied, “So be it!”

That said, dark mare readied her sword as she stood her ground and waited for Princess Umbra to close the distance between them. Without hesitation, Princess Umbra readied her blade as she crossed completely over the massive crater towards her target. When the two met, Princess Umbra and her opponent swing their weapons as the blades clashed together with an intense booming sound as if two iron beams were colligating. After the impact, there was an incredibly brief pause befor the two began mercilessly swinging their swords at one another with every attack ending with a block from the opposite fighter.

One by one, the mares swung their swords with everything they had as the clashing blades created sparks and screeches loud enough to make Cirrus cringe at the intense fighting. As he watched the two viciously attack each other, Cirrus mumbled in disbelief, “Such fury… it’s as if two gods were fighting over the world itself.”
“Funny, that’s almost exactly what’s happening.”
Hearing the familiar voice, Cirrus looked beside him to see Commander Bolt standing next to him in his cloak as he too watched the fight between the goddesses. Seeing the veteran, Cirrus asked while trying to keep focus on both Commander Bolt, and the ensuing fight in front of him, “Commander… that mare, is she the dark creature you told me about?”
Commander Bolt nodded his head, “Yes.”
Cirrus turned to him and replied, “This is the day Princess Umbra fell… wasn’t it.”

Commander Bolt shook his head, “No… Princess Umbra never fell. As I said before, she was defeated and consumed by the darkness. Although this isn’t the day it consumed her at all. This day hasn’t happened yet, in fact this is the day, she will die.”
Cirrus was shocked at his words, “D-die?”
Before Commander Bolt could continue, Princess Umbra and her opponents swords clashed as the two became deadlocked leaving the two to hold each other in place. As Cirrus watched he assumed the two were equally matched, but he was wrong, From the distance, he could see from Princess Umbra’s expression that she was giving it her all, while the other alicorn looked as if she was toying with her as she gave a sinister smile, “You’re stronger than I expected… however, it’s time we end this. RIGHT NOW!”
With that, the dark mare, stepped to the side and parried her swords as the shift in weight caused Princess Umbra to lose her footing and fell forward.

Using this opportunity, the dark mare swung around Princess Umbra’s side to attack while her guard was down. Although her balance was off, Princess Umbra was able to roll over on her side and block the blade as her evil opponent had her pinned on the ground. Preventing the princess from getting back up, the dark mare started attacking with powerful vertical swing as Princess Umbra did everything she could to block each attack with no opportunity to fight back or even flee from her disposition. With the princess blocking each attack, Cirrus could tell that every swing was getting worse as more and more sparks were emitted from the blade with each swing. Seeing this Cirrus looked as Commander Bolt as he asked, “Should we help her?”

Commander Bolt shook his head, “The real question is… can you?”
Cirrus looked at the commander in confusion, but before he could reply, the evil mare took one last power filled swing as Princess Umbra blocked the attack only to have her father’s sword shatter as the evil mares sword continued on its path toward the broken sword’s wielder. Seeing the incoming threat, Princess Umbra quickly flapped her wings to push herself along the ground and away from her opponent as the dark mare’s blade ran close enough to Princess Umbra’s body to cut her side before digging into the ground. After she was free from her opponent attack the escaped princess quickly shuffled to her hooves and got some distance between her and her opponent before looking at her wound with concern. Luckily she was moving fast enough that the blade only broke the skin rather than damaging anything vital. After seeing her victim escape death, the dark mare smiled as she glared at Umbra and spoke, “Very cleaver Princess… but it would seem that this fight has come to an end.”
Princess Umbra looked at her father shattered sword as the broken blade still held half of her father’s cutiemark. Seeing this Princess Umbra sighed in disappointment as she tossed the sword’s hilt far from where she was standing as she replied, “It’s not over yet… there is still one more thing I can do.”

Princess Umbra braced her stance as small arcs of electricity started jumping from her hooves to the ground as her evil opponent smiled, “Ah yes… the fabled Lightning Orb. The very power that you and your father carried so… proudly. However, as a witness to both… I know all too well that there is a strong difference between yours and his.”
The dark mare darted across the area too quickly for Princess Umbra to react as she made a cloud appear above her head but was unable to emit a single spark from it, while the dark mare grabbed her by her throat, slammed her against the ground, and pinned her there leaving the cloud to vanish. With Princess Umbra pinned to the ground, the dark mare smiled, “Your power isn’t real. You never knew it… but it was all a pointless ploy to pass yourself off as a false hero… while in actuality. You were nothing more… then a fake. A wannabe who could only pretend to be a tenth of what her father was. But I knew that if I allowed it to go on, that one day… you would lead me-” She looked at Cirrus and gave him an evil smile, “To the real thing.”

Feeling a little nervous that she was actually looking and talking about him, Cirrus took a step back as Princess Umbra spoke through her strain, “I-I won’t let you hurt him… I won’t let y-”
The mare tightened her grip and silenced the princess as she looked back, “You don’t have a choice… after all… you can’t protect anypony… if you’re not there.” She raised her sword up in a stabbing manner, “Good bye princess… we won’t meet again, I promise you that.”
As she said that the dark mare dropped her blade as Cirrus tried to rush her, “Stop!”
Although Cirrus ran as fast as he could, he was unable to reach them In time as the black blade made contact with Princess Umbra’s face as both mare’s and the environment around them disintegrated into a misty haze before vanishing into thin air.

As soon as they and everything around him vanished, Cirrus stopped running as he sat down and looked at the ground in disappointment. Then as he looked back up, he saw that Commander Bolt had appeared in front of him as cirrus spoke, “This… this is how she dies… so. She is still alive?”
Commander Bolt sat down as he replied, “Yes… she is… she is currently a part of Thundaga… in a since, you’ve met her before.”
Cirrus was confused, “What? What do you mean?”
Commander Bolt explained, “Remember when you spoke with Thundaga at Madam Melody’s manor? Remember how she spoke with a since of forgiveness and shame?”
Cirrus nodded his head, “That was… Princess Umbra’s words?”
Commander Bolt nodded his head, “Yes… but now… it would seem that the darkness in Thundaga heart has taken over completely. And now… she is lost to it.”

Cirrus didn’t understand, “What do you mean, lost to it? You mean… the reason she is attacking innocent ponies is because Princess Umbra isn’t holding her back anymore?”
Commander Bolt shook his head, “No… the reason she is attacking innocent ponies, is because Umbra is supporting the idea. She know she is under the darkness’s control… so… she is giving the kingdom a sense of incentive.”
Cirrus was confused, “Incentive… for what?”
Commander Bolt replied, “Hatred, she wants the kingdom to hate and despise who the darkness has turned her into. She wants the kingdom to stop her… to defeat Thundaga.”
Cirrus shook his head in disbelief, “There is a way to stop her right? Thundaga, if she is the one doing this, then stopping her can fix it. By fixing it, then this fight, Umbra’s death doesn’t happen… right?”

Commander Bolt nodded his head, “Yes… if you stop Thundaga… then it will never happen. But… there is only one way to do that.”
Cirrus showed interest, “And that is?…”
Commander Bolt gave him a serious look as he replied, “You have to kill her.”
Cirrus was shocked, “W-what?”
Commander Bolt nodded his head, “To end this… all you can do is kill her. Kill Thundaga and darkness will die with her.”
Cirrus asked, “And… what about Princess Umbra?

Commander Bolt replied with a carless tone, “Thundaga is composed of both Umbra and the darkness. So naturally when Thundaga dies, so will Umbra.”
Cirrus gave the veteran an angry look, “Are you serious?...”
Commander Bolt nodded, “I wouldn’t suggest it if I wasn’t.”
Cirrus was shocked, “But… why would you suggest at all?
Commander Bolt replied, “Because I know what has to be done.”
Cirrus couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “But she’s your daughter…”
“Yes… I know.”
Cirrus tried to understand, “And you’re still going through with this?”

Commander Bolt’s expression stayed serious as he replied, “Yes… I am.”
Cirrus’s anger returned, “How can you say that… she’s your flesh and blood and you’re telling me to kill her as if you didn’t care.”
Commander Bolt’s expression didn’t waiver, “Right now… I don’t.”
Cirrus shook his head, “There has to be another way. Maybe… we can try to reason with Thundaga.”
Commander Bolt shook his head, “it’s too late, the darkness has already consumed too much of her for her to listen.”
“What if we at least try?”
Commander Bolt shook his head, “Then you will fail… Thundaga is beyond reason. The only way to stop her, is to end her now while we still can.”

Cirrus shook his head, “But we can’t just kill Thundaga without fir-”
In an anger filled action, Commander Bolt stopped his hoof on the ground as a bolt of lightning struck the ground behind him, “IF WE DO NOT LEARN FROM HISTORY, WE ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT!!!”
His voice echoed into the distance as Cirrus paused in shock at his sudden outburst. Seeing this, Commander Bolt sighed as he continued calmly, “I can’t watch this happen… not again.”
Cirrus was confused, “Again?... this never happened before… did it?”
Commander Bolt sat back down, “Actually… it did… and I suffered for it.”

All of a sudden the surrounding changed until they found themselves standing in a royal bedroom in one of the Canterlot towers. As Cirrus looked around he could see a tall black alicorn standing on the balcony with a young Commander Bolt standing in front of her as she spoke “-With every great ruler there is a grate army, and I want you to lead that army. So… do you accept?”
As soon as he heard that Cirrus spoke in disbelief, “Nightmare Moon… and you-”
“Agreeing to fight as her commander… yes.”
Still watching the scene take place, the young Commander Bolt bowed to Nightmare Moon as the older one spoke, “Back then… I made the decision to fight for Nightmare Moon in hopes of bringing Luna back… but I didn’t help by merely finding another way… if anything… I made the problem worse”

With that said, the scene changed again to the aftermath of a great and bloody battle as Cirrus could see nothing but bodies as far as the eye could see, with a young Commander Bolt sitting in front of a golden spear that was sticking out of the ground like some kind of memorial. Seeing this Cirrus spoke, “Commander Mist’s spear… this was the day he died wasn’t it… the day you… um…”
Stopping himself from finishing his sentence, Cirrus paused as Commander Bolt nodded, “Commander Mist died because I was too stubborn to see what I was doing. I could have killed Nightmare Moon and prevented it from happening all together… but I made my choice and since that day, I’ve regretted it. I know deep inside, Princess Umbra is suffering. But no matter what happens there is only one way to ease her suffering.”

Cirrus gave him an angry look, “By ending it?... you think killing her will make her feel better?”
Commander Bolt nodded his head, “It will prevent others from dying…. And she knows it. And if i'm not mistaken, it looks like she wanted you to be the pony to kill her. She gave you this chance herself. The reason she chose to spare Gem Stone, is because she know you would follow her if she put her life in danger. Princess Umbra knew, that you would choose to save Gem’s life over joining her army. And because of that, she gave you a chance and reason to fight back. Umbra wants you to kill her, that’s why she spared you both, and why she is allowing the darkness of Thundaga to harm innocent ponies… she is suffering, and she wants you to end her suffering for her.”

Commander Bolt turned to trot away as Cirrus stepped closer, “I didn’t agree to this…”
Commander Bolt stopped as he replied without looking back, “I know… but then again,” he turned to Cirrus, “Neither did I.”
With that Commander Bolt turned back to his path as he and the surrounding vanished into thin air, as Cirrus woke from his nightmare as he thought heavily about what his new task would be, “I don’t get it… how can he tell me to kill her so easily… and… even if he made his choice before… wouldn’t it had changed the Eden’s Kiss situation? There’s got to be a hidden meaning in this… somewhere.”

Later that afternoon Cirrus sat inside the Rebellions lab and pondered over the books he read as Zine entered and spoke, “Afternoon commander… how’s your homework coming along? Remember once you’re finished, mommy will let you go outside and play with the other foals.”
Ignoring the joke, Cirrus looked at Zine and asked, “Hey Zine… when we get to Canterlot… do you have any idea how we can beat Thundaga?”
Zine smiled as he held up his hoof and somehow made a magic induced flame appear on it, “When a fire threatens a forest… even the noblest ponies know that the best way to fight a fire…” He put his hooves together removing the flame as he continued, “Is to snuff it out.”

Not liking the answer Cirrus sighed, “Is there a way to face her without killing her?”
Zine trotted to his cauldron as he reached in and replied, “Were death comes, it always takes. Sometimes there are ways around it… but once this is all over… death will claim somepony. Could be you, could be me. Could be Dash or even Storm. All I’m trying to do… is make it somepony other than me. But if I fail… I fail. Question is, who will you let it claim?”
Cirrus felt uneasy, so instead of replying he just sat in silence as Zine scooped up a large portion of what was in the cauldron as he slapped it on the table like a big ball of clay. As soon as he saw the ugly maroon colored lump, Cirrus gave Zine a look of disgust as Zine started using his bare hooves to roll the thick blob into a small sphere as he packed it down making the large lump of clay look like a small maroon orange.

As soon as the ball had taken its shape Cirrus looked at Zine and asked, “That’s the forbidden spell you’re working on?”
Zine held it up as he studded its shape, “Yep… and now it’s done. All I have to do it to put it in effect… which I’m so not looking forward to.”
Cirrus gave him a curious look, “Really? Why? Is it that bad?”
Zine shook his head, “Well… the effect isn’t… but the way to cast it… is. All I can do is put it away till it’s time.”
Before Cirrus could reply, Major Storm entered the lab as she spoke, “Commander here you are. I thought I should bring this to you personally.”
With that Major Storm held out Cirrus’s shield as he took it and immediately noticed a few changes, “It’s dark blue now?”

Major Storm used her magic to hand over a book as she replied, “Well yea, I borrowed one of your books and studied up on the Nightmare Legion of the olden times. I tell ya, it was a fascinating read. Either way, I thought that the commander of the new Nightmare Legion should have the same color weapon as the old, so it’s not sky blue anymore it’s navy. But that a small part of it. Look at the back now.”
With that Cirrus looked at the back of the shield as he saw a nylon adjustable strap and a small metal cup meant for his hoof as she spoke, “What are you waiting for?… try it on. Place your hoof in the cup and tighten the strap to brace it.”
Following the instruction, Cirrus put on the shield and tightened it as he held it up as if he were blocking with it.

Seeing this, Major Storm smiled, “It’s slightly heavier than your run-of-the-mill broad sword. But it is strong enough to block one without any problem and it even has a small button on the inside so you can turn it around without taking it off.”
Looking under the nylon strap, Cirrus saw the button as he pushed it, and noticed that the shield would now rotate a fill one hundred eighty degrees so that he could stand and trot normal without any portion of the shield touching the ground. Then after taking a few practice steps, Cirrus pushed the button again as the shield automatically swung around and locked in place so that the blade could be used again. Jumping at the surprise action Major Storm smiled, “Careful, it’s spring loaded on the return. That way there won’t be any hesitation between passive and offensive shifts in battle. Just remember, this is the shields only weakness. If an enemy managed to land an attack on the inside of it, they risk breaking the locking lever, and if that happens, then the only use this weapon will be is a paper weight.”

Cirrus held the shield out and gave the blade a few practice swings as Major Storm admired her craftsmanship, “And that blade is extremely sharp. Not as sharp as her namesake makes it out to be, but with the right power, it could cut through the thickest chainmail.”
Cirrus unlocked the shield and turned it around again as he gave her a curious look, “Her namesake?”
Major Storm smiled, “Yea, I’m thinking of calling her the Diamond Cutter. Since she’s shaped like a diamond and all.”
Cirrus held up the shield as he pushed the release and watched it swing out again, “Really…”
Zine smiled, “A cool name, now we have a tool to go on the offensive with. That is… if the commander thought up a plan yet.”

Cirrus nodded his head, “Actually… I did think of something… sorta.”
At that moment, Gem Stone entered the room as she started to speak, “Here you are sir, I wanted to ta-”
Before she could finish her sentence, Gem Stone paused as her eyes locked on Cirrus’s shield as she slowly trotted closer to him with an expression that was hard to read. As she trotted closer, Both Zine and Cirrus started to feel nervous since the shield despite its shape strongly resembled Commander Bolt’s and it was unknown how she would react to him carrying it. As Gem Stone approached she carefully studied its surface before griping the edge and turning it around to see how it was attached to Cirrus’s hoof. After seeing both sides, Gem griped the adjustment strap and pulled it tight before jerking the shield back and forth to test how tightly it was attached to his hoof, “Make sure it’s tight, otherwise you’ll lose it” She took a few steps back as she smiled with pride, “It suits you sir. I ask that you carry it with pride.”

Smiling at her approval, Cirrus unlocked the locking lever as he turned it around so he could stand up straight with it, “I will… thank you captain.”
The two smiled at each other for a brief moment as Zine interrupted, “Did you need something Ms. Stone?”
Forgetting her words, Gem Stone blushed, “Oh… um… it’s nothing. I was… just seeing how the plan was coming along.”
Cirrus smiled, “Actually it’s good that you’re here. I need you to round up all the officers for a strategy meeting. I have an idea of how to fight Thundaga, but we will need support from everypony in both the Nightmare Legion and the Rebellion, so be sure to get General Rich too.”
Gem smiled as she replied, “Yes sir.”
With that Cirrus left the room as he replied, “I'll be waiting in the meeting room, see you soon.”

As Cirrus left the room Gem saluted as she hesitantly replied, “Sure… um… See you there Cir- I mean sir… um commander.”
Barely hearing her mistake Cirrus left the room as Major Melody gave Gem Stone a cheeky smile. Seeing this look on her face, Gem gave her an unamused look as she asked, “What’s that look for?”
Major Storm replied, “You’re in love with the commander aren’t you?”
Blushing, Gem Stone looked away, “I am not…”
Major Storm nudged her with her elbow as she replied, “Hide it all you want captain… but I know love when I see it. So, you think he loves you back? When are you going to tell him. Will it be in the heat of battle as you confess your dying love right before facing Thundaga for the final showdown?”

Gem took a step back as she replied, “What is this? A crummy love novel? No, the commander and I share a mutual and professional relationship… I mean partnership.”
Smiling in a cheeky way Major Storm turned to leave the room, “Go ahead and hide it, but take it from me, you two are perfect for each other, so don’t let that one get away.”
Giggling like a little school filly, Major Storm left the room as Gem yelled at her, “There is nothing between us! You hear me? NOTHING!!!”
Ignoring the yelling Major Storm left the room, as Zine looked at Gem’s still red face as he spoke with what sounded like a serious tone, “There is truth to her words you know, but I wouldn’t advise getting too close. We still don’t know what awaits us in the battle ahead.”

Not catching that his tone was serious, Gem turned back as she replied, “There is nothing between us.”
Zine shook his head, “You can try to hide it… but as I said… don’t get too attached. Your heart may be beating again… but even I would feel disappointed if it were to break.”
This time, Gem caught the seriousness of his voice as she asked, “What do you mean… do you know something I don’t?”
Zine placed the murky maroon ball into his saddlebag as he replied, “Just take my advice… no battle ends without lives being lost. Whether it’s his… or yours.”
Without explanation, Zine left the room, leaving Gem to feel somewhat nervous for what his words could possibly mean.

Later, Cirrus, Madam Melody, Major Storm, Zine, General Dash, Butterscotch, Apple Barrel, And Gem Stone sat in the meeting room with the door open as Spike listened in from outside the room. As they all sat in an awkward silence, Cirrus finished, “So… that’s it. Of all the battle tactics I’ve read about or tried to think up… that one is the best option. Any questions?”
General Dash sat back in his chair as he rubbed his head, “You realize, this will mean that the entire city of Canterlot will become a battlefield.”
Apple Barrel added, “And not just one, it’ll be three battles at the same time.”
Gem added, “Outside the wall… inside the city… and inside the castle.”
Cirrus nodded, “I know…. but with the rebellion, and the Nightmare Legion helping, it still gives us a chance. But we need everypony…” He looked at the doorway, “Including you Spike. Everypony, Dragon and Zebra will be fighting.”
Madam Melody sighed, “Zis is truly an all or nozing battle.”
Zine nodded, “Yes… if we win, we win. But if we lose… we all die.”
Major Storm nodded, “I understand my roll sir… but what exactly are our odds of winning this fight?”

Cirrus sighed deeply, “As soon as the signal is up, it will be like the gates of Tartarus just flew open and slammed against us. It will be all out war, nothing like this kingdom has seen in centuries.”
Noticing he was dodging the question, Gem spoke up, “Sir… what are our chances in winning this fight?”
Knowing he couldn’t stall anymore, Cirrus replied, “Five percent… maybe less. If we all fight then chances of winning are one in twenty.”
General Dash asked, “And without my rebellion?”
Cirrus gave him a serious look, “Zero…”

Everypony in the room went silent as Spike asked, “So… it truly is all or nothing then… if we lose?”
Cirrus nodded again, “We all die. Those who don’t die in the fighting will be hunted down and executed. So, if anypony doesn’t want to go through with this plan, then let me know now. I won’t force anypony unwilling to help.”
Zine sat back in the chair as he smiled, “This battle tactic is crazy, reckless, and personally… I think we are all doomed… I’m in.”
Gem smiled, “Crazy plans are what Commander Bolt was known for, so if you’re anything like him… then we just might pull this off. Count me in too.”
Both Apple Barrel and Butterscotch Pie looked at each other, smiled and nodded as Apple Barrel spoke, “We ain’t the type to go runnin’ off with our tails between our legs. So count us in.” Butterscotch smiled, “Who knows, it might be fun.”

Although nopony could see him, Spike nodded as he put his claw down outside the door and gave a thumbs up, “If we bring Equestria back to the way it was, I’m willing to risk my life. I’m in too.”
Madam melody smiled as she nodded in an accepting manner, “Viva la commander.”
Taking that as a yes, Cirrus looked at Major Storm who smiled, “I'll help, I already finished the shield so I’m looking forward to seeing it in action even if, given my role… I won’t.”
With everypony in the Nightmare Legion agreeing, Cirrus and the rest of the officers looked to General Dash as he spoke, “You know, in the past decade I always said that the one pony I would never follow into battle was Cirrus Cloud…” The general smirked, “Luckily I’m sitting at a table with Commander Halo instead. So… I and my rebellion are at your command, Commander.”

Smiling that everypony in the room agreed, Cirrus spoke, “Thank you all. I know you’re risking everything in this fight, and I know I’m asking a lot, but if we manage to pull this off… then the future of Equestria will remember your names.”
Gem smiled, “I don’t need fame sir, but remember this relies on everypony doing their part. So all we ask, is that you do yours. After all, we three will be facing Thundaga personally.”
Zine gave an evil grin, “I'll follow you into the castle, however if the ingredient gets in our way, you will continue on without me. He… is my goal.”
Giving up on understanding him, Cirrus nodded, “As long as you pull your part till then, then that’s fine.”
Major Storm stood up as she spoke, “If that concludes the meeting then I should get going. I'll need to get back to Canterlot ASAP, otherwise I won’t be ready when my part comes up.”

Cirrus nodded, “Remember… we will need your help but if anything goes wrong. Put your safety first. We all are on the chopping block but since you are one of Thundaga’s Royal Guards, there is no telling how she will punish you.”
She nodded her head, “Understood sir. If all goes well I'll see you tomorrow.”
Cirrus looked back at the room as he spoke, “So are there any questions?”
Nopony answered as he nodded his head, “Good, then let’s get ready for our first and only counter attack.”

Ch20 Return to Canterlot

As the regale carriage pulled up to the city gates, two Royal Guards stood in the road as one commanded, “Drivers! Halt!”
The ponies pulling the carriage stopped as the two guards held their ground while a third guard approached from the side, opened the carriage door, and spoke, “May the passengers step out please?”
With that instruction, Allium, Jet, and Madam Melody stepped out of the carriage. As soon as they exited the carriage Jet looked around and tried to hide his worry as he saw Royal Guards everywhere. A few stood in front of the gate, roving guards behind it, along the outside wall was posted guards and even a few stood on top of the gate itself watching the carriage as if they knew what was inside it already.

The view made the young colt tremble in worry as flashbacks from the Wonderbolt academy started running through his mind. Seeing the young colt’s fear, Madam Melody whispered to him, “Stay strong little von, it vill be over soon.”
As the three trotted away from the carriage, one of the guards directed them, “You three step over here, I need to ask you a few quest-”
“I'll take it from here Captain.”
With that instruction, the captain and his guards looked over as Major Storm and two more Royal Guards approached. As they approached, the captain asked, “Major Storm? What brings you to the gate?”
Major Storm replied, “A personal escort.”
“Escort?”

Major Storm smiled, “This pony is Madam Melody of the Melody Nobles, and a close personal friend of mine. I ask her to bring my nephew to Canterlot since…” she lowered her voice as if she didn’t want Jet to hear, “He recently lost his grandmother and is in grieving.”
The Captain looked at Jet, who had a nervous expression on his face as he replied, “Really… he does look a little… pail. I’m sorry for your loss young colt. But we can handle this.”
Madam Melody smiled politely as she replied, “Vraiment? Parlez-vous prançais?”
The captain gave Madam Melody a confused look as Major Storm replied, “Are you sure? Madam Melody spend a lot of time abroad so sometimes she is hard to understand. That why I brought a translator to help.”

Major Storm looked at one of the guard with her as he replied to Madam Melody “Oui, je vais traduire depuis ... je ne crains aucune”
When she heard the guard’s words which translated to, “Yes, I shall translate since… I fear no Storm,” Madam Melody smiled as she gestured to the captain and replied, “Très bien, alors dites à ce chien d'aller chercher un os ou quelque chose.”
Knowing it translated to “Very good, now tell this dog to go fetch a bone or something,” both Allium and the translating guard tried to hold a straight face as the translating guard replied, “Sure… Captain we can take it from here. She says she is happy to have such a strapping stallion stop her at the gate. Says it makes her feel like a young filly again.”

Feeling a little uncomfortable, the captain of the guard replied, “Oh… well… um thanks I guess I'll see to the carriage search then.”
Major Storm shook her head, “No need, I'll see to it personally.” She looked at the second guard that was with her, “Lieutenant?...”
The guard nodded his head as he trotted to the carriage door, grabbed the handle and looked at the passengers standing a few feet away, “If there is anything I should know about… better tell me now.”
All three passengers held nervous expressions as the translator spoke, “Ne vous inquiétez pas, il est l'un de nous.”
Reassured by the translator, Madam Melody looked at the two foals and nodded with a smile as she looked back at the guard and replied “Oui.”
With that the translator looked at the guard and replied, “They say that they have nothing to hide. So continue with the search.”

With that, the guard entered the carriage and trotted to the seats in the front side. When he opened them, he saw Cirrus and Gem Stone crammed inside as they looked back in worry. With that the guard smiled as he whispered, “I fear no storm. We are with you commander Halo, one hundred percent.”
With that both Cirrus and Gem felt at ease as the guard stuck his head out the carriage door, “um… Major… c-can you come here for a sec? I think you should search this compartment.”
Hearing the nervousness in his voice, the guards watching the carriage from all angles locked their attention on them as Major Storm entered the carriage. When she saw the two stowaways crammed inside the seat compartment, she smiled as she whispered with sarcasm, “Aww… aren’t you two just precious? Are you sure you didn’t plan this yourself captain?”
Cirrus gave her a clueless stare as Gem blushed and replied as quietly and as angrily as she could, “Can it!... Just wave us through already… I’m getting a cramp.”

With a cheeky smile, Major Storm replied, “As you wish, Captain.”
With that she looked over at the other soldier as she spoke loudly enough for the guards outside to hear, “Nothing on this end… anything over there?”
With that the second guard opened the second seat to see Cirrus’s shield, Gem Stone’s bow, Quiver and arrows, and a small collection of other weapons as he replied, “Nope… just pots and pans here.”
Major Storm smiled as she looked back at Cirrus and spoke, “We will await the signal… Good luck commander.”
With that Major Storm carefully closed the seat as she and the second guard exited the carriage, “It’s all clear.”
The guard captain asked, “What was in there that your subornment needed you to search?”

The clever mare smiled, “Delicates… female delicates, need I go on?”
The captain looked at Madam Melody who responded with a wink as he blushed slightly then shook his head, “Um… no need…” he looked at the guards on the gate, “Let them through!”
The translator smiled as he gestured to the carriage and spoke, “Madam?”
Madam Melody nodded politely as she led the foals back to the carriage. As they passed, Major Storm looked at Jet and smiled, “I’m relying on you to protect these mares until they get to where they are going… can you do that for me?”
Although Jet knew it was just to keep up their appearance, He still felt a little better as he replied, “Sure… thanks Ms. St… I mean Aunt Storm.”

With that, Madam Melody and the two foals entered the carriage as Major Storm and her two guards trotted to the front of the carriage as she spoke to the drivers, “Follow closely, we will escort you to the Melody Estate.”
Although it was out of the ordinary, none of the Royal Guards questioned her actions as Major Storm and her two guards led the carriage through the gate and into Canterlot. As the carriage followed there undercover escort, Allium looked at Madam Melody and asked, “Is it safe for them to come out yet?”
Madam Melody shook her head, “No… Not until ve arrive at ze manor.”

As the carriage rolled Jet looked out the window as he mumbled with worry, “There are guards everywhere… is this how Canterlot usually is?”
Madam Melody looked out the window and saw what he meant, no matter where you looked, Royal Guards could be seen all over the place. Many trotted through the streets on patrol or standing on post, while others were on rooftops and marching through the roads in large military formation. Seeing this Madam Melody answer the colt’s question, “No… zis isn’t ze Canterlot ve left. Ze city is on high alert. It’s as if zey know vat ve are planning.”

Hearing that Jet sat back as he mumbled, “This army… it’s almost the same size as the one that destroyed… the Wonderbolts Academy.”
Madam Melody shook her head, “Do not vorry Jet. Zis army may be great, but I’m sure ze- no… I know ze commander’s plan vill vork. Ve vill vin zis var and bring back ze Equestria zat ve only read about in stories. Ze Equestria of peace and happiness.”
Jet looked at the ground and sighed, “I… I hope so…”
Although he could barely hear the conversation, Cirrus still felt bad as he sighed with disappointment on how worried Jet was. Trying to change the subject Allium thought to herself as she asked, “Um… Mommy? When will the evil zebra get here? Wasn’t he supposed to come too?”
Although his voice was muffled a little, Cirrus replied from under the seat, “I was wondering that myself, but Zine says he has his own way into the city so he will meet us at the manor.”
Gem also spoke from under the seat, “Let’s just hope he doesn’t blow our cover in the process… knowing him his plan is probably big and loud.”

Elsewhere on the other side of the city atop one of the perimeter walls, a guard was making his rounds as he sighed, “I need a vacation… somewhere far away from this pl-”
At that moment, a small bottle rocket with a glass veil flew by as it barely missed the guard and smashed against a house on the inside of the city wall. Seeing the is the guard quickly looked into the direction it came from as he saw a few foals standing next to a bag of fireworks. As soon as he saw them the foals left the bag as one yelled, “RUN!!!”
When the guard saw the fleeing foals he looked down the wall and called to another guard nearby “YOU ON ME!”

As the guards rushed off to chase the foals, the expended bottle rocket and the pieces of the shattered glass veil slide off the roof of the house it hit, as they fell to the ground with nopony around to see it. Moments later, Zine appear next to the broken veil pieces as he nauseously rocked back and forth. Seeing a nearby trashcan, the cloaked zebra picked up his staff and rushed to it, he tilted his head forward, and threw up inside the metal can. After he was done Zine sighed with relief as he mumbled to himself, “Okay… shrinking powder… baaaad mode of transportation… bottle rocket… even worse. Well a least those rebellion foals were willing to help. Now… to slowly get to the rich mare’s house…” he burped with his mouth shut, “Maybe stopping at a few more trashcans on the way.”

Later at the Melody Estate, Madam Melody was showing Cirrus a special hidden room in her manor as she spoke, “Since ze door is behind a fireplace, nopony vould ever expect to search for it here. I don’t know ze full details of vat it vas used for, but I used it to hold secret meetings for ze rebellion. I know it isn’t glamorous but it is ze only room I can offer on such short notice.”
Cirrus smiled, “It’s fine… it isn’t permanent so I’m not worried about it. How about Zine and Gem Stone?”
Madam Melody nodded, “Gem Stone vill be sleeping in ze guest room upstairs. As for Zine, he vill take ze room by ze library. Zat vay he has access to any spell book he may need, alzough I don’t zink ve have any books for zebra.”
Gem Stone asked, “Are you sure there are no other rooms available?”
Madam Melody shook her head, “My apologies Captain, but ze other rooms are taken up by servants. I vould gladly give him my room, but ze commander has already turned ze offer down.”
Cirrus shook his head, “I spent my life in an orphanage, a well-kept orphanage but an orphanage all the same. I think I can manage with this room for two nights.”

Gem Stone sighed, “Well… if you say so commander.”
With that the three turned and started leaving the room through the secret entrance as they began trotting through the massive lobby. As they continued Cirrus asked, “So how is Jet managing?”
Madam Melody replied, “He and Allium are touring ze estate. Trying to get his mind off vat happened.”
Cirrus smiled, “He may be a foal, but I think he is recovering faster then I expected.”
Gem smiled as she spoke, “I think he is suffering more then he shows, then again, there a little… motivation for him to be strong in this dire situation.”
Cirrus was confused as Madam Melody smiled and nodded, “Oui, sometimes von must be strong to protect ze von he… has feelings for.”
Cirrus still didn’t get the hidden message, but before he could reply, he paused for a brief moment.

Acting fully on reflex, Cirrus pushed both Madam Melody and Gem Stone away as he quickly jumped back from where he was standing. As both mares hit the floor from the unexpected push, Gem looked back to ask what was the problem? But before she could, a small vase fell from the second floor balcony as it hit the ground right where he was standing and shattered leaving the pieces to slide outward towards their hooves. Shocked at what he sensed, Cirrus looked at the broken vase as Gem Stone helped Madam Melody to her hooves. Just then a maid rushed down the stairs, stopped in front of Madam Melody and bowed, “Madam! My humblest of apologies, ve ver moving ze furniture from ze room upstairs and ze vase rolled off ze table and fell over ze balcony. Please forgive me…”
Madam Melody replied, “It is alright, Zat vase vas just a standard glass von. A few bits at best. As long as nopony is hurt, all is forgiven. Vould you agree commander?”
Still surprised of his uncontrolled reflexes, Cirrus replied, “Yea, if you’re alright then there is no harm done… although I’m surprised nopony got hurt. I guess we are lucky I sensed that when I did.”

Gem Stone started thinking to herself as she replied, “Yea… pretty lucky… Madam Melody? Do you have a room that is open enough for sword practice?”
Madam Melody thought to herself, “Ze library has a little room, if ve move some tables around it should vork.”
Gem smiled, “Good… how about it sir? You have a weapon now, so let’s see if we can get some practice in.”
Although he didn’t like the idea Cirrus sighed, “Well… I guess…”
Gem smiled, “Good, then go get your shield and meet me there. I think I found a way to help you in the coming fight.”
Although he was unsure about practicing, Cirrus couldn’t help but feel curious to what Gem was going to teach him as she trotted off towards the library and left Cirrus to go retrieve his shield from the carriage.

After retrieving his shield, Cirrus went to the Library as he saw both Gem Stone and Madam Melody waiting for him with swords on their sides. When he saw the sword belts, Cirrus asked, “Is Madam Melody going to practice too?”
Gem Smiled “We’ll see.” She drew her sword and stood at the ready, “Now let’s see what you’ve learned since Dragon Mountain.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he trotted to the center of the cleared room, and readied his shield in the combat position. As he stood there, Gem spoke, “Alright sir, first let’s see how your blocking skill is with that thing.”
Cirrus nodded, “Ready when you are.”

With that said, Gem Stone darted towards Cirrus as she raised her sword and tried to strike him with the blade a number of times. Using the face of the shield to its purpose, Cirrus blocked each attack as he held his ground and watched Gem Stone’s movement carefully. As he continued blocking her attacks Gem spoke while attacking, “Good… now try this!”
After saying that, Gem took one extra swing, but as soon as the sword made contact with Cirrus’s shield, she brought her hind hooves around and kicked the face of his shield as hard as she could leaving the heavy impact to push Cirrus back and cause him to stumble. With Cirrus’s guard down, Madam Melody quickly drew her sword and darted towards him without warning as she raised her sword up in an attempt to strike him while he was down.

Although Madam Melody’s attempt at a surprise attack was well planned, it proved useless as, Cirrus’s reflexes kicked in leaving him to roll over onto his back and block the sword with his shield. With this, Cirrus was free to use his wings to volt the bottom half of his body upward as he used his hind hooves to kick Madam Melody in her chest and throw her away from him while he used his momentum to land back on his hooves with his shield at the ready. Without expecting the attack, Madam Melody flew through the air before hitting a bookshelf as Cirrus quickly realized what he did, and turned to her, “Major! Are you alright?!”
Cirrus turned his shield to the passive position as he and Gem Stone rushed to the older mare’s side and helped her up as she replied, “Oui I am fine commander, please don’t vorry about me… Nice kick by ze vay.”

As Gem helped Madam Melody to her hooves she smiled, “See I told you that it would work.”
Cirrus gave her a confused look, “Um… am I missing something?”
Gem Stone nodded, “Well, after seeing the way you dodged that vase earlier, it started to make me wonder. These reflexes you’ve had only seem to happen when you’re caught off guard. On Dragon Mountain you kicked me when I tried to grab you and turn you around when you tried to trot out of training. And the one a few minutes ago happened when a vase nearly hit you without any warning. So I think I found the secret to these reflexes. You focus too much when fighting.”
Feeling like that phrase made no sense, Cirrus gave her a dull look, “um… what?”
Madam Melody explained, “Ven you’re in a fight and you are focused, your actions try to focus as vell. However, ven somezing attacked zat you are not focused on, your survival reflexes kick in. for example, my attack. Vith your body on the ground and your concentration scattered, your reflexes kicked in and stopped me before I could make my attack.”

Gem Stone nodded as she spoke next, “Commander Bolt always could tell when somepony he didn’t know was watching him or approaching. I don’t quite know how he did it, but with his senses heightened like that, he was always able to detect when somepony was trying to attack him from behind. Somehow you can do the same thing, but when you focus on somepony, you concentrate on your actions and those abilities you have don’t take effect. Now that we know the secret of your actions we can find ways for you to control them.”
Cirrus felt confused, “Yea… but this so called secret means that I have to learn to fight without focusing on what I’m doing… exactly how am I supposed to do that?”
“That’s a good question commander.”

Everypony’s attention turned to the door as Zine stood there with a smile on his face. Seeing him, Gem asked, “There you are, what took you so long?”
Zine thought about how he got into the city as he replied with an unenthusiastic expression, “Yea… I don’t want to talk about it… I just wish I didn’t eat breakfast this morning.”
Ignoring his response, Cirrus asked, “So… I’m still clueless on how to clear my mind. Any explanation or suggestions will help right now.”
Zine smiled as he replied, “There are many ways to clear one’s mind. I would suggest meditation, but then again you’re not the sort to become one with yourself, so… any ideas Miss Stone?”

Gem nodded her head, “I think what you need to do is to focus your mind on something other than your enemy and your surroundings. Maybe if you have your mind on something else, you may learn to control your reflexes better.”
Cirrus nodded, “Alright, but will it make me ready for the upcoming fight?”
Gem shook her head, “I doubt we can get you fully ready for the fight in time, but if we can teach you the basics then maybe we can at least make it so you can defend yourself. The rest will be up to us. So… let’s begin.”

Far off in the center of Cloudsdale, Twenty pegasi were sitting in a hidden room as one asked, “So, any idea on what this is about?”
The stallion he was talking to replied, “I thought you knew? I’m as clueless as the rest of you.”
Just then General Dash entered the room as he spoke, “Thank you all for coming… wait?...” he looked around the room in confusion, “Is this all that’s left?”
One stallion replied, “Yes sir… after the incident at the Wonderbolt Academy, most of the rebellion supporters decided to quit. All of our griffin supporters left Equestria all together. It just seems that, Thundaga really put the fear into them.”
General Dash sighed, “I understand… I guess we’ll have to make do with what we have here. I want all of you to deliver a message across Equestria. Every branch of the rebellion are to abandon their posts and meet at the hideout in Ponyville as soon as possible. Pass the word onto those who support us as well. Anypony willing to fight for this kingdom is needed.”

Hearing this the ponies in the room looked at each other in confusion as one spoke, “Abandon our posts?... but why?”
Another pegasus added, “Did Thundaga find out where the hideout is? Are they amassing some kind of assault?”
General Dash shook his head, “No… in fact quite the opposite. We are amassing an attack on Canterlot.”
The pegasi were shocked, “What?... when?”
“The day after tomorrow. Commander Halo and his army are already gathered and wi-”
A soldier interrupted, “Halo? You meant that colt that abandon the rebellion? What was his name?... Cloud? Cirrus Cloud? Why would you even trust him?”
General Dash replied, “Because I know for a fact that he truly is the Third Commander of the prophecy…” He gave a sarcastic expression, “That… and his army outnumbers us three to one now. But that’s not the point. The point is, he will be launching a full scale attack on Thundaga as well, and if he is even half the pony we believe him to be… then by fighting beside him, we can win this war.”

Another pegasus replied, “That still doesn’t explain why we are going to join him! If he’s going to march his army into oblivion then why should we follow him to our deaths?”
General Dash replied with a serious tone, “Because his parents were the founders of the rebellion. And I know for a fact that he remembers that. If he is truly his father’s son, then he will fight to his dying breath. And if it should come to it, I for one would be proud to die beside him.”
Still unsure, the pegasi looked at each other as General Dash sighed, “If you want the rebellion to cower in fear then by all means be my guest. But the Wonderbolts were my family, Thundaga took them from me just as she did my real family. So I for one am ready to repay the favor.”

The pegasi looked at each other again as one asked, “General… you say you believe he truly is The Third Commander… do you really think he can bring peace to the kingdom? Where’s your proof?”
General Dash sighed, “In the past few weeks, he’s managed to bring together an ancient hero, an unruly zebra, a massive dragon, a rebellion General, most of said generals army, and even a Royal Guard onto the same fight consensually. That along with the very power that earned him the title of commander. If he can bring all of that together in the same room, then I have no doubt, that with our help, he truly can bring peace to this kingdom. If it means a better life for the kingdom, then I’m ready to fight for it. That’s why I joined the rebellion in the first place.”
With that, the room of pegasi nodded their heads as one replied, “Then we will pass the word along to the other branches. If this commander is as good as you say… then we won’t question him any further.”
General Dash smiled, “Good, then I'll meet you all at the hideout. If you have family… now is the time say what you have too to them, it might be your last chance.”

Back in Canterlot, Thundaga stood on her bedroom balcony overlooking the city as Commander Mist entered, “Your majesty, I’m here to give the daily report.”
Thundaga nodded but she didn’t turn around, “Report…”
Commander Mist pulled out a pen and pad as he read off what was written, “Today we managed to locate and clear out a Rebellion facility in Stalliongrad. Five rebellion officers and fifteen soldiers were captured and executed on site. Unfortunately none of them were high value targets. Next, a small commotion earlier today in a local pub between Royal Guards and a few rebellion sympathizers broke out.”
Thundaga turned her head to look at him out the corner of her eye, “Sympathizers?”
Commander Mist nodded, “Yes… they weren’t part of the rebellion but they didn’t like what happened at the Wonderbolt Academy. I believe some words were said and it broke out into an all-out brawl. After a few minutes of fighting the commotion was subsided leaving only one guard in the hospital with minor injuries. The rest got bumps and bruises.”

Thundaga looked back out into the city as she replied, “If they disagree with the Royal Guards actions then they agree with the traitors. Have the sympathizers processed and executed for suspicion of treason.”
Commander Mist felt concerned, “Your majesty, it was nothing more than a simple bar fight. In fact, it was the guards who threw the first punch.”
Thundaga replied, “Anypony who stands against the Royal Guards, stands against our law, and therefor supports treason. We will not allow propaganda to spread in the kingdom. We must make an example of these sympathizers before their numbers begin to grow.”
Commander Mist tried to reply, “But is execution rea-“
Thundaga interrupted, “You will carry out our order to execute them commander… otherwise we will do it ourselves.”
Hearing the seriousness of her voice, Commander Mist nodded as he replied, “Understood your majesty. I will see to it personally.”

Thundaga nodded as she replied, “Very good… is that all to report?”
Commander Mist looked through his notes as he replied, “Of the important note’s yes. There are some smaller matters from today, a pickpocket in the slums, foals playing with fireworks, you know, that sort of thing, but nothing worth concerning yourself your majesty.”
Thundaga nodded her head as she replied with a dismissive tone, “Very well… then we will see you at dawn.”
With that Commander Mist turned to leave as Thundaga mumbled to herself, “There’s… a darkness in the air. Similar to ours… but thicker…” She thought to herself, “Zine… are you in Canterlot? Where are you? And… what are you planning to do?”

Back at the Melody estate, Cirrus stood ready as Gem charged him with her sword at the ready. First Gem tried to attack with a horizontal swing as Cirrus with his learned skills blocked the attack and parried her blade away from him. Expecting the action, Gem used the momentum of her parried attack to spin around and make a second attempt with a diagonal swing. As Cirrus raised his shield and blocked the attack he thrusted the face of his shield forward as it hit Gem Stone and pushed her back far enough for him to attempt an attack of his own. Without expecting the counter, Gem managed to block his blade and lock them both in a stalemate as Gem used this opportunity to parry his shield as she jumped back to a safe distance and called, “SWITCH!”

Knowing what she was saying, Cirrus quickly turned his attention to Madam Melody as she charged forward with her sword and made a few attempts at hitting him with her own attacks. As he blocked the slower attacks, Gem stepped off to the side to catch her breath as Cirrus blocking and parrying Madam Melody’s attacks as she tried as hard as she could to break his defense. Just like before, Madam Melody started getting tired from her failed attempts to hit her target as she eventually jumped back to a safe distance and called, “SVITCH!”
With that, Cirrus’s attention shifted back to Gem Stone as she charged back in and tried to attack Cirrus again.

As Madam Melody stepped to the side to catch her breath, Zine trotted up to her as he held out his hoof, “May I?”
Madam Melody nodded as she passed her sword to him, “Qui, knock yourself out.”
As Zine took the sword he looked at the blade and shook his head, “Nah… too slow, I need something better.”
With that Zine gave the sword back as he trotted to a decorative suit of armor and took the spear from it, “This should work.”

Now that he was equipped, Zine leaned his staff against the wall as he patiently watched Gem Stone as she continued her fight. Shortly after, Gem Stone finally started to lose her breath as she jumped back and called, “SWITCH!”
As soon as the word was heard, Zine darted a Cirrus at an unexpectedly fast speed, as he completely closed the distance and came within striking distance before Cirrus could even see him coming. As he approached, Zine swing the spear at a vertical angle as Cirrus only had enough time to jump back and dodge the blade as it made contact with the marble floor and made a clanging sound.

Before Cirrus could land and ready himself, Zine lifted the blade slightly before thrusting it forward, as Cirrus moved his shield between the two leaving the pointed blade of the spear to glance off the angled surface as Zine made very little and quick actions to pull the spear back in before thrusting the blade a second time. Quickly reacting to Zine’s movements, Cirrus brought back the shield and allowed the spear to glance off it again before Zine repeated his actions with slightly more speed and continued his attacks. One by one, Cirrus moved the shield into position as the thrusting spear glanced off the surface while Zine continued attacking, increasing his speed with each strike. Seeing the unexpected skill in Zine’s offence, Gem Stone and Madam Melody watched in surprise as Zine’s attack became more random and rapid, as he started mixing in horizontal, vertical, and diagonal swing with his spear’s thrusts.

With the attacks becoming more frequent, Cirrus found himself without any means of countering as the clashing sounds of the blocking shield became more and more frequent until it seemed as if the hesitation between the sounds had vanished entirely. Although he was managing to block each attack, Cirrus found himself moving back further and further with each block as he eventually bumped into the back wall of the room. With this distraction added to the mix, Cirrus’s movements slowed enough as Zine swing vertically again leaving Cirrus to bring the shield over his head to block the incoming attack. As soon as the two weapons clashed, Zine spun the spear around and brought the back of the spear in at an upward thrust as he hooked it behind Cirrus’s shield, curved it to the side, and pined it to the wall preventing Cirrus from being able to move his shield or hoof from the wall.

Although Cirrus’s weapon was now pined, he wasn’t worried since Zine was using his weapon to do it so he assumed that he was safe. However, Zine also knew this so he did something even more unexpected. With both front hooves braced against his spear, Zine used his head to hit and break the wooden shaft of his weapon in two, as he continued holding the bottom of the spear in place to pin Cirrus’s shield, and brought the second part up before placing the spear’s blade against Cirrus’s throat and pinning the beaten commander against the wall along with his weapon. With both Cirrus and his weapon immobilized, Zine gave him an evil look as he spoke, “Good commander, you made so much improvement in the past few hours. Perhaps tomorrow we can practice the Lightning Orb?”

Releasing the beaten commander, Zine took a few steps back as Cirrus rubbed his neck and replied, “Sure… I guess.”
seeing that it was over, Gem trotted up as she spoke, “Zine?... how on earth did you do that?”
Madam Melody added as she approached, “Oui, I too am surprised. You don’t look like ze fighting type. And yet I could svare you ver more skilled zen even I.”
Zine smiled, “Well, part of it is the memories I saw of Gem Stone’s when I brought her back, and as for the rest… A keen touch with nature can make anyzebra skilled with fighting… even a corrupted touch.”
Cirrus nodded as he continued rubbing his neck, “Yea… breaking that spear with your head and taking me down. Your way stronger then I would have guessed.”

Zine asked, “I am… but then again, I am not the hero of this story. You are, and as we all know hero’s need their rest, but if I may seem so bold… you look as if you haven’t been getting your proper rest…” he smiled in a suspicious way, “Have you been sleeping properly commander?”
Cirrus replied with a nervous expression, “Sure… no problems here… maybe the stress of the past few days has taking its toll on me… learning to fight also tired me out a bit too.”
Gem Stone smiled, “Nevertheless, you improved now that we know how to control your survival instincts. In fact I didn’t want to say it, but I was actually trying when I fought you a second ago.”

Madam Melody smiled as she replied, “Oui, you have improved phenomenally. General Rich vould be proud of you.”
Zine nodded his head but spoke with a dismissive tone, “Yes… you’re much better than before. But the question remains… will it be enough to beat Thundaga.”
Without waiting for an answer, Zine started to leave as Cirrus stopped him, “Wait!... you still beat me Zine… doesn’t that mean you’re stronger then me?”
Zine grabbed his staff as he replied, “In a since… however there is only one pony I will be fighting in this war, so don’t expect me to fight Thundaga or anything. That fight will be left in your hooves.”
As Zine started to leave the room, Gem stepped forward, “Zine… something tells me you’re not telling us the whole story… again… care to explain?”

Zine replied with an evil smile and tone, “As a matter of fact, I do care… I care enough to only tell you that I have my own plan and it won’t interfere with yours. So you should have nothing to worry about… however, this plan cannot be shared. Otherwise you risk, challenging fate… and I cannot allow that. Not now… not when I’m this close.”
Although this didn’t sound like something an ally would say, Cirrus, Gem Stone and Madam Melody just watched the sinister zebra, as he trotted out of the room with an unsure expression on his face.

Ch21 Zine's Preporations

Cirrus opened his eyes and found himself standing inside a royal bedchamber as Thundaga had Gem Stone pined to the ground on the far end of the room. With the princess glaring daggers at him from across the room, Cirrus started to feel nervous as he looked down at his hoof to see his shield attached and set in the passive position. When he saw this, he started to hear Gem speak from the ground with an exhausted and weak voice, “C-Commander… don’t... she’ll kill you…. run now… run while you sti-”
Before she could finish, Thundaga tightened her grip on her throat as she looked down at Gem Stone and spoke with an intimidatingly quiet tone, “Silence… the adults are talking…”
With that, Thundaga released Gem Stone and stepped off the weak mare as she turned towards Cirrus and spoke, “I admire your courage commander… but this game ends now.”
Not knowing anything else to say, Cirrus replied, “I… I don’t want to fight you.”

Thundaga readied her sword as she replied, “Then… you will die!”
With that, Thundaga darted towards Cirrus as he took a step back in worry as he quickly tried to think of how to react to her attack. As she raised her weapon to attack, Cirrus’s reflexes took control as he stomped his hoof against the ground as hard as he could causing the lock on the shield to deactivate leaving the spring loaded blade to rotate around while he lunged forward at the last second. Then, Cirrus closed his eyes as he thrusted his shield forward just as the blade locked into place, leaving everything around them to go silent. With the room now quiet, Cirrus started to feel a warm feeling running down his hoof as he opened his eyes to a horrible sight.

The feeling on his hoof, was blood running down his weapon. Slowly, Cirrus looked up his weapon as he saw that every part of the blade, from his hoof to the tip was deep inside Thundaga’s chest, as he slowly looked up at her face to see a combination of anger, and shock in her expression. Thundaga with her sword still raised in the air slowly lowered it as her expression of anger faded to a content smile. Confused by her odd choice of expression, Cirrus stared in shock as Thundaga’s smile was soon accompanied by tears, “C-Cirrus?…”
Cirrus didn’t reply, instead he only stared silently in horror as she continued, “Cirrus… now… I… I can…”
With that Thundaga released her sword as she leaned to the side and slowly fell to the ground as the sound of her swords hitting the marble floor echoed through the room.

As soon as Thundaga hit the ground, she stopped breathing as Cirrus stared in horror of what he had done. With a feeling of shame to great for him to speak, Cirrus slowly looked at his now exposed shield as Thundaga’s blood still dripped from the blade as it hit the ground with light, faint taps. All of a sudden, Cirrus started to tremble as his eyes, shifted to Thundaga’s face, to his blade, to her wound and back to her face which still held a content smile with tears in her eyes. With this, Cirrus was locked in place as if time had frozen for him. The feeling of guilt, disgust, and horror was so immense that he wanted to throw up… but he couldn’t. All he could do, was remain in place as if this eternal moment was all that was left for him. Then, he finally regained his ability to move as he took a step back from Thundaga’s body as her blood started to spread across the floor beneath her, covering the white marble as if it were paint immortalizing this moment on canvas for his guilt to sink in further. As he stepped back in what was still horror, Cirrus accidently bumped into somepony as his fear took control leaving him to turn around and strike at whoever was behind him in a terrified swing.

As he attacked, all he heard was the clashing of blades as Commander Bolt stood behind him and used his fabled sword to stop the attack as he spoke with a serious look on his face, “There… now you know where, and when you will strike. Then, and only then, will you ever have the chance to beat her. Any other time… and you, and everypony you care about will die.”
Slowly, everything around him accept for Thundaga’s body and her sword vanished, as Cirrus replied with his body still trembling in shock, “This… none of this… is real?”
Both ponies lowered their weapons as Commander Bolt sheathed his on his side and replied, “No… not yet anyways. This event will take place when you come face to face with Thundaga. And when it does, this will be your only chance to kill her.”

As Commander Bolt looked down at Thundaga, Cirrus asked, “How… how can you look so carelessly on your dead daughter without even the slightest hint of remorse.”
Still looking at her, Commander Bolt replied with disgust, “This monster… is no daughter of mine. Maybe once… but not anymore.”
Cirrus shook his head, “She is still your daughter… her blood is the same as yours.” He pointed at Thundaga’s sword, “Why else would she carry your sword?... she cherishes the life you led… doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
Commander Bolt looked at Thundaga’s sword and drew the same sword on his side as he looked at the cutiemarks painted on the blade, “It does… but that doesn’t matter anymore. What matters now, is that you kill her before she brings more pain on the kingdom.”
Cirrus became annoyed as Commander Bolt started trotting away from him, “You’re Commander Bolt!… the legend of the Nightmare legion, and the hero of Eden’s Kiss… how can a hero like you, who saved millions, just cast her aside like that?”

Commander Bolt stopped trotting as he looked at the ground and smiled, “Hero?... you know what… I’ve heard that word a thousand times when ponies talk about me. But did anypony ever tell you,” He looked at Cirrus with an annoyed look, “I have never called myself a hero… Not once… When ponies talk of me it’s always hero this, and savior that… but before Eden’s kiss, do you know what ponies said?”
Commander Bolt turned completely to Cirrus as he started trotting towards him and replied with an angry tone, “Let me tell you the words used… Murderer, warmonger, traitor, hypocrite, Nightmare Moon’s right hoof, the Bolt of the Nightmare legion, Commander of the Night and storm… or the so commonly said… monster. And you know?”

He continued in anger, “They were right… and that’s why, I died. Commander Bolt… Died. But you know what? After I left that life behind and started to travel Equestria, I started to see myself as a normal pony again. But even if I saw a change in myself… everypony else continued to call me the same thing that I practically took to heart… A monster. Well… here I am. And as this monster is telling you, the next commander to kill an even worse monster before she has a chance to harm any more civilians.”

Hearing the seriousness of his voice, Cirrus looked at the ground and thought to himself for a second before looking back up and replying, “I… I can’t do this… there has to be another way.”
Commander Bolt sighed, “This is the only way I can see this story ending happily. Even if it’s a bitter sweet ending, it’s an ending that I'd rather see, than the alternative.”
With that Commander Bolt turned to trot away as Cirrus stopped him, “Commander?... is… is this really the way it must end?... or… is it just your suggestion?”
Commander Bolt stopped as he replied, “This is what I would do… I can’t tell you how this war will end… because in all honesty… I don’t know. You’re the commander here, so only you can choose what happens next. In the end, all we can do is look inside of ourselves and remember who we are. I was a soldier who fought to protect the kingdom… Who are you?”

Commander Bolt smiled peacefully as he continued, “Goodbye Commander Halo… Since the war will be ending tomorrow regardless of success or failer… I guess this is the last time we would need to speak. Whatever your choice, I wish you luck.”
With that, everything started to get brighter as Cirrus reached out to try to stop him, “Commander wai-”
All of a sudden, Cirrus found himself laying in his bed with his hoof raised high in the air as he sighed, “I… um… goodbye, Commander Bolt.”
“Commander Bolt?... so, he has been talking to you then hasn’t he?”
Surprised by the unexpected voice, Cirrus quickly looked to the entrance of the room as he could barely make out the light grey stripes on Zine’s coat as the dark enchanter leaned against the entrance to the secret room. When he noticed Zine, Cirrus looked at the clock as he asked, “Zine? It’s barely past two? What are you doing here?”

Zine looked at his hoof and tried to act casual, “Couldn’t sleep… Something has been troubling me lately, and now… I know that you are facing the same thing. A message from beyond the grave that is… difficult to hear. The question however… is whether your message is the same as mine, or something different?”
Cirrus sighed as he rubbed his head in frustration, “Zine… If I told you, that the only way to stop Thundaga was to kill her… what would you do?”
Understanding Cirrus’s irritation, Zine replied, “Then I’d kill her… of course I’m playing the scenario as if I were you, and you were Commander Bolt. I myself, could never raise my hoof to a mare who spared my life. It’s a… Zebra thing.”
Cirrus nodded, “That’s right, she stopped your execution didn’t she. Well, Commander Bolt has been telling me that killing her is my best option.”

Zine nodded his head, “I see… and that’s… bad?”
Cirrus nodded as he replied with a frustrated tone, “Of course it is! Killing her wou-”
Realizing his voice was a little louder than it should be, Cirrus calmed himself down with a sigh as he continued, “Zine… what should I do? I can’t just kill her and be done with it? Not when I know that Princess Umbra is still in there somewhere.”
Zine ignored Cirrus’s frustration as he gave him a curious look and replied, “Princess… Umbra… Who is that?”
Cirrus replied with confusion, “Wait, you mean you don’t know? Princess Umbra is Thundaga’s real name… or, who she used to be or something like that… I’m still a little fuzzy on the details… but I guess Princess Umbra would be described as… Thundaga’s kindness.”
Zine nodded his head as he replied, “Ah… so you don’t want to kill her because of the kindness that Thundaga has then, is that what you’re saying?”
Cirrus rubbed his head as he replied, “I guess that’s one way of putting it. What I’m saying is I can’t just kill her when I know for a fact that she isn’t all bad… but… that’s what the commander suggests… Zine… what should I do?”

Zine thought to himself as he smiled, “Hmm… in my opinion, you’re the Commander of Peace. It should be natural that you aren’t meant to kill anypony, period. But then again, going against the words of a legend… that seems to be an unwise decision as well. Perhaps… this should be placed in fate’s hooves.”
Cirrus was confused, “What?”
Zine explained, “You can’t kill her… but there is nothing that says nopony else can. Perhaps this is just something that must fall into place. However… there is nothing that says her death is absolute neither.”
Cirrus gave him an annoyed look as he replied, “Okay… so what should I do then?”
Zine smiled, “If there is good in her… then perhaps you should remind her of that. After all, when your mind becomes cluttered with stress, most tend to… lose themselves. Perhaps you should remind her of who she is… but first… I would advise that you remind yourself of who you are.”

Zine stopped leaning against the wall as he turned to leave, “Anyways… I think I’ve given myself a reason to fall asleep now. So if I were you, I'd get some rest too. Tomorrow, we practice the Lightning Orb.”
Remembering something he said earlier, Cirrus tried to stop him, “Wait… you mentioned messages from beyond the grave. What message did you get?”
With no intention of answering, Zine waved dismissively, “Good night Commander… I will see you in the morning.”
Before anything more could be said, Zine had left the room as Cirrus decided to let it go, as he laid back down, rolled over and went back to sleep.

The next morning, Cirrus, Zine, and Gem Stone were in the library training. Zine, sat quietly in the corner of the room, while Gem Stone and Cirrus stood in the open area as Cirrus spoke, “I don’t have a problem with the lighting… I can do it. It’s just… going to be a little hard is all.”
Gem Sighed, “Commander if you can’t do it, you don’t have to push yourself.”
Cirrus shook his head, “I can… I… just need a little more time to um… get ready.”
Annoyed with his stalling Gem looked at Zine, “Hey? Do you have any advice for him? Some… magical remedy for getting over this?”
Zine didn’t reply, instead he continued sitting in deep thought as Gem spoke up, “Zine?... Zine!”

Snapping him out of it, Zine looked up, “Hm?...”
Gem Stone repeated, “The commander needs help getting over his fear. Do you have any advice to help him?”
Zine looked at the commander and replied, “Don’t be afraid sir…” he looked back, “Well I did all I can do.”
Cirrus gave Zine an annoyed look as he replied, “Gee… thanks, that really made a difference.”
Zine nodded his head but replied without an expression, “Anytime.”

Noticing his passive mood, Gem asked, “Um… Zine? Are you okay? You seem distracted.”
Zine shook his head, “Just passing the time in thought.”
Before Gem could reply, Madam Melody trotted into the room as she spoke up, “Bonjour, I am back from ze market and I also received ze package from General Dash.”
Zine stood up and trotted to her has he took the package and replied, “I'll take that thank you.”
As Zine took the package he opened it to find a small bag of black seeds, and two notes. One from General Dash, and another from Spike. Zine took both the bag and the note from Spike as he handed the other note to Cirrus, “Here you are, this is for you.”

With that Zine went back to the chair he was sitting is as he opened the bag and smiled, “Good he found them.”
As Cirrus started reading the note from General Dash, Gem looked at Zine and asked, “Hey? What’s in the bag?”
Zine pulled out a hoof full of black seeds as he smiled, “An ancient delicacy. I’m actually surprised Spike was able to find these to be honest. I thought this plant went extinct centuries ago.”
Gem was curious, “Really? Is it some kind of ingredient in one of your spells?”
Zine nodded, “Well, sort of. But in actuality. It’s just a tasty little snack.”
With that, Zine tossed a few seeds in his mouth as he started chewing them. Then shortly after, he swallowed as he spoke, “Ew… they are a little… stale. But I guess I'll just use them for my spell then.”

Then Zine started reading the note from Spike as Cirrus spoke, “looks like General Dash was able to contact all of his branches… although four had fallen before he was able to get to them.”
Gem Stone asked, “Will the battle plan still work without them?”
Cirrus started to reply, “It should… but with the numbers cut down as they are we will ne-”
Before Cirrus could finish, Zine quickly jumped up as he quickly trotted to a nearby bookshelf and started muttering to himself, “Let’s see… Sleep spell, sleep spell, slee- ah here we are.”
With that Zine picked up the book and started his search again, “Spirits, spirits, spir- Here!”
Zine picked up another book as he started searching for one last book, “Medicine, medi-” he looked at Madam Melody, “Um… you would have any books on medicine mixing would you?”
Madam Melody gave him a strange look as she trotted to another bookshelf and pulled a book out, “Vell, I have zis.”
Zine trotted towards Madam Melody dropping the note without noticing as he took the book, read the cover, and nodded, “That should work, thanks.”

With that Zine trotted to a nearby table as he laid all three books down on a table and spoke, “Alright… I need three rose pedals, four blueberries, and a dead vine. It doesn’t matter what kind.”
Madam Melody nodded as she looked at a nearby maid and spoke, “Can you acquire zese zings?”
The maid bowed her head, “Oui madam.”
With that the maid left the room as Gem trotted to the note that Zine had dropped as she picked it up and read it aloud, “Dear Zine, I found the book you were looking for in castle of the pony sister’s library. I don’t understand what it means, but you need a combination of two spells and a separate mixture to do what you’re planning. But be careful the word coma and braindead comes up often in the warning tab-”
Without even the urge to finish the note, Gem Stone looked at Zine as she asked, “Zine? What’s this about?”

Zine smiled as he started skimming through the three books he pulled out, “No need to worry about it… this spell isn’t for you… well not you specifically.”
Gem was concerned, “Not me… then who.”
Zine looked at Cirrus as he smiled, “Who indeed.”
Not understanding what he meant, Cirrus gave him a clueless look, “What?”
Without explanation, Zine replied, “Do not worry Captain… all will be answered come tomorrow morning.”
Gem could only give him a clueless look as Cirrus nodded, “Alright… let’s get back to training then. Captain?”
Nodding her head, Gem Stone could only sigh, “Fine… then we won’t get involved.”
Although he didn’t say it out loud, Zine mumbled quietly as Gem and Cirrus went back to training, “No you shouldn’t… not yet anyways.”

Later that evening in the same room, Cirrus stood as arcs of electricity jumped from his hooves and onto the ground as the arcs faded and he sat down in exhaustion. As he tried to catch his breath, Allium and Jet who were now watching from the side cheered for Cirrus as Gem Stone smiled, “Good commander, you were able to hold it for twenty minutes that time. I doubt you will need to have that cloud there for that long, but at least you have the stamina for it. Needless to say, you have control over it now… sort of.”
Cirrus nodded as he replied, “Well, if anything I can handle the lightning without fainting… anymore.”
Zine was grinding some ingredients into a powder as he smiled, “Third times a charm… Either way, you won’t go winning any wars, but you know that the Lightning Orb can be used… in dire emergencies at least.”

Gem Stone gave Zine an annoyed look, “Hey, at least knows how to create the cloud and channel the lightning through his hooves… I’m sure he will get to control the direction of the bolt… eventually.”
With that, Zine looked at the three burn marks on the floor, the two in the ceiling and the one charred bookcase as he nodded, “Yea… eventually. Till then, I'd prefer to stand in front of you if you ever decide to use it again. Most likely that’s the safest place to be.”
With that the two foals in the room started giggling amongst themselves as Madam Melody put away a fire extinguisher as she cleared her throat, “Yes… vell… perhaps next time ve should practice outside.” She looked at the two foals as she spoke, “Now come along you two. Ve have a long day tomorrow and you need your rest.”

Both foals looked at Madam Melody wined as Jet replied, “Aww I wanted to stay up.”
Allium added, “Can we stay up, pleeeease! I promise we’ll be good.”
Zine smiled, “Sure you can stay up… but if you do I'll have to tell you another bedtime story.”
Madam Melody looked at him as she replied, “No… zey both had nightmares from ze story you told zem last night.”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “What can I say, when you see as many greatest fears as I have you don’t need to think up a story, you just tell of the fears and what they did to the ponies. But then again I could sugarcoat this one. How about putting a cotton candy cloud raining chocolate milk in the background.”
Cirrus started to think to himself, “Why does that sound familiar?”
The two foals immediately changed their mind as they both replied at the same time, “No, we’ll go to bed. Good night Halo, Ms. Stone, and Zine!”

The two foals quickly left the room as Madam Melody smiled, “Perhaps your stories have value after all. I could alvays use zeir irregularities as motivation for zem to do as zey are told.”
Zine gave her a funny look, “Irregularity? I'd prefer to use a much more simple word… I honestly like to call it Discord. But then again, I suppose it’s a little over used by now.”
Madam Melody chuckled, “If you say so, vell I shall put zem to bed now, bonne nuit commander, Captain, and Zine.”
Zine nodded as he went back to grinding the herbs, “Bone-ya-eat to you too.”
Everypony gave Zine a confused look as Gem spoke, “Um… Zine… that means goodnight.”
Cirrus replied to Madam Melody, “Good night major. Remember, tomorrow at dawn, we will meet the officers of the riots here then proceed with the plan by noon. Will you be ready?”

Madam Melody nodded her head, “Oui preparations are already finished, ze plan vill go unhindered.”
Gem Stone nodded, “Good… let’s hope everything falls into place like it should.”
Zine nodded his head, “It will… at least until we are inside the castle walls… after that, we can only hope.”
Taking this as more of his unexplained rambling, Madam Melody nodded as she replied, “Zen I vill leave you to get some rest.”
With that Madam Melody left the room as Cirrus spoke, “Well, I guess I'll call it a night too. Good night Gem, Zine. I'll see you two in the morning.”
The two nodded as Gem replied, “Rest easy Cirrus.”

Then, just after Cirrus had left the room, Zine spoke, “Captain… can you stay here for a sec… there is something we need to discuss.”
Gem turned to him as he reached into a nearby bag, “Sure, what’s up?”
Zine pulled out an odd looking arrow, that seemed normal, but at the end where the arrow head was supposed to sit was a round stone that was expertly crafted into the shaft. As Gem took the arrow, she asked, “What’s this?”
Zine replied, “That my archer friend, is an arrow of my own design. And that stone… is the very stone used to banish my ancestor from the kingdom of Equestria, almost six hundred years ago.”
Gem studied the stone as she replied, “Okay… what exactly is it?”
Zine replied as he went back to his work, “It’s called an Everstone. It is a special relic that has the ability to render all spiritual magic null and void.”

Gem asked in curiosity, “Spiritual? Like how?”
Zine replied, “For example, any changeling that touches that stone would have their transforming ability removed. That’s how my ancestor Zeil was banished. In another way, any creatures that had abilities to cast magical spells would temporarily lose said ability. For example, Unicorns or the more nessisary…” He smiled sinisterly, “Alicorns?”
Gem smiled, “Ah… I get it. You want me to use this against Thundaga don’t you?”
Zine nodded, “Yes I do… but that won’t help much. Remember, Thundaga is a warrior princess. She won’t need magic to win in a fight.”
Gem nodded as she tucked the arrow under her wing, “Duly noted. Anything else?”

Zine’s mood turned dark as he replied, “As a matter of fact… yes. Miss Stone?... did you know that the commander has been speaking with… your old mentor?”
Gem Stone thought she heard him wrong as she replied with a joking smile, “Wait… what?...”
Zine replied, “What I mean is, our commander, Commander Halo. Has had a number of late night visits from, Commander Bolt… but not in the way that it sounded… the um… other way. The way on which they merely talked to one another while he slept. You know… in his dreams.”
Gem Stone’s smile faded as she thought to herself and clarified, “You mean… Cirrus has been speaking to Commander Bolt in his sleep?”
Zine nodded his head, “Mhm”
“Why hasn’t he said anything about it?”

Zine replied as he finished grinding the herbs and placed the mixture in a pan of water, “Well, perhaps he’s been unsure as to how you would react. Since, we all know you used to hold feelings for the late commander. Perhaps he thought that telling you would offend you in some way. Or the more logical reason is that he is unsure as to whether it’s real or just his imagination. But what really matters is this… Lately, the commander, your ex-boss has been giving him a… I want to say order, but more of a request that the recent commander is… questioning.”
Gem Stone was concerned, “What order?”
Zine replied as he started mixing the ingredients, “Commander Bolt wants Commander Halo, to kill Thundaga.”

Gem Stone gave him an unsure look, “And… Cirrus said no?... Why?”
Zine continued with a careless expression, “Cirrus believes there is a way of winning this fight without killing her. He says that there is good inside of her and he believes that he can save her somehow.”
Gem Stone shook her head as she tried to understand, “Wait a second… Did Commander Bolt give this order before or after Cirrus thought up this strategy?”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “My understanding is that he thought it up after the order was given.”
Gem smiled in relief, “Then what’s there to worry about? If Cirrus thought up this plan after, then he took the order into consideration and most likely planed for it, right? So obviously we shouldn’t worry about it since it’s just part of Cirrus’s plan.”

Zine nodded his head in agreement to the comment, but replied in an objecting tone, “Sure, that sounds logical… however…”
Gem gave him a curious look, “However?...”
Zine stopped stirring the mixture as he looked at her and replied, “That was before I received a message of my own last night.”
“Message?... from Zecora?”
Zine shook his head, “No… Zeil.”
Gem Stone looked at him in surprise, “Zeil?... the same Zeil who was responsible for your imprisonment?”
Zine pointed at his staff leaning against the wall as he replied, “That, and the potion in that staff there. Yes. The same Zeil.”

Gem was concerned, “But… he hasn’t giving you a vision since… you were a foal.”
Zine nodded his head as he had a troubled look on his face, “Yea… you’re right…”
Gem asked with curiosity, “Well, what did he say?”
Zine looked at Gem with a troubled glance before turning back to his mixture and replying, “He mentioned the fight tomorrow… and… how commander Halo’s plan to save everypony… will fail.”
Gem Stone was now worried, “What?... but… how?”
Zine replied as he tried to distract himself by mixing the mixture again, “He didn’t go into specifics… but… he said that two lives would end tomorrow. Or at least… two lives within the castle walls.”
Gem was too shocked to show much expression as she asked, “Who?...”

Zine sighed as he shook his head, “I… I don’t know… could be Thundaga’s and the commander. Could be you, me, and Thundaga… could be you, me, and the commander.”
Gem was confused, “You, me, and Cirrus… that’s three lives.”
Zine shook his head as he looked at her with a convincing expression, “You and I count as one… remember?”
Gem Stone felt worried as she sat down and looked at the floor in deep thought, “Whoa… this… this is… troubling… does… does the commander know?”
Zine shook his head, “I thought it would be best if he didn’t. He’s not used to dealing with distractions like this. So I felt it better that he faced tomorrow with a clear mind.”
Gem nodded her head in agreement, “Yea… you’re right. It would be best to keep this from him. But… are you sure he was right about this?”

Zine looked back at the ingredients in front of him as he sighed, “He may have led me astray when I was young… but nothing he said back then or today was proven to be false. So yea… I would guarantee that his words are true.”
Gem rubbed her head in worry as she replied, “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that.” She sighed, “So… what should we do?”
Zine replied as he started working on his spell again, “Well… the fact of it is that there will be two lives lost, but we don’t know who’s. So, if we can make one of them ours… then… we can minimize the chances of the second one being the commanders. That is… if you’re willing to go through the sacrifice.”
Gem Stone took a deeper sigh as she hesitated before replying, “If it could save him… then… I'll do it. But only after I can guarantee that the second one won’t be Cirrus.”

Zine nodded his head in agreement as he replied, “Alright… then in order for that to happen. We have to kill Thundaga ourselves.”
“What?”
Zine explained, “The commander’s plan is to reach Thundaga and convincer her to give up without a fight, right? Well, if Thundaga is the mare I know she is, then this plan won’t work, and that would end with the commander dying under her hoof. So, the best thing we can do, is find a way to kill her before the commander has a chance to try and spare her.”
Gem Stone shook her head in disagreement, “But how are we supposed to do that? Once we cross the castle walls, we will be together the entire time.”
Zine nodded his head, “Well there is only one time where we might separate.”
“When?”

Zine smiled as he turned to her, “Think about it… remember the plan. As soon as we are inside, we make our way to the castle gates and find a way to open them and lock them open. Then we make our way to Thundaga leaving the gates open for the rebellion to enter when they fight their way there right?”
Gem nodded, “Yea, so?”
Zine taped the table, “The commander and I will focus on getting the gate open and locking it, while you volunteer to hold off anypony who might attack us from the castle.”
Gem was concerned, “Wait… you mean, abandon you two to face Thundaga while you try to open the gate?”
Zine nodded, “Precisely, although I wouldn’t so much as call it abandon, rather… take the initiative to face Thundaga.”

Gem Stone shook her head, “No matter how you put it, I’m disobeying Cirr- The commander’s orders.”
Zine shook his head, “Now, now, it’s not an order if you volunteer. Basically you are only telling him what you’re going to do, and deciding to do something else. I do it all the time, it’s quite fun actually.”
Gem Stone shook her head, “I’m still disobeying his trust. I can’t do that. As second in command of Nightmare Legion I ca-”
“You’re thinking too much like a soldier… remember I’m willing to give my life too. I could just disagree with this whole plan and ignore it, but let’s face it… Death brings death, so somepony must die right? Are you really going to take your moral as a soldier over your own feeling? I thought you were better than that… Captain Gem Stone.”
Gem Stone was shocked by his dark tone as she tried to replay, “I… um… well…”
Zine looked back at his work, “This is why I told you not to get too attached. I didn’t know this would happen, but I did assume it might. So now we have to make a decision… us? Or him?”

Gem Stone didn’t replay, instead she sat silently thinking over what he said as Zine sighed, “I know it’s a hard decision to make… and to be honest, I don’t like our options either… but it has to be made… and soon. Take the night to think it over, but don’t tell me your answer. I think that it would be best if you just make your decision out there tomorrow. That way both our minds can be clear. So until then… get some rest… and put that arrow with your others. No matter what the decision, we will need it for the fight.”
Gem nodded her head as she stood up and replied, “Sure… I'll um… I'll take good care of it. Um… well… good night.”
As Gem Stone trotted to the door to leave she paused just before exiting, “You know Zine… I never told you this, but in the past few days… I have been grateful for what you did… so… for bringing me back… from the dead I mean… um Thanks.”
Zine smiled peacefully “Thank you Miss Stone… for what it’s worth. I’m happy to share a life with you. Even if… it might be ending soon.”

Ch23 The Final Ingredient

The sky was dark as the glowing sparks jumped from General Dash’s sword as he blocked an enemy attack, parried the enemy’s sword away, then stabbed his attacker before the he could recover. As the Royal soldier fell to the ground, General Dash looked towards the front as he noticed a few Rebellion soldiers turning to retreat. When he saw this, He immediately called, “HOLD THE LINE!!! You saw the signal! Commander Halo and his Nightmare Legion are still fighting inside the city! We must hold the li-”
Before he could finish his sentence, another volley of enemy arrows fell from the sky as one hit him in his shoulder with enough force to knock him to the ground. Grunting in a combination of pain and anger, General Dash looked at his bleeding wound as another officer called, “GENERAL!!!”

Concerned, the officer quickly rushed up to General Dash as he took one look at his wound before calling out, “The general is wounded! All soldiers fall back and regrou-”
“No…”
The officer looked back down as General Dash grabbed the soldier by the caller of his armor, pulled him close and spoke with quiet anger, “Commander Halo is still fighting inside the city… and if I know Cirrus, he won’t stop until he either succeeds or dies… Hold this line!... We knew this is an all or nothing battle… So you better be willing to give it all!... That’s an order!...”
Concerned, the officer hesitated as he looked up at the fighting around him. It was too obvious that with the current progress, this battle would no doubt end in failer, but since General Dash gave him a direct order, the officer could only nod as he looked back down at his general and replied, “Yes sir.”

The officer stood so all could hear, “All soldiers! Keep fighting!!! HOLD THE LINE!!!”
Hearing their orders, the soldier continued their fight as a medic rushed to them and spoke to General Dash, “Sir we have to get you back to the rear. You can’t fight like this.”
General Dash shook his head, “No… pull me back far enough to get this toothpick out of me, then put a patch on it. I’m not going to stop fighting until it’s over. I owe it to my friend to fight as long as I can. As a Descendant of Loyalty. It’s the least I can do.”
The medic knew he couldn’t change the general’s mind so he only nodded his head as he and another pony pulled them out of the direct line before trying to work on him to get him back into the fight.

Inside the chaotic city, Major Storm was fighting against a small force of Royal Guards as she found herself cornered against a wall by four guards. As she did everything she could to block all the attacks, she soon found herself warn out as she managed to push them back enough lean against the wall and catch her breath. Seeing her exhaustion, the leader of the group spoke up, “Alright Major… I know you’re not one for giving up, but I think it’s time we called it quits. You should have stayed with the winning side to begin with. But if you surrender peacefully, we will try to convince the princess to go easy on you.”

Major Storm shook her head, “Say what you want, but it won’t change anything… Today my head may be on the chopping block, but whose head will be there tomorrow? Yours’s… your family? Face it… it’s only a matter of time till she starts marking down her own soldiers as traitors.”
The soldier shook his head, “That won’t happen… unlike you, we’re loyal to our princess. So as long as we remain loyal, we have nothing to fear.”
Major Storm laughed, “Loyal?... what you call loyalty, I call fear. The only reason you follow her is because you’re afraid of her. Trust me, I climbed up her ranks to become a major so I know exactly why you follow her. The only difference between you and I? Is that I refuse to be a coward any longer. Take a hand from your superiors. Stop being a wuss and act like a stallion for once.”

The Royal soldier’s expression became angry as he sighed, “I tried to go easy on you… but if you fully agree with being a traitor, then I guess you deserve a traitors death. Say good bye major… I was hoping I wouldn’t have to ki-”
“Get outta the way!”
Hearing the unusual call, all the soldiers looked up the road as the speaking guard replied, “What?”
At that moment, the entire group to include Major Storm looked saw Butterscotch Pie riding on a driverless carriage as the run-away carriage careened down the road at a dangerous speed with him calling “GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!”

With no way to regain control of the carriage, Butterscotch decided to bail out as he jumped from the moving carriage and hit the ground rolling while the carriage continued without slowing down. With no time to dodge the incoming vehicle, the Royal Guards could only flinch as Major Storm used her magic to teleport to safety while the carriage hit and slammed the Royal Guards against the wall, knocking them all unconscious with the loud crash. Dizzy from his rolling stop, Butterscotch Pie picked himself up from the ground as he laughed, “Whoo that was fun… Scary… by still a thrill.”
As soon as she reappeared from her teleporting spell, Major Storm looked at the crash with shock then at Butterscotch Pie, “Y-you, saved my life.”

Confused, Butterscotch looked at the unconscious guards who laid amongst the wreckage as he smiled, “Oh… I guess I did. That’s good to know. So you’re alright then?”
Felling a little embarrassed, she replied as she blushed slightly, “Oh, um, I’m fine… um… Major Pie right?”
Butterscotch smiled, “Yep, that’s my name.”
She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, “Oh, okay… um… got a first name?”
Butterscotch nodded, “Yep, don’t we all?”
She smiled as she waited for him to continue, but when he didn’t, she asked, “Well… can you tell me?... or um… you don’t have to if… you don’t want to.”
He smiled as he bowed in a playful manor, “Yep, I’m Butterscotch Pie. Or that’s my name, I’m not actually a pie, that would be weird.”

Both ponies laughed at his joke for a few seconds as Major Storm blushed, “Well… um… my name is Tundra. Tundra Storm.”
Butterscotch smiled, “Sounds like a… cool, name.”
The two shared a laugh as he continued, “Hey, I think there is another carriage at the top of the next hill, wanna ride that one with me? It’ll be fuuuu-uuuuun.”
Before she could reply, another voice spoke up, “I reckon she has a mission to get back to. But I’m sure once the battle is over, she’d be downright tickled to join ya.”
Both ponies looked over as Apple Barrel approached, “Any-hoo, where is your diversion team Major? Did ya out run them?”
Butterscotch nodded, “yep.”

All of a sudden a building about a block over blew up sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air as Butterscotch looked over at the cloud, then back, “oh… there they are. Found them!”
“Focusing on ze marked buildings I hope?”
The trio looked over as Madam Melody approached the area as Butterscotch nodded, “Yep, I wouldn’t have them hitting anything other than the ones marked to break. By the way it’s good to see you’re alright ma’am. How are the civilians?”
Madam Melody nodded her head, “Ze civilians are safely secured in ze marked safe houses. As long as ve leave zem be, zey should be safe.”

Apple Barrel nodded his head, “Now don’t ya worry one bit ma’am. We’re makin’ sure to only destroy the buildin’s marked for it. By the way, have ya heard anythin’ from the commander’s team?”
Madam Melody nodded, “Oui, Ze commander’s team has returned and reported zat ze commander has entered ze castle. All ve can do now, is vait. How is ze situation in ze city?”
Major Storm Smiled, “It’s going better than expected. We’ve barley had any sort of resistance from the Royal Guards in the city… however… I’m worried that the guards we were expecting here, are still outside facing General Dash.”
Madam Melody nodded, “I see… Zen ve may have to alter ze plan. Major Barrel, I vant your team to cease ze diversions and support Major Storm in taking ze city gate. Vonce ze gate is open, begin ze assault against Zundaga’s outside force, but try to remain on ze defensive. Ve only need to gazer zeir attention.”

Major Storm and Apple Barrel both nodded at the same time, “Understood.”
Then Madam Melody looked to Butterscotch, “Major Pie, you vill also stop your diversions and seek out Major Orange. Zen help him suppress ze Royal Guards in ze city. Vonce zey are dealt vith try to back up ze rest of ze rebellion at ze city gate. Ve need to support ze General as much as possible.”
Butterscotch smiled, “Okie-dokie then. I'll make sure to find Major Orange and prevent the guards from turning him into juice.”
Major Storm was the only pony to giggle at his joke as she spoke, “You be careful, okay Major? I will take you up on that carriage ride when this is over.”
Butterscotch smiled, “I'll hold you to that. It will defiantly be a fun ride.”

With that Butterscotch smiled as he trotted off in a joyful way as Major Storm waved at him as he trotted off. After he was out of sight, she looked around to see that both Apple Barrel and Madam Melody was giving her a funny look as she asked, “What?...”
Apple Barrel sighed as he replied, “Oh nothin’… just a little too obvious is all.”
Major Storm gave him an angry look “Obvious? What’s that supposed to mean?”
Apple Barrel shrugged his shoulders, “I’m just being honest.”
Madam Melody shook her head, “I vish ve had time to discuss zis, but ve don’t. So, let’s just save it for later. Right now you two need to get to ze gate pronto.”
The two looked at Madam Melody as they replied, “Yes Ma’am.”

Back in the castle, Cirrus, Gem Stone and Zine were making their way through the castle grounds toward the perimeter gate as Cirrus felt confused, “Where is everypony… I know most went into the city, but I haven’t seen a single guard since we got in here.”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “Maybe they are on break.”
Gem shook her head, “Or maybe they are waiting for us somewhere… better keep our guard up. If they attack us here, then we are already cornered.”
As they continued around the castle it wasn’t long before they finally found the castle’s main courtyard, along with its road that went from the castle gates to the castle’s main doors. As soon as the found this they made their way towards the castles gates.

Up in the castle, Thundaga stood on her bedroom balcony as she watch over the city with a keen eye. While watching, she saw the group as she smiled, “Well, well, it would seem that General Dash’s Aces-in-the-hole have made their appearance.”
Hearing her words, Commander Mist looked over the balcony at the direction she was looking. When he saw the trio he stepped onto the balcony and opened his wings, “I'll make quick work of them your majesty.”
Thundaga shook her head, “Patients commander, let’s see what they’ll do first.”
Commander Mist gave her a concerned look, “Your majesty, your threat is standing right there. If we take care of them now, we can put a stop to this mockery.”
Thundaga replied with an unamused expression, “They are within our sight… therefore they are no threat. For now… leave them be.”

As much as he wanted to object further, Commander Mist know that Thundaga wasn’t in the mood to argue, so he just held his silence as the two watched Cirrus and their team rushing to the gate. When Cirrus, Gem Stone, and Zine reached the castle gates, Zine smiled as he looked at the massive wooden door, “Hmm seems simple enough, a large double door being held shut by a long block of wood.”
Cirrus gave him a funny look, “I think the technical term is drawbar.”
Zine nodded, “Right, what did I say?”
Before Cirrus could reply, Gem spoke up, “Whatever it’s called, it has two chains connected to the top that go into the room above it. Given its size it’s too heavy to move by hoof. From the looks of it, the chains in the top are used to lower and lift it into and out of place. So the wheel house that lifts it must be above it.”

Cirrus nodded as he looked at a nearby door, “Is that the way up?”
Zine nodded his head, “Yes, there should be a ladder in there that will get us up there.”
Cirrus nodded, “Good then let’s open this gate and signal Spike.”
Before they could do anything, Gem Stone spoke up, “Commander… it might be better if I wait out here. Just in case Thundaga’s guards decide to show up.”
Cirrus was unsure as Zine added, “Good idea, the commander and I will have no problems taking care of the gate.”
Cirrus nodded as he replied, “Alright, if you think we can handle it, then we will leave you here. Let’s go Zine.”
Zine spoke up, “One second commander, I need to do something before we go.”

Confused Cirrus and Gem both watched as Zine trotted a number of feet from the castle gate and reached into his saddlebag. Zine then pulled out the bag of seeds from the day before as he tossed a number of the small black seeds onto the ground in front of him before putting the bag away and turning back, “Alright I’m done.”
As Zine trotted back, Cirrus asked, “What’s that?”
Zine smiled, “Insurance, in case something goes wrong. As long as you don’t worry about it commander, then you won’t have to worry about it.”
Cirrus counted this as yet another of Zine’s mysteries as he nodded, “Um… okay, I won’t then.”
With that Zine trotted to the door as Cirrus looked at Gem and spoke, “We’ll be back as fast as we can.”
Gem smiled, “Be careful commander.”

Cirrus nodded his head as he and Zine quickly entered the wall’s side door leaving it to shut behind them. After they were inside, the two stallions saw a ladder that stretched almost four stories up before going through a trap door at the top of the room. After seeing this Cirrus looked at Zine and spoke, “I'll see you up there.”
With that Cirrus flew through the trap door into the wheel house as Zine sighed, “It would be nice if I could still fly. Oh well, no need to dread in past lives.”
With that Zine quickly climbed up the ladder until he reached the next floor as he and Cirrus found themselves looking at a massive crank that stretched across the entire room with chains leading down through holes in the floor. Seeing this Cirrus nodded, “Alright you get on that side I'll get on this. On the count of three turn the wheel to bring up the drawbar.”
Zine nodded, “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

The two then got on opposite sides of the wheel as Cirrus spoke, “Alright… here we go! One, two, three, Turn!”
When he said turn, the two used every bit of strength they had to turn the wheel as hard as they could but with the weight being too much for them, they were only able to turn it till they heard the lock click once. After hearing that, Cirrus looked down the hole to notice that the drawbar had only moved about three inches and was now hanging slightly over the lock position. When he saw this, Cirrus nodded, “Okay… looks like we will only do it one click at a time. Ready?”
Zine sighed through his exhaustion of the first time as he replied, “I guess…”
Cirrus nodded as he got back into place, “Alright… One, Two, Three!”
With that they repeated their action as the wheel locked again and Cirrus continued, “Ready? One, two, three!”

As the duo repeated their action Gem could see the drawbar slowly going up from outside as she looked around to see if any enemies were in the area. Although the ground was free of enemies, it wasn’t long before Gem looked up and could see Thundaga standing on the balcony of her tower as their eyes locked on each other. As they held eye contact, Thundaga smiled as she mumbled, “What are you doing captain?... Standing guard?... No… you- We, are soldiers of legend. We don’t stand guard when our goal lies ahead… we face it… and destroy it. So, what are you going to do?”
Gem Stone didn’t know what she said, but since Thundaga was giving her an inviting look, she decided to give a reply to Thundaga’s look. Gem Stone drew her sword, placed the blade against the ground, and ran it along in front of her leaving a line between her and her foe as she sheathed the blade and mumbled, “I trust my commander… and… I will follow his orders. I can’t let my feeling control my actions. If you want me… make a move.”
As Thundaga saw Gem Stone draw her line-in-the-sand, she smiled, “We see… then perhaps incentive is required… to remind you of who you really are.”
Thundaga then looked out into the battlefield beyond the city wall as she smiled before looking to the sky.

Outside the city, a medic was just finishing up on General Dash’s wound as he spoke, “You’re set sir, though I think it would be better to rest befo-”
General Dash stood up as he ignored his pain, “No… I have to get back to the fight. We need t-”
Before he could finish, a rumbling sound came from the clouds above as he looked to the overcast in the sky. Also hearing the thunder above, a large number of soldiers from all three armies looked to the sky, as the dark clouds began flickering to the lightning building up inside them. As the lightning built up, Cirrus and Zine started hearing the thunder as Cirrus spoke, “Alright one two th- wait… you hear that?”
Confused, the two approached a nearby window and looked at the sky while Gem Stone also watched the storm in concern of what would happen next.

Moment later, as all three battlefields stalled slightly to the unknown thunder in the sky, everypony waited as if time stood still for a brief moment. Then, with everything silent, the world seemed to speed up as a massive lightning bolt dropped from the sky landing on the far edge of battlefront outside the city, before sweeping across in a stream that vaporized everypony fighting on the front weather they were Rebellion or Royal Army. As the sweeping bolt ran across, General Dash sprinted out of the way as the bolt ran along the ground digging into the surface as it left a scorched line in the earth behind him. Surprised he was able to make it to safely, General Dash turned and looked along the scorched trail as the massive attack left dust and ash floating into the air as the battlefield went silent through all the haze and shock.

After the bolt outside the city vanished, a second bolt came down this time in Canterlot as it demolished a large building before dragging along the ground destroying everything and pony it touched. Inside the city, Apple Barrel, Major Storm and the rest of their soldiers stopped their advance as the bolt demolished four building before crossing their path and hit a few more buildings. Then while incased in its own cloud of dust and debris, the bolt vanished leaving everypony who had witnessed it up close speechless. Finishing off her destructive attack, Thundaga had one more bolt drop down just outside the castle’s wall, as it hit a building directly before dragging across the wall, and continuing through the castle’s courtyard as the massive bolt curved across and made a scorched line that crossed between Gem Stone and the Canterlot Castle, all the while destroying everything to include the building it hit, and the castle’s wall. As the bolt finished its own line-in-the-sand, Gem Stone could only stare in shock as it vanished leaving a massive gape in the castle’s wall and charred earth as they looked back at Thundaga to see an evil smile on the mare’s face.

Although Cirrus and Zine could only see the bolts in the distance, Gem Stone, General Dash, The Nightmare officers, Even Commander Mist were entirely speechless as they gazed upon the damage that they could see, and imagine the destruction from the bolts outside their line of sight. Amazed and somewhat ashamed, Commander Mist looked at Thundaga in a combination of pride, and fear. Although he had always held his princess as the top soldier in the world, he had never seen her in full conflict before. And to do so with such an evil smile on her face, made him feel proud to fight under her wing, but terrified, that she would do so much damage to her own kingdom, city, and subjects.

Back on the ground, Gem Stone stared in shock at the massive hole in the castle’s perimeter wall as the bolt left a gap in it that was almost fifty feet wide. Seeing a burning building on the other side of the damaged wall, Gem could only glare back at Thundaga and mumbled, “She’s supposed to be the princess of this kingdom… and she attacks her own subjects, even the innocent ones. She’s no princess, she’s a monster… If she faces Cirrus…he will die. I can’t let that happen. Orders or not… I have to kill her.”
With that, Gem Stone charged down the road towards the castle’s main doors as Thundaga smiled, “There… that’s the Captain Stone we admire. A true officer of Commander Bolt’s Nightmare Legion.”
Thundaga watched a little while longer until Gem Stone was out of sight before speaking to Commander Mist as she continued looking into the castle courtyard, “Commander… Listen carefully because we’re going to say this just once. Your orders are to take your team down there… and kill Cirrus Cloud, and Zine of the Everfree. I don’t want to see them again, is that clear?”

Although he was still stunned about what Thundaga did to the city, he liked hearing these orders as he smiled, “Yes your majesty… and what about Captain Stone?”
Thundaga smiled, “She wants a rematch… and we’re looking forward to it. Let her come… but do not return here until Cirrus and Zine are dead.”
Commander Mist nodded his head, “Understood your majesty… consider it so.” He looked at his soldiers, “You six on my wing, we have a zebra and a false commander to kill.”

With his orders clear, Commander Mist and his team of soldiers took off from the balcony as they flew down to attack the ponies at the castle gate. On the ground, Cirrus and Zine both had finished cranking the drawbar all the way to the top and had exited the building as Zine looked down the wall at the massive gap as he sighed, “Why do I even try?...”
Cirrus looked around, “Where is Gem Stone?”
Zine pushed the castle gate open as he replied, “Most likely she saw the disaster and decided to go forward to face Thundaga. Don’t worry sir, if we hurry we can help her.”
Although Cirrus was annoyed, he had more to worry about, “Spike was supposed to be signaled with the second illumination flare. We need her bow to signal him.”
Zine smiled as he turned to the road and sat down, “Don’t worry I have my own ways of signaling the world’s greatest assistant. We only need to be patient, and wait.”

Cirrus was confused, “Wait… wait for what? How-”
All of a sudden, Cirrus’s reflex is kicked in, as he stomped his hoof on the ground with enough force to unlock the blade as he turned around and blocked Commander Mist’s incoming attack at the exact moment that the shield locked into its offensive position. With the sparks from the metal on metal still in the air, Commander Mist shifted his attack as he took a second swing towards Cirrus’s neck. With great precision and speed, Cirrus managed to shift his stance to block the second swing as he parried the attacking commander’s sword away before countering with an attack of his own. With Cirrus’s heightened agility proving too much, Commander Mist had to use his wings to push himself back to avoid what would have been a fatal blow. However the veteran commander was still caught with the tip of the Cirrus’s blade as the shield ran along Commander Mist’s cheek leaving a deep cut as the surprise commander distanced himself from his underestimated foe.

After distancing himself from Cirrus, Commander Mist landed on the ground as he quickly placed his hoof against his cheek and looked at the blood that was dripping from his wound. Before the two could say anything Zine smiled, “To answer your question commander. That, is what we were waiting for.”
Just then, Commander Mist’s soldiers landed as the leader of the group spoke, “Commander, are you hurt?”
Commander Mist shook his head as he readied his stance, “It’s just a scratch.” He looked at Cirrus, “I must admit, I’m surprised. I didn’t expect a peasant to get so much stronger in the matter of a week.”
Zine smiled as he replied, “Actually, it took him one day to get this good… but I digress.” He looked at Cirrus, “You go ahead commander, I can handle the ingredient on my own.”
Cirrus nodded his head but before he could reply, Commander Mist spoke up, “Actually… you won’t be going anywhere. You see, the princess gave me a direct order to eliminate the both of you. So yea… neither one of you are getting passed me.”

Acting casual, Zine stood up as he trotted to Cirrus who was still standing at the ready as he took Cirrus’s hoof and raised it to look at the blade on his shield, then he replied as he examined it, “Yea… that’s not going to happen Commander. Ya see, Commander Halo here has a sort of destiny about him, and you…” He gave Commander Mist a dark look as he reached into his saddlebag and pulled out the maroon clay like spell he had made a few days prior, “Will not be a part of it.”
Zine took the clay like ball and rubbed it against Cirrus’s blade so that Commander Mist’s blood that was still on it could make contact with the ball. While he did this, Commander Mist replied with an annoyed tone, “Really… destiny? Your referring to that Third Commander crap aren’t you?”
As the blood made contact with the spherical spell, it immediately began boiling as it evaporated in a reddish smoke as Zine smiled, “Come now commander, you don’t think that The Third Commander could be you, do you? I wouldn’t think that an important ingredient would have such a big ego.”

Commander Mist didn’t see the boiling blood effect as he replied, “The Third Commander is Thundaga. Don’t think anything you say can change that. She brought peace to the kingdom centuries ago. It’s you who is trying to destroy that peace… just as you, are the dark force that is trying to wield the power of the pegasus… aren’t you?”
Cirrus gave Zine a confused look as Zine returned the maroon ball to his saddlebag and pulled out a small glass vial with a blue potion inside, “Really? Is that what you think?... well then your right. I do wield the power of the pegasus. I wield it in a way that, the pegasus is my dear friend, and anything I ask, within reason, he will do. Just as anything he asks, also within reason, I will gladly help with. That’s what friend are for, right? Dare I say it, Friendship is Magic, wouldn’t you agree Commander Ingredient?”
Unamused by his comment Commander Mist readied his sword as he replied, “You can tell yourself whatever you want to make yourself feel better, but none of that will matter when your head is laying on the ground. Now prepare to die!”

Commander Mist and his soldiers stood at the ready as Zine spoke quietly enough for Cirrus to hear, “Commander… I want you to charge at him, but when he attacks, just parry his blade and make for the castle doors as fast as you can. I can handle him on my own.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “Okay… but what about his guards?”
Zine smiled as he held up the potion and showed Cirrus, “That’s what this is for… now trust me, when you get passed the commander you will see and hear a lot of things happening behind you. If you fly as fast as your wings can carry you, you should be able to make it to the castle doors, but you have to do it all in one run. No matter what you hear, you have to keep going. You still have that potion I gave you this morning?”

Cirrus nodded as he pat the pocket on the inside of his armor, “Yea right here.”
Zine smiled, “Good, then there is still a chance. I’m counting on you commander. You ready?”
Cirrus changed his stance to an offensive one as he replied, “Yea… I’m ready.”
Zine smiled, “You really are my friend commander. And I’m nothing if not loyal to my friends.”
Feeling like this was unessisary, Cirrus replied, “Thanks Zine, You’re my friend too.”
Zine gave Commander Mist an angry look as he replied, “Thanks… now GO!”
With his call, Zine reared up on his hind hooves as he swung his staff in a way to open his cloak completely as the sudden action caught the complete attention of the soldiers accompanying Commander Mist. At the same time, Cirrus charged at Commander Mist with his shield at the ready as Commander Mist did the same with his sword.

When the two pegasi met, Commander Mist used all of his strength to strike with a vertical swing as Cirrus blocked the attack and shifted his weight so that the sword would glance off his shield and bury itself into the ground while Cirrus slid passed the commander and continued moving as he took to the air and flew a few feet over the ground towards the castle doors as fast as he could. With his weight used to slow him down, Commander Mist quickly turned around and tried to pursue, “Oh no you do-”
Before he could finish his sentence, Large black vines sprouted up between him and the fleeing pegasus as the vines quickly rose almost ten feet above him as more started sprouting across the ground along the road as they quickly followed Cirrus towards the doors of the castle. Seeing the unusual vines as they shot out of the ground as if they were spring loaded, Cirrus continued flying as fast as he could to stay ahead of them as they quickly followed Cirrus until he was finally able to reach the castle doors as he flew through the already opened doors and slammed it behind him as the vines stopped at the door and grew to cover the massive entrance to the royal castle. Safely inside, Cirrus turned his shield to the passive position as he sighed, “Okay… now to the princess.”

Seeing that his foe had escaped Commander Mist called to his soldier, “What are you waiting for!?! Go after hi-”
“You couldn’t even if you wanted to.”
Commander Mist looked back at Zine to see his hoof firmly planted on the ground as he replied, “Excuse me?”
Grateful that his plan to distract the guards worked, Zine lifted his hoof to reveal the shattered vial under it as he replied, “Those vines were only a taste of what I have planned. So I would suggest you leave your crew here. After all, an ingredient like you will need witnesses for what’s next, every execution requires one after all … am I right commander?”
Commander Mist gave him an angry look, “A witness hm?... Fine… then I'll just have to finish you quickly. Soldiers… watch him closely, but don’t get involved. This traitor will die by my hoof.” He pointed his swords at Zine, “Now draw your weapon!”
Zine smiled as he laid his staff to the side and pulled the maroon ball from his saddlebag, “Okay… but instead of my staff… I think I'll use this instead… even if I don’t want to.”

Confused, Commander Mist and his soldiers watched as Zine took a bite out of the clay textured ball. As soon as he bit it in half, Zine’s expression became cluttered with a mortified cringe of disgust as he put his hoof over his mouth and spoke with a muffled voice while trying to bear it, “Ugh!!! It… Akkkk, Ewww, Ahhh, it… it’s chewy!... why is it chewy!... oh that’s right… Akk its terrible Ahh.”
Jerking his head back and forth to try to ignore the repulsive taste, Zine continued chewing the ball as his eyes teared up with the horrible taste and texture. As Zine moved around in odd ways to bear it, Commander Mist, and his soldiers could only give him a clueless look as the commander tried to understand weather he was serious or not. After a few more second of his actions, Zine finally swallowed the disgusting spell as he dropped to his knees coughing, “Oh… don’t throw up… don’t throw up, don’t throw up. Ugh…”

Sighing in relief Zine stood back up as he, mumbled, “Good… I was able to keep it down.”
Continuing to give him a clueless look, Commander Mist spoke, “Seriously?...are you done acting like a foal?”
Zine smiled as he held up the other half of his spell, “Actually no… I still have one half left. And since I know what to expect it shouldn’t be as bad as the last.”
With that Zine threw the other half of the repulsive ball into his mouth and started chewing as he reacted in the exact same way as the first half, as he covered his mouth and spoke while flailing around to get his mind off the taste, “Ugh… ahhh… Egh… I was wrong!... it’s worse!!! Much worse!... It’s worse because I was expecting it!... Akk it’s terrible!... ahhh make it stop!...”

Getting too impatient, Commander Mist gave Zine an angry look as he spoke, “Enough of this! This ends NOW!!!”
With that Commander Mist charged at Zine to try to strike him with a horizontal swing. As the commander attacked, Zine still in his taste bearing actions, fell to the ground as Commander Mist’s blade flew over his body as he missed his target entirely. Reacting to his failed attack, Commander Mist tried a second time with a vertical swing as Zine continued jerking in his actions as he quickly rolled out of the way as his blade dug into the ground missing for the second time. With his evasion actions seeming accidental, Commander Mist started getting even more irritated then he already was. Trying a third time, Commander Mist swung his sword at an angle as Zine’s last roll landed him close enough to his staff as the clever zebra grabbed it and rolled over leaving his staff to deflect the incoming blade with the same accidental appearance as the last two failed attacks.

As soon as the blade was deflected, Zine rolled closer to Commander Mist as he vaulted over bringing his hind hooves up as he kicked the unsuspecting commander in his jaw with enough force to knock him away from his target. Continuing his vaulting action, Zine landed as he then used his staff to hold himself up as he leaned forward and mumbled in disgust, “Don’t throw up… don’t throw up… don’t throw up.”
As Commander Mist hit the ground a few feet away, he picked himself up and wiped the blood from the reopened wound on his cheek as he spoke, “You… that dirty trick… stop messing around and fight with honor!”
Zine turned towards Commander Mist as he gave him a clueless look, “Dirty trick?... Why? Did I do something a second ago?”
“STOP ACTING LIKE IT WAS ACCIDENTAL!!!”

Zine sighed in relief from keeping the terrible tasting ball down as he replied with a smiled, “Come now Mr. Ingredient, no need to lose your temper.”
Commander Mist charged at him as he replied in range, “Enough of this! Fight like a stallion!”
As Commander Mist closed the distance, Zine smiled as he readied his stance and replied, “As you wish.”
After saying this, Zine started mumbling to himself as quietly as he could to keep track, “One one-thousand, Two one-thousand, three one-thousand, f-”
Although he silenced himself as Commander Mist approached he still kept counting in his mind as Commander Mist attacked with anger in his actions.

First a horizontal swing on the right, which was blocked by Zine staff, then onto a second attack with a diagonal swing to the left which was also blocked by the skillful zebra’s staff. After blocking the second attack, Zine parried Commander Mist’s sword away as he turned his staff around and thrusted the bottom of it against the pegasus’s face as if he were using it to play a game of pool. When he felt this Commander Mist flinched as he closed his eyes and countered with a vertical swing strait down onto Zine. However with his eyes closed, Zine was able to jump safely back as the blade hit the ground and missed the zebra entirely. When Zine landed safely he jumped back a few more times to get more distance from his foe as Commander Mist quickly rubbed his face to regain his senses.

After gaining his distance, Zine smiled sinisterly as he adjusted the hood on his cloak and mumbled the last of his count, “-one-thousand, nine one-thousand, and ten… ready.”
With his cloak adjusted to cast a darkened shadow over his face, Zine smiled as the shadow made it easy to see that his sky blue eyes, were slowly turning into a terrifying shade of bright red. Although his appearance only changed slightly, that combined with the evil smile, was enough to intimidate Commander Mist’s soldiers as he chuckled in an evil way. Commander Mist wasn’t swayed as he held his sword at the ready, “What’s so funny?”
Zine replied with an evil look, “I’ve called you an ingredient for all this time when in actuality your almost nothing of the sort… well…almost.”

Commander Mist glared at his foe as he replied, “Really… I’ve never asked… exactly why do you call me that anyways?”
Zine’s smiled stayed evil as he started pacing around his foe, “Because that’s what you are… an important ingredient that keeps Thundaga’s Royal Guards in line. A beacon of leadership just like the last commander, and one absolutely nessisary for Thundaga’s army to stay loyal, and true. Although… there is another reason, but we’ll come to that in a second. In the meantime, I think we should settle this quickly, don’t you?”
Commander Mist watched in confusion as Zine laid his staff on the ground beside him before sitting down and speaking, “From this point on… I will face you like this, unarmed, and without moving. That way… we can test out my talents sorta-speak. So… I believe the next move to make, is yours. That is, if you can.”

Commander Mist replied to the unusual tactic, “and I’m supposed to believe this?”
Zine continued smiling as his replied, “That my skeptic friend, is your choice.”
With no trust in the zebra’s words, Commander Mist began charging, “WE’LL JUST SEE ABOUT THAT!!!”
Charging with his sword at the ready, Commander Mist quickly closed the distance between him and his foe as he raised the sword up to strike horizontally as he called, “NOW YOU DIE!!!”
Zine smiled sinisterly as he replied with only one word, “Stop…”

Although it was only one word, it had a massive effect as Commander Mist’s blade stopped in midair almost completely against Zine’s cheek as the clever zebra smiled at his accomplished spell. Confused as to why he stopped his attack Commander Mist stared Zine in the eye as he spoke, “Wh-what? Why… why did I stop? Why… can’t I move?”
Zine’s evil smile remained as he spoke, “Now… take a few steps back on my count… ready?” He started counting as Commander Mist took a step with each count, “One… two… three… good boy.”
Shocked as to why he took the steps with each count, Commander Mist spoke, “What?... you. You’re doing this… but… how?”

Zine replied “That ball I ate… it was a spell. A powerful one that’s simply called the Capture spell. Thanks to that and the little cut that Commander Halo gave you, you won’t be doing anything without my word.”
Commander Mist’s expression became angry, “So… you’re controlling me?”
Zine nodded his head, “Not just you… every part of your physical being. Want an example?... then open your left wing.”
Trying to disobey his order, Commander Mist made every attempt to keep his wings closed however it proved useless as his wing opened by itself. Seeing that Commander Mist did what he was told Zine could only chuckle as he continued, “Good… that was mind control, how about physical control next. And… this is where it gets interesting. Without touching your wing… I want it to break at the count of three.”

Commander Mist gave him a clueless look as he replied, “What… without touching it… that’s impossible… isn’t it?”
Zine’s smile became even more sinister as he replied, “One…”
Although nothing was touching his wing, Commander Mist could feel pressure against it as if it was being held in some kind of brace. Confused, Commander Mist looked at his wing in worry as Zine continued, “Two…”
All of a sudden, the pressure got worse as it began hurting him as Commander Mist started to grunt in pain, “Wh-what… wh-whats happening? What are you?”
Zine’s expression began terrifying the nervous commander as he smiled, “Three.”

All of a sudden a loud snap was heard throughout the area as Commander Mist fell to the ground as the bone in his wing spontaneously snapped as he griped his wing screaming in pain. Seeing this, the guards began moving, “Commander!”
“Take another step and I'll have him kill you all!!!”
Hearing Zine’s threat, the solders stopped in place as they looked at their wounded commander as Commander Mist held his wing and spoke, “This… this isn’t real… it can’t be. It has to be an illusion. This type of control… it’s… not possible.” He stood up and looked at his team, “Soldiers! This isn’t real! Tell me it’s all in my head! Tell me that I’m imagining all this!” he opened his broken wing, “Tell me my wing is fine! TELL ME!!!”

As much as Commander Mist wanted to hear his soldiers confirm his theory, the horror on their faces said otherwise as Zine replied with a psychotic smile, “Isn’t real?… oh its very much real… in fact, put your sword to your throat.”
With no control, Commander Mist took his sword and placed the blade against his throat as Zine spoke with an intimidating tone, “If I wanted to I could have you simply cut your throat and end this all at once… but I still have a need for you, and there is no fun in ending it like this.”

Commander Mist replied in anger, “If you think I’m going to help you beat Thundaga, then you’re pressing your luck. I'll die first.”
Zine shook his head, “Not that you have a choice given your current situation, but then again, you won’t be around to see what happens to the princess.”
Commander Mist stared at him in confusion, “What?”
Zine smiled with a heartless stare as he spoke, “I told you already, you’re an ingredient.”
Zine picked up his staff and held it up as he removed the cork on the staff’s veil as he spoke, “Now, drop your weapon.”
Commander Mist lowered his sword, then released it as Zine spoke, “It’s time for you to serve your purpose.” His expression became serious, “Commander Mist, surrender thyn self and soul. Unit it with this potion so that I may use it to bring death to all of whom are meant. This order I make… as the Mage of Zebrica! FINISH THIS CURSE!!!”

After saying these words, Zine taped the bottom of his staff on the ground, as commander mist tried to understand what was happening. All of a sudden, something took hold of Commander Mist as he unconsciously looked to the sky and began raising his head up. First he raised it to as high as he could while standing, then he slowly raised his body up till he was standing on his hind hooves until finally, his entire body started to float in the air as if something had him by his throat and was lifting him off the ground. As he looked to the sky, a bright light shined out from his eyes as a strange apparition slowly emerged as his soul was immediately pulled from his body into the vial on Zines staff as the spirit screamed in fear before being quickly absorbed into the potion less than a second before Zine closed the flask and sealed them both away, “Now… accept your roll… as the final ingredient to The Spiritual Extinction.”
After those words were said, the pasty white potion in the flask quickly changed into a jet black as the potion began glowing in an eerie way.

As soon as the potion turned black, Commander Mist’s eyes stopped glowing as his body fell to the ground with no sign of life. Seeing this the surrounding soldier readied their weapons as one called, “COMMANDER! You!!! You will pay for this!”
With his eyes still red, Zine gave the soldier an intimidating stare as he smiled, “Really? And just how do you intend to do that? Who’s to say I don’t have more for you?”
The soldiers replied with concerned stares as Zine opened his saddlebag and looked inside, “Oh… um… well you’re in luck… Apparently I don’t have anything for you. So… uh… oops.”
With his expression slowly becoming concerned, the surrounding guards started to smile as they drew closer as one spoke, “Good, then we can avenge our commander.”

Zine smiled as he replied, “Well… you could, but then there is another thing you should worry about.”
The guard replied, “Yea? And what’s that?”
Zine smiled as he pointed up, “That.”
As soon as that was said, Spike fell from the sky as the massive dragon landed behind Zine before giving a ferocious roar that caused all the soldiers to stop and back away. As soon as his roar was finished, Spike and Zine gave the soldiers an intimidating stare as Zine spoke, “Sure… I may not have any more potions… but then again, Spike here… he doesn’t need any.”
With that, Spike chuckled in an evil way as the lead soldier replied, “We are Commander Mist’s soldiers! Amongst the strongest of Thundaga’s army! We will not yield to anypony! Not even a dragon!!!”
With those words of motivation, the surrounding guards nodded their head as they started readying themselves for an all or nothing fight.

Seeing that the soldiers were willing to continue, Zine spoke, “Are you sure? My friend Spike has the ability to kill you all with one try, so are you willing to die like this?”
The lead solder replied, “If it will save the kingdom from traitors like you. We are willing to take that chance. KILL THEM!!!”
With that call, the soldiers started charging all at once as Zine sighed, “Noble… but useless. Spike… Incinerate them!!!
With that Spike smiled and replied with an evil tone, “Gladly…”

After his response, Spike reared his head up as he took a deep breath before looking directly at his targets as he blew a long wide stream of green flames that completely spread out as he moved his stream of fire over each approaching guard. As the flamed approached each guard, all that could be heard was a quick and sudden scream before each guard was consumed and covered by the fire as their empty armor and weapons fell to the ground with no sigh of flesh in or around them. As he moved to cover the last of the charging soldiers, Spike stopped his fire breathing as the last soldier was consumed as his armor also fell to the ground, and rolled at the same pace as he was when charging.

As the last guard’s armor fell to the ground, the guard’s helmet rolled across the surface until it stopped at Zine’s hooves as he stared at the red hot helmet in shock. Slowly, Zine turned to Spike as he spoke with an amazed and shocked expression, “S-Spike… you… you actually incinerated them… I'd be impressed… if I wasn’t concerned on multiple levels.”
Spike gave Zine a clever smile as he replied, “Thanks… but I didn’t hurt them. As you remember, I used to send notes to and from Princess Celestia through fire when I was a baby dragon. So in the past five centuries, I learned to send other things through fire.”
Zine sighed in relief, “Oh… I see… so where did you send them?”

Far off in a dungeon in Trottingham, Colonel Shy was sitting outside a jail cell as the guards appeared in the cell screaming as if they were burning alive. As soon as the guards realized they were fine, they stopped screaming as Colonel Shy spoke, “Ahh, Welcome to The Rebellions own personal prison cell. It’s good to see that I’m not the only pony that Spike teleported am I?... well at least I didn’t scream like a little girl. Anyways… if you six are done, then we can discuss your terms of surrender. Don’t worry, as a Decadent of Kindness, I can be real negotiable. It’s kinda funny, the dragon got me out of a cell before, while he put you six in one. Define irony right?”

Back in Canterlot, Zine smiled at Spikes actions as he laughed, “Sending them to a dungeon clear across the kingdom… now that’s a plan that deserves praise. Even if you were a little late arriving here.”
Spike gave him an annoyed look, “I was flying above an overcast of lightning. Seeing the second signal arrow wasn’t as easy as you think.”
Zine smiled, “Oh I’m sure, since the second flash wasn’t an arrow. It was him.”
Zine pointed at Commander Mist’s lifeless body as Spike stared in shock “Whoa… what happened to him?”
Zine smiled sinisterly as he picked up a guards dagger and approached the black vines, “He got cocky, decided to take me on alone without knowing who I am.”

As Zine pulled the cork from the flask on his staff, Spike replied, “You mean who you are now? Or who you were back when?”
Zine dipped the tip of the blade into the black potion as he replied, “Both.”
Spike nodded to Zine’s answer as the large dragon looked at the vines and spoke, “Well I haven’t seen any of those in almost six centuries.”
Zine smiled as he pulled the dagger from the potion and dripped a few drops onto a vine, “Yep, and you won’t see it again… ever.”
As the black potion made contact with the vine, it was quickly absorbed by the vine while the black surface of the plant began turning grey as it started shriveling up before dissolving into ash. After the plant turned to ash, the surrounding vines started doing the same thing as Zine watched patiently as each one from him all the way up the road to the castle doors dissolved away leaving nothing but ash behind.

After seeing this Spike was surprised, “Wow… that’s some potion isn’t it.”
Zine put the cork back on the flask as he reached into his saddlebag and pulled out the small bag of seeds, looked inside, and replied, “Yes… It most certainly is…”
Zine then poured out the bag which was now full of ash as he spoke, “Spike, hold the gate for us… The commander should be back soon enough.”
Spike nodded, “Leave it to me.”
With an unhappy look on his face Zine looked towards the castle doors as he continued, “Just in case… I am happy to call you a friend again. Even if last time we weren’t on the best of terms.”
Spike nodded his head as he replied, “You were always a good friend to us Zine… back then, and now.”
Zine nodded, “Thanks… that means a lot.” He gave a bracing sigh, “Well… here goes nothing… Good bye Spike.”

Ch24 Thundaga's Last Fight

The dust and ash filled the air, as General Dash tried to trot trough it back to the battlefront. As he continued, he started to see a shadow ahead that resembled a medic working on a wounded soldier. After seeing the shadow, General Dash decided to trot closer to see if he could help, but as he approached the shadow, he found out that it was a medic helping a soldier, but it was a Royal medic, helping a Rebellion soldier. When the medic saw General Dash approaching he called, “General! Hurry help me put pressure on his wound. We need to stop the bleeding.”

Although he didn’t trust the soldier, he still did as he was asked as General Dash laid his weapon on the ground and started applying pressure to the wound. As he did so, General Dash looked at the medic, “Why are you helping him?”
The medic replied, “Because I am a medic, and he is wounded.”
General Dash gave him a stern look, “You know what I mean.”
The medic nodded his head, “As a doctor, it’s my job to help anypony in need, no matter who they fight for. Besides, the princess attacked us both... I don’t know about you…but considering what happened, I’m beginning to have second thoughts about who I serve.”
As the dust started to settle in the area, General Dash looked around as he realized that the medic wasn’t the only soldier who thought this. Across the battlefield, General Dash could see soldiers from both sides either helping wounded, frozen in shock, or slowly trotting back from the front with a look of total defeat on their faces.

As he saw this, one of the royal officers trotted up unarmed as he spoke, “General Dash?...”
General Dash looked at the soldier as the officer continued, “Sir… due to the unexpected attack on both sides, I and my army request a cease fire. At least till we are able to regroup and manage our wounded.”
Seeing the hopeful look on the enemy soldiers face, General Dash nodded, “Request accepted… I think that we both need time to gather our thoughts. We will stop fighting and assist with your wounded as much as we can. All I ask is that you do the same in return.”
Thankful, the officer smiled, “Agreed, we will help in any way we can. Thank you sir.”

In the city, Major Storm and Apple Barrel stopped their advance on the gate and started helping the ponies inside damaged buildings, as Madam Melody approached, “Vat happened? Vat vas zat lightning ve saw?”
Apple barrel called back as he continued trying to help the wounded, “Thundaga! She dropped lightnin’ on her own city, to include a few safe houses. Quickly we need help gettin’ the wounded out.”
Madam Melody nodded as she turned to the solders she was with, “Everypony fan out and help ze vonded! Ve need to act quickly.”

With that, Major Melody and her forces started putting all their focus on saving the civilian from the rubble. As they worked on their new task, it wasn’t long before one of the soldiers looked up the road and called, “Major! Royal soldiers approaching!”
As she looked down the road, Madam Melody could see a large formation of Royal Soldiers marching in perfect formation behind an officer who was wearing white armor with a black strip down the side, the same armor worn by the captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard. As the army approached Madam Melody called to her officers, “Major Barrel, Major Storm on me! Ve need to hold zem back!”
With that, Major Storm and Apple Barrel approached Madam Melody as the trio started trotting down the road towards the approaching force.

When the trio approached the Royal Army, they stopped as the enemy captain called, “Company! Holt!!!”
The entire formation stopped and stood at attention as the Nightmare officers watched the enemy’s leader leave his formation behind as he continued to approach them. As the officers met one another, the Royal Captain smiled and bowed with respect, “Madam Melody… Well this certainly is a surprise. Had I known that the most prestigious noble in all of Canterlot were an officer of the Rebellion, I would have polished my armor.”
Madam Melody thought she was being mocked as she replied with an unamused tone, “Captain Belle I presume? Captain of ze Canterlot Royal Guard and Descendent to Generosity. Am I correct?”
Captain Belle rose from his bow as he replied, “At your service my dear.”

Confused as to what he said, the trio gave him a funny look as he turned to his formation and called, “Soldiers, fan out! Unicorn, you will clear out heavy debris from the sight while Pegasi and Earth ponies will focus on getting the wounded treated! From this point on, you will not harm any of the rebellion soldiers, and help them as needed, am I clear?”
The formation called, “YES SIR!!!”
With that the formation of soldier scattered in all direction as they helped the Nightmare Legion clear out the debris and pull the civilians from the destroyed buildings.

Confused, Madam Melody spoke, “You… you aren’t here to fight us?”
Captain Belle turned back, “Me? Attack a mare as highly regarded as yourself? Hardly, I and my soldier can see clearly that your goal is to carry out your objective while keeping the citizens of Canterlot safe. Therefore, I will help you to meet this objective, or at least the second part.”
Apple barrel gave him a funny look, “Awfully generous of ya.”
Captain Belle smiled, “It’s in my blood, as it were.”
Major Storm was skeptic, “Hold up captain… I thought you were loyal to Thundaga?”
Captain Belle looked at Major Storm and smiled, “I was… but it would appear that my loyalty can me subject to change when her actions are set to harm the citizens. I believe I will have no choice but to help you until I receive any proof that your cause is any worse than ours. So as military edict states, I’m at your order, Major.”

Up on the Canterlot Castle tower, Thundaga watched in intrigue as Cirrus out-flew the black vines on the road leading from the castle gate to its main doors. As Cirrus vanished from her sight, Thundaga sighed as she looked at Commander Mist from the tower and mumbled, “It’s so hard to find good help these days. Pity… he was such a loyal commander too.”
As she continued watching the conflict in the courtyard, Gem Stone quietly approached the outside of Thundaga’s room, leaned against the wall, placed an arrow across her bow, and peaked through the already opened door. Looking inside Thundaga’s room, she could see that the balcony doors were also open while Thundaga stood on the balcony right across the room from where the bedroom door sat, giving her a straight and perfect shot.

Moving as proficiently as possible, Gem Stone stepped into the doorway, drew her bow and released her arrow, while using only a fraction of a second to take aim. Despite her aiming time, Gem Stone’s arrow flew through the air at perfect accuracy as the arrow whistled through both the bedroom and balcony doorways, towards the back of Thundaga’s head. However just as the arrow neared its intended target, it immediately stopped in mid-flight as the arrow began hovering a few inches from Thundaga’s head with a purple haze completely covering the hovering projectile. Smiling with confidence, Thundaga turned her head slightly until she could look at Gem Stone out the corner of her eye as she spoke, “Come now captain… You didn’t think it would be that easy… did you?”

Expecting this kind of result, Gem slowly lowered her bow as she replied, “Of course not… A wise stallion once told me, that anything worth fighting for, is never attained easily.”
Thundaga smiled, “Wise words… no doubt that of our father’s correct?”
Gem Stone reached for another arrow as she touched each arrow while picking a specific one, “Yes… they were.”
Thundaga nodded her head as she turned around and looked off the balcony of her room, “We were never privileged enough to hear the wisdom from him, however, we hoped that if we could persuade you to join the Equestrian Royal Army, we could hear his words through you.”

Standing in the doorway of Thundaga’s bedchambers, Gem Stone found the arrow she was looking for as she pulled it from her quiver and replied in anger, “Join you… look at your kingdom!... you destroy your own subjects just to provoke a foe to attack you! You hold your father, my mentor’s name over all your actions as if to justify your own selfish desires. And you force peace upon the kingdom in exchange for free will!... and here you stand, offering me a job after everything I’ve witnessed?... no… there is no possible way I could ever stand beside a mare like you. I did once… but never again.”
Thundaga nodded in disappointment as the hovering arrow slowly turned sideways before snapping in half then falling to the floor, “So… that is your decision then.”
Gem Stone laid an arrow with a ball for a tip on her bow as she replied, “Yea… let me spell it for you… N.O. No.”

Thundaga sighed in disappointment, “A shame… we were hoping to show our respect for the former member of the Nightmare Legion by sparing her life. But if you persist on facing us alone, then perhaps we should show you mercy…” she drew her sword, “By killing you quickly.”
Gem Stone didn’t answer the threat, instead she glared at Thundaga as she drew her bow and aimed it at her chest, leaving Thundaga to smile, “Are you sure you want to try that a second time captain? Remember what happened to the first arrow while my back was tur-”
Before she could finish, Gem Stone released the arrow as the ball tipped arrow flew at Thundaga with incredible speed. Like the first, Thundaga smiled confidently as she tried to use her magic to stop the incoming projectile, however this time, as her magical aura covered the arrow, it instantly vanished as the arrow continued unchanged on its path before hitting Thundaga in her chest with the same amount of force as a punch from a stallion her size.

Feeling the full force of the impact Thundaga took a few steps back, almost dropping her sword as the hit from the heavy arrow knocked the wind out of her lungs. After seeing the impact Gem Stone smiled at her accomplishment as Thundaga griped her chest and spoke, “You… what was that? And how did it hit us?”
Gem Stone smiled as she replied, “That, was an everstone… and the reason you couldn’t catch it, is because that particular stone nullifies all unicorn and alicorn magic. So any magic created using a horn, is now disabled… and that includes your Lightning Orb.”
Thundaga smiled sinisterly, “You’re wrong captain, we’ve learned about this everstone from Zeil of the Black Sand. If I understand the lesson correctly, the everstone nullifies all magic abilities from spiritual plain, but it does nothing to the Lightning Orb, a physical ability no different from breathing or flying.”

Gem Stone nodded, “Are you sure? Then why not test it… here I am… Strike me down with a bolt… if you can.”
Thundaga smiled, “Very well… but don’t claim that you received no warning from us.”
Thundaga then braced her hooves and put all of her focus on creating a smaller cloud right above her head, however as she stood there putting everything she had into creating her smaller Lightning Orb, nothing happened. In fact, rather than creating a smaller cloud directly above her, the clouds outside began dissipating at an extremely slow pace as what was once dark black clouds, began turning into dark grey. Confused as to what was happening, Thundaga looked to the sky, “What?... our Lightning Orb… our power… it’s not responding…. But why?”

Gem Stone sighed in relief as she spoke up, “I told you… your Lightning Orb won’t work… and you know why?” Thundaga looked at Gem Stone as Gem gave her an intimidating stare, “It’s not real.”
“What?”
Gem Stone pulled a standard arrow from her quiver as she sat down spoke casually, “It was never real to begin with… you see princess, you wanted so badly to be a part of your father’s life, that you made this illusion for yourself.” Thundaga turned completely too her as Gem continued, “You wanted so much to fill daddy’s horseshoes that you devised a silly little theory… that the gift that made him special was somehow passed to you.”
Thundaga glared at Gem, “Enough…”
“So… you set out to try to find out if daddy’s little filly could do what made him a hero.”
“We said enough…”

Knowing she was digging into her mind, Gem Stone continued, “So you put it at the top of your priorities. You tried and tried all to no avail to create the very power that saved the world all those years ago. Until one day… you succeeded.”
Thundaga spoke with quiet anger, “Silence!”
Gem smiled in a sinister way as she continued “But lo and behold, it wasn’t real. You tried so hard and wanted so much, that a part of you, unknowingly forced it to be real.”
Thundaga yelled, “WE SAID SILENCE!!!”
Gem Stone smile turned to an angry glare, “You wanted it so badly, that your mind created the lighting orb without your knowledge, and allowed you to flail it over the kingdom like some sort of, right-of-passage. When in actuality… you’re no more worthy than I…”

Fed up with her taunting, Thundaga raised her sword as she yelled, “If you won’t obey our order… then we shall silence you ourself!”
With an angry expression, Thundaga started trotting toward Gem Stone as Gem smiled at her idea as she waited till Thundaga was in the doorway of the balcony. As soon as she was within the balcony’s double doorway, Gem Stone quickly laid the arrow on her bow and raised it up before sending it towards the constricted princess. At first, Thundaga tried to stop the arrow in mid-flight with her magic, but when she was reminded of the everstone’s effects, she could only step as far as the doorway would allow as the arrow flew by scratching her shoulder with the edge of the arrowhead as it flew by. Though the arrow did cut her, it wasn’t even enough to draw blood as Thundaga continued trotting out of the doorway as Gem Stone tried to draw and fire another arrow.

This time with her anger too far for her to hesitate, Thundaga swung her sword up as the blade parted the flying arrow leaving both halves of what was once a whole arrow to embed into the wall on both sides of the balcony doorway. As soon as the arrow halves hit the wall, Thundaga realized what happened as she could only smile as she spoke with an intimidating tone, “Well, well… we see what you did there, and we must admit, we are impressed. First you disable our magic, then taunt us with your mind games until our anger overshadows our own patience. Then when we moved into a fatal funnel, you take advantage of our limited space by attacking us with almost no room to evade. A very dirty trick indeed. It’s no wonder you were an officer of the Nightmare Legion. A tactic like that would lead me to assume that Zine is the one who thought it up, but then again, even he wouldn’t have planned that far ahead. However, magic or no, that bow is still an unreliable weapon against me. So… how about we settle this, one on one and sword on sword.”

Seeing that her words were true, Gem Stone lowered the bow and sat it on the ground as she removed her quiver and laid it beside the bow, “You’re right… if I’m going to fight you… it will be as a soldier… not an archer.”
Gem Stone drew her sword and stood at the ready Thundaga trotted further into the bedroom as she smiled in a pleased way, “Good… then let us begin on the count of three? Agreed?”
Gem Stone nodded her head, “Yes… on three then.”
Thundaga nodded in agreement as she replied, “One…”
Gem continued, “Two…”
Then both ponies spoke at the same time, “THREE!!!”
With that, the two mares darted towards each other as they both approached each other, swung their swords with all their might, and clashed blades as the two began their duel.

With sparks still in the air from the blade’s clash, Gem Stone parried then tried to strike with an offensive attack as Thundaga blocked, parried, and countered with her own as Gem Stone ducked to dodge the horizontal swing. After dodging her foe’s attack, Gem tried to bring her sword upward to strike at Thundaga only to have the clever mare block and parry her sword away as Thundaga tried to use a thrusting attack to finish her foe quickly. Seeing the incoming thrust, Gem swung her sword upwards knocking the blade up as she pushed Thundaga back and returned with a vertical swing. One by one, both ponies continued attacking, blocking, and parrying each other’s attacks as each one fought with full focus on preventing themselves from getting cornered or allowing their enemy to gain the upper hoof.

As the two progressed, Cirrus was making his way to the room as fast as he could, however, Zine was in another part of the castle as he found what he thought was the right room before kicking the door in and charging forward, “Alright Commander! I’m here to… to…”
Slowly Zine looked around the room before turning away and running back into the hall, “Dang it!”
As the lost zebra rushed back into the hall, he mumbled to himself, “I know I’ve been here a few times since returning to Equestria… but come on! It’s not like the layout of the old Canterlot Castle and the post-Eden’s Kiss castle are different… are they?”

Minutes later as the duel in Thundaga’s room progressed, Thundaga could feel herself getting fatigued as she blocked yet another attack, parried it away and pushed Gem Stone back so she could catch her breath. As she breathed, Thundaga felt confused that she seemed fatigued, but Gem Stone seemed fine, “Strange… I didn’t expect you to become so much stronger in the past week. I’m impressed captain.”
Gem Stone took a few breaths of her own as she replied, “I’m not so surprised… it’s common for unicorn and alicorn to us a small hint of their magic to increase their stamina during combat. Speed, strength, agility, all it takes is a hint of magic and you can double you own physical strength and increase your performance in a fight. You should have seen Lieutenant Viscous back in the day… she carried a seventy pound axe like it was a foal’s rattle, and her strikes could cut through anypony in her path, shield, armor and all.”
Nodding at the comment, Thundaga replied, “Yes… we heard the stories… and we can agree with the concept.” She looked at her hoof, “We have fought in many wars, but never in all that time, have we ever had the disadvantage of voided magic.”

Gem Stone replied as she readied her stance, “So in other words… I hold the advantage in this fight. So princess, how do you hope to continue?”
Thundaga didn’t say anything, but she did agree that she was at a disadvantage as she sat down to try and rethink her strategy. Trying to think quickly, Thundaga started shifting her eyes around the room to look at what was there. A canopy bed, a vanity mirror with drawers, a couple of stools and chairs that had been moved to the sides of the room, the balcony with its doors and even a chandelier above in the center of the room. Seeing these obstacles that were avoided throughout the fight, Thundaga devised a quick strategy that she knew would work as she stood back up and pointed her sword at Gem Stone, “Alright Captain, whenever you’re ready, I feel it’s time we end this fight.”

With that, Thundaga readied her stance as Gem Stone charged at her foe. When the two met, Gem Started attacking with a barrage of offensive swings as Thundaga used only defense to block the attacks as she slowly maneuvered Gem Stone around the room. As she continued maneuvering her foe through the room, it wasn’t long before Thundaga was able to position Gem directly under the chandelier as she finally chose a time to make an attack that caused both ponies to interlock blades as Thundaga smiled, “Good, your ability to adapt to your surrounding is astounding… but do you prefer open combat… or can you adapt to close quarters?”
With their blades locked, Gem Stone glared at Thundaga and replied, “I’m a soldier… I must adapt to any battlefield that requires it. My preferred combat doesn’t matter to me. It is, and will always be the matter of where my commander leads me.”

Thundaga smiled as she replied, “Very noble response… you truly are a soldier of soldiers… one of his. So… let’s put you to the test!”
With that Thundaga pushed Gem Stone away as she immediately threw her father’s sword upward at an angle as the airborne blade cut through the chain on the chandelier over their heads before burying itself into the ceiling of the room. When Gem saw the falling chandelier she jumped back out of its path as she tried all she could to get to a safe distance. With all of Gem’s focus on the falling chandelier, Thundaga put herself at great risk as she predicted the falling path of the chandelier and moved forward to attack at Gem Strone while dodging the falling obstacle by almost nothing. As Thundaga charged at Gem, the surprised pegasus tried to bring her weapon up to attack the unarmed mare, but by the time she was able to, Thundaga was already too close as the clever alicorn grabbed Gem by her attacking hoof as she directed her blade away before bringing her other front hoof around as she punched Gem Stone in her face as hard as she could.

After hitting Gem in her face, Thundaga used this opportunity to turn around and kick the stunned mare as Gem was tossed through the air before hitting the vanity mirror on the other side of the room, and shattering the piece of furniture to pieces. Stunned from the attack, Gem picked herself up as she tried to reach for the sword, but as she did, Thundaga took no time to rush to her as she stomped on Gem’s sword while it was still on the ground and slid it away before picking up Gem Stone pinning her against the wall and punching her relentlessly. Although she tried to fight back as best as she could, Gem Stone was unable to protect herself as Thundaga punched her a number of times in her face and gut before turning around and tossing the weak pegasus across the room as Gem Stone hit and broke the posts to Thundaga’s bed canopy leaving the canopy drapes to fall over her.

After the drapes covered her opponent, Thundaga took her time as she trotted towards the barley moving figure under the drapes as she spoke, “You are strong Captain, pride to his true training… However his blood runs through our veins, and we are much stronger.”
By the time Gem was able to uncover herself, Thundaga had already closed the distance as Gem could only look up before Thundaga grabbed her by her throat and threw her at the shattered chandelier as the weak mare hit and pushed the chandelier aside leaving the destroyed lights to slide into the wall of the room. With the chandelier against the wall, there was now nothing in the middle of the room accept Gem’s weak body and a bunch of shattered glass as Gem Stone struggled to pick herself up. Thundaga started approaching her weak foe as she smiled, “We should agree that this fight is now over shouldn’t we? So now the only question, is how should it end?”

As Thundaga approached Gem Stone, she kicked the weak pegasus in her gut as Gem fell back to the ground. Then Thundaga grabbed her by her mane and dragged her onto the balcony leaving Gem Stone too weak to struggle. After reaching the balcony railings Thundaga raised Gem Stone by her mane and hung her over the edge as she spoke, “It’s been a week… so your wing probably hasn’t healed enough yet. We could easily drop you and end it all here… but we don’t make the same mistake twice. Not to mention… it’s an unfit end for an officer of the Nightmare Legion.”
Using her mane to swing her, Thundaga flung Gem Stone back through the doorway as Gem Stone hit the ground and rolled to the inside of the room with no way to cushion her fall. As Gem Stone laid in the room, too weak to even attempt to pick herself up, Thundaga trotted in as she spoke, “It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it? Twice you have attacked Canterlot, twice your soldier have made it to the very castle of the city… and twice you will die before the battle ends.”

Thundaga flew up to the ceiling to retriever her sword, as she did, Gem Stone could only think of the words as she tried to muster up the strength to pick herself up. However before she was able too, Thundaga had already pulled her blade from the ceiling as she dropped down landing on top of Gem with all four of her hooves on her back as she slammed the weak pegasus against the floor. After landing the last non-fatal blow against her foe, Thundaga looked at her defeated enemy as she slowly rolled her over so that Gem Stone was laying on her back. Thundaga looked down at Gem Stone then stepped on top of her pinning her down as she sighed, “It truly is a pity… I’d hoped that one day, we could have been friends… but… it would appear, that fate truly is cruel.” She griped the sword as if it were a dagger, “Good bye Captain Stone, if it’s any consolation, you are worthy to die by my father’s blade.”
With that said, Thundaga raised the sword in the air, and started dropping it with the intent to finish Gem Stone with one final blow.

As the blade neared its destination, Cirrus rushed to the door way as he looked in and called, “PRINCESS UMBRA STOP!!!”
As soon as the name was called, Thundaga stopped her blade directly over Gem’s head as both she and Gem Stone slowly turned to Cirrus as Thundaga spoke, “What… did you call us?”
Cirrus replied, “Princess Umbra… that’s your name isn’t it? You’re not the mare that this kingdom sees you as. You’re better. You used to stand for something greater, you used to stand up for everypony who looked to you for protection. You were respected by your guards, and loved by your subjects because you had his heart, and you wanted nothing more than to show that you could be like he was. A hero, legend, and respected leader of the royal guards… you even went through the same training as your guards, just to prove that you could. Because that’s the kind of mare you are. Because you are Princess Umbra. Daughter to the moon, Princess Luna, and the storm, Commander Bolt.”

As she looked across the room at Cirrus, Thundaga replied with an emotionless expression, “The mare you speak of… this… Princess Umbra, is dead. She was a weak filly, whose naivety clouded her judgment and allowed her fool of a mother, to lead this kingdom into a preventable war. She was too weak, to do anything as she allowed other nations to mock her own, then did nothing while her ally, beloved, and fiancé… was attacked, and murdered for all of his subjects to see by the very threat, that she so blatantly ignored…” Cirrus could hear sadness in her voice, “Princess Umbra is a coward, weakling, and a fool… she didn’t even deserve to look at this blade, let alone wield it. It was only after her death, that she was able to throw away the name of a filly, and rise as a true testament to her lineage.”
Cirrus shook his head as he stepped into the room, “No… that’s not true at all. She wasn’t weak, naïve, or undeserving in any way. She was a strong soldier and a good friend to those who knew her. And I should know, I met her a few days ago. She enjoys stories of her father, and accepts those who are objective to those stories. She likes to joke with fillies, spend time with friends, and even talks of regrets to those she trusts most. She is a kind hearted mare, and I believe that she is still in you, somewhere.”

Thundaga gave Cirrus an unamused look as she sighed in disappointment, “Your optimism is inspiring, that is if it wasn’t so misplaced. While you speak of forgotten mare’s you forget that you should be more concerned with the situation you are currently in. You attack our city, threaten our rule, and after all that, you still stand before us knowing that you hold absolutely no advantage whatsoever. Exactly what was your plan when you finally reached us, hm? Challenge us, or do you intend to beg for your life?”
Cirrus shook his head, “No, we came here to save Princess Umbra. And we aren’t leaving until we do. I’m not going to abandon her, As the Third Commander… I can’t.”
Gem Stone spoke from where she was pinned as her voice sounded weak, “C-Commander… don’t... she’ll kill you…. run now… run while you sti-”
Before she could finish, Thundaga placed her hoof on her throat as she looked down at her and spoke with an quiet tone, “Silence… the adults are talking…”

Thundaga released Gem Stone and stepped off the weak mare as she turned towards Cirrus and spoke, “We admire your courage commander… but this game ends now.”
As soon as he heard this, Cirrus immediately recognized the situation as he decided to do the one thing he could to avoid what could happened next. With a calm action, Cirrus reached over and unlaced the strap on his shield as he took the shield off of his hoof and tossed it away from him as he replied, “I’m not going to fight you.”
Thundaga readied her sword as she replied, “Then, you will die.”
With that Thundaga darted toward Cirrus with the intent to kill him as he stood his ground and replied with a serious stare, “All are willing to give for the princess… So why shouldn’t a princess be willing to give for all?”

As soon as he finished saying these words, Thundaga approached Cirrus as she swung her blade horizontally as Gem Stone called, “CIRRUS!!!”
All of a sudden everything went quiet as Cirrus cringed at the pain he felt when Thundaga’s blade hit his neck, but oddly stopped before going deep enough to do damage to anything vital. As the edge of his blade remained imbedded in his skin, Cirrus could feel his blood run down his shoulder and under his armor as he looked at Thundaga’s surprised expression. With the blade twitching slightly, Thundaga spoke, “What?... what are y- no… stop. Don’t you see it’s a trick? He betrayed you! He is a traitor to you and the rest of the kingdom! He must die for his insolence!”
Not making sense, Cirrus could only stare at Thundaga in confusion as she pulled the blade from his skin, backed away from him, and tried to regain full control, “Stop… it’s not true. He isn’t your friend… not anymore. Do you not remember how he chose the Captain over you? Do you not recall the battle he started in your city to get to you? Have you truly forgotten his treachery?”

As soon as Thundaga was a safe distance from Cirrus, Gem Stone struggled to pick herself up as she stumbled to Cirrus and started checking his wound as soon as she arrived, “Commander? Are you alright?”
Although he cringed at his pain, Cirrus nodded as he placed his hoof over his cut, “I’m fine… but what about?”
A few feet away, Thundaga placed her hooves against her head as she started speaking frantically, “He betrayed us! He deserves to die! He is no friend! He’s nothing!!! STOP THIS INSOLENCE AND ACCEPT THE TRUTH!!! ACCEPT THAT WE MUST KILL HIM!!!”
As she jerked herself back and forth, Thundaga started swinging her sword around as if she were fighting and invisible foe as she got closer and closer to her balcony doorway. As she neared the doorway a large number of black electrical sparks started arcing from her blade as Gem Stone became confused, “That electricity… how can she create it? The everstone should have disabled her magic.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he replied, “It did… but it only disabled Thundaga’s magic. Princess Umbra is still in there.”

Gem Stone gave Cirrus a confused look as Thundaga continued swinging her sword around, “HE’S YOUR ENEMY TOO!!! DON’T FALL FOR HIS TRICKS! WE MUST KILL HIM BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!”
All of a sudden, a different voice was heard as Thundaga’s tone changed, “IT IS TOO LATE!!!”
Thundaga focused her attention on the marble railing of the balcony as she rushed outside raised her sword high and swung it down as hard as she could as her father’s sword hit and shattered against the marble balcony railing. As soon as the blade shattered it was as if a storm had awakened as a cloud appeared above Thundaga’s head as black lightning started shooting out in all direction as a dome shaped whirlwind appeared around the conflicted mare. With a massive whirlwind of storms breaking out around Thundaga outside on the balcony, Gem Stone and Cirrus could only hold each other as the powerful winds caused everything in the room to shake. As they tried to bear the magical thunderstorm, Cirrus pulled out the potion from his armor as he spoke, “Gem… we need to save her!”
Gem Stone was confused, “What? How?”

Cirrus drank the potion as he replied, “We have to get to her! As much as I hate it we have to get into that storm!”
Gem Stone looked back at Thundaga as the swirling vortex of lightning completely consumed her as she tried to understand, “But… how?”
All of a sudden, Cirrus’s coat started to glow with an unusual light as Cirrus replied, “Just help me get to her, and I'll do the rest.”
Trusting his actions, Gem Stone nodded as the two ponies stood up and tried to use their combined strength to get through the unusual vortex as they got closer and closer to the alicorn trapped inside. As they got closer, the black lightning became more sporadic as the lightning bolts flew by the two pegasi with enough power for the two to know exactly how much danger they were in.

As they reached the doorway onto the balcony of the tower, a random bolt of lightning flew straight toward the two pegasi as the bolt went between the two singeing Gem’s mane, but leaving a long burn mark across Cirrus’s face. As Cirrus stopped and dropped to a knee to place his hoof over his burned face. Seeing him wounded, Gem looked at Cirrus with concern, “Cirrus! That’s it! we need to fall back and fi-”
Cirrus removed his hoof from his burn as it revealed a burn that ran across his cheek under his left eye as he spoke, “No… we need to keep moving!”
Seeing that his burn wasn’t as bad as she thought, Gem nodded, “Alright… let’s keep going.”
With that, Gem and Cirrus continued moving towards the massive vortex as the magic induced storm continued to rage on the center of the balcony.

As the two approached the vortex Gem tried to reach into the vortex as a large jolt of electricity hit her hoof and pushed it back as she spoke, “It’s not letting us through… it’s as if the funnel is made entirely out of lightning.”
Cirrus nodded, “Great… that’s what I was afraid of. Let me try something.”
Trying to focus, Cirrus looked at the wall of the vortex as a number of yellow electrical arcs started jumping from his hooves and hitting the ground. Then, trying to channel his power, Cirrus reached out to transfer the Lightning Orb into the vortex. As soon as his hoof touched the wall of the vortex, the roof of the vortex shot upward as it started stretching from the balcony to the clouds above, as both yellow and black lightning bolts started shooting out in all directions turning what seemed to be a vortex of storms into a tall beacon of lightning that resembled a small tornado.

As soon as this happened, an opening in the vortex appeared as Gem Stone and Cirrus stepped through the gateway and entered the eye of the storm. After stepping inside, Gem and Cirrus couldn’t feel the rushing wind anymore as they looked to see Thundaga laying on the ground inside the eye. When they saw this, Cirrus approached her body as he looked back at Gems and held out his hoof, “here… I'll need your help.”
As confused as she was, Gem Stone didn’t ask any questions as she took Cirrus’s hoof while the confident commander looked down at his foe and mumbled, “Here goes nothing.”
With that, Cirrus reached out at touched the seemingly unconscious mare on her head as a bright light flashed from where he touched her, leaving everything in the area to vanish amongst the blinding white light.

Down in Canterlot, The bright light, along with the swirling vortex of lightning could be seen from everypony in the city as all eyes on the two silent battlefields looked to the castle’s tallest tower as everypony in the city became nervous as to what the vortex of lighting and thunder could mean. Inside the Castle, Zine with his eyes still red, kicked open a door as he pointed his Staff and spoke, “I’m here and I’m ready to- I’m in the wrong room again… great.”
Disappointed, Zine turned away as he continued down the hall, “This is getting annoying… now if Celestia’s room was on the east wing and Luna’s was on the west… then where would Princess Umbra’s be? And with that thought would she keep her own? Or would she move into Celestia’s?... wait… what wing am I in?... crap…”
As he trotted, he could hear a strange and eerie sound emanate from the flask on his staff as he looked at the potion and spoke, “I know, I know, you have a time limit. Don’t worry, you will get your souls within the hour. Just be patient.”

Ch25 The Darkness Within

Cirrus opened his eyes and found himself standing in an endless white abyss without his armor as he looked around in confusion, “What? Where am I? w-”
“Commander!”
Cirrus turned around to see Gem Stone trotting up also without her armor as she spoke, “Where are we- wait… your wounds are gone.”
Cirrus placed his hoof on his neck then his face as he confirmed that both the cut, and the burn weren’t there, “Yea… I guess so, looks like the bandage on your wing is gone too.”
Gem Stone looked at her once dislocated wing as she opened it up to confirm that there was no pain, “You’re right, and it’s healed too… that’s strange.” She proceeded to look around in confusion, “What is this place?”
Cirrus looked around as he replied, “I… have no idea.”

Gem Stone gave him an annoyed look as she asked, “Is this the result of that potion you drank?”
Cirrus nodded, “probably, yea.”
“And Zine gave you that potion didn’t he?”
“Yea… he did.”
“And… did he happen to mention what that potion did?”
Cirrus sighed, “To quote him, it is supposed to transport us to a battlefield unlike anything that we or Thundaga could possibly imagine.”
Gem Stone nodded her head, but wasn’t amused as she asked, “Okay vague, anything else?”
Cirrus shook his head, “not really no.”
Gem Stone sighed, “Great, so there’s no telling where we are then… is there?”
Continuing to look around, Cirrus replied, “Your guess is as good as mine.”

All of a sudden a strange sound was heard as the two looked around in confusion as Gem spoke, “um… Cirrus?... do you hear that?”
Cirrus nodded, “yea… it sounds like… crying.”
As the two looked around, they couldn’t identify where the sound was coming from as they looked into the endless empty abyss. As they continued looking around, Gem Stone spoke, “this is… a little creepy.”
Cirrus replied, “Is it one of Zine’s tricks?”

All of a sudden Gem looked behind Cirrus as she shook her head, “No… it’s a little too dynamic even for him… unless… you can tell me who that is.”
Curious, Cirrus turned around to see a young crying filly sitting on the ground with her back to them as he replied, “Wait… is that?”
Slowly Cirrus started to approach the young filly as he studied the way she looked. The filly was light grey with a short but extremely dark navy mane with a yellow and blue stripe. As he started to approach her, Cirrus spoke, “Princess Umbra?”
As soon as she heard his voice, the timid filly quickly turned towards him as she backed away in worry, “Wh-who are you?...”

Cirrus held out his hoof to calm her as he replied with an unthreatening tone, “it’s alright… I’m here to help. My name is Cirrus Cloud… I’m a friend of you father.”
The mare gave him a curious but cautious look, “you… you knew my daddy? But… he died a long time ago.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “he did… but he sent me a message through my dreams… he wanted me to find, and protect you, if you come with me I can lead you to sa-”
The filly shook her head, “I can’t… I mean… prove to me that I can trust you.”
Cirrus sighed as he shook his head, “in all honesty… I can’t. But, I know somepony who can.”

Cirrus turned to Gem as he spoke, “Captain Stone? Can you come here please, I have somepony I want you to meet.”
Although she heard the entire conversation, Gem Stone still approached cautiously as the filly was surprised, "Captain Stone… you mean Captain Gem Stone of the Nightmare Legion?”
Cirrus nodded, “The same.” He looked at Gem Stone, “Captain Stone, may I introduce Princess Umbra of Equestria. Daughter to Princess Luna, and Commander Bolt.”
Gem Stone gave the young princess a surprised look, but before she could say anything Princess Umbra spoke first, “You’re… Captain Stone of the Nightmare Legion… you knew my daddy… didn’t you?”

Gem Stone didn’t know what to say as she looked into the filly’s hopeful eyes. Trying to think, Gem Stone looked at Cirrus who was smiling at her with a peaceful expression, then decided to play along as she looked back and replied, “Yes, I knew him all too well. He… wanted me and Commander Halo here to come help you. He wanted us, to protect you.”
The filly smiled as she replied, “He… he did? From what?”
Gem Stone didn’t know how to answer as Cirrus butted in, “From the darkness. He wanted us to protect his little princess since… he isn’t here to do it himself.”
The princess looked at Cirrus in curiosity, “You’re… a commander too? Are… are you The Third Commander?”
Cirrus held out his hoof as he replied, “Yes… and if you will come with me, we can take you to safety... Your majesty.”

Although the little filly was unsure, she only hesitated slightly before reaching out and taking Cirrus’s hoof as she smiled as she spoke with an official tone, “then… I'll leave my safety in your hooves, commander.”
As Cirrus took her hoof, the two soldiers and their filly companion smiled for a brief moment until a dark and evil voice spoke, “Aww… how sweet… and yet… pathetic.”
Confused the three looked around as a dark shadow quickly swept between all their hooves before building up in an area about ten feet behind them as the shadow came together to make up a dark figure that resembled the form of a tall alicorn with a dark purple coat, a mane that was slightly darker then her coat, and eyes that were dark blue. As the alicorn took her form, she started to give an evil smile as Princess Umbra quickly hid behind Cirrus as Gem Stone spoke, “And who are you supposed to be?”

The evil mare smiled as she replied, “Captain Gem Stone, I’m appalled… you stand before me and yet you don’t recognize your former princess? I suppose it was a very long time ago… and perhaps… I was a little different when I appeared to you back then.”
Gem Stone stared in curiosity at the mare but didn’t say anything as the evil alicorn replied, “Well… then perhaps you may recognize this form better.”
Slowly the midnight purple coat of the evil mare turned to a jet black, as her mane slowly went from dark purple to a midnight blue as stars started appearing in her mane and tail leaving her eyes to stay the same blue color, but to change into nocturnal eyes that resembled a bat pony’s. As the mare finished her full transformation, Gem Stone stepped back in shock, “What?... it’s… you’re… Nightmare Moon?...”
The wicked Alicorn smiled, “yes… that was me way back when… but then again, times have changed, and so… appearances have followed. For example, Cirrus… you remember this one.”

Acting casual, the mare began pacing as her appearance started to change yet again. First the stars in her mane didn’t change but the midnight blue slowly turned to an extremely dark navy that was so dark, it seemed closer to black. Then two striped appeared in her mane, a yellow and a blue one that weren’t centered, but ran along the upper half of the dark mane. Next her jet black body slowly changed into a dark purple, as her eyes which were Midnight blue remained nocturnal but changed in color, one to a lighter blue, and the other to a faded green. After seeing her second transformation, Gem Stone continued staring in anger as she replied, “Thundaga…”

The evil princes laughed as she spoke, “yes… not the most flattering of my appearances but I can only work with the host’s limits. In this case…” she looked at Princess Umbra as the young filly hid even further behind Cirrus as the evil mare continued, “That little weakling behind you.”
Cirrus spoke in anger, “so it’s true… you were acting in her place. Princess Umbra didn’t have control over anything! Instead it was ALL you! The war, the murders, everything!”
The evil alicorn shook her head, “In a sense yes… however, it’s not all as it seems. You see, I didn’t start the war with the griffin kingdoms… that was all Umbra. And the forced peace… that too was the actions of her own doing. All I did, was give her the power to take control. She did the rest all on her own. Until recently… when she started losing her nerve.”

Gem Stone became enraged, “so it was the same thing with Princess Luna back then wasn’t it! You forced her to start a war that blotted out the sun didn’t you!?!”
The mare smiled as her appearance went back to the dark purple alicorn, “And what if I did… that too was a war started entirely on the desires of the princess… it’s not my fault that Luna and her daughter share such dark desires.”
Although she was unarmed, Gem Stone readied herself for a fight as she replied, “So Princess Luna truly isn’t Nightmare Moon at all is she?… it was you!”
The wicked mare smiled, “Yes… it was me… but then again Nightmare moon wasn’t even my true name either. In fact my true name is-”
“Tantibus…”

Everypony including the dark mare looked at Cirrus in confusion as the dark mare replied to his comment, “well, well, it would seem that I’m better known then I anticipated. You are the first pony in six centuries to refer to me as my true name. Bravo commander, I’m truly impressed.”
Cirrus explained, “Commander Bolt told me what you are. An evil entity that dwells within the bloodline of the royal alicorn. First you manipulated Princess Luna into bringing eternal night, then when Luna proved too strong for you to control, you decided to pass into her daughter like a common parasite.”
The evil mare smiled, “yes… but like a parasite, I’m ever searching for a new and stronger host. I was going to wait until Umbra and her beloved Prince Silver Armor were married and blessed with a suitable offspring, but alas, he was killed before his time, and now I can only wait… that is… until you two decided to interfere… and so foolishly… enter, Umbra’s mind.”

All of a sudden, Cirrus and Gem Stone understood what she had meant as the Tantibus continued, “For five hundred years I assumed I had control of the most powerful mare this kingdom has ever had… But do you know what I discovered thanks to Captain Stone’s little Everstone trick?...” She shifted her glance to the little filly as she replied in disgust, “I discovered that the power I held… was nothing more than a fraud. I’ve always known that Umbra was weak, but to find that the Lightning Orb, the very power that made her stand out was nothing more than a cheap trick. It disgust me to a point that I even considered having her take her own life in the near future. But then… to know that there was another who held the true power… well, it kept me optimistic. So much… that I no longer need the little weakling around. So… make yourself ready commander… because you will be my next host.”

That said the evil mare started trotting towards the group as Gem Stone stepped between her and Cirrus, “Over my dead body!”
The Tantibus smiled, “Careful the words you choose captain, I just might make them truth. Unless… you think you can do anything about it, feel free to try.”
Gem Stone glared at her foe, as she opened her wings and darted towards her foe as fast as she could, “I THOUGH YOU’D NEVER ASK!!!”

Seeing her incoming enemy, the Tantibus smiled as she held out her hoof, “Return your real wounds.”
All of a sudden, Gem’s wing which was recovering from being dislocated before, returned to its pain riddled condition as Gem cringed at the unexpected pain before crashing to the ground and rolling with her gathered momentum like a rag doll towards her foe. Timing it right, the Tantibus stopped and waited till Gem Stone was close enough before moving her front left hoof across her body and swinging it back as the back of her hoof bashed against Gem Stone’s face with enough force to toss the wounded pegasus a number of feet away as she hit the ground and rolled to a complete stop.

Too weak to stand, Gem laid on the ground in a complete daze as the Tantibus smiled, “What’s wrong Captain? Did you forget you were wounded before you came here? Or was this setting not acceptable enough for you?” She looked around, “I wouldn’t blame you, this endless nothingness seems… unfitting for a soldier like you to die in… perhaps I should change that.”
Just then the wicked mare stomped her hoof on the ground as the never ending white abyss quickly transformed into a vast desert landscape as Cirrus looked around and immediately recognized it from another one of his dreams. Shortly after seeing the change in the environment, Cirrus started feeling something rolling down his shoulder as he placed his hoof on his neck to find that his previous wounds had returned and what was rolling down his shoulder was blood. As he looked at his own blood on his hoof, the Tantibus looked at Cirrus and smiled, “You understand it now don’t you… we aren’t in the real world anymore commander. Whatever means brought you here only delved you deeper into Thundaga’s inner being. In other words… you’re in my domain.”

After hearing this Cirrus glared at the Tantibus in anger as the little alicorn hiding behind him thought to herself before putting her hoof against his shoulder and whispered, “I’ll help too.”
Feeling her hoof, Cirrus then slowly felt the pain from his wounds vanish as the cut on his neck and the burn on his face vanished again as the Tantibus saw this from a distance and became angry. As he felt his pain vanish, Cirrus placed his hoof against his wounds and looked back at the little princess as he smiled, “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Pleased she could help, the young princess smiled as she looked back at him, however before she could reply, her expression changed from pleased to scared as Cirrus quickly turned back to see that the Tantibus was now less than a foot in front of him. As the Tantibus stood over him glaring with an angry stare, she spoke with a displeased tone, “Step aside…”
without letting him reply, the Tantibus brought her right hoof across her body before bringing it back in a powerful swing as she bashed the back of her hoof against Cirrus’s face tossing the surprised pegasus almost fifteen feet into the air as he hit the ground a number of feet away.

Worried for her protector, Princess Umbra rushed to Cirrus’s side as the Tantibus smiled, “you can make the wounds disappear… but that won’t prevent me from making more.”
As Princess Umbra tried to help Cirrus up, she spoke, “Commander… are you okay?”
Cirrus nodded as he wiped the blood from his face, “yea… I’m okay… Princess Umbra… I need you to run to safety. Get as far away from here as possible.”
Princess Umbra gave him a concerned look, “but… what about you? You’re unarmed.”
Cirrus stood up as he stepped in front of the young filly, “it doesn’t matter… I came here to this place because it was the only way I could save you, and that’s what I intend to do, but I can’t if you remain in her line of sight. You need to run away now while you still can.”

The little princess was surprised, although she had faint memories of being Thundaga before this place, she couldn’t remember exactly who Cirrus was until this very moment. In fact as Cirrus picked himself up and started trotting towards the Tantibus, Princess Umbra started having numerous flashbacks. She could see Cirrus when she first met him in Ponyville. She could see the day he was found unconscious at the Thunder Grounds. She could see his multiple reactions to the stories of the past, the memorial garden in Canterlot, and when he played with Allium at the Melody Estate. All her memories came flooding back including the very words that woke her from her relinquished control as she stood up and said them aloud, “All are willing to give for the princess… So why shouldn’t the princess be willing to give for all?”
Hearing the words, Cirrus turned back to Princess Umbra as she stood up and glared at the Tantibus in anger, “no… this is my fight… I can’t hid behind others any longer… As princess of this kingdom… I must face my problems alone.”

Thinking she heard her wrong, the Tantibus smiled, “Excuse me?... did you say what I think you said?... exactly what could a weakling like you possibly accomplish. You couldn’t even stand up to your mother without my assistance.”
Princess Umbra started trotting passed Cirrus as she slowly started aging as her young filly voice started to change to an adult mare, “Cirrus is right, I’m not weak… I was strong long before I allowed you to take control. I trained under the most powerful ponies, griffin, and zebra the world had to offer. I learned Magic beyond my own comprehension, Fighting beyond my own strength, and skills beyond my own control. I joined the royal guard and fought beside them without handicap all in the name of my father. And through it all, you know the only weakness I ever showed.” She stopped aging to hold the appearance of a full grown alicorn, “It was when I allowed you to take control, and defile my crown!”

The Tantibus smiled as she looked upon the fully grown Thundaga as she replied, “I see… so the little filly is finally ready to face me, is she?”
Princess Umbra replied in anger, “you imprisoned my kingdom… you tortured indiscriminately, you disgrace my father’s legacy and stained his blade with the blood of the innocent… it’s time that I take my place as this kingdom’s princess. And to do that…” She held out her hoof as her father’s sword materialized in it allowing her to turn it sideways to reveal the cutiemarks painted on the blade, “I MUST DESTROY YOU!!!”
With that, Princess Umbra opened her wings and used them as a speed boost as she darted towards the Tantibus in rage. The dark mare stood calmly with an evil smirk as the princess approached her and thrusted the blade forward with the intent to stab the evil mare in her heart. However as Umbra thrusted her blade, a loud clash was heard as the evil creature materialized an identical sword with a black blade and held it sideways as she used the blades flat side to stop Princess Umbra’s attack with an almost impossible precision and accuracy.

Although she was surprised that her evil foe blocked her high speed attack, she didn’t show it as she looked at the Tantibus with anger in her eyes. Still blocking the attack, the evil creature smiled, “you may have had the training of a true soldier under your belt, but guess what?... So do I!!!”
With that the Tantibus parried Umbra’s sword away as she brought it back and tried to attack Umbra with a horizontal swing. Luckily Princess Umbra was quick enough to jump back and dodge her attack as Umbra landed and readied her stance as the evil mare smiled, “I see that this isn’t going to go as easily as I expected… no matter, I'll kill you first then continue with taking the commander’s power. You’ve outlived your usefulness anyways.” She readied her sword, “Prepare to die!”

With that both alicorns charged at each other as they both clashed in a storm of attacks and blocks that sent sparks flying from their blades with ease. As the two fought each other on the ground, it wasn’t long before they both jumped into the air and continued their one on one battle in the sky above. With the two mares distracted, Cirrus took this time to rush to Gem’s side as he helped her on her hooves “Gem, you alright?”
Gem Stone tried to stand as she replied, “Yea… I’m fine co-”
As she stood straight up, Gem Stone suddenly cringed in pain as she dropped back down to a knee. After seeing this Cirrus became concerned, “Gem, what’s wrong?”
Gem Stone shook her head, “I’m fine… probably just a broken rib. Who knows maybe I had it before coming here but was too caught up in the fight to notice.”

Cirrus nodded, “are you alright?”
Gem Stone smiled, “I'll live… but what about her? Princess… Umbra was it? Will she be alright alone?” Gem Stone looked at the fight in the sky, “looks like she is holding her own pretty well.”
Cirrus looked up as he shook his head, “No… she looks fine from here, but I’ve already seen how this battle ends. If we don’t do something soon… she’ll die.”
Gem Stone looked around for something to help, “but… there is nothing we can do. I’m practically out of commition and neither of us have any weapons.”
Cirrus nodded, “I can try something… but I’m not sure if it will work.”

Cirrus took a few steps away from Gem Stone and tried to focus on the battle that was taking place above. As he focused, he tried to gather the energy to use the Lightning Orb, however as he tried to use his power, nothing happened. Confused, Cirrus tried to think as Gem Stone saw his distress, “Cirrus what’s wrong?”
Cirrus replied with an unhappy tone, “I can’t use the Lightning Orb.”
Gem Stone thought to herself as she replied, “This isn’t the real world. So it’s no surprise your power doesn’t work here.”
Cirrus replied as he watched the two fight above, “But that means… we are fighting with nothing.”

Up above, the two alicorns continued their intense fight as the sound of the clashing blades echoed into the distance. As they fought, Princess Umbra and the Tantibus eventually locked blades as the Tantibus replied in anger, “Try all you want Umbra… but you are nothing without me.”
The angry princess glared back as she replied, “Without you… I am a true Princess!”
With her anger built up, Princess Umbra kicked the back of her sword as the force pushed them apart leaving them both to stop in the air and stare each other down as Princess Umbra used her rage to engulf her sword in electricity before darting towards her foe with a sword that now glowed with power. Noticing what Umbra was up to, The Tantibus did the same as she too coated her blade in lightning before charging at her enemy at high speeds.

As the two mare’s met in the center of their rage fueled attack, the two swung their swords at the same time, leaving both electrified blades to clash as the unexpected reaction to both blades created a bright glowing orb of electricity around the two as their blade’s locked and held both mare’s stationary inside. As they both glared at their foe on the opposite side of their weapons, they both suddenly had the same idea as they both used their wings to propel them both further into the sky as they vanished into the faintness of their high altitude flight. Knowing what would happen next, Cirrus grabbed Gem’s hoof and put it over his shoulder so he could help her, as she looked at him with confusion, “What are you doing?”
Cirrus turned her around as he tried to carry her away as he spoke, “we need to move! We got to get out of the way.”
Gem Stone was confused, “out of the way of what?”
Cirrus replied without looking back, “They are coming back… right on top of us!”

Although she was unsure as to how he knew this, Gem Stone looked to the sky to see that he was right as the barely visible yellow orb in the sky quickly reappeared and was on a collision course with the very ground they were standing on. With haste, the two pegasi were able to vacate the area just in time as the bright yellow orb of light hit the ground creating a massive shockwave and crater as the force of the impact tossed the two a few feet from the site. After they stopped rolling, Cirrus wasted no time as he rushed to Gem Stone and helped her up as he spoke, “you alright?”
Gem Stone nodded, “Yea… I’m fine, but what abo-”
Before she could finish a bright light emitted from the center of the crater as both alicorns fighting inside were tossed out as they regained control and landed on opposite sides of the crater in a sliding stop.

As soon as they stopped sliding, the two mare’s glared at each other as the Tantibus smiled sinisterly before pointing her sword at Umbra and speaking, “You claim to be of the same blood… and yet you’re nothing like your father. You’re weak!... it’s no wonder your po-”
“Shut up… you have no right, nor honor to speak of him… This is my kingdom! And as its princess… I will not allow further harm to come to my subjects.”
Smiling at the Umbra’s threat, the Tantibus replied, “And you’re going to stop me?”
Princess Umbra opened her wings as she gave a bracing stance, “I will… or I'll die trying!”
With those words, Princess Umbra used her wings to push off the ground as she darted towards her enemy at an almost unimaginable speed. Seeing this the Tantibus held her smile, “So be it!”

As Princess Umbra rushed the Tantibus, the evil mare held her ground as she readied her sword for defense and waited as Princess Umbra Crossed the creator and charged her enemy. As they met, so too did their blades as Princess Umbra swung her sword with all her strength as the clashing sound caused both Cirrus and Gem Stone to cringe as the sound echoed through the area. As the sound echoed, there was a brief pause before the two began mercilessly swinging their swords at each other in a hail of attacks and blocks similar to how the fight began, but identical to the fight that Cirrus had witnessed in his dream.

After a few more seconds of the unknown number of attacks from both sides, Princess Umbra and the Tantibus’s swords eventually became deadlocked once again as the two started putting all their strength in holding the other at bay. As the two held each other in submission, the Tantibus could see Princess Umbra getting tired out as she smiled, “You’re stronger than I expected… however, it’s time we end this. RIGHT NOW!”
With that, the evil mare, stepped to the side and parried her swords as the shift in weight caused Princess Umbra to lose her footing and fall forward.

Using this opportunity, the Tantibus swung around Princess Umbra’s side to attack while her guard was down. Although her balance was off, Princess Umbra was able to roll over on her side and block the blade as her evil opponent had her pinned on the ground. Preventing the princess from getting back up, the Tantibus started attacking with powerful vertical swing as Princess Umbra did everything she could to block each attack. Although she was putting a lot of power into her attacks, the Tantibus spoke between each swing as the echoing sound of the blade’s drowned out her voice in the distance, “You claim to be stronger!... But I’ve been with you since birth!... All your training!... I have also had!... But at the same time!... I also hold!... Your mother’s experience!... Everything she has lived through!... I have also faced!... The escape from Eden!... The battle with Discord!... The fall of King Sombra!... The Nightmare Crusade!... Facing the Elements of Harmony!... More than once!... One thousand years of imprisonment!... Even Eden’s Kiss!... So compared to me!… YOU ARE NOTHING!!!”

With one final power filled swing, the Tantibus’s blade struck Princess Umbra’s as her father’s sword shattered leaving the black blade to continue on its path toward the Princess Umbra. Seeing the incoming threat, Princess Umbra quickly flapped her wings to slide along the ground and away from the evil mare as the black blade left a cut on Umbra’s side before digging into the ground. Free of her foe’s attack, Princess Umbra quickly shuffled to her hooves and checked the wound she received as she sighed with relief when she saw that it was merely a flesh wound. Seeing the incident from across the area, Gem asked, “She’s hit… is she okay?”
Cirrus nodded, “she is fine… but not for long.”
Gem Stone gave Cirrus a confused look, but before she could say anything the Tantibus spoke as they all directed their attention towards the evil mare, “Very clever Princess… but it would seem that this fight has come to an end.”

After hearing her the Tantibus’s comment, Princess Umbra looked at her father’s shattered blade as she paused in disbelief when memories of what had happened in the real world also filled her mind. This sword which was once a symbol of courage, was no longer usable, and the cutiemarks on the blade seemed just as existent at the ponies who held this same marks. Feeling that she had lost the only thing she had left of her father’s legacy filled Princess Umbra with a deep sadness. However, she knew that even the mention of his legacy was of no help as she sighed in disappointment before tossing the sword away and replying, “It’s not over yet… there is still one more thing I can do.”
Princess Umbra braced her hooves and started to focus as lightning started arcing from the ground onto her hooves while a small cloud appeared. Seeing this, the Tantibus smiled, “Ah yes… the fabled Lightning Orb. The very power that you and your father carried so… proudly. However, as a witness to both… I know all too well that there is a strong difference between yours and his.”

Without warning, the evil creature darted at Umbra as she grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the ground on her back as the lightning cloud vanished before anything could happen. With Princess Umbra pinned to the ground, the dark mare smiled, “Your power isn’t real. You never knew it… but it was all a pointless ploy to pass yourself off as a false hero… while in actuality. You were nothing more… then a f-”
Before she could finish her sentence, Cirrus charged in and used his entire body to push the dark mare away as the surprised mare was thrown a few feet before hitting the ground and rolling back onto her hooves. As soon as she realized what happened, the Tantibus glared at Cirrus as he spoke, “You’re not going to hurt her! As The Third Commander… I won’t allow it!”

Surprised that he made the effort to save her, Princess Umbra could only stare at Cirrus in shock as the Tantibus started laughing out loud at what she was seeing. The evil mare laughed for a few second before slowing her laughter to a chuckle as she replied, “really?... you of all ponies won’t allow me to finish what I started?... now that’s is funny, exactly what can a pathetic stallion like you do to stop me? You can’t fight, you can barely use the Lightning Orb, and I don’t think you’ve notice, but you have no weapon to defend yourself with.”
Cirrus replied with a confident stare, “I may not have an advantage in this fight… but it doesn’t matter. I vowed to save Princess Umbra from the darkness inside her… so if it means making you go inside me… then so be it.”
Princess Umbra was shocked, “no… you can’t!”
Cirrus shook his head, “I have no choice… it was fated to happen anyways… so…” He sat down in an accepting manner, “I'll let it happen now.”

Everypony in the area was speechless as they looked at the surrendering pegasus as the Tantibus smiled, “Very well…”
Wasting no time, the dark purple mare’s body melted into a dark shadow before rising into the air and flying at Cirrus with the intent on hitting him. Accepting what was next, Cirrus closed his eyes and waited for the stream to hit and possess him, however at the very last second, he felt somepony tackle him from the side, as he opened his eyes just in time to see Gem’s body hitting him in the same way that he had hit the Tantibus mere moments ago. Still airborne from the tackle, Cirrus looked at Gem Stone as he could see the dark purple stream hit her body as it reacted in a white flash of light that overshadowed everything and caused the environment to disappear around them.

Ch26 The Power of the Pegasi

All eyes were on Canterlot’s castle as a spiral vortex with a glowing light at its base, shot up from the tallest tower and into the storm clouds in the sky. Then without warning, the beacon of light grew brighter before going completely out leaving the vortex of storms above it to vanish and go quiet. Down in the city, the Rebellion, the Nightmare Legion and the Royal army had ceased all fighting and were gathering wounded as they tried all they could to save anypony they could no matter the side they were on. As soon as the vortex of storms vanished, the thunder that echoed throughout the city had also stopped as Madam Melody looked to the castle and spoke, “Ze tornado… it’s gone… did… did ze commander vin?”
Captain Belle who was standing next to her looked at the balcony as he replied, “I would hope so… but… the castle seems dreadfully silent… and the city isn’t much louder. Sadly, I fear the worst.”
All of a sudden General Dash trotted up as he spoke, “Major? What happened here? Is the commander alright?”
Madam Melody shook her head, “I’m afraid I don’t know, ze castle has grown silent. Vat about you? I zought you ver fighting outside ze city, has ze fighting zere also ceased?”

General Dash nodded, “yes… for the time being the battle is over. But… the only ponies left fighting are…”
Madam Melody looked back at the castle as she replied, “In ze castle…”
Captain Belle nodded his head, “Yes… Well, I propose we investigate further. We will not know the results of the fight by staying idle. We should also go together, perhaps seeing both armies working together will ease the victor’s mind… whoever it may be.”
Madam Melody corrected him, “Zere are zree armies, but I agree. Ve should all go see vat is happening in ze castle.”
Madam Melody looked at her soldiers as she called, “Barrel, Storm! You two come vis us! Ze rest of you see to ze vounded.”
As the officers gathered they began making their way to the castle as fast as they could to see the situation inside the final battlefield.

Up in the castle, Cirrus, Gem Stone and Thundaga laid motionless on the balcony, Thundaga’s coat slowly grew brighter, as the dark purple slowly faded into a light grey, making her resemble what Princess Umbra looked like the day before the Tantibus took control. After a brief moment of silence, Cirrus finally regained his senses as he struggled to pick himself up as he looked around the damaged tower and saw Gem Stone lying next to the balconies entrance. As soon as he saw her he remembered what had happened prior to them leaving Thundaga’s mind as he stumbled towards her, “Ge… Gem Stone… Are you alright?”
As he approached the seemingly unconscious mare, Cirrus placed his hoof against her shoulder as he shook her, “Gem… are you okay?”

All of a sudden, Gem Stone started chuckling as she remained on the ground. When he heard this, Cirrus got a bad feeling as she stopped and spoke with a dark tone, “you fool…”
Cirrus could only give her a confused look as Gem Stone pushed herself along the ground spinning her body as she opened her wing tripping Cirrus and at the same time used her hind hooves to kick the unstable pegasus as Cirrus was thrown through the balcony doors and into the room hitting the wall as Gem Stone spun herself onto her hooves and glared at Cirrus with now nocturnal eyes. As Cirrus pick himself up, he could only look at her in shock as Gem Stone looked at her hooves and smiled, “Well… this is unexpected… But not usable. She was the Gem of the Nightmare Legion, so perhaps… this is a fitting host.”

Realizing what happened, Cirrus spoke in disbelief, “no… you’re the Tantibus… in Gem’s body?”
The corrupted Gem smiled as she opened her wings strait out and trotted into the center of the room, “Yes… and though I may be injured, now that I hold the body of a pegasus… I can hold the Power of the Pegasi. After all… is it not true, that only a pegasus can use the Lightning Orb?... Well… let’s test that theory, SHALL WE!!!”
All of a sudden, Gem’s eyes filled with lightning as electric arcs began jumping from her wings and hooves as they made contact with the ground around her. Seeing that Gem Stone was about to use the Lightning Orb, Cirrus tried to stop her, “No don’t do it! If you use the Lightning Orb you could kill her! Only commanders can use it and survive!”
The now evil mare smiled in confidence, as she stopped in the middle of the room “Fool… this power can brings a kingdom to its knees… its very essence can vaporize entire armies and you want me to stop?... the Lightning Orb may have to power to kill its user… but I have a theory… Usually its users are pegasi. Gem Stone may be a pegasus… but I am something far more superior!”

With that said, a cloud appeared above her head as she continued, “Besides… it is not I who will perish from this power… IT IS YOU!!!”
With that said, a lightning bolt fired from the cloud as it flew towards Cirrus at incredible speeds. Seeing the incoming projectile, Cirrus quickly jumped out of the way as the bolt of electricity hit the wall behind him and blew through it leaving a hole that the outside light could be seen through. As he looked through the hole left behind, Cirrus quickly thought to himself as he knew there was only one thing he could do to fight back. Quickly glaring at Gem Stone, Cirrus started focusing as his own Lightning Orb cloud appeared above his head, “STOP!!! YOU’LL KILL HER!!!”
with that call, Cirrus fired a lightning bolt of his own but as it reached Gem Stone, the possessed mare only waved her hoof as she hit and deflected the bolt away with ease, “Come now commander… you may naturally hold this power… but it is I, who excel in its mastery!”

The evil mare fired a second bolt back at Cirrus as he quickly fired a bolt of his own as the two bolts collided and canceled each other out. Seeing that her newly found power could be neutralized enraged the now evil Gem Stone, however she perfectly hid her anger as she replied, “My power may have no effect on you…”
The evil mare turned to the unconscious Princess Umbra who was still laying on the castle balcony as she smiled, “but it can still work on others.”
Seeing what her intentions were frightened Cirrus as he quickly replied while firing three bolts of lightning from his lighting orb cloud, “NO!!! LEAVE HER ALONE!!!”

As the three bolts approached Gem Stone, she smiled as she swung her hoof three times and deflected all three into different directions. The first hit the ceiling, the second hit the floor scorching the marble, but the third flew right back at Cirrus. With no time to react, the deflected lightning bolt hit him in the chest as the force of the impact threw him back against the wall of the room as Cirrus fell to the ground. With Cirrus now too weak to move the possessed Gem Stone to smiled, “Fool… even now that I threaten everything you fight for, you still choose to attack me with pathetic non-lethal attacks… it’s sad… even now you still choose to hold onto your weak beliefs of peace and mercy. Its weak notions such as that, that led Princess Celestia and Luna to ruin. And that is why… you will die he-”
“GEM STONE!!!”
Surprised by the unexpected voice, Gem Stone looked to the entrance of the room as Zine was charging her while holding his staff like a baseball bat, “GRIT YOUR TEETH!!!”

With his distance now closed, Zine swung his staff as hard as he could as the glass vial hit and shattered against her face leaving the broken glass to cut into her skin, the evil potion inside to cover her face, and the force of the impact to knock her to the floor. As soon as the staff hit her, Gem Stone’s Lightning Orb cloud disappeared as the stunned mare hit the ground and laid still. Seeing this Zine smiled as he tossed his now broken staff away and smiled, “there… the deed is done. Strange… I thought it would have been much harder. I guess I expected too mu-”
Before he could finish his sentence, the cloud reappeared above the stunned mare’s body as a lightning bolt flew out hitting Zine as the impact tossed him through the air and caused him to hit some chairs against the wall as the wooden furniture shattered on impact. After hitting the ground, Zine mumbled too weakly for anypony to hear, “I’m… okay…”

With the cloud still over her head, Gem Stone picked herself up from the ground as she pulled one shard of glass from her face, then spit out another, before giving Zine an angry look, “I'd wondered when you would show up. It would appear my commander failed as I expected he would… If you killed him then I should thank you for saving me the trouble. Although it won’t help the situation you have found yourself in.”
Although she still couldn’t hear him, Zine looked over at Gem Stone as his red eyes slowly turned back to blue, “Funny… you should mention him…”

With no strength left, Zine laid his head down as he lost consciousness with a pleased smile on his face. Without hearing his comment, Gem Stone turned to Cirrus with her Lightning Orb cloud still above her head as she spoke, “I should be envious, the loyalty of our friend is something truly inspiring… but this battle has played its value and now… I mean to end it, starting with this kingdom’s former princess.”
Still too weak to move Cirrus laid on the ground as he mumbled through his pain, “n-no… s-stop.”
Ignoring his plea, Gem Stone turned to Princess Umbra and started for her, however as soon as she took her first step towards the unconscious alicorn, she felt something odd.

The black potion that was still on her face quickly started moving as if it were alive, as it sought out her wounds from the glass and quickly slithered inside her skin. Feeling the unusual feeling, Gem Stone put her hooves on her face as she mumbled, “What?... what is this?… what’s happening?”
As soon as every drop of the potion had slithered into her wounds, the wounds left quickly healed sealing the evil spell inside as Gem Stone gripped her head and started swinging it around in pain, “What is this?… why… why am I feeling th-this pain?!?”
With a tight grip on her head in an effort to ease her pain, Gem Stone glared at Zine’s motionless body as she spoke, “No... d-did he use some kind of spell?” She looked down at his broken staff, “That potion… I remember it was supposed to be a curse… but what was it? What was it meant to do?”
Trying to figure out why her head was hurting Gem Stone quickly looked around as she mumbled, “it… it’s trying to kill me… isn’t it?... No… I won’t go out like this… I won’t! If I’m going to go down…” Electric bolts shot out from all ends of her Lightning Orb cloud, “I’M TAKING YOU ALL WITH ME!!!”

The cluster of lightning bolts shooting out from Gem’s cloud were piercing through the tower walls and ceiling as the bolts went as far as to damage a few building in the center of Canterlot, turning Canterlot’s tallest tower back into a beacon of worry for the ponies in the city. As her cloud randomly assaulted everything in sight, Gem Stone felt somepony wrap their hooves around her as she looked down to see Cirrus was holding her as he spoke through his exhaustion, “I… I won’t let you hurt anypony else!”
Holding her as tight as he could, Cirrus made a Lightning Orb cloud appear not above his head, but completely around the bottom half of Gem Stone’s cloud as he used his cloud to absorb all the bolts exiting out the bottom of the cloud preventing any damage to come to anything below a ninety degree angle of the attacking cloud.

As the destructive cloud was now only attacking the walls the ceiling above, small amounts of rubble began falling into the room, as Gem Stone tried to push Cirrus away, “No… I am the ruler of this kingdom… I cannot be defeated like this… not now… not by you… release me now!... this isn’t how my story should end!”
With the evil potion taking effect, Gem Stone was too weak to push Cirrus away as he looked up at her and spoke, “It’s not the story that counts… it’s the lessons!”
With one last anger filled scream, Gem Stone looked up as she yelled with enough force for it to echo across the city, “NOOO!!!!!”

As her call echoed throughout the city, Gem’s Lightning Orb activated as her cloud tried to create a sphere shaped ball of electricity, however with Cirrus’s cloud absorbing the bottom half, the sphere was changed to a dome with a flat bottom as it started spreading outward engulfing everything above the two ponies heads as it started spreading beyond the boundaries of the room. As the dome of energy pushed out, it caused the top of the tower to explode outward as the debris from the tower fell into the city in a rain of destruction as if it were hail the size of carriages. As the rubble fell onto the city damaging building and streets, the citizens of Canterlot quickly took cover as the debris left small clouds of dust in the city as it mixed with the smoke from the still burning fires. Back on the tower the dome of electricity continued glowing until it slowly started receding back into the clouds that it originated from, leaving the tallest tower in the city without a roof.

Slowly, the city went silent as the gloomy storm clouds in the sky regained their control and dropped rain onto the city, to include the ponies in the now roofless tower. The slow rain fell onto Cirrus as he was still holding Gem Stone while she sat looking to the sky with a blank and lifeless stare. Slowly, the combined Lightning Orb clouds dissipated as Gem Stone leaned to the side causing them both to fall to the wet floor. As soon as he regained his senses, Cirrus picked himself up as he looked around at the severed tower room and slowly looked across the destruction of the battle that just took place. Finally, Cirrus looked back at Gem Stone as he saw her laying there with her blue lifeless eyes still opened. Out of fear he started shaking her, “Gem… Gem Stone?...” he rolled her so that she was laying on her back, “Gem Stone… Gem!... Gem Stone!”

She didn’t respond, all she did way lay there as her nocturnal eyes slowly turned back to normal, but remained open and lifeless, “Gem… GEM!!!” he continued shaking her, “No! Gem wake up… say something, anything! Just wake up!”
She didn’t react, however as he tried waking her, General Dash, Madam Melody, Captain Belle, Major Storm, and Apple Barrel made it to the top of the stairs of the tower as they looked around in confusion as they could see into the room that Cirrus was in before rushing in to help. As they approached, General Dash kneeled over Gem’s motionless body as she spoke, “Commander… are you okay?” He looked around till he saw Princess Umbra still laying on the castle balcony, “Who is she?”
Preoccupied, Cirrus replied, “Don’t worry about her, just see if she is alright!” he turned to the rest of the group, “And somepony check on Zine!”

Doing as they were told, the arriving group split up to help all three as Cirrus continued trying to wake Gem Stone, “Come on! You’re not going out like this! You’re too strong! You’re Captain Stone for crying out loud!!!”
General Dash called from Princess Umbra, “She’s unconscious but she’s alive!”
Cirrus continued, “Hear that? We saved the princess. We completed our task, the kingdom is now at peace. Wake up to see it… you hear me wake up!”
Apple Barrel called form Zine, “Sir, He ain’t breathin’! I don’t think he made it!”
Cirrus shook his head as tears started to build up in his eyes, “That’s not true, it’s another one of his tricks… Gem… don’t let him get away with it… wake up and teach him a lesson… please wake up!!!”

Madam Melody and Major Storm tried to help by checking her vital signs, but after they did, Major Storm could only look at Cirrus as she shook her head, “Commander… She’s gone. I’m sorry but there is nothing we can do.”
Cirrus shook his head in denial as he stood up, “no… there has to be something, I’ll go get a medic. Maybe he can revive her. If I get one now then maybe he c-“
Before he could finish his sentence, Madam Melody grabbed him by his shoulder as she spoke, “Commander enough!” Cirrus looked at her as she spoke in a sympathetic way, “In every battle, zere is loss… and zough it may be hard to hear… Captain Stone is von of zem. She’s gone commander, and zere is nothing ve can do to change zat.”

Cirrus with his tears mixing with the falling rain on his face, looked at Madam Melody’s sympathetic look, then back at Major Storm who was looking away to hid her tears as he sat down in disbelief, “but… she was the strongest out of all of us. How could she…”
As Major Storm closed Gem’s eyes, everypony looked down in disappointment, but not a word was said. Cirrus closed his eyes to try and accept the truth, however as he did, a strange yet familiar voice and phrase echoed in his mind as it spoke, “the Lightning Orb is a unique power, with it, not only can somepony extinguish life… but they can even save it. I can only imagine of what the Third Commander can do with it.”
With these words in his mind, Cirrus looked back at Gem Stone as he mumbled, “Save it…”

With an intrigued glance, Cirrus looked back at Gem’s body as everypony else looked at him in curiosity. Cirrus then approached her, sat up, and placed his hooved together as he started focusing his power. After gathering enough, he slightly moved his hooves apart as a continuous arc of electricity was left as it jumped from his left hoof to his right. As the electricity hissed between his hooves, everypony else in the area watched him as he looked at Gem Stone’s lifeless body and quickly moved his hooves over as he placed them firmly against her chest as the electricity caused her body to jump while discharging a lot of volts from her body as the electricity arced from every limb and made contact with the ground around her. As soon as the action was finished, Madam Melody tried to ask, “Commander! Vat are you doin-”
Before she could finish Cirrus rubbed his hooves together as they gathered more electricity before placing them back onto Gem’s chest, “Come on!... Don’t die just yet!... you’re stronger then this!...”

As his hooves touched Gem a second time, she reacted the same way as her body jumped leaving arcs of lightning jumping from her body and hitting the ground around her. As soon as the second reaction finished, Cirrus started rubbing his hooves for a third time, “You’re not going to die on me!... Not now, and not here!...”
As Cirrus started raising his hooves to place them a third time, he was stopped as somepony grabbed one of his hooves as he looked at his hoof in shock. As after seeing who stopped him, Cirrus looked at the lifeless mare’s face as he spoke, “Gem Stone?...”
Slowly, Gem Stone turned her head to him as she opened her eyes slightly and spoke with a weak voice, “That… that hurts you know…”

Overcome with joy, Cirrus threw his hooves around Gem Stone and hugged her as he replied, “Gem… thank the world I listened to Commander Bolt… even if he never made since at the start.”
Smiling at his comment, Gem blushed slightly as she replied, “Yea… he tends to do that… um commander?”
“Yes?...”
“I’m in a lot of pain right now… can you please let go?”
Realizing what he was doing, Cirrus let Gem Stone go as he replied, “Oh… right sorry… I lost myself for a second.”

As everypony’s attention was on Cirrus and the awoken Gem Stone, No pony checked on Zine as the now living zebra quickly sat back up as he screamed, “Pineapples!...”
Everypony looked at him in confusion as he felt the rain falling on him from above and looked at the sky before panning across the rest of the destroyed room, “Um… did I miss something?...”
Apple Barrel shrugged his shoulders as he looked at Cirrus and gave an unessisary call, “Hey commander… the crazy zebra’s alive now!”
Cirrus, Gem, and the rest of the group smiled at the comment as the group gathered around Gem Stone and Zine, and helped them onto their hooves.

As soon as they were up, the group paused as weak moans were heard from the mare laying on the castle’s balcony. Slowly everypony looked to the balcony as Princess Umbra was slowly moving as she sat up and started rubbing her head. As everypony looked to the princess, General Dash looked at Cirrus and asked, “Commander… what about her? Is she an ally or an enemy?”
Captain Belle added, “Her mane… is she… Thundaga?”
Madam Melody shook her head, “Possibly… but her coat is… different.”
Gem Stone shook her head, “no… she is Thundaga… or… she used to be.”
Major Storm looked at Cirrus, “what should we do with her commander? Should… we arrest her?”
Cirrus replied with a serious tone, “I'll deal with her… follow my lead.”

Cirrus and his group started trotting towards Princess Umbra as the confused princess looked around to find out where she was. As soon as she realized what was happening she quickly looked over at Cirrus and his group as they trotted towards her. Gem Stone, Zine, General Dash, Madam Melody, Apple Barrel, Major Storm, and Captain Belle all followed their commander as Cirrus approached Princess Umbra and stopped in front of her with a serious expression on his face. Seeing the group of ponies in front of her made Umbra nervous, as she slowly turned her head and looked over the city of Canterlot. From the balcony, it was easy to see that the city had just witnessed a war zone. Outside the walls laid a large battlefield where bodies and trampled grass was easily noticeable. Inside the city wasn’t any better, there a number of building were in ruins as a few building were still on fire, despite the rain that was falling on the city. While within the castle walls, the top of the tallest tower was missing as pieces of it were scattered throughout the city as far as the furthest perimeter wall. Not-to-mention the ash that was still being emitted from the three long black scares in the earth left by Thundaga’s Lightning Orb.

As she looked at the damaged city, Princess Umbra remembered everything that Thundaga had done as tears began rolling down her face, “this… all of this… is my…”
Too horrified to finish, Princess Umbra looked back down at Cirrus and his serious expression as she tried to think of what to do next. Part of her was afraid and wanted to flee for her life, while another part of her felt that she deserved whatever punishment he had ready for her. Nevertheless, Princess Umbra held her ground as Cirrus spoke, “Princess Umbra of Equestria?...”
She replied with a worried tone, “Y-yes?...”
Cirrus bowed in respect as everypony else in the group to include Zine, slowly followed as Cirrus replied, “The darkness is vanquished… Equestria is now under your control… Your majesty.”
Hearing his words, everypony in the group repeated, “Your majesty.”

Princess Umbra was beyond speechless, nothing in the world could have prepared her for this type of reaction from anypony, let alone the group responsible for facing and defeating Thundaga. As she looked at the group, Cirrus rose form his bow and smile pleasantly at her. With his smile in mind, Princess Umbra couldn’t understand, how could he, the pony hurt the most by her actions, possibly forgive him after everything she did to him? Killing his parents, killing his foster father, destroying his home, casting him aside, and hurting his friends while calling him traitor. If anything this pony should hate her far more than any living pony in the entire kingdom, and yet, there he sat, with a smile as if to greet a friend after a long journey. Seeing this, Princess Umbra wasn’t able to contain herself anymore, as she threw her hooves around Cirrus, held him as tightly as she could, and started to cry as loud as she could as everypony in the area looked at the saddened alicorn and smiled as the princess let out all the sorrow built up, from five centuries of sadness.

Ch27 A New Beginning

For the first time in five centuries, Canterlot was in complete peace while royal guards, Rebellion soldiers, Nightmare soldiers, and civilians worked together as they cleaned up the city’s rubble, and worked to repair the damaged city. As the unified ponies worked, Cirrus sat in the middle of the Canterlot hedge maze as he looked up at the statue of Commander Bolt. As he sat enjoying this peaceful day, Zine entered the garden as he trotted over to Cirrus and sat down beside him, also looking at the statue of the legendary commander. As the two stared quietly at the statue that started it all, Zine smiled as he broke the silence, “So…”
Cirrus replied, “So…”
“That’s him isn’t it? Commander Bolt?”
Cirrus nodded his head, “Yep…”

Zine thought to himself as he smirked before replying, “He’s skinnier than I expected.”
Chuckling at the ironic comment, Cirrus replied, “The marble drops about ten pounds.”
Zine nodded, “Ah… that makes sense.”
With the garden growing quiet again, Cirrus decided to break the silence this time, “So… how are the princesses doing?”
Zine smiled as he replied, “Not bad… Celestia is with Captain Stone, and General Dash right now. Currently, they are trying to reestablish order in the royal guards.”
Cirrus nodded, “I see… so the rumor about half of Thundaga’s guards disappearing is true?”
Zine nodded his head, “Yes… Celestia is worried that they all went underground and are trying to establish a rebellion to fight back at the new rule.”

Cirrus turned to Zine as he replied, “But it isn’t… is it? You know what happened don’t you?”
Zine smiled, “Most have gone into hiding in shame for what they did as Thundaga’s guards. The rest… I’m afraid have sealed their fate with their own hooves.”
Cirrus was surprised, “You mean… suicide?”
Zine nodded, “Fear can be unpredictable. You’d be surprised what it can do to a ponies mind.”
Cirrus rubbed his head in disappointment, “I guess I can’t blame them, when I remember how selflessly I looked at the war back when… it’s hard to think that I’ve become a completely different pony since then.”
Zine nodded, “I’d like to think we’ve all changed for the better… even me… sort of.”

Cirrus smirked at Zine as he looked back at the statue, “Sure ya did… so what about the other princess… Princess Luna?”
Zine sighed as he replied, “She’s still in the dungeon talking with her daughter.”
Cirrus nodded, “Princess Umbra still refuses to leave the dungeon?”
Zine nodded, “Yea… She would lock herself in her room… but um…”
Zine and Cirrus looked at the tallest tower on the castle that was still without a roof as he continued, “Yea… that.”
They looked back at the statue as Cirrus smiled, “I understand her concern… but I wish she would stop blaming herself so much. Most of what happened was the Tantibus’s doing anyway, even her mother and aunt pardoned her for the whole thing.”

Zine nodded his head as he replied, “Well… as I said, she is no different from her guards who are in hiding.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “I guess you’re right… but something still bugs me…” he gave Zine a serious look, “What exactly did that spell you use do anyway?”
Zine replied with a serious look, “Spiritual Extinction… A spell that only a true Zebrican mage can complete. Its purpose is to extinguish the soul of whomever it is used on, and then seek out all of the same species, killing them in the same way, leaving their soulless bodies to wither away into dust.”
Cirrus asked, “So… why am I still alive then… if the spell was supposed to kill the soul of the victim, then why are all us pegasi still around?”

Zine smiled in a sinister way, “it didn’t extinguish the soul of a pegasus… it killed the soul of a singular species. A creature that was the only living form of her kind. A demon, in darkness.”
Cirrus thought to himself as he replied, “Then… why couldn’t you use it on Thundaga? Why go through all this when you could have just snuck it into her drink or something?”
Zine nodded his head as he replied, “A royal alicorn is a powerful race… they predate this spell and wouldn’t be affected by it. So I waited, and sure enough, she took control of a pony that it could affect.”
Cirrus gave Zine an annoyed look, “So… you risked every pegasus in the world for this spell?”
Zine nodded, “Yes… but luckily the Tantibus had complete control, so when her soul was extinguished, Gem’s wasn’t.”

Cirrus continued, “But Gem Stone was dead afterwards.”
Zine replied, “Yes for two reasons, she used the Lightning Orb, and the Capture Spell.”
“Capture Spell?”
Zine nodded, “Remember the ball of manticore blood? The purpose of a curse is to bestow misfortune on both its victim and its user. The capture spell allows the user to take control of its victim’s very existence, in exchange for both their lives afterwards. Which works in combination with the Spiritual Extinction as its own dual-curse. Anypony who tries the Spiritual Extinction must use the capture spell in order to complete it, so that’s what I did. I used both spells so in exchange for them… I had to die along with the capture spell’s victim and every creature of the same species as the extinction’s victim. It’s no different from the last Zebrican mage who used it.”
Cirrus sighed in disbelief, “Wow… so to beat the Tantibus… you basically had to sacrifice both yours and Gem Stone’s lives.”

Zine nodded, “Yep… as are the cards dealt by fate.”
“That’s a tough call… but… why didn’t you die then, after you used the spell?”
Zine smiled, “I did… the spell killed me as intended, but you managed to bring me back afterwards. To a curse, as long as the price is paid, it doesn’t matter what happened after. And since Gem Stone and I were linked, you saved her, thereby saving me at the same time.”
Cirrus smiled at Zine’s luck, “Sometimes I wonder if you had this whole thing planed.”
Zine nodded his head, “I did, a majority of it at least, although surviving was a surprise. I honestly thought that once it was all said and done, I'd be six feet under.”
Cirrus gave him a skeptic look, “Mhm, and was that whole two souls thing also planned?”
Zine nodded, “The captain told you about that? That handiwork was all the doing of Zeil. He said that two souls taken would be taken and they were. Commander Mist, and the Tantibus. This little story played out exactly as he said… which is still confusing, even to me.”
Cirrus nodded, “Well I guess we all can’t understand everything. So now that it’s all over, what’s next for you?”
Zine shrugged his shoulder, “I don’t know… maybe I should put away my spell books and start contributing to society…”

The two shared a brief moment of silence before both busted into laughter as Zine replied to his own comment, “Yea, like that will ever happen.”
After laughing for a moment, Cirrus continued, “But seriously, the kingdom is at peace, so… what’s next? Zine replied, “I can’t say for certain, but I recall telling Gem Stone when we first met, that wherever one story ends, another begins.”
Cirrus smiled as he looked back at the statue and replied, “Begins… hmm? Then how is this story supposed to begin?”
Zine replied with a smirk, “With only one question…” his smile turned serious, “Why?”

Knowing what he was talking about Cirrus replied with his own serious look, “You mean, why am I leaving Equestria?”
Zine nodded, “The kingdom is at peace… so why leave now that everything is as it should be?”
Cirrus sighed, “The kingdom is at peace… but I’m not. For some reason… it feels like there is more to it than just happily-ever-after.”
Zine nodded, “I see… I guess you and Commander Bolt are more alike than I thought.”
Not hearing him clearly, Cirrus asked, “What was that?”
Zine shook his head, “Nothing… I’m heading back to the castle… It may have been the day before yesterday, but I’m still a little sore from the fight. Don’t forget to get your stiches checked too commander. That scar on your neck is what I like to call a blessing in disguise. An inch further, and you’d be dead.”
With that Zine continued back to the castle, as he left Cirrus in the garden alone.

Back in the castle, Princess Celestia, Gem Stone, Madam Melody and General Dash were trotting through the corridor as Gem Stone replied in shock, “Commander?... me?”
Princess Celestia replied, “Of course, you are already well qualified for the position. You understand military educate, you fought beside both Commander Bolt and Halo, so why wouldn’t we offer the position to you?”
Gem Stone smiled slightly as she replied, “Well… I can’t argue with that… but…”
“But?...”
Gem Stone sighed, “Wouldn’t… Cirrus be better suited for that position? I mean he is The Third Commander, and he did defeat Thundaga.”

Princess Celestia nodded her head as she replied, “He did… however, I think that despite his title and accomplishments, he is under trained and unqualified for the roll. With the royal guards in disarray, we need a strong and skilled leader to take the reins. I worry that guards who have had many years of experience may not see Cirrus as a… qualified leader. And without a well-known and respected figurehead in command, I’m worried that their loyalty will be fragile and could lead to future mutiny. But with a respectable pony like the Gem of the Nightmare Legion in command, I’m certain that the rest of the royal guards will be at ease knowing that such a skilled mare will be watching over them. Besides, he’s leaving the kingdom remember. I doubt that this offer would be enough to change his mind.”

Gem Stone sighed as she replied, “Yea… I know what you mean, he didn’t tell me why he’s leaving but despite his reason, I know that he is too stubborn to agree to stay after deciding to go in the first place. Back when I first met him, he was always so submissive to what was happening around him. I should be happy that he is now taking control of his own life, but… I don’t like that he has decided to take it away from Equestria.”
Madam Melody, nodded, “Ze commander has made his decision just as ve all have. All ve can do is respect it.”
Gem nodded, “Yea… but that doesn’t make me feel any less worried.”
Trying to stay on topic, Princess Celestia spoke, “At any rate, if you do not wish to become commander, then I won’t force you. Nevertheless the position must be given to somepony who is well respected amongst the royal guards.”

General Dash shook his head, “Don’t look at me, First thing I’m doing is rebuilding my academy, then my Wonderbolts. It will take some time… but the Wonderbolts will be reestablished, if not by me, then by Jet.”
Madam Melody smiled, “I agree, since Zundaga is defeated, I vill also retire from command. I zink it’s time I return to my manor and raise my daughter as a noble citizen. However, if a commander is vat you’re looking for, Major Storm vould be perfect for ze position. Not only is she a vell respected Royal Guard, but she assisted in helping ze commander get into Canterlot. Viz her leadership, ze Royal Guards vill be back to normal in no time.”
As the conversation continued on the subject of the royal guards, Gem Stone paid little mind to it, as she started thinking about Cirrus and what would happen if, and when he left the kingdom.

Down in the dungeon, Princess Luna sat leaning against the wall as she looked at her daughter through the bars of the unlocked cell, “You need to stop blaming yourself for this… why do you persist in doing this to yourself?”
Princess Umbra was sitting in the corner of the cell as she looked at the wall and replied, “I won’t leave… not until I decide a punishment. One suitable of my crime… you may have pardoned me of this crime, but I will not.”
Princess Luna sighed, “Umbra, we will not punish you for the same crime that I myself was guilty of. If you recall, I too was victim to the Tantibus’s po-”
“IT’S NOT THE SAME!!! You only killed hundreds in a war that lasted a year, A YEAR!!! I… I’ve killed thousand… millions… in a series of wars lasting over five centuries! You couldn’t possibly know how I feel.”

Although Princess Luna couldn’t see her face, she could still see that Umbra was crying as the tears dropped to the ground beneath her. Seeing this, Princess Luna sighed, “I know… I could never know how it feels to do what you did for five centuries, but remember, I was under that monster’s power for more than a millennia. Then a few times afterwards. That creature tormented me for most of my life, and when I finally had the strength to overcome it… I was burdened by what it did to me, my sister, and your father. However, it was your father’s guidance that helped me get over it. Without His kindness and support, I don’t know where I would be. And… with Commander Halo’s support, you can do the same.”
Princess Umbra turned her head slightly towards her mother but still hid her face, “Wh-what?”
Princess Luna smiled, “Don’t think I haven’t notice the way you look at him. He obviously holds a special place in your heart, and considering all he has done for both you and the kingdom, I’m not surprised. He risked his own body to pull the Tantibus from yours, he threw himself into a battlefield untrained only to never use his weapon against you, and then he showed mercy once it was all finally over.”

Princess Umbra continued looking away as she defended herself, “He saved my life and the rest of the kingdom… you would act the same if you were in my hooves.”
Princess Luna gave a cheeky smiled, “I would be lying if I claimed I wasn’t impressed, But this isn’t about me. It’s about you and your feelings. I can tell that you are in love with him, and in my own opinion, he is a strong stallion and a fitting suitor… I approve.”
Princess Umbra started to blush, but still hid it from her mother as she tried to get back on the previous subject, “I… it… it doesn’t matter how I feel… the pain I gave him, and hundreds before. I don’t deserve to be loved, only despised. So until I find a punishment fitting my crime… I’m staying right here. Unless, you are willing to accept my first suggestion.”
Princess Luna stood up as she spoke with an angry tone, “Absolutely not! I will not allow you to execute yourself by yours’s or anypony’s order! You may see your crime as suitable, but taking one more life won’t change anything, so get that out of your mind!”

Princess Umbra felt happy knowing her mother still cared for her after all that happened, but it didn’t change her own opinion as she replied, “Still… for Cirrus and everypony else in the kingdom… I must be punished.”
Disappointed, Princess Luna sighed as she turned to leave the dungeon, “If I cannot sway your determination, then I will leave you in peace. But… if you’re doing this to make it up to him… you should know that he is leaving the kingdom this evening.”
Princess Umbra turned her head to her mother as she spoke with concern, “What?... leaving? For what reason?”
Luna replied, “I don’t know… but he is set on this decision. So if you want him to tell him how you feel, you should do it soon, before you miss your chance.”

Trying to deny it, Princess Umbra replied as she turned back to the wall, “There is nothing to tell…”
Princess Luna nodded her head as she replied, “Then, I shall leave you do decide your own punishment… but… if you want some words of wisdom here they are. Being a good princess is all about appearance. Remember, just because something appears to be bad doesn’t mean it is. So even if your punishment seems bad to the citizens… that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily bad for you. Think about it.”
Luna smiled at her clever suggestion while she left the room with nothing more to say, as Princess Umbra couldn’t help but turn back to her mother, as she watched the wise princess leave the dungeon.

Later, Cirrus, Gem Stone, and Zine were summoned to the throne room as Cirrus bowed as he spoke, “Your majesty… did you summon us?”
Princess Celestia smiled, “Arise… you and the rest of your party do not need to waste formalities on me. If not for your team’s selflessness, and courage, I wouldn’t be standing in front of you today.”
Cirrus rose from his bow as he looked at his party the turned back, “Actually your majesty, it wasn’t just us. Spike, Major Melody, General Dash, Major Storm, and a joined force of Rebellion Nightmare Legion and even some Royal Guards. If not for all of them, we wouldn’t have been able to stop Thundaga, nor save Princess Umbra.”
Without expecting it, another voice was heard as it entered through the throne room doors, “Nevertheless… we thank you for saving our kingdom, and my daughter.”

Quickly turning towards the doors to the throne room, Cirrus and his party bowed as Princess Luna entered the room and approached the group form behind, “Arise, you will find that formalities aren’t as strict with my sister and I as they probably were with Thundaga.”
Looking over the party, Princess Luna smiled at a familiar face, “Captain Gem Stone, it’s good to finally meet you in a more peaceful setting. I know that it’s expected that there would be… tension between us, but given the circumstances I will be happy to forget about it entirely.”
Gem Stone smiled as she replied, “Thank you your majesty, I will do the same.”
Smiling at the compromise that the two rivals shared, Princess Celestia spoke, “Sister, how is my dear niece? Is she feeling better?”

Luna looked at her sister as she replied, “She is. She’s finally decided a suitable punishment for herself and wishes to address the kingdom. I have already taken the liberty of spreading the word so that the guards can gather the citizens in the courtyard… or what’s left of it.”
Princess Celestia smiled, “Perhaps we should move it to the town center. Given the castle’s damage, it’d be better to address the city from a place that has less chance of rubble falling onto the subjects. But first, Cirrus? Captain Stone? Can I ask that you and the rest of the guards leave the room please? I would like a word with Zine for a few second.”
Cirrus and Gem Stone were a little curious as to why they wanted to speak with him alone, but despite their worry, Cirrus replied, “Of course your majesty, we will go ahead and meet you at the town center.”
With that the two bowed as they and the rest of the guards standing by in the room slowly left as they all funneled out of the throne room. As they left, Princess Luna trotted to the throne and sat beside her sister as she waited for everypony in the room to leave.

Once Cirrus, Gem, and the Royal Guards were gone, the doors closed behind them as Zine was left alone with both princess Celestia and Princess Luna. As soon as they were alone Zine smiled in a sarcastic way as he spoke, “You wanted to speak to me Celestia? I hope I didn’t do anything wrong?... Again.”
Princess Luna spoke with an unamused tone, “You can cut the act, we’ve known who you were since we met you yesterday. And I’m willing to guess, you know who you are as well.”
Zine smiled innocently as he replied, “Dear sweet Luna, I don’t know what you mean? I am me, so I obviously know who I am… unless I’m somepony else in which case, I don’t know what you’re talking about… in this case though, I am somepony else since I’m not who I was when you first knew me… am I?... or where I… was I?…?”

Seeing that his attempt at wordplay confused even himself Princess Celestia giggled as she replied, “It’s good to see that despite all this time your sense of humor hasn’t changed. It’s good to see you again Discord.”
Zine smiled, “I may not have my amazingly magical body anymore… but I’m wiling to think I can pull off stripes pretty well… and I did… despite being banished from a kingdom where stripes are in fashion… like, all the time.”
Princess Luna asked, “Zine?… or Discord… Answer me this, I understand that reincarnations is normal, but how is it that you still hold your memories of your past life?”
Zine smiled, “I completed many spells during the placement trial. It’s only expected that one of them would grant memories of a past life. That… and Zeil confirmed them to me.”

Remembering the name Luna smiled, “Zeil of the Black Sand assisted… I always wondered what became of him after Zecora passed, he just… vanished.”
Zine nodded, “Well, he isn’t still alive if that’s what your insinuating, but if you must know, he passed peacefully and without regret shortly after Zecora… or before…or… it’s complicated.”
Celestia nodded, “Nevertheless, it’s good to see a friendly face, even if it’s different from when we last saw you.”
Zine nodded, “I’m happy to see you too Celestia, I’m happy to see both of my friends alive and well, although it does disappoint me that I wasn’t brought back before Fluttershy and her friends passed.”
Princess Luna nodded, “They would have been happy to see you again too. But, do any others know who you are?”
Zine shook his head, “Other than Spike, nopony knows that the master of chaos was reborn as the crazy zebra from the Everfree Forest. If they did it would send all Equestria into a state of panic and chao- hmm…”

Zine stopped talking as he started thinking to himself, but before he could say anything Princess Luna gave him an annoyed look, “Don’t even think about it!”
Giggling at what he was thinking princess Celestia asked, “So… what do you intend to do now that the kingdom is at peace?”
Zine smiled, “Well, as you know before I left, I was all about doing what I could to help my friends. So naturally… that’s what I will do.”
With an untrusting glance, Luna asked, “And how do you intend to do that?”
Zine smiled in a sinister way, “The same way I’ve always done it… simple and yet unsubtle betrayal…”

Out in the corridor, Cirrus and Gem Stone were trotting towards the castle’s exit as Gem looked at Cirrus and spoke, “So… when are you leaving?”
Cirrus replied, “Probably after Princess Umbra’s speech.”
Gem Stone nodded as she replied, “I see, so… why are you leaving? I don’t think you mentioned it when you told us earlier.”
Cirrus gave a bracing sigh as he replied, “Have you been to the thunder grounds lately?”
Gem Stone replied, “Lately?... you mean since the war ended two days ago?”
Cirrus shook his head, “No… since I woke it.”
Gem nodded, “I went there the day after. Why?”
Cirrus continued, “I’ve been thinking about those words carved into the tree?”
Gem replied, “You mean Finally Free… right?”
Cirrus stopped and sat down as he tried to understand, “At first I thought it was just because of this war against Thundaga… but even after Thundaga was beaten… I’ve been trying to understand what those words meant. Why Commander Bolt carved them into that place to begin with.”

Gem Stone also sat down and thought to herself as she replied, “Well… I guess they would mean exactly what they say. Star would on occasion, stop and mumble to himself about being trapped. At first I thought it was just the stress of leading the nightmare legion, but when I read the story of Eden’s Kiss, I found out that even then he would say the same thing. That he was trapped.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “Trapped… could that be it? For some reason I feel like there is more I need to do, or that I’m stuck in an eternal loop that won’t let me free. So… when I thought up the idea of leaving Equestria, I felt slightly better. As if this Third Commander thing wasn’t just for Equestria… but… everywhere else too. Maybe, now that Thundaga is gone… I should set out and see that her tyranny is truly over.”
Gem Stone replied with an understanding but concerned tone, “So… you’re leaving to spread the word? Like a messenger or something?”

Cirrus nodded, “Yea… Something like that. Besides, this kingdom has too many bad memories for me. My parents, General Rich, both my home and the orphanage. The lightning orb, the fight against Thundaga and the Tantibus, and almost losing two of my best friends.”
Cirrus smiled at Gem as she blushed slightly before letting him continue, “I know that the kingdom will be different with Thundaga gone… but for some reason, I don’t want to stay to see it. I think that the only way for me to truly be free… is to see it everywhere. Commander Bolt left after his war… so… he may have been onto something.”
Gem Stone paused as she thought about his comment for a few seconds, then after being silent for that time, she nodded as she replied, “Well… if that how you truly feel… th-”
“Commander?…”

Both Gem Stone and Cirrus looked down the hall as they saw Princess Umbra standing there as she spoke, “I… uh… My apologies, I’m not interrupting am I?”
Gem Stone held her silence as Cirrus bowed and replied, “Not at all your majesty.”
Seeing him bow, Princess Umbra quickly waved her hoof in a dismissive way as she replied, “No… don’t even bother bowing to me… I don’t deserve it.”
Cirrus rose from his bow as he replied, “You are a princess of this kingdom. And all princesses should be shown with the proper respect that they earned. And you of all ponies know that you earned it.”
Feeling flattered that he was still showing kindness towards her, Umbra blushed, “I doubt that… but… who am I to question a hero in this kingdom. After all you did save me and th-”

Gem Stone interrupted by clearing her throat and replying, “Um… sorry to intervene, but did you need something your majesty?”
Princess Umbra nodded as she replied, “I do actually, Commander? I’m about to address the kingdom, would it be too much to ask that you and your heroes stand behind me as I do?”
Cirrus nodded, “Of course, it would be an honor.”
Princess Umbra nodded as she replied, “The honor is mine, I just hope that with you and your team beside me, the citizens can know how truly sorry I am.”
Cirrus nodded, “The kingdom may take some time, but I’m certain they will understand that you aren’t responsible for Thundaga’s actions.”
Princess Umbra shook her head, “No… I am responsible for everything… and that’s why I’m taking it onto myself to provide a suitable punishment. I only hope the kingdom will forgive me someday.”

Annoyed with Umbra’s self-pity, Gem Stone sighed as she replied, “Your majesty, these things don’t always go the way you plan, but the true essence of a soldier is to have the resilience to pick yourself back up and continue. Your father did it, I did it, and so you should too.”
Umbra smiled as she thought about Gem’s words, “Pick myself back up… it won’t be easy, but… If Captain Stone says so… then I will try.”
The group smiled as Cirrus added, “And if you ever have trouble, your mother and your aunt are now here to help you through it. So you never have to do it alone.”
His words immediately dropped her motivation as she replied with a somewhat disappointed look, “Yea… about that- I… uh… actually… I'll just wait. I believe the citizens are assembling so I think it’s time we make our way to the tower.” She paused for a brief moment “And when I say we… I don’t mean the royal we, I’m tal-”
Cirrus smiled as he understood, “Don’t worry your majesty I know what you meant. But, from my understanding, it’s supposed to be at the town center now. You can go ahead out there, I need to get some things from my room before I leave. I'll be leaving the kingdom right after the ceremony, so I need to grab my saddlebag and shield.”

Before Princess Umbra could reply, Gem spoke, “Speaking of which, I need to talk to Spike about something. So I guess I'll meet you two out there.”
Princess Umbra nodded, “I see, then I will wait here till mother and aunt Tia are ready to leave. If you’re looking for Spike he is just outside the castle doors in the courtyard. I spoke to him a second ago about my decided punishment, so he should still be there.”
Gem Stone nodded her head, “Right then I'll go see him there, thanks.”
Cirrus nodded as he replied, “Then I'll see you both at the ceremony.”
The two mares nodded as all three ponies split up and went in separate direction to do what they needed to do.

Half an hour later, all three princesses, Cirrus, Zine, Gem Stone, General Dash, Madam Melody, the newly promoted Commander Storm, and all five Decedents of Harmony were standing on a platform in the old Canterlot town center As princess Celestia finished her announcement about the royal guards, “With Commander Storm in command, I have no doubt that the state of the royal guards will be returned to its rightful order. And to any royal guards that served under Thundaga, know this… we will not bestow any punishment upon you or your doings as they were not your own. Thundaga was a creature of darkness who corrupted a princess and brought chaos to the kingdom. But now that she is gone, a full pardon will be granted to any royal guards who fought for her, just as a full pardon was granted to Princess Umbra, who wasn’t in control as the creature used her body to willingly harm others.”
As she finished her speech, Spike arrived late to the ceremony as he walked behind the stage and placed a wagon on the ground before standing in front of it so that nopony on the stage could see what was behind him.

Ignoring the late arrival of their dragon friend, everypony on the stage held their expressions as Princess Luna spoke, “And now, for the main reason we have all called you here. As sister stated, Princess Umbra, my daughter, was forgiven for her actions because we have proof that her actions were not her own. However, since she is a princess of justice and integrity, she cannot help but feel that her pardon was granted unjustly and wished nothing more but to make amends for Thundaga’s actions. And so, she has taken it upon herself to devise a punishment befitting the crimes, and will now announce them too you. So, without further ado, Princess Umbra of Equestria.”
With that said, Princess Luna stepped aside as Princess Umbra started to approach the podium. As she approached, a great tension fell over the audients. There were no cheers, no applaud or even fake attempts to do either. All that came from the audients was a stern look of concern, anger, and distrust, as the looks accompanied nothing more than tension filled silence.

The daggers the citizen’s stared made Princess Umbra hesitate, but since she decided to announce her punishment herself, she tried to hide her worry as she gave a bracing sigh and called over the herd, “Citizens of Equestria… I understand your anger towards me. I understand why most of you hate me and would gladly see me dead. And… I don’t blame you one bit. Three days ago, on the day before yesterday I was a monster. I killed, I maimed, and I hurt everypony in this kingdom without regret and without mercy. I won’t even justify using the excuse that I was under the influence of another. Everything I did, was completely and utterly my fault. And what makes it worse, when I returned the throne to my aunt and mother yesterday, they decided that instead of punishing me for my actions, they were instead going to pardon me. But I say nay! My crimes are unforgivable and are better fitting for a death sentence by the hooves of you, the angry citizens of this fair kingdom! However, mother and Aunt Tia, won’t allow me that sort of punishment. Thundaga would have claimed that their mercy is a sign of weakness… but I learned that a pony’s strength isn’t always measured in physical ability. Mercy itself, is a strength, just as forgiveness, understanding, and kindness can be considered strengths as well. So… I decided to take it upon myself to opt my own punishment for my crimes. And I’ve come to a decision. I… Princess Umbra of Equestria, here by and from this day forth, banish myself from The Kingdom of Equestria… until I decide that I have been gone for a time suited to my crime… no less, then one hundred years, or… until I repent for my crime elsewhere. With this, I also renounce my title of princess, for that title is unfit for a mare such as I. This is my punishment… and I will carry it out with no sympathy from any, nor negotiation for a shorter sentence.”

Hearing this the citizens were shocked, although they were happy that she was being punished for what Thundaga did, they weren’t unanimous on whether or not the punishment fit the crime. So rather than cheers that Umbra thought she would hear, there was only a deafening silence as Princess Umbra bowed to the crowd, “Justice will be served, if not in blood, then in exile. Thank you, and may you carry on in peace and happiness.”
With that as her closing, Princess Umbra turned back to the herd behind her as she started trotting through them. As she did Cirrus stepped forward, “Princess Umbra?... are you sure about this?”
Umbra smiled, “I have never been surer of anything in my life.”
With those as her last words on the subject, Umbra trotted to the back of the herd and stood at attention as princess Celestia trotted to the podium and began announcing other changed that the kingdom would make to restore it to its rightful glory.

Later after the final announcement was given and the citizens and soldiers started to disperse, Cirrus with his shield, saddlebag and cloak already on, turned to the princesses, Spike, Gem, and Zine as he spoke, “Well… I guess now that that’s over… it’s time for me to leave.”
Gem Stone smiled, “Sure, just let me do something first.” She looked up at Spike, “Did you bring them?”
Spike nodded his head as he reached behind him and placed the wagon in front of them with a small pile of bags on it, “Yep here they are just as requested.”
As the items sat in the wagon, Gem, and Zine approached them as they both sorted through the bags until they found theirs’s as they proceeded to put on what they had. Zine only had a cloak and saddle bag, while Gem Stone put her bow, quiver, and saddlebag on before covering it with her cloak. Cirrus could only watch in confusion as Gem finished putting her stuff on before turning to Cirrus and speaking, “Okay, you ready to go?”
Cirrus was confused, “Go? Go where?”
Gem smiled, “Wherever you choose. I'd prefer the Griffin Republic first but if you want to go somewhere else first then I’m game.”

Cirrus gave her a confused look as she continued, “What? You think we’re going to let you travel alone? Look Cirrus, I’m okay with your need to travel to spread peace… but seeing that you saved my life, it’s only natural that I go with you to protect yours. You barely know how to fight and if you find yourself in a dangerous situation I’m going to be there to bail you out.”
Surprised by her actions, Cirrus started to replay, “What?... but I-“
Zine interrupted, “Come now commander, as attached as she is to you, I'd think you would expect this kind of behavior from her.”
Gem Stone gave Zine an angry look, “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
Zine smiled, “Exactly how it sounds… but if we happen to go to Zebrica, don’t expect the welcome to be very warm. I am banished from that place after all.”
Cirrus tried to think of words to object, “What? You too… but… but…”
Zine trotted passed Cirrus as he patted him on the shoulder, “Now, now, no need to thank me, I’m just looking out for a friend.”

Before anything else could be said, Spike picked up a large pouch and slung it around claw like a bracelet as Gem Stone looked at the bags left over and replied, “Spike did you pack two bags?”
Spike shook his head as he held up his bag and replied, “Nope all I got is this bag of Gems here.”
Gem pointed at the extra bag as she started to reply, “Then who’s st-”
Before she could finish a purplish magical aura surrounded the items as they flew by Gem Stone and to Umbra as she placed the bag on her back and the cloak around her body, “There, all set and ready when you are commander.”
Cirrus was too annoyed to be surprised as he looked at Umbra and replied, “You too?”
Umbra smiled, “Of course? I am banished from Equestria, so it’s only expected that my choice of travel companion would be somepony I trust. And since I am no longer a princess, it would appear that you outrank me commander. So I will follow your order and go wherever you please. And by the way… I do mean… any order.”

Although he was slow in this department, Cirrus knew flirting when he heard it as he blushed, “Wait… what?...”
Before Princess Umbra could reply, Gem Stone cleared her throat loudly as she spoke with a rude tone, “If you did renounce your title… then that would also mean that I out rank you. So by the chain of command, your orders would come from me.”
Giving her an annoyed look Umbra replied, “Oh really, well perhaps my princess title may not apply, but my status as a royal guard does… so I would say by skill level standards… I would be ranked as a colonel.”
Defending herself, Gem Stone started replying with objections to her claims as Cirrus stood silently while Zine whispered to him, “Two mares fighting over the same stallion… way to go sir.”

Cirrus looked at Zine and replied, “You say that as if I planned it!”
Hearing the comment Princess Luna cleared her throat, “Planned or not… I trust that you will continue with great caution commander… after all… She is my daughter, and I would like to assume you would treat her respectfully, and with careful dignity… right?”
Hearing the somewhat evil tone that princess Luna used, made both Cirrus and Zine nervous as both replied at the same time, “Yes ma’am.”
Enjoying the scene, Princess Celestia giggled before speaking, “At any rate, I can only wish you luck in your journey, commander. I’m happy to know that you are setting out with your friends. And… Spike?”
Spike nodded, “Yes your majesty?”

Princess Celestia smiled, “I would like it if you could send me a report every now and then. Nothing much just to know that you and your friends are safe and sound. Think of this… like a report on friendship… just not as cliché.”
Thinking about Princess Twilight, Spike smiled as he bowed and replied, “It would bring me joy to do just that your majesty. Thank you.”
Princess Celestia smiled, “Good, I’m glad. And with that, I and sister must leave.”
Princess Celestia looked at Princess Umbra as she and Gem Stone were still arguing as she spoke, “Umbra?”

Putting a slight pause on her argument, Princess Umbra looked back and replied, “Yes Aunt Tia?”
Princess Celestia smiled, “I wish you luck on your journey, and hope that you will return to us soon.”
Princess Umbra smiled as she bowed in respect, “Thank you Aunt Tia, by then, I will be ready to face the kingdom with open arms.”
Princess Luna spoke next as she hugged her daughter, “Stay safe my little pony, and may your father watch over you.”
Princess Umbra finished hugging her mother as she looked into her saddlebag and pulled out a cloth that was wrapped around something as she laid it on the ground, “Speaking of which, you should take this.”
Luna watched in curiosity as Princess Umbra opened the cloth to reveal her father’s shattered sword as she smiled, “Dad doesn’t need to protect me anymore. He did all he could, but now it’s my turn fight under my own name.”
Princess Luna took the sword and looked at the remaining cutiemark on the broken blade as she smiled, “Then, he will always be here waiting for your return. As will I.”

Tears started building up in both mare’s eyes as Cirrus smiled, “Well, it’s time to go. Are you ready?”
Princess Umbra smiled as she looked at Cirrus and replied, “On your order… Commander.”
With that the group started down the street as they made their way towards the city gates. As they traveled they weren’t spared the cautious glances of the surrounding citizens, as they traversed through the city towards its main gates. As they continued, Umbra started getting a little tense from the city’s hostile glance, as she did her best to hide her worry. By the time the group was a mere block for the city gates, a small group of ponies stepped out into the street and blocked their path as the traveling group recognized each one of them as Madam Melody, General Dash, Apple Barrel, Butterscotch Pie, Captain Belle, Colonel Shy, Commander Storm, Allium, and Jet. As the group blocked the path, Cirrus spoke as his party stopped, “Here to say goodbye?”
Captain Bell replied, “I should say so, shame on you for trying to leave without doing so commander.”
General Dash nodded, “Jet here wanted to say something before you left… actually, he wanted to say something to her former majesty.”
With that, everypony directed their attention to Jet as he trotted up to Umbra who gave him a cautious look, remembering clearly what she did last time they came face to face. As he looked up at the mare, Jet bowed respectfully as he spoke, “Have a safe journey your majesty and please come back early to visit us. We will happily welcome you.”

Umbra was surprised, “W-welcome?”
Allium smiled as she stepped forward, “You’re our friend aren’t you? And no matter what we should always welcome back your friend.”
Princess Umbra was stunned as she looked over the herd of ponies, as they all smiled in a way that said they agreed. As she did however, Jet started to rise from his bow as Thundaga started to tear up before bowing herself, “All of you have shown me such kindness, and… I have absolutely nothing to offer in return, I don’t even deserve it.”
Madam Melody smiled, “All ve ask, is zat you travel safely. Ve know zat Zundaga vasnt your fault, but ve vorry zat ze rest of ze vorld vill not.”

Realizing how dangerous her journey was, Umbra looked down in disappointment as Cirrus replied, “No need to worry. With all of us beside her, nopony will hurt her. And if they try… then I’m guessing they won’t be a match for the third commander.” Gem added, “Or the Gem of the Nightmare Legion.” Then Spike, “Or a dragon” and finally Zine, “Or a crazy zebra mage, but that’s assuming they had the guts to get past the worrier princess first. Nevertheless the truth remains the same… We protect our friends.”
Surprised that the group was in unanimous agreement, Princess Umbra looked at Cirrus and his party as she smiled with tears still rolling down her face, then she turned back to the other group as she wiped the tears away , “There, you see I'll be fine… and… maybe I will return someday, assuming the commander wishes to.”
With that Cirrus smiled as he spoke, “Maybe… but we do have to leave, before we could ever return.” he looked at the herd of ponies, “Everybody take care of yourselves, I'll be sure to write you all from time to time.”

With that the group of ponies blocking the road stepped aside as Cirrus and his team passed the gate, waved goodbye and left the city of Canterlot. As the group started down the road, Princess Umbra looked at Cirrus as she spoke, “Where to first commander? shall we see Prance? Or better yet, le…”
Gem Stone cleared her throat as she spoke rudely, “Um… you’re not in command remember? As stated in a conversation you weren’t apart of, we are on our way to the Griffin Republic, Right commander?”
Umbra objected, “Unless Cirrus says it himself, I won’t accept it, I didn’t relinquish my princess title just so you could pick it up, captain…”
As the two started arguing amongst each other Zine trotted behind them as he mumbled to himself, “Hmm… Commander Bolt’s ex, versus his daughter… now that is an experiment that I can enjoy watching. Lots of chaos and destruction in that fight wouldn’t you say commander?… hmm I wonder what will really set them off?”

With the two mares arguing, and the zebra scheming, Cirrus trotted at the back of the group with Spike as he sighed, “Well… at least you’re here, maybe you can help balance out the crazy in this group.”
Spike shrugged his shoulders, “I donno, I think we are still outnumbered her. Between the ex-warrior princess, the ancient soldier, and the crazy zebra, we don’t stand a chance.”
Cirrus sighed, “Yea… I guess you’re right… this is going to be a long trip.”
Spike smiled, “Well… if it’s any consolation, I’m happy to be a part of it. So where to commander? Should we seek out the last changeling colony?”
Cirrus replied, “Oh I don’t kn- wait… did you say changeling colony? Aren’t they extinct?”
Hearing him, Zine turned around and replied, “Extinct? Commander I’m surprised at you, haven’t you learned by now that not all stories are meant to be believed?”

Cirrus gave him an annoyed look, “I thought my problem was that I chose not to believe in the stories.”
Spike replied, “Well whatever it is, let’s just say, we learned a lesson.”
Cirrus thought about each member of his group, the ancient soldier who was arguing with the former evil princess, the ancient dragon who was once a friend of the Ponies of Harmony, the evil zebra who turned a nation against himself only to use his evil for good, and himself, a disbeliever who brought peace to an entire kingdom. After looking at them now, and remembering who they were at one point, Cirrus could only smile as he replied, “Sure… I don’t quite know the lesson… but it was still one heck of a story.”
Zine smiled, “And it only getting started. So sit back, relax… and turn the page.”

Epilogue:

The teacher continued, “And from that day forth, the Commander of Peace, and his team of soldier set out to bring peace to the rest of the world, as they had already done, to Equestria, its citizens, and the Princess of the Storm... The End.”
The mare closed the book and smiled, “So… any questions?”
The school fouls all started taking amongst themselves as one little filly raised her hoof, “Um… were you really there when The Third Commander saved the kingdom?”
The mare smiled, “Oui, I was, although… it was a very long time ago.”
A colt raised his hoof, “Where is The Third Commander now?”

The mare placed the book on the podium as she replied, “Well… I wish I knew. I haven’t heard from him in a number of years… but the next time I’m in Canterlot, I'll ask the princess. If I understand right, Spike is still sending her letters like he is supposed to.”
A second colt spoke with a rude tone, “My daddy says that story isn’t real. Everypony knows that princess Celestia and Princess Luna have always been in control of the kingdom. That third princess story is nothing but a story to scare little school fillies.”
The teacher smiled, “Well, you are entitled to your own opinion, so long as you remember one thing.”
The students all spoke at the same time, “It’s not the story that matters, but the lessons they teach.”
The teacher smiled, “Très bon, very good class.”
At that moment the school bell rang as the students started gathering their things to leave, as the teacher called, “Alright class, remember there will be a spelling test on Monday so everypony be sure to study over the weekend. And be safe going home.”

Once her students were gone, the teacher turned to her chalkboard and started erasing the lessons on it as a black stallion entered through the open classroom door as he knocked on the door, “Um… Ms. Melody?”
Surprised by the familiar voice, the teacher turned to the door as she spoke, “Jet? Is that you?”
The dark pegasus smiled, “Yea… it’s me… I was in the neighborhood an-“
She gave him a skeptic smile, “You live in Cloudsdale… this is Ponyville.”
Jet rubbed his head in embarrassment, “Okay… well it took me a while to get into the neighborhood… so while I was here… I thought that if, you wouldn’t mind… well…”
“Yes?…”
He gave a bracing sigh, “Um… Allium?... would you mind, if… I trotted you home?”

Seeing the bashful stallion made her smile as she replied, “No…”
Jet was surprised, “No?”
She repeated as she trotted to her desk, “No…”
Feeling a little awkward, Jet rubbed his head again as he tried to understand, “Um… okay… I’m not really sure where to go with this…”
Allium giggled as she replied, “Well… perhaps you can figure it out on the way.”
Jet was confused, “On the… what?”
Allium explained, “Well, right now its dinnertime for me, so you can’t trot me home, but if you’re willing to join me for dinner, then perhaps you can afterwards.”

Feeling less tense, Jet blushed, “S-sure, I think I can manage that.”
Allium smile, “Good, then I'll get my thing and we can go.”
Allium then started gathering her paperwork as Jet saw the book sitting on the podium and trotted to it. As he approached the familiar book, Jet opened the front cover to see a picture of everypony involved in the story as he smiled, “Has it really been twenty years?”
At first Allium didn’t understand but when she saw him looking in the book she replied, “Oui… funny how time flies isn’t it? It’s almost as if he just left yesterday. I should probably angry with him, he never came back to fly with me like he promised.
Jet nodded, “Yea but if his last letters said anything, it’s that he is happy now.”

Allium put on her saddlebag as she trotted to him, “True, have you received any letters from him? It’s been about three years since I got one.”
Jet shook his head as he started trotting beside her as they started towards the door, “No I haven’t, but wherever he is, I’m sure he is with his friends, so I’m not worried about him one bit. So where is it you want to eat at? I’m not in the mood for sweets but if you want to we can go see Butterscotch and his wife at Sugar Cube Corner.”
Allium smiled as she replied as she started to close the door to the classroom, “Well I don’t know maybe we ca-”
As the door closed, Alliums words no longer became understandable as the two went down the hall and out of the school.

However as the classroom sat empty, a small green flame flew through the window as the fire materialized a small scroll as the rolled piece of paper fell on top of Alliums desk. Although nopony was in the room to see it appear, nor did anypony even know it was there, one thing was certain about the unread scroll, it bared both a story and lesson, of The Third Commander.”

Prologue & Ch1 Thundaga's Orphan

Prologue
The Storm Begins

The elderly mare sat in a chair and watched as her grand fillies played on the ground in front of her. As she sat smiling at the innocence of the next generation, she started sensing something approaching the door, so out of instinct, the veteran mare looked at door and waited as the younger filly looked at her and asked, “Nana? Is there something wr…”

Before the filly could finish her sentence, a loud knock was heard echoing from the front door as the old mare stood up and approached the door. As soon as the door opened, the mare stood silent as a royal guard saluted her and spoke, “Sorry to disturb you commander, but I’m here to escort you to the castle. Could you please come with me?”

Just as she did in the old days, the mare studied the soldier’s appearance closely. Usually there are three uniforms to expect from the royal guard. The Celestial Gold armor, worn by Princess Celestia’s guards, the midnight blue armor worn by Princess Luna’s and most expected considering the time of day it was, or the Storm grey, which made the majority of the royal guards as Princess Umbra’s Trained Forces and the very uniform that this particular guard was wearing, and quite flawlessly as expected from Umbra’s soldiers. Seeing this slightly worried the veteran as she replied, “I’m old and retired… if there is anything that the princess would need from me, then I’m sure her current commander can handle it.”

The guard replied as he lowered his salute, “With all due respect commander, this isn’t you personally… this order goes out to everypony in the city.”

Surprised, the mare replied, “Everypony in Canterlot? Why?”

The Soldier replied, “Our orders are clear, we are to gather everypony in Canterlot and escort them to the castle courtyard at once.”

The mare tried to figure out what was going on as she replied, “The courtyard… but why?...”

As she waited for an answer, one of her granddaughter approached her, “Um? Nana? Why is a royal guard here?”

Knowing that she had no choice, the mare replied, “He’s here to show us to the castle. It looks like the princess wants to talk to everypony. You and your sister get ready so we can go.”

Once the three were ready, they all left the home as they began trotting through Canterlot towards the castle.

With each step, the small family made their way closer to the castle as the ex-commander looked around to see that they really weren’t the only family being escorted to the castle. Everywhere they looked were families, large and small being showed through the city by more of Princess Umbra’s guards with no Celestial or Lunar guards in sight. Worried for what was happening one of the small fillies spoke, what’s going on nana? Why is everypony out past their bedtime?”

Trying to calm her granddaughter down, the elderly mare looked at her and replied, “It’s alright squirt, the princess just wants to talk with us. There isn’t anything to worry about.”

Knowing that what she said was probably a lie, the mare continued on her path as she continued trying to figure out what was going on. After a short period of trotting, the three arrive in the already crowded castle courtyard as they mixed amongst the crowd and waited for the expected announcement from the tower balcony as was protocol for this particular scenario.

Meanwhile up on the castle balcony, there was no princess. In fact all that was up there was an empty balcony with a large amount of noise coming from the other side of the glass doors separating the room from the balcony. Then that noise got louder as the glass double doors shattered outward as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna flew through the glass and slide across the balcony’s surface before hitting the rail on the far end of the platform. After their sudden stop, Princess Luna stood up and rushed to her sister’s side as she spoke, “Sister, are you injured?”

Princess Celestia struggled to stand, and a large number of royal guards rushed out of the balcony room, surrounded the two princesses and pointed their spears at the two sisters. As soon as she saw it, Princess Celestia looked at the guard’s and spoke, “Soldiers! Stand down! We are not your enemies! Please come to your senses!”

“They have come to their senses… just as I have.”

All of a sudden, the two princesses turned their attention to the shattered balcony doors as a dark purple alicorn with a dark mane with a yellow and blue stripe, exited the building as she continued, “They came to their senses this afternoon… at about one o’clock. … just as we received the news.”

Looking at the approaching mare, Princess Luna spoke, “Umbra! Listen to me…this isn’t who you are? You mustn’t let your emotions get control of you.”

Princess Umbra sighed, “Mother… what you say is of no concern to me… not anymore. How long has it been since Princess Twilight passed?... three? Four months? And since then the Griffin Kingdoms have been asking about the Elements of Harmony which we all know, faded away with the passing of each user. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and even Fluttershy. With their passing so too did the elements fade away, but the griffin king didn’t care. He claimed that we were hiding them from him. Claiming that we had intentions of keeping their power for ourselves. And what did you do, knowing that we were being threatened?”

Princess Celestia tried to defend herself as she replied, “Umbra… you know very well that I made the decision that sustained peace between our two nati…”

“WHAT DID YOU DO!?!”

Seeing the obvious rage on Princess Umbra’s blue and green separate colored eyes, princess Celestia replied, “I gave the order, to ignore the threats… and show no hostilities.”

Princess Umbra turned and started trotting to the side railing of the balcony as she continued, “And… how did they respond?... surely you got the word by now?...”

the two alicorn sisters looked at each other as princess Luna replied, “We heard some news of this morning’s incident…but I’m afraid we don’t have the full story.”

Princess Umbra looked over the balcony at Canterlot’s citizens as she replied with anger in her voice, “Really… well… then let me fill you in on the full report. At eight a.m. the griffin king and his forces surrounded the crystal empire before launching an attack at ten a.m. By noon, the crystal empire had fallen… and its prince… my fiancé… was executed in front of his subjects. He was Shinning Armor’s grandson… and because of your actions… he’s dead… for all the world to see.”

Not knowing about the prince’s death, Princess Luna spoke, “Umbra… I know what it’s like to lose somepony you love… but the key is to not let it cloud your judgment. Because of this we will gladly allow you to lead your forces in a coun…”

Princess Umbra turned and glared at her mother as she interrupted, “Silence!... you are no longer in a position to allow me to do anything… from this point on, I am in control. My soldiers will be commanded by myself and myself alone. Meaning that this kingdom, isn’t in need of you two anymore.”

Feeling nervous about the answer Princess Celestia asked, “What do you intend to do?”

Princess Umbra sighed, “Don’t worry Aunt Tia, I can’t kill my own family if that’s what you’re assuming… However it would be a poor tactic to leave the only threat to my power, unchecked. So… since I won’t kill you, you will continue to live… but it will be in Tartarus.”

With that said, a magic portal appeared just opposite the railing that the two alicorn sisters were against as Princess Umbra smiled, “Now… make this easy… and step into the portal.”

Both princess sisters stood strait as Princess Luna spoke, “Umbra… I have taught you everything you need to know about being a princess… so you should understand that as a princess I must protect my subjects, even… if it’s from you!”

With that said, Princess Luna stomped the ground as a wave of magic pushed outward causing the surrounding guards to lose their footing and fall to the floor, leaving nothing to block princess Celestia as she shot a beam of magic across the balcony towards Princess Umbra as the skilled princess shot a beam of her own back leaving both beams to collide and cancel each other out. With the beams still visible Princess Umbra smiled sinisterly, “Very good… but you forget… my abilities are that of a royal alicorn, and… a legendary hero.”

With that, Princess Umbra made a cloud appear above her head as she made a bolt of lightning shoot over the canceling beams of magic as Princess Celestia was hit in her chest causing her to cease her magical attack. With no countering magic in its way, Princess Umbra’s magical beam flew across the balcony hitting princess Celestia and causing her to fly over the balcony and into the portal. As soon as she saw it, Princess Luna called, “Sister! Umbra! Stop this now, this isn’t you! You think your father would want this?”

Princess Umbra didn’t acknowledge the question, instead she only sighed, “Good bye mother we won’t be seeing each other again.”

With that, Princess Umbra fired a second magical beam at princess Luna as the desperate princess used her own magic to create a shield to block the incoming attack. However her magic wasn’t strong enough to stop the attack as the beam hit the force field and shattered it before pushing Luna over the balcony and into the portal as it quickly closed and vanished leaving no trace of the two alicorn sisters who entered. After the portal was gone, Princess Umbra mumbled to herself, “Mother must have pulled her punch… I didn’t expect her magic to be so… weak.”

With the two princesses gone, the royal guards in the area lowered gathered as the commander of the group looked to Princess Umbra and spoke, “Your majesty… the two royal sisters are gone… Equestria… is now under your control.” He bowed “Princess Umbra.”

With that, the rest of the guards bowed in respect as Princess Umbra smiled, “Yes… and now… I must address my subjects.”

Princess Umbra turned to the edge of the balcony and looked down into the courtyard as the now nervous subjects held their silence. Seeing their worry, Princess Umbra spoke, “Citizens of Canterlot! As you just witnessed, Princess Luna, my mother and her sister Princess Celestia are no longer your rulers! Although they are now gone, know that I did this with the noblest of intentions! First, I will add that what was said earlier is in fact true. The Crystal Empire is no more! It was destroyed earlier today and now lies in ruins. But fear not! As your princess I will lead my armies across the border into war! And as the daughter of the great Commander Bolt, I will waste no time in hitting the capital city of Gryphus as hard as I can and ensure the griffin kings execution by my own hoof with as little casualties as possible. Rest assured, I desire no taste for war, and will not hide in my castle sending ponies to fight in my stead. I will stand on the front line… and I will kill my foe without mistake, or hesitation. Then to ensure peace for the future, I will start a campaign to visit the nations and form an alliance under one rule. Guaranteed peace… or guaranteed war. With this… I will spread my flag across the world ensuring that you, my kingdom and subjects will be forever be safe from the threat of war and harm. I vow that my father’s hope for survival will be apparent… and the future generations will know it as law. And to prove that thing will indeed be different, I cast aside my name, just as I cast aside the princesses of old! From this day forth, I will remain your princess, but I will go by the name Thundaga! For this new identity will be known throughout the world as Equestria’s sword and shield, just as the storm renews a forest, I will renew the world! WHAT SAY YOU!?!”

With that call, a deepening silence came from the subjects below as everypony in the kingdom felt stunned with what they just heard. But then one of the royal guards in the herd began chanting, “Long love Thundaga! Long live Thundaga! Long Live Thundaga!”
Slowly one by one, the royal guards who were scattered amongst the subjects below began chanting along with the first guard until a few subjects nervously began chanting along with the guards until finally the castle courtyard began echoing as it sounded like the entire city was chanting the same thing, “Long Live Thundaga! Long Live Thundaga!”

Pleased with what she was seeing, Thundaga smiled at the chanting subjects below as she mumbled to herself, “And so… begins a new era. Father… if only you could see me now. You’d be so proud of what I will accomplish.”

Back on the ground, the elderly mare stood in the chanting herd as she held her silence. Confused, her granddaughter tugged her wing, “Nana?... what is happening? What happened to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna… are they okay?”

The elderly mare didn’t know what to say, all she could say was, “I… I’m sorry… I just don’t know… I really hope so though.”

Finally the older granddaughter spoke, “Granny Scootaloo… this is bad… isn’t it?”

The elderly veteran nodded her head, “Yes… it certainly is…”

The Filly replied, “What does this mean for us?...”

Scootaloo sighed, “I don’t know… but I do know this… this storm, won’t end anytime soon. If only Commander Bolt was here.”

The Third Commander
Chapter 1
Thundaga’s Orphan

Five hundred years later

“Once upon a time, many centuries ago, there lived a great and noble pegasus who with his courage and power, gained the respect of many followers until finally he, was given the title of Commander. This pegasus sought peace and unity for all his followers, for he held a great power known as the Lightning Orb. And the name of this great and powerful pony was none other than, Commander Hurricane. With his power and strife for unity, he managed to negotiate peace between the three nations to form a unified kingdom known to this day as the Kingdom of Equestria.”

“What a load of crap!”

Annoyed, the light brown earthpony lowered the book he was reading to the foals around him as he looked to a sea blue pegasus who was standing in the doorway with a light grey mane.

When he saw the stallion the brown pony spoke, “Come on Cirrus just because you lost your imagination doesn’t mean you should take theirs.”

Cirrus sighed, “I didn’t lose my imagination, I just know what’s true and what isn’t. Sure there probably was a Commander Hurricane, but I doubt he knew how to use the Lightning Orb. Everypony knows that things such as that are only there to encourage young colts and fillies to trust the power that Thundaga has. Why else would they ever grow up and enlist for the royal guards?”

Hearing the explanation, a black colt in the herd of foals replied, “I agree with Halo. He and I are too old to listen to stories meant for a bunch of little foals. Ain’t you got any grown up stories Mr. Toll?”

With an annoyed sigh, a lime green filly in the herd looked at the colt and replied, “Just cuz you don’t believe it doesn’t mean it isn’t true. I think it’s a good thing to have something to hope for.”

After the comment was made, the young colt replied, “You’re just saying that cuz you think that all ponytales like that are true. But then what do you expect from a little flightless pegasus like you?”

With that said, the two foals stared daggers at each other as Cirrus spoke, “Jet… what did I say about making fun of other ponies because they are different?”

Jet lowered his head as he recited what he was told before, “Making fun of other ponies is uncool. So I shouldn’t do it. And you should know since we two are the coolest ponies here.”

Cirrus replied, “So what do you say?...”

Jet looked at the filly and replied, “I’m sorry Allium.”

With that taking place in front of him, Mr. Toll replied, “I’m glad that was settled by itself. Now Cirrus? Why are you in here? I thought you were finishing your errands?”

Cirrus sighed as he replied “Well… I can’t go shopping without the money needed for groceries now can I?”

Mr. Toll chuckled, “Oh that’s right, funny, I must be losing it in my old age.” He pointed to a nearby table, “The grocery money is over there on the table.”

Seeing the bag of bits, Cirrus trotted to the table and replied, “Well you’re not that old just yet. No old timer can run an orphanage like this. Especially when these little troublemakers are hard enough for me to handle.”

Smiling jokingly at his words, the fillies and colts replied one by one, “Hey!...” “That’s not nice!...” We aren’t troublemakers!...”

As the foals replied with nothing more than complaints, Cirrus opened the bag and began counting the bits as he realized something before looking back at Mr. Toll, “Um… Mr. Toll? There is more in here then I need for tonight’s dinner?”

Smiling in a sarcastic way, Mr. Toll replied, “Oh… is there… well then I guess you will have to blow the rest for the foals… I’m thinking… at Sugar Cube Corner?”

After hearing the suggestion the foals all became riled up as they all knew what it meant. Also knowing the comments meaning Cirrus smiled, “Oh… okay, so what will it be then… Red velvet cake tonight, or chocolate?”

Mr. Toll smiled, “Well why not make it both, after all it’s been a while since the foals have had any sweets. Perhaps we will make this a special night for them.”

Getting excited, the foals started cheering amongst themselves as Cirrus smiled “You’re the boss.”

As Cirrus turned towards the door, Jet and Allium rushed to his side, “Cane we go too? Can we? Can we? Please?”

Seeing the two excited foals, Cirrus smiled as he looked at Mr. Toll for permission. Knowing what he was asking without saying anything, Mr. Toll smiled as he spoke, “Alright, if you do everything Cirrus says, then you two can go.”

When they heard Mr. Toll’s reply the two cheered as Cirrus turned back to the door and spoke, “Alright settle down. We have to get moving if we want to get back in time for dinner.”

The two foals replied as they followed close behind “Okay Halo.” “Yes sir, Mr. Halo Sir”

Cirrus smiled as he spoke while trotting towards the door, “Allium if you’re going to call me by my nickname just say Halo.”

Allium smile “Okay…”

As the three trotted to the door, Mr. Toll smiled, “Goofy little group… if only they could be together forever… Anyways let’s get back to the story… where was I?” He opened the book, “Oh yes here I am… This pony was also known as the First commander, Known as the Commander of Unity.”

Outside the orphanage that resided in Ponyville, far into the Everfree Forest sat a cave, and inside the center of the cave where and underground oasis sat, was a meditating Zebra who balanced himself skillfully on a staff that stood in the middle of the oasis. With the darkness cascading over him, the zebra, whose coat was light grey with dark grey stripes, and a mane which held the same colors but also a maroon strip streaming up from the center of his head. As the Zebra meditated, visions began skimming through his mind as it caused his right eye to twitch with the distraction. Sensing the irregularity, a large dragon who was sleeping in the far edge of the same cave opened his eyes as he raised his head up and locked them, on the meditating enchanter.

The large purple dragon who was about fifty feet from head to tail, watched closely as the Meditating zebra continued twitching for a few seconds longer before finally opening his eyes and smiling, “Its time…”

With a sinister smile on his face, The zebra leapt off the staff and landed on his hooves in the shallow water as the dragon in the side of the cave stood up and spoke, “Zine?... what is it? What did you see?”

As Zine stepped out of the shallow pool of water he replied, “An ancestor’s wish, from a time long passed. It would seem that, that time, has come at last.”

When he heard that, the dragon gave Zine a funny look as he asked, “Um… Zine… why are you talking like that?”

Zine gave the dragon a curious look, “In the vision I saw, of the ancestor of time. She spoke quite briefly… and all in rhyme. Why?... no good?”

The large dragon shook his head, “I can barely understand you when you speak normally, so it would be better if you stuck with that.”

Zine sighed as he stepped out of the shallow pool and approached a staff that was leaning against the wall of the cave, “Oh, you’re no fun at all.”

The dragon smiled, “Noted… but you said that you had a vision from an ancestor who rhymed when she spoke… you wouldn’t be talking about Zecora would you?”

As Zine grabbed the staff that had a glass vial built into the shaft, he turned to look at the dragon as he asked, “You know her?”

The large dragon smiled, “Yea, Princess Twilight would always turn to her for help with magic that a unicorn had no control over. She and her husband helped us countless times.”

Zine turned to the dragon as he asked with a serious tone, “And you can trust her?...”

The dragon gave Zine a funny look, “Yea, she is… was, the most trustworthy zebra in all of Equestria. Although, she was the only zebra in Equestria.”

Zine stepped towards the dragon again, “But she can be trusted… Right? Her words can be considered trustworthy… right?...”

The dragon was a little confused as he replied, “Yes… they can be trusted…”

Zine nodded his head as he sighed with relief, “Good…”

The dragon was curious, “Is something wrong… you seem a little more serious than usual… which is odd since you’re never serious … about anything really.”

Zine looked into the light gray potion that swished around in the vial on his staff as he replied, “I just… wanted to make sure her task could be trusted… that’s all.”

Although the dragon knew there was more to it than that, he only shrugged it off as he replied, “Okay… so what task did she give you? Must be something big for you to end your meditation so soon.”

Zine smiled as he turned towards the cave’s exit and started trotting, “It’s time to bring back the commander of the storm.”

The dragon paused for a second, “The commander of the storm… wait… you mean the hero of Eden’s Kiss?”

As the two stepped out of the caves entrance, Zine nodded his head as he looked back at the dragon and smiled, “Yes… it’s time to bring back Commander Star Bolt.”

The dragon shook his head in disbelief, “Bring him back… but that’s impo… wait… are you going to try bring him back from the dead?”

Zine shook his head, “No… I’m done trying to bring back the dead. Besides, you heard what the Mare of the Mountain said about that stunt I pulled at Dragon Mountain three weeks ago.”

The dragon sighed, “Yea… she was very angry about that wasn’t she, after all you did defile the grave of a legendary hero.”

Zine shrugged his shoulders, “I said sorry…”

The dragon sighed, “Zine… when will you learn that sometimes, sorry doesn’t cut it.”

Zine smiled in a joking manner, “Well I would buy her dinner, if only it would prevent her from falling hopelessly in love with me.”

The dragon shook his head, “Yea… that kind of love that would make her kill you in your sleep.”

Zine shrugged his shoulders, “Isn’t that the best kind?”

The dragon shook his head and smiled in a hopeless manner, “I guess so… well I’m going to go back to sleep. If I stay awake any longer I won’t get anything done after the sun goes down.”

Turning back to the cave the dragon left as Zine called, “Oh and Spike?... Don’t tell her about my task! She’ll know when it’s time.”

Hearing Zine but not turning to look at him, Spike waved dismissively as he continued into the cave and vanished into its darkness.

Back in Ponyville, Cirrus, Jet, and Allium continue through town as Allium looked at the sky and sighed, “Halo?... what’s it like to fly?”

Cirrus looked at the sky as he replied, “Well… I never thought about it. To be honest, I kinda forgot how I felt the first time. And since I don’t fly too often I never experience it that much.”

Jet asked, “But why? I thought you got your cutie mark from flying.”

Cirrus replied, “I got my cutie mark from high altitude flight, but I only went that high once, and since then I have stayed low, since there is no reason to fly that high.”

Allium looked at the ground in disappointment, “I wish I could fly that high… but my wings are too small. I can’t even fly yet.”

Cirrus smiled, “Don’t worry, someday you will fly, and who knows, maybe you’ll fly better than me.”

Allium gave him a hopeful look, “When I do… will you go flying with me?”

Cirrus smiled, “Sure, I’ll even show you a few tricks.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Allium looked at the sky, “Good… I want to fly as good as the pony of loyalty someday.”

Knowing the story, Jet laughed, “The pony of loyalty isn’t real… right Halo?”

Cirrus didn’t answer, instead he gave an expression like he was avoiding the conversation as Allium asked, “Do you believe in The Ponies of Harmony Halo?”

Cirrus sighed, “To be honest, I might believe in the princess of magic, but not so much as the rest.”

“Why?”

Answering for him, Jet smiled in an insulting way, “Cuz he’s not a little baby filly like you.”

Allium stared daggers at Jet as Cirrus replied, “There are stories I believe and stories I don’t. I just chose to believe things that are practical.”

Allium looked back a Cirrus, “Like?...”

“Well… I believe in stories like, the flying earthpony, the Three Founders of Equestria, and The Fall of The Crystal Empire. Other things like, the Mare in the Moon, The Eden’s Kiss Catastrophe and, the Ponies of Harmony, I don’t believe. When ponies are afraid of the world around them they make up stories to make them feel better about the truth. That truth being that Thundaga is in control… she rules everything, and everypony. She controls all… and if anypony says otherwise… she destroys them… no matter who they are… or who’s watchi-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Cirrus realized his tone had changed from casual to dark as he looked at the two foals who only responded with blank and confused stares. Clearing his throat in embarrassment, Cirrus spoke, “Yea… well… some stories are ok to believe… but many of them are nothing but ponytales.”

Allium asked, “But… what about stories that aren’t written… like the one about the Mare of the Mountain?”

Cirrus gave her a curious look, “Mare of… what?...”

Jet nodded his head, “I heard about her, they say she is the spirit of a dragon that haunts Dragon Mountain and guards it while waiting for the dragons to come back to Equestria.”

Allium added, “Yea, since the dragons left over two millennia ago.”

Knowing about that part of the story, Cirrus corrected her, “The word you’re looking for is centuries. The dragons left two centuries ago when they had a dispute against Thundaga’s form of leadership. But if this mare is guarding the mountain, then why haven’t the royal guards gotten involved?”

Jet replied, “Cuz they say at night, she turns into a ferocious dragon. And all ponies who go to the mountain are vanquished by her powerful dragon’s breath.”

Cirrus gave him a funny look, “The orphanage is on the edge of town close enough to see Dragon Mountain. If anypony was burned by dragon’s breath, then we would see smoke.”

Allium replied, “That’s because, they say she breathes needles instead of fire.”

Cirrus sighed, “Yea… and I breathe pea soup. Sounds like nothing more than a bed time story to tell little fillies so they will be good. I can see it now, be good or the mare of the mountain will come for you and gobble you up.”

Jet smiled at the comment, “Yea… that wouldn’t happen… um… would it?”

Cirrus gave him a hopeless look as he replied, “No… it wouldn’t. Just another ponytale. I have better things to do the…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Cirrus made it to the end of the block and turned the corner to see a large number of ponies gathered around a stage outside the courthouse. Curious to what was happening, Cirrus saw somepony he knew as he approached them and asked, “Hey Mandarin? What’s going on?”

The orange earth pony turned to him and replied, “Oh, hey Halo, looks like Thundaga captured another Rebel. And like the rest, she is executing him in public. Sad… this is the third one this month.”

Cirrus shook his head, “This week… its only March fifth. I wish these rebels will just get it in their mind that things are the way they are. We can’t change anything, we should all just except that Thundaga is the ruler and nothing will change that.”

Knowing his past, Mandarin gave him a funny look as he replied, “Halo… why are you supporting her? You of all ponies?”

Cirrus sighed, “I don’t support her… I just know that standing against her doesn’t change anything. She is too powerful to be challenged so the sooner the rebellion learns that, the better things will be. Besides, she doesn’t know who all of them are, so maybe if they stop this war before it starts, then maybe Thundaga will be merciful and spare them.”

At that moment, a third voice replied from behind as the sound of the familiar voice alone terrified the group, “If they made it that easy… then perhaps I would show mercy… unfortunately… things aren’t that simple.”

Too afraid to turn and look at the pony who spoke, Cirrus, mandarin and the two foals stood silently as the tall mare wearing a navy blue cloaked trotted past the group and towards the stage. After seeing the mare trot by, Cirrus remained frozen. Though he never saw her face, he still recognized the voice, so much in fact that he could only remain frozen until Jet asked, “Um... Halo?... who was that?...”

Immediately snapping out of it, Cirrus turned as he replied, “Let’s go… foals shouldn’t be witnessing what’s about to happen… See ya later Mandarin.”

The orange earth pony nodded his head as Cirrus began trotting away with hast in his step. As the three left the area where the execution was taking place, Allium and Jet had a hard time keeping up with Cirrus as Allium spoke, “Halo, slow down. Our hooves aren’t that long.”

Cirrus continued his pace as he turned his head to look at Allium who was behind him, “What? Did you sa…”

At that moment, Cirrus stopped as accidently bumped into somepony who was exiting an alley as he turned to the cloaked figure and spoke, “Oh, sorry my mi…”

As Cirrus looked at the zebra standing in front of him, he could only stare as zine lowered the hood on his gray cloak and spoke, “No need to apologize… after all, it will take more than that to hurt me. You on the other hoof… you seem like you’d be easy, then again… I’ve heard otherwise.”

Cirrus knew the stories of the evil enchanter of the Everfree, so he gave the zebra a blank stare as he tried to reply through his nervousness, “Y-you heard what?...”

Zine replied as he shook his head, “Oh, never mind. You ok? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Then again I did talk to one this morning… but I digress. I have business to attend to so I’ll see you later… count on it.”

Without any room for explanation, Zine continued trotting across the street into the next alley as Allium looked at Cirrus and asked, “Halo?... who was that?”

Cirrus looked back at the road, as he replied, “Just another story… let’s just go, we’ve got to get the groceries before the markets close.”

Trying to forget the series of events that just happened, Cirrus continued into town as the two foals followed closely.

Back on the stage in front of the Ponyville courthouse, The Royal guard commander stood over the prisoner as he spoke, “For your crimes of conspiracy to provoke war, espionage, recruiting soldiers for the rebellion, and above all, high treason. You have been condemned to execution. In a few minutes your life will be ended by blade publicly, so that all of Ponyville will know what you are, and what fate awaits traitors of the crown. If you have any last words… say them now.”

The chained earthpony sat still as he looked at the commander and replied, “You’re pathetic… you and all of your guards. You say you’re here to keep peace and maintain justice. But where is this so called justice that you claim to maintain? Look at you, Thundaga sentenced me to death, but she doesn’t even have the decency end me with her own hoof? She just sits in her castle, while her little dogs follow her beck and call. Why don’t you do what you do best and lay on your master’s lap while she continues to hold us all hostage. If only she were here right now so I could tell her to her face.”

All of a sudden the stallion’s heart skipped a beat as he heard a voice come from behind, “Be careful what you wish for…”

Slowly turning to look at her out the corner of his eye, the stallion sat silent out of fear as Thundaga stepped out from behind the prisoner, lowered the hood of her cloak and looked over the observing crowd. When the crowd saw her, they all began bowing in respect as Thundaga spoke, “Citizens! Hear my words! This traitor stand before you claiming me to be in the wrong, yet he is the only one here conspiring to bring death and destruction to these streets, by causing war to rain down upon you all. And these actions, will not be ignored.”

She turned to the prisoner, “Now… what was it you wanted to say to me? Something about how I command my guards like dogs?... speak freely!”

Too afraid to move, the prisoner sat silently as Thundaga sighed in disappointment, “I see… so your talk was nothing more than just that. Pity… I though you would be different from the others…but it would appear I was wrong.”

With that said, Thundaga reached under her cloak and drew a short sword as she swung it towards the prisoner causing him to sit up straight as the tip of the blade stopped and pressed against his throat. As he looked up the blades edge at Thundaga’s blue and green heterochromic eyes, he could also see the markings painted on the blade that were rumored to be the cutie mark of both her mother and father. But he still ignored this since most of his focus was on the angered expression on the princess’s face. Seeing his fear clearly, Thundaga shook her head, “No…” She swung her sword away and sheathed it, “You do not deserve to die by my father’s blade… that honor is meant for soldiers and warriors.”

Thundaga turned back to the herd as she spoke, “Commander?”

The commander nodded his head “Yes your majesty.”

With that the commanding Pegasus approached the prisoner as he drew his sword, grabbed the back of his head and plunged the sword into the traitor’s chest. As the prisoner’s breathing died down to a stop, Thundaga looked over the crowd and spoke, “Today is a sad day. As your princess, I vow to protect you all at the cost of my very life… but to protect you from one of our own brings me pain. I do not like to kill my own subjects, and if my father were here to see this, it would break his heart… but… as I said, I will not tolerate war inside the borders of my own kingdom. So to all you revolutionaries who may be here today, I will happily allow you to live, if you cease this conspiracy against me at once. But if these actions continue, and you find yourself in my dungeon… then no mercy will be shown, and then… it will be your blood spilled on this very stage. So please… stand down, before I am forced to do something that saddens me more.”

With that, Thundaga turned away from the crowd as she began trotting off the stage. As she left the commander and her guards followed closely as they left the dead traitor’s body on the stage for the local guards to clean up. As they trotted towards her carriage that sat on the other side of the courthouse, the commander spoke, “Peaceful as always your majesty… if there is one thing you know how to do, it’s talk to the citizens.”

Thundaga sighed, “You say that as if I was trying to play them all for fools. Every word I said was the truth. And you would do well to remember that commander… now about the museum?”

The commander sighed, “No leads… rumors say it was the rebels who stole the artifacts, but at this time, there is no evidence proving or disproving it.”

Thundaga looked at him out the corner of her eye as she replied, “The reason I made you my commander is because you are a skilled soldier, your performance is impeccable, and the history of your family alone speaks for itself… so… I would expect that Commander Mist under my command could easily solve a simple museum robbery. Especially…since the artifacts were priceless relics from the Nightmare Crusade… Commander Mist’s spear, Captain Stone’s bow and arrow, and… oh yes… my father’s shield!”

Hearing the anger in her tone, Commander Mist felt nervous, “I assure you we are doing everything within our power to find the culprits. While at the same time… I have some good news about the rebellion general.”

Thundaga stopped before stepping onto her carriage, “General Rich… really?”

Commander Mist nodded his head, “Yes, we have reason to believe that he has been living under an alias for the past few years somewhere here in Ponyville. If all goes well, we will have him within the week.”

Thundaga nodded her head, “Then I’ll leave that task in your hooves. Try to take him alive… but if it comes that he puts up a fight, do what must be done. In other words…” Thundaga smiled sarcastically, “Fetch.”

Although he knew she was being ironic, Commander Mist could only ignore the joke as he nodded his head, “Yes your majesty.”

And with that Thundaga stepped onto her carriage as the pegasi pulling it took off and flew back towards Canterlot.

Later that night, after the foals had dinner, desert, and time to play themselves into drowsiness, Cirrus and Mr. Toll put all the orphans to bed in the large bay where they slept as Mr. Toll and Cirrus stood in the doorway watching them all fade away to dreamland. As they watched, Mr. Toll smiled, “Heck of a day right?”

Cirrus nodded his head, “About average…”

Mr. Toll gave him a look, “I heard another rebel was executed today. Did you see it?”

“Yea… I saw the herd, but we left before the execution. I didn’t want Jet or Allium to see it.”

“It wouldn’t be because… Thundaga made an appearance… would it?”

Cirrus didn’t look at him, instead he continued looking into the bay as he asked, “How do you know that?”

Mr. Toll smiled in a sinister way, “I’m your foster dad… I’m supposed to know these things… and Jet mentioned a dark mare that made you leave quickly.”

Not wanting to acknowledge the answer, Cirrus held his silence as Mr. Toll spoke, “Cirrus… I know your opinion of both the rebellion and of Thundaga… but sooner or later you have to choose a side.”

Cirrus sighed as he looked at Mr. Toll, “Why?... so I can fight a losing war? Nothing will come from fighting with or against Thundaga… accept my death. It will be much easier for me to just ignore it and stay neutral. Besides, where we are, we don’t have to worry about any of that since what Thundaga does is outside anything we do here.”

Mr. Toll kept quiet as he looked at the ground in disappointment. Noticing the silence, Cirrus continued, “Wait… isn’t it?”

Mr. Toll glanced at Cirrus, then at the orphans replying, “Come with me… we… we need to talk.”

With that uneasy tone in his voice, Mr. Toll turned around and began trotting down the hall towards his office that sat at the back of the building down the hall from the front door. As soon as they entered the office, Mr. Toll closed the door as he trotted to his desk and sat down. Knowing that he should probably sit down too, Cirrus trotted to the chair in front of the desk and sat down as Mr. Toll sighed, “Cirrus… Son… I don’t know how to tell you this… so I’ll just say it. I’m… I’m shutting down the orphanage.”

Cirrus was shocked, “W-What?”

“The bills have piled up… and the bank is refusing to continue waiting for payments… so… they gave me a notice to vacate this place tomorrow at sundown.”

Cirrus shook his head in disbelief, “But… what about the orphans?... where will they go?”

Mr. Toll smiled, “Most of them have been adopted. The rest, will go to a friend of mine who runs the Manhattan orphanage. It’s not as pristine… but they should make plenty of friends there.”

Cirrus still felt concerned, “What about Jet, Allium, and you?”

Mr. Toll smiled, “A friend of mine who runs the Wonderbolt academy has adopted Jet. Knowing him, he will be happy there. Allium will be going to Madam Melody, a friend of mine who just recently returned to Equestria from Prance. If I know her like I do, then Allium will be raised happily in her manor in Canterlot. And let’s just say Madam Melody is one feisty animal if you know what I mean.”

Cirrus gave him an uneasy look as he replied, “I do now… although I kinda wish I didn’t… and… You? Where will you go?”

Mr. Toll looked at an old picture that sat on his desk as he replied, “Me… I’m old… worn down. To be honest even in good health I wouldn’t last another decade. I put in an application for the local retirement home. It ain’t much… but I’ll have a roof over my head, and food in my stomach. But what really worries me isn’t what I will do.” He sat the photo down and pointed at the colt in the picture, “But what you will do.”

Cirrus looked at the old photo of Mr. Toll and him taken years ago when he first arrived at the orphanage as he replied, “I… I don’t know.” He picked up the picture, “I’ve been here for so long, I don’t even know where to start. It’s been twelve years… and all I’ve done was help you. I mean… it’s the least I could do for adopting me… but…”

Mr. Toll smiled, “Your mother and father were good friends of mine… it would break their hearts knowing that I was willing to pass you off to a random family like that. Besides, you have been a great help around here. Without you we would have closed down years ago.”

Cirrus sighed, “Yea… but… where am I going to go now?”

Seeing the distress in his eyes, Mr. Toll sighed as he stood up, trotted to the office door, locked it, and sat back down at his desk, “Cirrus… I have an idea… but you must promise me that no matter your feelings, you will not tell anypony about it. I mean it… not, one, soul. Understand?”

Cirrus felt curious as he replied, “Um… sure, I won’t say anything.”

“Promise?...”

“Promise.”

Mr. Toll sighed as he spoke, “If ever you need help and have nowhere else to go. Then go down to the old abandoned apple farm on the edge of town.”

“You meant the old apple family farm?”

“Yes, go there and go into the barn that sits on the north end of the property. There you will find three barrels of cider in the very back. Trot to the second one that’s labeled alcoholic and knock on it five times. When you hear a scratching sound that sounds like mice, simply say, I fear no storm. When they open it up, tell them that I sent you. They will give you a place to stay and help you find a job”

Cirrus Thought to himself, “I fear no storm?… wait… that’s the motto of the rebellion. Mr. Toll?... are you a member of the rebellion?”

Mr. Toll didn’t answer, instead he just replied, “Remember… only if you have no other options. I can’t stress this enough, because… lives will be at stake on this. So remember, not, one, word.”

Although he didn’t like it, Cirrus could see the seriousness in Mr. Toll’s eyes as he sighed, “Alright… I don’t like the rebellion, but if a last resort is needed, I’ll go there and tell nopony about it.”

Mr. Toll sighed in relief as he replied, “Good… now… I think it’s time we get some shuteye. An old timer like me needs his rest.”

Cirrus nodded his head, “Sure… I’ll do that although I’m still a little nervous about tomorrow.”

Mr. Toll smiled sarcastically, “Don’t worry, I thought you well. Besides with your talent you could always become a weather pegasus and move, dare I say it… Cirrus Clouds.”

Cirrus smiled, “Oh har har, I’ll be sure to bring rain to your next bingo tournament grandpa.”

Mr. Toll called to him as Cirrus left the room, “That’s Foster Grandpa to you, youngin’!”

Back in the Everfree forest, Zine was returning to his hut as Spike stepped out from behind the hut and spoke, “So… how did it go? Did you see him?”

Zine smiled as he approached and lowered his hood, “I did.”

“And…”

Zine sat down, “He doesn’t look like much… his eyes show he does feel fear… although I’ve yet to see his greatest fear. I wonder if he truly is the pony I need for this plan.”

Spike gave him a skeptic look, “And… will Thundaga know about it?”

Zine’s smile turned sinister as he replied, “Thundaga gave me freedom to conduct my experiments in peace. What they are, aren’t her business. And if she asked, I’ll simply tell her the truth… insinuating she asks a very specific and detailed question that is. Nevertheless, this will be a truly interesting experiment, I can’t wait to see how he fares.”

Ch3 The Evil Enchanter

The young colt sat on the ground as he used crayons to draw something on a piece of paper. As he drew, the colt’s father approached as he looked at the paper and spoke, “That look pretty good. Who are those ponies son?”
The colt looked at his father and replied, “It’s Commander Bolt and the heroes of Eden’s Kiss. See this is them before they began their journey across the land to fight the dark alicorn.”
The father smiled as he replied, “Oh I see it now, there is Commander Bolt, Princess Twilight, the pony of honesty, loyalty, and… who are those other ponies again?”
The colt smiled as he replied, “it’s the pony of generosity, the captain of the Wonderbolts, and that is the griffin Commander Gilda.”

Playing dumb the stallion smiled, “Oh that’s right… silly me I almost forgot.”
At that moment, a mare entered the room and gestured to her husband, “Dear?...”
Nodding his head, the Father stood up and trotted to his wife as they he spoke quietly to one another, “so… how did the meeting go?”
The mare smiled, “The mayor of Trottingham, Manehatten, and Las Pegasus have joined the cause. However, the Cloudsdale representative was acting a bit strange tonight. So I kept most of the information short.”
The Stallion nodded his head, “Good, if he was compromised then we don’t want him to know where the hideout is. How about Mr. Rich? Is he getting settled?”
The mare nodded her head, “He is, but I’m sure it’s hard since his fortune was ceased by Thundaga. He is getting used to his new name and job though.”

The stallion smiled, “good, he’s helped us out many times before, so doing what we can to help him is the least we can d…”
All of a sudden there was a very violent knock at the door that ended the two’s conversation. As he heard the knock, the colt stood up, “I’ll get it!”
As the colt rushed to the front door, the father called, “Cirrus! DON’T!”
Before the colt could hear what his fathers warning, he had already turned the door knob enough to open it, as the door was kicked in with enough force to hit and toss the colt a few feet away from it. As the door flew open, a large number of royal guards rushed in as they each grabbed the father, the mother and their son and pinned them all against the wall as the commander entered the room and gave his order, “Search the house! Arrest anypony you see! As for them take them to the living room and put them in chains! Thundaga will speak with them shortly.”

The Royal Guards that hade the three pinned to the chained them up and tossed them into the family room as the rest of the guards started searching the house for accomplices. When the three released, Cirrus rushed to his mother as he asked, “Mommy?... what’s happening?”
The mother replied, “Just stay calm Cirrus and let us do the talking.”
A few second later the commander called to his soldiers, “Soldiers! Royalty on the floor! ATTEN-TION!!!”
With that, all the soldiers stood at attention as Thundaga entered the house and approached her Commander, “Commander Mage, did you search the house?”
The commander saluted as he replied, “In progress your majesty. We gathered the owners in the living room.”

Thundaga looked into the room as she replied, “Good… maintain security and apprehend anypony who tries to escape.”
The commander nodded his head as he replied, “Yes your majesty.”
With that Thundaga turned to the living room and entered to see the small family in the center of the room as she spoke, “The sight of this home leads me to believe that poverty isn’t the reason for the rumors… so… it must be something more.” She pointed at the father, “You… are you not the head of this household?... stand and introduce yourself.”
At first the wife was nervous, but when her husband gestured that everything was going to be fine, he stood as he spoke, “My name is Stratus Cloud…”
Thundaga gave him an unamused look as she replied, “I see… so tell me, Mr. Cloud… I have heard some rather distraught rumors about this town… more specifically… the organization you run in this town… or should I refer to you by the title this organization has granted you… General Cloud?”

Knowing that he was found out, Stratus replied, “Whichever you see fit is fine your majesty… however, what you have heard is true… I have founded an organization… and the goal of this organization, or Rebellion as I would rather call it… is to remove you from the throne.”
Seeing the stallion speak without hesitation or worry surprised Thundaga as she replied, “Very bold words… though they remain to be only words. And the point of those words is clearly a confession, so there is no need to take them to trial. But I would be disgracing my father’s gift if I were to deny you mercy. So here it is… Announce the dispersion of this rebellion and retire your title immediately. If you do this… then I will not only forgive you of this crime, I will leave you and your family unpunished for this and any other crimes that may be attached for this act of treason, and trust me… this is the best offer I can allow you. So… will you bow to me and accept my generosity?”

Stratus didn’t reply, instead he proudly stood his ground and held his head high as Thundaga sighed, “Very well… then I’m left with no choice…” She turned her head and looked at her soldiers, “Commander, take all three of them into custody. In the morning all three of them will be executed for high treason.”
With that, Thundaga started to turn and leave as Stratus stepped forward, “Your majesty… I understand and accept my punishment… but I beg you… Spare my family. They only did what I told them to. In actuality they had nothing to do with this.”
Thundaga looked back at him as she replied, “Silence… Though your willingness to take full blame is admirable… it will not excuse them of their crime. However… your plea hasn’t fallen on deaf ears, so I will do this. You and your wife will be the ones taken in for treason. Your son however seems too young to understand what treason is, let alone face its punishment. Therefore… he will be spared.”

Thundaga looked back at her soldiers and spoke, “Commander, Take the colt to the nearest orphanage and see to it that he is filed as an orphan of war. Captain Mist, take the mother and father into custody and give them anything requested for tonight’s meal… it will be their last.”
With that said, Thundaga turned to leave the room as everything slowly became blurry as Cirrus woke up and ended the dream disguised memory. When he awoke, Cirrus sat up in the blanket made pallet on the floor. When Cirrus looked around he started to mumble to himself, “Where am I?... oh that’s right, I’m being blackmailed by a lunatic.”
All of a sudden a voice replied, “Lunatic is a strong word… I like to think of him more as a crazed opportunist.”

Hearing the voice clearly, Cirrus looked across the room at the meditating Zebra on the other side. When he saw him, Cirrus felt confused as he looked at Zine and spoke, “Did you just?...”
The voice replied again from the window on the other side of Zine, “sorry, I’m out here… I’d come inside, but it’d be better if I didn’t… as for Zine don’t take everything he says too harshly. Sure he is eccentric, untrustworthy, egotistical, shifty, a little crazy, immature, self-centered, stubborn… wait… where was I going with this… I think I had a point.”
Though he felt odd doing it, Cirrus replied to the window, “I think there was supposed to be a But in there somewhere.”

The voice regained its train of thought as he replied, “oh… But… he is the only friend I have… and, if there is one thing I learned from my past… is to always stick by your friends. No matter how crazy they seem. And trust me, I’ve had some crazy friends.”
Feeling curious as to what kind of friend Zine would have, Cirrus asked, “Who are you?”
The voice replied, “Oh… my name is Spike… although it might be better to introduce myself if you came out here to see me. Like I said… I wouldn’t fit in there very well.”
Feeling both curious and cautious, Cirrus trotted to the front door as he opened it, steps outside and made his way around the hut. But when he finally saw this friend that he was talking to, he could only stand in shock as he looked at the large dragon that stood barley hidden behind the already large hut.

As he stared shockingly at Spike, Cirrus remained silent as Spike sighed, “Alright… let it out. Scream or do whatever you need to. I’m used to it.”
Cirrus realized his silence as he spoke, “Y-you’re… um… a dragon.”
Spike nodded his head, “Yea… I’m fully aware of that.”
Cirrus shook his head, “I… sorry… but… I thought there were no dragons in Equestria?”
Spike nodded his head, “well other than me… yes, there are no other dragons in the kingdom anymore.”
“But… I thought… all of them left…”
Spike shrugged his shoulders, “well… when they did… I couldn’t. I have too many memories of this place to just abandon it like the other dragons… but, I also didn’t want to be known as the only dragon left. So to save myself the headache, I just kept myself hidden from everypony.”

Understanding it Cirrus just replied, “So… where did the dragons go?”
Spike replied, “Beats me… I don’t really know their migration route, and now that they don’t migrate through Equestria anymore, they just move on to the next place in line.”
Cirrus nodded his head, “So… for the past two centuries you’ve been here?... How did you keep yourself hidden?”
Spike shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal, “I found a few abandoned gem mines to keep me fed, while at the same time, I stay in the Everfree Forest or Dragon Mountain where most ponies are too afraid to go.”
Cirrus though he figured it out, “Oh, so you’re the mare of the mountain that everypony is talking about.”
Spike shook his head, “Well actua…”

Before he could finish, Spike was interrupted as Zine exited the hut and spoke, “Oh… I see you two have already met. Why don’t I introduce you? Spike, this is Cirrus Cloud, he will be my temporary assistant until we complete my next spell and collect the relic.”
Spike gave Zine a curious look, “Relic? What relic?”
Zine replied “the same one I'll need to finish the spell that I’ve been planning for the past few days. I'll need to make some preparation potions first though. Luckily Cirrus here graciously volunteered to help me out.”
Cirrus rolled his eyes, “yea… volunteered. Blackmailed is more like it.”
Zine thought to himself, “blackmail?… I thought it was more extortion than anything… well either way it gets me what I want.”

Cirrus gave Zine an angry look as he replied, “What?... what’s that supposed to mean?”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “I dono-hey Spike, I was wondering if you knew where the lost grounds are located? I'll need to know since that is where the relic is hidden.”
Cirrus was annoyed, “Don’t try to change the subject, why is it that you need to do this spell anyways?”
Both the zebra and dragon ignored Cirrus as Spike replied, “You mean the Thunder Grounds?... sure you have to go a few miles past the old castle ruins in the forbidden side of the forest.”
Cirrus tried to stay on topic as he continued, “No seriously wha… wait…” he looked at Spike “Did you say Thunder Grounds?”

Both Zine and Spike looked at Cirrus as the pegasus shook his head and laughed, “Oh… I get it… this is one of your jokes isn’t it?... it’s funny I’ll give you that.”
Zine gave Cirrus a curious look, “Joke… I like jokes… but I fail to see the punchline this one?”
Cirrus looked at Zine as he replied, “Now you, I should expect joking from… but pulling Spike in on it? That’s a good touch.”
Spike and Zine looked at each other as Spike replied, “um… I’m not in on anything… what’s so funny about the Thunder Grounds?”
Cirrus replied, “Well it’s a made up place, of course it’s funny. I mean why would anypony want to go to a place that doesn’t exist?”

Zine and Spike gave each other another hopeless look as they looked back at Cirrus with Zine replying, “Tell me… what do you know of the Thunder Grounds?”
Cirrus replied, “It’s a made up place in all those ponytales about Commander Bolt. You know, those stories about the legendary pony who miraculously saved the world from a terrible disaster. It’s nothing but a story for little foals.”
Spike started to speak, “Actually it…”
Zine held up his hoof to silence Spike as he replied, “made up… sure… I can see that you’re the skeptic type. I honestly didn’t expect that from somepony who is good with foals. But I suppose you have a right to believe in anything you want. Nevertheless I need to go there… but first… I need help prepping a few potions for the trip. Since you’re coerced to be my assistant… I’ll need your help in gathering three pails of water, and a bit of firewood for my caldron.”

Cirrus gave Zine a confused look, “wait… you’re serious?”
Zine nodded his head, “for once… yes I am. Tell you what, if this place is as fake as you say, then when we get there you can call the whole thing off and you will be free to go and do… whatever it is that you pegasi do when you’re free… I guess fly around or something.”
Cirrus replied as he sighed, “fine but… you better not go back on this deal.”
Zine smiled, “and cheat you… now why would I do a thing like that.” He turned to go back inside, “Remember… firewood, and a few pails of water… and make it quick, I want to finish these potions before tonight.”

As Zine went to trot inside, Cirrus noticed for the first time the branded X that was burned into his skin over his cutiemarks on both sides. Seeing this, Cirrus watched as Zine went back into his hut as he nudged Spike and asked, “Hey Spike… what happened to Zine’s cutiemark?”
Spike replied, “you mean his placement mark?… Don’t know… Zine doesn’t talk about his past. In fact the only ponies who would know is Thundaga and her top guards.”
Cirrus gave him a curious look, “haven’t you ever asked?”
Spike nodded his head, “yea, lots of times, but every time he dodges the question. I guess something terrible happened to him when he was little, but since it’s obvious that he doesn’t want to talk about it, I just let it go. It’s nopony’s business but his anyway. As for the fire wood, I'll help you gather it. Chances are he will ask me to light the fire with my breath regardless.”
With that the two started trotting through the forest as they went to get the items needed for Zines brew.

Deep in the center of the Canterlot Hedge Maze of the Canterlot Garden, Thundaga trotted past a large number of Statues that were all aligned in an organized fashion. As she passed each one, she looked at the faces of each pony as she remembered the ponies that each one was expertly chiseled to resemble. Finally as she approached the last statue in the line, she stood in front of it as she drew the sword on her side and held it in front of her face bowing her head slightly as was the traditional salute for fallen equestrian soldiers. As she held the blade she looked at the statue of a stallion as she spoke, “Father… if you were here… I wonder what you would do about the thieves that stole your shield… or even the rebels that threatened to start a war. I know I never knew you… but I wish I had your wisdom in this endeavor. I wish you could give me some advice on what to do about this.”
“Your majesty?”

Annoyed that she was interrupted during her prayer, Thundaga turned her head slightly enough to see Commander Mist out the corner of her eye as he approached, “I’m… sorry to interrupted, but I wanted to brief you on last night’s mission to apprehend Gene-.”
Annoyed by the interruption, Thundaga took the sword that was held in front of her face and swung it out to the side, silencing the approaching commander while at the same time revealing the cutiemark painted on the blade. When he saw this, Commander Mist slowly bowed in respect as Thundaga, spun the blade around and sheathed it before turning to the commander and speaking with an angry tone, “You better have good reason for interrupting me while I’m paying respect to the heroes of the past.”
Rising from his bow, Commander Mist replied, “My apologies your majesty… I came to give you my report on our mission to apprehend General Rich.”

Although she was still annoyed, Thundaga decided to let it go as she replied, “Then give it…”
Knowing it was alright to continue, Commander Mist looked off to the side as he cleared his throat signaling a guard at the entrance of the memorial garden. When the guard received his signal, he rushed to Commander Mist and handed him a sheathed sword as commander Mist took the sword and presented it to Thundaga as he spoke, “your majesty… may I present to you, the sword of General Rich and his family. Also known as the Sword of Captain Frances Snow the Third.”
Without a word, Thundaga used her magic to pull the fencing sword from its sheath as she brought the blade close and examined it. After a few seconds of silence, Thundaga continued to keep the sword hovering in front of her as she looked passed it and spoke, “there is blood cradled between the blade and the guard… its fresh… how many did General Rich kill?”
Commander Mist replied, “Two… and he wounded three others. Of the entire squad, I was the only one to leave unscathed.”

Thundaga continued looking passed the blade, “I assume he wasn’t captured alive then… Did he die with honor?”
Commander Mist shook his head, “for a traitor… there is no honor.”
Thundaga lowered the blade and sighed as she rephrased, “Did he die fighting?”
Commander Mist hesitated as he replied, “yes… to his last breath.”
Thundaga nodded her head, “I see… See to it that a funeral with honors is given to the soldiers who died in the fight. And see to it that General Rich is given the same.”
Commander Mist was surprised, “Your majesty? You’re going to honor a traitor?”
Thundaga sighed, “Anypony willing to fight and die for something he believes in… is one who dies with honor, and must leave this world with everypony knowing it… General Rich will be given full honors, and will maintain his title of General even on his tombstone. He’s earned it.”

Although his tone said otherwise, Commander Mist still replied, “If that’s what you say… then it must be so. Nevertheless, with General Rich gone, the rebellion should be easy to finish off.”
Thundaga shook her head, “no… when news of his death reach them, the rebellion will appoint a new general. And with him, more recruits and sympathizers. It would be wise to increase security on vital places such as the castle gates and the armories. If the rebellion reply in anger, then we better be ready.”
Commander Mist nodded his head as he replied, “understood your majesty, we will take measures to increase security at once.”
Thundaga replied as she gave him a stern look, “good… and… commander?...”
“Yes your majesty?”

At that moment, the hovering fencing sword that Thundaga was examining closely, flew across the area towards Commander Mist as the blade stopped just far enough for the tip to put a pin hole in the skin between his eyes as Thundaga gave him an enraged look, “The next time you disturb me when I’m here paying my respects to my father… it better be a matter of life and death… otherwise… it will be. Understood?”
Feeling the blood roll down and parting on both sides of his muzzle, Commander Mist held perfectly still as he replied in a hidden fear, “U-understood your majesty… please… forgive me…”
With that, Thundaga pulled the blade back just slightly as she replied nonchalantly, “Fine… you are forgiven…” the blade tilted down as she used her magic to sheath General Rich’s sword in its sheath, “Go, now see to your duties… you are dismissed.”
Shaking in fear, Commander Mist slowly wiped the blood from his face as he bowed in respect and tried to act as if the terrifying experience didn’t happen, as he left the area to follow his orders.

Back in the Everfree Forest, Cirrus was standing beside Zine who was reading a potions book as he spoke, “Next, there should be a rose in a jar over by the window.”
Cirrus looked at the jars that were aligned on the windowsill as he picked up the one with a rose inside. After retrieving the jar he brought it back to Zine who opened it and used scissors to cut a thorn from its stem. After removing the thorn, Zine placed the rose back in the jar as he tossed the thorn into the brew and continued, “Ok, next I need you to bring me the jar with the rainbow fly in it.”
Cirrus gave Zine a confused look, “A rainbow fly?”
Zine nodded his head as he pointed to the corner of the room, “yes over there, there is a cupboard of living ingredients. Look for the jar with a rainbow butterfly in it.”

Doing as he was told, Cirrus trotted to the cupboard and opened it to see a large number of jars with all types of rodents, reptiles, and insects. Searching through the jars filled with everything from spiders, to mice to lizards, Cirrus tried to understand what he was looking for until he finally saw it. Reaching in and pulling out a jar in the back Cirrus looked closely at what looked like a butterfly, but when its wings were open, the pattern on it made it resemble a rainbow. Seeing the amazing creature, Cirrus held it up and asked, “This one right?”
Zine nodded his head, “Yep… go ahead and let it out of the jar.”
Cirrus though that letting the insect free was a little redundant, but he decided that Zine knew what he was doing, so he opened the jar and waited as the beautiful butterfly flew out the opened lid and flew around the room.

Seeing the beauty of the almost mesmerizing creature, Cirrus could only smile pleasantly as the fly gracefully lowered itself to land on the table in front of Zine. As the insect landed Cirrus started to speak, “that’s amazing… I’ve never seen a…”
All of a sudden, Zine pulled a fly swatter from under the table and crushed the creature where it landed as Cirrus gave him a shocked look, “Wh-wha… W-why did you do that!?!”
Zine looked at Cirrus and shrugged his shoulders, “what?... I need its wings… why you think it would be better for me to hold the poor thing down and rip its wings off while it’s alive?... how cruel do you think I am?... well… I am that cruel, but not to creatures that don’t deserve it.”
Cirrus tried to think, “but… did you have to crush it like that?...”
Zine replied as he brushed the dead insect into his hoof and tossed it into the brew, “When you least expect it… death doesn’t seem so bad, sometimes… you can’t help but see the irony in it. But when you sit in a cage waiting for it, death seems far worse than it actually is. Consider this, my mercy. I let it go so that it believes it’s finally free… then I seal its fate when it’s content.”

Cirrus argued, “That’s even worse!!!”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “I’ve never heard them complain.”
Cirrus replied in anger, “that’s because you killed them!”
Zine sighed, “oh well easy come, easy go.”
Cirrus gave him a hopeless look, “That analogy isn’t the proper response for this conversation!”
Zine nodded his head carelessly, “Touché…”
“You’re not even trying to continue the conversation are you… your just throwing out words to bypass the subject aren’t you.”
Zine ignored Cirrus’s words as he looked at the potions book and replied, “Sure… can you hand me that flask over there on the countertop? It’s the metal flask on the second shelf.”

Feeling that the conversation was truly leading nowhere, Cirrus sighed, “alright… sure. I’ll go get it.”
Trotting across the room, Cirrus picked up the potion and brought it back as he watched Zine pour it into the brew, “What’s that stuff do?”
Zine replied, “It’s a very special substance that can have a significant effect on our very way of life. It has the power to bring mountain to rubble, dig massive canyons, and can ensure life in all living things. It is truly a marvel of existence.”
Cirrus was intrigued, “really… what’s it called?”
Zine smiled, “water…”
Cirrus have Zine an annoyed look, “…really?...”

Zine smiled with sarcasm, “I wasn’t lying was I?”
Cirrus sighed, “You’re enjoying this aren’t you?”
“Every second.”
Cirrus rubbed his head in irritation, “Are you always this annoying?...”
Zine replied as he started mixing the ingredients with a wooden spoon, “only on Tuesdays.”
As soon as the water was mixed in, the lime green potion started glowing bright blue as Cirrus replied, “its Friday you know…”
Zine nodded his head, “I know… now can you hand me my cloak over there on the coat hanger?”
Feeling confused as to why Zine needed his cloak, Cirrus trotted to the coat hanger, grabbed the cloak and brought it to Zine as he asked, “Ok… what’s this for?”
Zine replied as he tied the cloak around his neck, “just a precaution.”
Cirrus was confused, “a precaution?... for what?”

All of a sudden, the caldron started to rumble and shake as the bubbling contents started changing from its glowing blue to a black murky color. Seeing this made a sinister smile appear on Zine’s face as smoke started rising from the contents and filled the top of the room making it resemble a storm cloud. Seeing this at first only made Cirrus curious, but then something happened to make him begin stepping backwards in fear. Thunder could be heard rumbling inside the black smoke as lightning became visible in the miniaturized storm. After seeing Cirrus’s reaction to the clouds, Zine mumble to himself, “A storm?… How ironic.”
Not hearing his comment, Cirrus looked at Zine as he asked, “Wha… what’s going on?...”
Zine replied, “This potion seeks out its victim’s greatest fear… and amplifies it. So… it’s seeing your fear and showing it to you.”

Trying to calm himself down, Cirrus asked, “This mean that it isn’t real… Right?...”
Zine shook his head and kept his sinister smile, “no… it’s as real as you and me… but that’s not what you should worry about right now.”
Cirrus looked at Zine and asked, “It’s not?”
Before Zine could reply, the center of the cloud began spiraling as if a tornado was forming, but before it could touch the ground, the spiral turned into a stream that flew to the far wall and followed the walls of the room as it flew out of control like a trapped bird trying to find a way out of the sealed cage.

Suddenly without warning, the cloud stopped flying in its path to break from the walls and flew inward heading on a collision course with Cirrus who had already made his way to the center of the room to get out of its way. As the cloud came rushing towards him, Cirrus could only do what was reflexed as he held his hoof over his face to protect his eyes. Luckily as the cloud closed the distance, Zine jumped between the two as he removed his cloak and began spinning it in front of him in a spiral fashion as the incoming clouds hit the cloak and was manipulated by the wiping fabric which compressed it enough for it to be funneled into a small potions flask that Zine held in the center of the spiraling cloak. As the cloud was funneled into the flask, lightning started shooting out in every opposite direction as Cirrus succumbed to his fear and fell to the floor holding his ears and closing his eyes in terror. However as soon as the last bit of the cloud had entered the flask, Zine crammed a cork in the end, shutting off the loud clacks and booms of the lightning as if it were controlled by a switch.

Feeling a little confused as to why the loud crashes and booms ended so suddenly Cirrus uncovered his eyes and he sat up and looked around in confusion. After doing so, Zine turned to him and showed him the flask as he smile, “That… that is what you should worry about.”
Cirrus was confused, “Wh-what was that!?!”
Zine replied as he trotted back to the potion in the caldron, “you don’t listen do you?... that is a potion that uses your fears against you… although it is forbidden since the smoke from it during its creation can be more fatal then the potion itself… then there is the trauma it tends to inflict.”
Zine began using a ladle to fill more flasks of the black potion as Cirrus trotted to him and asked, “H-how often do you make this?”
Zine replied, “The potion evaporates after seven days’ time, and I use it as my primary source of defense so about three or four times a month.”

Cirrus rubbed his head in amazement, “so… you do this four times a month?”
Zine smiled, “Actually this is my second time facing the danger of the potion’s creation. Since I’m usually the only one here when I create the potion it doesn’t feed of my greatest fear, so when the smoke appears, it just evaporates. I should thank you, since I had to face the smoke I got one extra flask of this stuff to use than usual.”
Cirrus was curious, “so… it doesn’t take the form of your greatest fear?” Zine shook his head no as Cirrus continued, “But… why?”
Zine’s smile turned sinister as he replied, “Because I have no fear for it to feed from.”
Cirrus was skeptic, “hold up… you mean you’re not afraid of anything?”
Zine shook his head, “oh I didn’t say that? Sure I’m afraid of stuff. Poisonous snakes, unknown spiders, that little package they put in your dried fruit that says don’t eat… but what I meant was I don’t have a greatest fear.”

Cirrus was a little focused on the dried fruit thing but he disregarded his question on that as he continued, “Really?... but why?...”
Zine’s expression became saddened as he replied, “Let’s just say… some things are better left unanswered.”
Trying to remove the thoughts that began filling his mind, Zine finished filling the last flask as he trotted to his staff that was leaning against the wall and picked it up, “well I think that’s enough for today. You can take the rest of the day to do… whatever it is you do. I on the other hoof need to gather more ingredients from the forest. You’re welcome to join me if you want.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he replied, “Well… I guess I can since being alone in this place gives me the creeps.”

Zine smiled as he gestured, “Then let’s go, we only have a few hours till sunset. Then things get really creepy.”
Cirrus sighed, “Why do you have to say it like that… By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask, that potion in your staff. The grey one… what’s it do?”
Zine dodged the question as he replied, “At this rate we should be there and back within the hour so we don’t have to worry about getting caught in the forest at night.”
He was disappointed that Zine dodged the question, but since his reply wasn’t a sarcastic remark, or a joke, Cirrus could only assume that the answer was something that was too embarrassing to answer… or too painful. So all he did was nod his head as the evil enchanter and his assistant left the hut end ventured into the Everfree forest in search of ingredients.

Later that night after Cirrus had already gone to sleep, Zine stayed up and meditated more, until he sensed Spike approaching outside. Needing to talk with him, Zine stopped meditating as he stood up, exited the hut, and met his dragon friend just outside. As the two met, Spike spoke, “Hey Zine, is Cirrus asleep?”
Zine nodded his head, “Yea… he had an almost disturbing attack from my potions today. It would appear… his greatest fear is either a storm, or lightning.”
Spike was confused, “really? A pegasus afraid of lightning?... well it shouldn’t surprise me since I once knew a pegasus who was afraid of heights. So… will this be a problem? You don’t think Zecora made a mistake do you?”
Zine gave Spike a skeptic look, “Do you think she made a mistake? Are you questioning her wisdom?”

Spike thought to himself before sighing in embarrassment, “Yea, you’re right… how silly of me.”
Zine replied, “No, I mean, would you question her wisdom? Cuz I don’t know, I never met her.”
Spike shook his head as he chuckled, “Zecora is wise, there is no questioning her. But, if he is afraid of lightning… this might be a problem won’t it?”
Zine thought to himself as he replied, “perhaps… although, even if he is afraid, this shouldn’t stop him. After all, a pony like him is truly special… whether he knows it or not.”
Spike had to ask, “And what about his skepticism? How can he bring Commander Bolt back, if he doesn’t even believe in him?”

Zine thought to himself, “that is a problem… to become something that you perceive as fantasy… who would go through all the trouble to become something that isn’t real. Needless to say, we will see how it goes tomorrow. I made plenty of potions just in case, so we are ready to go now, but it would be best to go at dusk.”
Spike asked, “Do you want me to go too?”
Zine shook his head, “no… I don’t know what will happen… so it would be safer if you kept your distance. I would like things to be quiet and peaceful, but considering Commander Bolt’s reputation, it will most likely be loud and destructive.”
Spike gave Zine a concerned look, “So… if things do get that loud… then wouldn’t it attract the royal Guards?... and… when they see him trespassing on sacred ground, won’t they arrest Cirrus?...”
Zine smiled sinisterly, “if all goes well… it would… and… they will.”

Ch22 The Tri-Battle of Canterlot

Cirrus was wearing a dark cloak as he sat silently in the library of Madam Melody’s manor. As he sat in deep thought Zine entered wearing a cloak of his own and carrying his staff as he looked to the pegasus and smiled, “Good morning commander, ready to start a war?”
Cirrus looked up as he replied with an unenthusiastic tone, “Yea… I guess… where is Gem Stone?”
Zine replied, “She is in the lobby waiting for the rest of the officers to show up. Once they arrive we will be ready for you to begin the briefing.”
Cirrus nodded, “Good… come get me when they get here.”
Zine asked, “You don’t want to wait for them there?”
Cirrus shook his head, “No… I just need a little time to myself.”

Knowing what this was about, Zine sat down next to him as he spoke, “Commander Bolt didn’t see you last night did he?”
Cirrus shook his head, “No… he said that the war would end so I think he left me alone last night so I would be well rested.”
Zine asked, “Are you?”
Cirrus shook his head, “I did sleep well last night… but I think I’m fare from rested.”
Zine nodded his head, “Oh, I see. Your worried for the fight aren’t you?”
Cirrus rubbed his head in irritation, “Worried is an understatement. I’m terrified.”

Zine smiled, “Yea… well I‘d be worried if you weren’t. I recall telling you that fear was something that was meant to keep you safe, right? Well if you charge into battle fearlessly you’re likely to go down in the first charge. I bet even Commander Bolt was afraid of battle when it began. But like most, he weighed his options. What would he gain by fighting and winning? Or what would he lose by simply trotting away?”
Cirrus nodded in agreement, “Yea… I am worried. But I know this is something I must do.”
Zine nodded as he reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a flask with a neon white glowing potion inside, “Good, then you will need this.”

Cirrus took the potion and marveled at its interesting glow as he asked, “What is it?”
Zine smiled, “A special potion, not of darkness, but of light. This potion will have a major effect on this fight if used properly.”
Cirrus looked at Zine with curiosity, “Really? What’s it do?”
“I have a theory. If you manage to remind Thundaga of who she is, then perhaps her other self this Princess Um-ba or whatever, will try to make herself known. If that happens, then simply drink this potion and touch her.”

Cirrus asked, “Okay… just touch her? Where exactly?”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, “Anywhere is fine, preferably somewhere appropriate otherwise her darker side may be more justified in killing you. But all you have to do is make contact with her skin, and you will be transported to a battlefield unlike any that you or Thundaga would ever expect to fight on. But I'll warn you, this potion is extremely potent. If somepony were to touch you when you touch her, you both would be transported to that battlefield. So if you feel like taking somepony with you, like oh I don’t know… Captain Stone, then feel free to do so.”
Cirrus asked, “This battlefield… what make it so different?”

Zine replied, “It will be your only chance to save the part of her that you actually want to save… but I'll warn you, chances of success is almost zero. Most of it depends on how much this Um-ba pony is willing to fight. She will need your guidance, so make it count.”
Hearing the seriousness of Zine voice felt odd to Cirrus. Zine was never the zebra to act serious when it mattered so hearing him talk like this told Cirrus that this potion was extremely valuable as he looked back at the flask and smiled, “I will… Thanks Zine.”
Zine smiled peacefully, “No… Thank you.”

Before anything else could be said, Gem Stone entered the library wearing her pink bandanna, and her cloak as she spoke, “Sir… they are ready.”
Cirrus smiled as he stood up and placed the potion in the pocket of what he was wearing, “Good, then let’s begin the briefing.”
With that Cirrus, and Zine stood up as they both made their way to the entrance of the library and accompanied Gem Stone as the trio started down the hall. Half way there, they saw five more ponies approaching, Madam Melody, Major Storm, Butterscotch Pie, Apple Barrel, and a fifth that was unexpected, but not unrecognized as Cirrus addressed him as they stopped, “Mandarin Orange… I didn’t expect to see you here.”

The orange earth pony smiled as he replied, “Things in Ponyville got too crazy to ignore, so when I heard that Commander Halo was in need of troops, well I couldn’t resist.”
The two bro-hoofed one another as Cirrus smiled, “It’s good to see a friend helping in this fight.”
Mandarin smiled, “Dido. Will Dash be joining us soon?”
Cirrus smiled “Later, until then,” He looked at Madam Melody, “Are these my officers?”
Madam Melody nodded, “Oui, zese are ze diversion, evacuation, and assault team officers.”
Cirrus smiled, “Good, then from this point on, you are all promoted to major. Although you will all still report to Major Melody, Understood?”
Apple Barrel Smiled, “Promoted two ranks, heck you could make me report to a bail of hey and I would complain one bit.”
Butterscotch laughed, “Yea I wouldn’t either… I'd just eat it.” He laughed a little before pausing, “Wait a second… is this a posthumous two rank promotion? Kind of premeditated don’t you think?”

Major Storm smiled as she replied to Butterscotch, “It doesn’t make much difference to me, but I believe he’s implying that if we have high ranks in battle, it will motivate the soldier more. Rank may not decide much, but in battle, it helps to motivate soldiers. Especially when they are young or inexperienced.”
Understanding the reasoning, Butterscotch nodded, “Oh… okay, I was starting to think you were doubting us.” He laughed before saluting, “Rank accepted commander.”
Butterscotch smiled with glee as Mandarin thought to himself, “Major Orange hm… sounds like a fruit brand, but I'll take it.”
With that, Gem spoke up, “Um sir?... the briefing?”
Remembering where they were going Cirrus nodded, as he looked at her, “Oh right, we need to address the troops.” He looked back at his officers, “You five follow, it would be best if we addressed them with you all beside me.”

All the officers smiled as Madam Melody replied, “Oui Commander, lead ze vay.”
With that, Cirrus and his officers made their way down the corridor of the manor to the lobby where they would address their troops. When the group reached the master staircase that led into the large lobby, Cirrus could already hear the soldiers talking amongst themselves as Gem Stone spoke up, “I'll ready them for you sir.”
With that, Gem Stone smiled as she started making her way down to the center of the staircase which worked as a pedestal for the entire lobby to see.

As she stood there her expression became serious as she called out, “Cut the chatter and FALL IN!!!”
Everypony in the center of the lobby lined up in a formation as Gem gave them a few seconds to get ready, before looking over and nodding to Cirrus to come down. Seeing the signal Cirrus trotted down to where she was standing as she called out, “Commander on the floor! Atten-tion!”
With that everypony in the formation stood at attention as Cirrus approached Gem Stone as she took a step back for him to take the floor. Cirrus made his way around Gem as he looked over the formation and called, “Post!”

With that, Zine and the five majors approached and stood behind him as Cirrus spoke, “Look and remember these faces! These are the officers in command of each unit during the battle. Major Barrel and Major Pie will be in command of the two diversion units. Major Storm and Major Orange will be in command of the two assault teams. And finally, the officer in command of all five, is Major Melody. Because of this, she will be with and in direct control of the Evacuation team. Now, I'll turn it over to each officer to explain the command starting with Major Barrel.”

Cirrus stepped to the side as Apple Barrel stepped forward, “Alright, now if you’re in my team, ya’ll will be with me here while Major Pie and his team will be on the other side of Canterlot. As soon as we see the signal we’ll begin our riot as we start settin’ fire to specially marked buildin’s and tearin’ apart anythin’ we can without hurtin’ any civilians. Some places will be marked for destruction, meanin’ we can do whatever we want to them to get the Royal Guards attention. While other specially marked places will be marked to leave alone. These places are safe houses for civilians, for that reason, you ain’t gonna touch em. Got it?”

Major Storm Stepped forward, “I made sure that the guards guarding Thundaga’s armories are supporters of both The Rebellion and the Nightmare Legion. When the riots begin, they, myself included will remove our armor and abandon our posts to allow any supporters of The Rebellion to enter and arm themselves accordingly. Once armed, my forces will begin a sweeping assault in the center of the city and push our way out to the city’s main gate all the while, arming everypony willing to fight back at Thundaga. Once we take the gate, we will open it, and hold it.”
Mandarin Orange stepped forward as he added, “While this is happening, I will be leading the second assault team. Our job will be to suppress and neutralize the Royal Guard’s that will be trying to stop the riots. We will keep the riots as active as we can to take all attention off the Commander and his task.”

Madam Melody started speaking from there, “Vhile zis is taking place, I and ze rest of my troops vill gazer as many civilians as possible and lead zem to ze safe houses across ze city. Ve vill carry no veapons and vear no armor so zat ze Royal Guard’s vill see us as bystanders, and leave us be.”
Cirrus spoke up from there, “During this, Zine, Gem Stone, and I will be infiltrating the castle. We will try to open the castle gate and find a way to keep it open, but we will not stand by until reinforcements arrive. Once the gate is open, we will send a second signal for Spike to come in and hold the gate while we face Thundaga. Note, none of this will happen until General Dash and The Rebellion army sets up a position outside the city. Once he is there, we will give Thundaga’s army time to lock down the city and gather outside the walls so that conflict inside will be moderate to minimal. Once General Dash begins his charge, then, and only then will we begin ours. I’m counting one everypony to do their part, because as you can guess, I will be doing mine. Remember this is an all or none battle. If we fail… there won’t be a rematch.”
Zine decided to add tension, as he spoke up, “We’ve seen what happened to the Wonderbolts… lets avoid the same fate, shall we?”

Hearing his words, everypony in the formation looked at each other in worry as two random voices called out from amongst the formation of soldiers, “I fear no storm!” “Viva la Commander!!!”
Slowly, everypony looked onto these random ponies to see that it wasn’t soldiers amongst the ranks, it was Jet and Allium as they both stood saluting Cirrus as if they were part of the formation. Seeing this, the soldiers standing next to them smiled as they saluted, “Viva la commander!”
Another spoke, “I fear no storm!”
With this, the soldier in the formation began saluting in a wave movement and replied with one of the two statements said earlier. By the time all the commotion had ended, Cirrus found himself standing in front of the formation as everypony there, including his friends behind him were saluting with smiles of confidence on their faces.

Seeing this motivated him as Cirrus saluted back, “LETS BRING BACK PEACE!”
With that call everypony yelled back in an uproar of battle cries that only increased their motivation. Shortly after, Cirrus dropped his salute as he spoke up, “Now gather in your teams and prepare to move out! General Dash should be arriving at noon so it’s likely the battle will begin shortly after so we all should be ready. Fall out!”
With that the formation slowly fell apart as Cirrus turned to his officers as Apple Barrel spoke first, “Spoken like a true commander, I don’t regret joinin’ ya one bit.”
Gem smiled, “Now that they have their orders we can leave it to the majors to see them through. As for us, we better get going if we want to be in position when the general arrives. There should be a small support team waiting there for us in a safe house outside the castle wall.”

Cirrus nodded his head as he looked at the rest of his officers, “Are there any question before we get started?”
Everypony shook their heads no as Madam Melody spoke, “Ve all understand Commander.”
Cirrus gave a bracing sigh, “Good… then I guess we should begin.” He looked at Gem and Zine, “We ready to go?”
Zine glanced out the side of his eye at the potion in his staff as he smiled, “I’m always ready to spread some chao- I mean… I’m ready to end this war.”
Gem smiled at Zine, “Finally, something we can agree on.” She looked at Cirrus, “We are good to go as soon as you are sir.”
Cirrus nodded, “Good, then let’s go.”
Smiling in confidence Cirrus, Zine, and Gem Stone trotted down the stairs, through the lobby an out the doors as the Nightmare Legion soldiers cleared a path and saluted their commander as they totted by.

A few hours later, the trio sat on the second floor of a building just outside the castle walls. As they sat and waited, Gem Stone was looking down the road at another building in the distance as a Nightmare solder sat there waiting to give them the signal that General Dash was near. As they watched, Zine trotted over and sat down next to her as he asked, “Did you make your decision yet? About last night’s discussion?”
Gem didn’t want to discuss this subject, but she still nodded as she replied, “Yea… I did. I’m go-”
“Shh… don’t say… just do it when the time comes. I’m okay with whatever you choose, so when it happens, don’t hesitate.”
Gem looked into the distance as she replied, “Right, I won’t then.”

Far out on the Canterlot perimeter wall a few guards were standing on top of the wall as they talked, “Really? So what did you do?”
“Well once I got home, I tried to keep it quiet but the wife f-”
The guard paused as he looked down the road and spoke, “Hmm? Looks like some travelers are coming. Better get into position for a search.”
Knowing what to do, the guards separated and readied the checkpoint. However as they watched the figure on the horizon, they soon realized that it wasn’t a single pony or group like they suspected. Slowly, more and more figures appeared on the horizon until finally the soldiers were able to identify what it was as one gasped in shock, “Thundaga’s will… IT’S AN ARMY! REBELLION ARMY ON THE HORIZON! ALL SOLDIERS TO BATTLE STATIONS!!!”
Hearing this, the guards quickly started to scrabble to get into position as a runner pegasus took off from the top of the wall to fly the message to Thundaga.

Minutes later, Thundaga and Commander Mist were trotting through the castle corridor as Commander Mist asked, “Your majesty? Are you well? You seem to have something on your mind?”
Thundaga continued trotting as she replied, “Something odd is in the air… We felt it all day yesterday too. It’s as if darkness is cre-”
“YOUR MAJESTY!!!”
Both stopped and turned around as the runner from the gate rushed up and spoke through his exhaustion, “Your majesty, we’ve spotted an army approaching the gate. It’s General Dash and his Rebellion.”
Both ponies looked surprised as Commander Mist replied, “What? How many?”
The soldier replied, “I… I don’t know sir, as soon as I saw the army I wasted no time reporting it.”
Commander Mist became angry, “You decided to come here without a proper estimate on ho-”
“Silence commander, he did the right thing. Little information is better than none.” Thundaga looked back at the runner, “Return to the gate and await further orders, we shall have them for you shortly.”
The pegasus saluted, “Yes your majesty.”

The guard turned and left to return to the gate as Commander Mist asked, “You’re not going to assemble the army?”
Thundaga replied as she turned and started up the corridor, “We will see what we are up against… then we will assemble the troops.”
As they continued trotting up the hall, Commander Mist insisted, “We should gather our forces and wipe them out now. Just say the word, and we will crush them like the insects they are.”
Thundaga shook her head as they approached a staircase, “Careful commander. A battle fought in haste proves either a loss or a costly victory. We will retaliate, but as all battles are, we must fight using strategy, not strength.”

Thundaga, and Commander Mist continued up the stairs and into another corridor until they finally reached the door to her bedchambers. Using her magic, Thundaga wasted no time as she opened both the room and the balcony door at the same time, as she trotted through her bedchambers and onto the balcony that overlooked Canterlot. Looking into the distance, Thundaga could see General Dash’s army while a few more guards arrived just in time for her to give her order, “Assemble The Royal Army outside the perimeter walls. Then lock down the city gates. Nopony enters or exits until we give the or-… wait…”

Concerned by the appearance of General Dash’s army Thundaga thought to herself as Commander Mist asked, “What is it your majesty?”
Thundaga replied, “Assemble the army… But, don’t lock down the city. Instead only grant access to Royal Guards and The Royal Army.”
Commander Mist was concerned, “What? But why?”
Thundaga continued, “Look at the size of his army… doesn’t it seem a little small to you?”

Commander Mist looked at the army as he replied, “Well yea, that’s why we should just hit them with everything we have.”
Thundaga nodded, “In my younger years, we would agree… however, we must ask. Why would General Dash attack with such a small force? We have taken into account that he isn’t an experienced soldier, however even a simple civilian would see the disadvantage he is in. If we were to guess, we'd say there is something up his sleeve. Therefore, we will amass the army outside the gate, but we will not lock them outside the city. We will follow protocol, but we will also keep our eyes open for deception. We have a funny feeling, that this is more than just a simple force on force battle.”

Minutes later, General Dash watched the massive combination of Royal Guards and Royal Army soldiers assemble outside the city as one of his officers approached, “General, The barrage teams have finished assembling the close range catapults. Should we prepare to move them forward?”
General Dash shook his head, “No, those catapults are meant to only hit the enemy formations outside the city. We won’t even risk it by moving them within range of the city walls. Just continue holding the ground and wait a little while longer. We need to give the enemy more time to assemble.”
The soldier nodded his head, “Yes sir.”
As he trotted off, General Dash looked over The Royal Army as he mumbled, “I hope this works… we are already out numbered as is.”

Back in the city, Gem Stone watched the far building as the stationary Nightmare soldier placed a small yellow cloth outside the second story windows and closed the window to hold it in place. Understanding the signal Gem Stone smiled, “The Rebellion army is outside the city, looks like thing are about to begin.”
Cirrus looked out another window as he looked down at The Royal Guards who were rushing by as he added, “The Royal Guards are gathering to intercept too.”
Zine smiled as he reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a green potion, “So, are we going in now?”
Gem replied, “Patients Zine… we don’t move until General Dash attacks. Till then, we stand by.”
Zine put the potion away as he sighed, “Well you’re no fun… I was hoping to start early.”
Cirrus shook his head, “We move when they move. Otherwise we risk our side of the battle. Remember, if we fall, the war ends.”
Zine nodded his head, “Calm down sir, I’m just trying to liven up the mood, it feels like a funeral in here.”
Gem Stone gave him an annoyed look, “Keep talking and I'll make it one.”
Zine sighed in disappointment, “Yes ma’am.”

Back in the castle, Thundaga watched from her balcony as her keen eyes skimmed over both the enemy army and the rest of the city. All of a sudden, she spotted something that she saw as odd. On one of the fare towers in the middle of the city, she was able to see a small yellow flag being waived by an unknown pony as he waved it in view of another pony on a lower rooftop who was watching him closely. Looking at the lower building, Thundaga was able to make out the yellow cloth outside the second story window as she smiled, “A signal team… well played general. How about we send a signal of our own.”
Although he heard her, Commander Mist didn’t say anything as Thundaga looked to the sky with a confident smile. While looking up, a large number of thunder clouds started to appear and slowly swept over the city quickly turning what was a bright and sunny day, into a dreary and dull overcast.

With the unnatural clouds moving in, Everypony in the city, to include Cirrus, his officers, General Dash, and the entire Rebellion looked to the sky as the rumble of thunder started to echo above. Hearing this, Cirrus cringed, “Uh oh… it starting.”
With all eyes on the clouds above, Thundaga directed her focus on the two buildings as her smile turned sinister, “Signal this.”
After that was said, two lightning bolts came down from the sky and fell into the city at the same time. The first, hit the base of the tower that the Nightmare Legion was using as a lookout post. The second crashed through the roof of the building where the pony was relaying the lookout’s signals, the very same building that Gem Stone was watching from outside the castle walls.

Stunned that she would attack somepony inside of her city, Gem, Cirrus, General Dash, even Commander Mist watched in shock as the tower slowly toppled over and crashed into the city while the second building slowly fell in on itself leaving the crumbling of both structures to send a cloud of dust into the air over the city. Seeing this Gem Stone mumbled, “How… how could she do this… to her own city?”
Far outside Canterlot General Dash glared at the dust clouds as he mumbled, “Our signal team is down… We have to move now.”
Dash turned around to his formation as he called, “Infantry rank! Move forward, archers ready long rang attacks! Barrage teams! Prepare to fire burning shot! Aim for the front of each formation!”

The large formation prepared to charge as the catapult teams loaded a large amount of heavy boulders before pouring fuel on them and lightning them on fire. After a moment of preparation time, General Dash turned towards the enemy army as he called, “Now catapults! FIRE!!!”
With that, each catapult launched a small barrage of burning rocks towards the Royal Army as General Dash watched and waited. Seeing the approaching projectiles, The Royal Guards readied themselves for impact as some landed too short and rolled into the formation, while the rest hit dead center of the formation killing a number of guards and setting most on fire.

Seeing the attack from the balcony, Thundaga spoke with a confident smile, “Very well general… let the battle commence.” She spoke to Commander Mist who was still standing next to her, “Commander… Signal the attack. Let these traitors know what happens to those who stand against us.”
Commander Mist smiled, “Good, I'll join in the fight too.”
Thundaga shook her head, “No… your officers can handle the battle without you. We want you here with us for now. That way if the situation changes we can react to it.”
Confused as to what she was planning, Commander Mist didn’t waste time questioning his princess as he replied, “Understood your majesty.” He looked at a guard near the door, “You, find an archer and send up the signal to attack. We need our army to attack as soon as possible.”
The guard saluted as he replied, “Yes commander, right away!”

A few second later, Cirrus, Zine and Gem watched as a red signal arrow flew out from behind the castle walls as the arrow exploded over the city sending out a large cloud of red smoke. Seeing this Gem spoke, “That’s a signal to attack. The arrow is different from back when… but if the regulations are the same, Thundaga just ordered her army to assault General Dash’s Rebellion.”
Cirrus nodded, “In that case we should send up our signal too.”
Zine raised his hoof as he spoke, “Not the best idea… if we send up a signal from here, we may end this fight before it begins.”
Gem asked, “How so?”

Zine didn’t reply, instead he just pointed out the window at the ruins of the building that was destroyed earlier by Thundaga’s Lightning as Cirrus nodded and spoke, “Good point, if we send up the signal from here, Thundaga might drop her next bolt right on top of us.”
Gem stepped forward, “But we need to signal the rest of the army. How else are they going to start rioting?”
Cirrus thought for a second as he replied, “I got an idea.”
Without explanation, Cirrus trotted to the stairs and went down onto the first story were a few other Nightmare soldiers were standing lookout as he spoke, “Are any of you archers?”

Not expecting the commander to come down to them, the soldiers immediately stood at attention as one replied, “Sir… I’m an archer.”
Cirrus replied as he turned to Gem Stone as she entered the room, “Here give me the signal.”
Nodding, Gem Stone reached into her quiver and pulled out an arrow with a large cylinder on the tip as the soldier replied, “The signal?... sir… I couldn’t possib-”
Before he could finish, Cirrus took the soldiers hoof and placed the arrow in it as he spoke, “You can and you will… I have faith in you… but you better listen carefully. Thundaga is watching the city closely. When she sees this, she is likely to drop a lightning bolt on top of wherever and who ever fires this. So this is what you will do, go away from the castle gate and hide out in a thin alley. Then once your there, fire the arrow and evacuate the area as fast as your hooves can take you. Abandon your bow if that’s what it takes, but get away from that area as fast as you can. Once it’s safe, link up with one of the assault units and follow their orders from there. Understood?”

The soldier hesitated as he replied, “I… um…y-yes sir. I understand.”
Cirrus nodded, “Good. What’s your name?”
The earth pony replied, “Um… Key sir, Private Tumbler Key.”
Zine finally entered the room as Cirrus replied, “Well Private Key, I know it sounds crazy but you think you can do it?”
The soldier looked back at Cirrus and smiled with confidence, “Crazy?... Sure sir, I can do crazy.”
Cirrus smiled, “Good, we’re counting on you.”
The soldier nodded one more time as he went through the building and exited out the side door into the ally. Once he was gone, Zine asked, “He said Key right? Does that name sound familiar to you?”
Cirrus gave him a funny look, “Um… no, why do you know him?”
Zine smiled in a joking manner, “No… just seeing if you recognized his name from someplace.”

Outside the city Thundaga’s soldiers were moving forward in large formations as General Dash continued holding his ground as he kept calling, “Barrage teams! Reload and fire again! Archers! Get ready!”
One of his officers stood next to him as he asked, “Sir, should we charge?”
General Dash shook his head, “No… let’s try to get them some distance from the city first… any soldier outside is one less fighting inside.”
Seeing the enemy in range, he called, “Archers! Make ready! Aim for the center or the formations!... FIRE!!!”
With that The Rebellion archers sent a small cloud of arrows whistling over the general’s head as they fell onto the enemy formations and cut down their numbers.

As soon as the arrows stopped falling the officer in charge of The Royal Army called, “Archers! Answer the Traitors! FIRE!!!”
With almost no time between the draw and release, The Royal Army fired a barrage of arrows into The Rebellion archer’s ranks as their arrows hit with greater accuracy and speed then The Rebellion’s attack. Although General Dash survived the volley, he could easily see the difference in skill as he wasted no time in drawing his sword, pointing towards his enemy, and calling out, “ALL SOLDIERS!!! CHARGE!!!”
Understanding their disadvantage, The Rebellion Army drew their weapons and charged their enemy without any form of military formation or structure behind their charge.
As the two armies clashed, The Royal Army managed to hold their ground, but with the unexpected attack of an untrained army, they soon found themselves struggling to a strategy that they were not trained for.

Watching from her tower, Thundaga smiled, “So the army of peasants have a little more bit than usual. Pity, they will n-”
All of a sudden, a signal arrow flew up from the center of the city as Thundaga failed to see where it originate from. All she could see was that the arrow flying into the sky before exploding into a bright white light as it slowly fell leaving a black smoke trail as if fell. Seeing the arrow, Commander Mist spoke, “An illumination flare? Is that one of ours?”
Thundaga replied, “Doubtful… that was a signal… but, to whom was it meant for?”

Back in the city, Butterscotch Pie watched from inside a building as the signal lite up in the sky above. Knowing what to do next, he smiled and turned to his group of soldiers that was with him, “That’s the signal! We got our invitation, so let’s light this candle and get this partaay, startaay.. ed.”
His soldiers gave him a funny look as he shrugged his shoulders at his horrible word play before lighting a match and placing the freshly lit flame onto a fuse that sat next to his hooves.
As the fuse ignited in sparks, the lit portion quickly ran up the long fuse as it went out the window and into the street. Outside a few Royal Guards were left on patrol saw the lit fuse cross the street as one pointed it out, “Hey? What’s that?”
Curious, the two guards watched as the small burning light of the fuse traveled across the street and into the window of a building directly across from where it was originally lit.

After the sparking fuse vanished into the building, there was a moment of silence, before the two story building exploded outward as the shockwave knocked the two guards to the ground before covering them and everything else in the street with fragments of lumber, brick, and rubble as it was scattered across the area in a boom that echoed throughout the city. As soon as the explosion was herd, Thundaga looked into the direction the building sat and saw rubble still falling through the dust as she spoke, “What the? What wa-”
Before she could finish her sentence, a second explosion from the other side of the city went off as Commander Mist spoke in shock, “An attack? But how?”
Thundaga spoke in anger, “They are inside the city.”

Back on the streets, the two guards who were stunned by the first explosion were starting to pick themselves up as Butterscotch Pie rushed out of nowhere and bashed the first one against his head with a club before turning it onto the second guard as both swing managed to knock both ponies unconscious. As soon as the guards stopped moving Butterscotch called, “NOW!!! ATTACK!!!”
With his voice echoing through the streets, a large number of Nightmare soldiers emerged from every other building as they immediately started destroying small and unessisary targets while yelling as loud as they could in an attempt to gather the rest of The Royal Guard’s attention.

Hearing the uproar from her tower, Thundaga tried to see what was going on in the streets. However with the dust, smoke, and angle that she was in, there was no possible way without flying that she could ever catch a glimpse of the riots as both riot units called out from two sides of the city leaving Thundaga to ponder, as Commander Mist reacted, “I will recall half of The Royal Army. Then I will join them to suppress the enemy inside the city. They will pay fo-”
“No…”
Curious, Commander Mist looked at Thundaga as she mumbled, “An army outside the city… and one inside the perimeter… there has to be more to it than that… This seems too elaborate to be so predictable.”
Commander Mist spoke, “Your majesty?...”
Thundaga didn’t reply, instead she just continued watching the city as she tried to figure out what was going on.

Further in the city, a wagon sat outside an armory as the drivers called, “Hurry up and load those supplies! We need to rush these weapons to the army outside the city.”
The second driver pulling the cart looked to the first, “Did you hear those explosion? Were those inside the city?”
As Major Storm trotted outside with two archers behind her, the second driver replied, “What does it matter! We have our orders, just concentrate on getting ready to pull this wagon as fast as we can.”
As Major Storm approached the wagon, the first driver looked at her and spoke, “Major? What’s wrong? Hurry and get the wagon loaded.”
Major Storm replied as she drew the sword, “I would… but there is a little problem.”

The driver gave her a curious look, “What problem?”
Major Storm smiled, “I don’t answer to Thundaga’s soldiers.”
With that the two archers behind her drew their bows and fired at both drivers as the two unsuspecting soldiers were killed on at the same time. As soon as they were down, Major Storm sheathed her sward as she turned to the soldiers behind her, “Alright, you get on that wagon. And you start loading it up. We need to arm the diversionary teams. Then we will start towards castle gate. Be sure you remove your armor. Anypony wearing Equestrian armor from this point on is an enemy. Understand?”
The soldiers replied, “Yes Major.”

Back in the castle, Thundaga was thinking over the situation as a guard rushed into the room, “Your majesty, riots have broken out across the city. They have taken over a few armories and are arming.”
Commander Mist spoke, “Your majesty, we need to assemble half of the outside army t-”
“Silence…”
Commander Mist silenced himself as Thundaga turned to him and spoke, “Commander, assemble the castle guards, and send them into the city to suppress the rioters. But leave one squad here. Better yet, make it your strongest squad.”
Commander Mist was confused, “The castle guard? You want them to suppress the riots?”
Thundaga replied as she turned back to look upon the city, “Yes… and once they enter the city, I want you to place the castle and city gates on lock down. Nopony enters or exits, are we clear?”
Commander Mist tried to argue, “But if we send the guard into the city we will leave ourselves open.”
Thundaga gave him an evil smile, “Exactly, that is why your top squad will remain here… now stop stalling and follow your orders. We will explain our strategy once you return.”

Down in the city, Cirrus, Gem Stone and Zine watched as the guards posted around and on top of the castle walls received their orders and left their positions as Gem Spoke, “Looks like the words out. If we are going to go, now is the time.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he tightened the strap on his shield as he replied, “Yea, let’s go before they come back.”
Zine, Gem Stone, and Cirrus all nodded in agreement as they put the hoods of their cloaks over their heads and went back downstairs to the front door of the building. As they reached the door, Cirrus looked at the remaining Nightmare Soldiers who were guarding the door as he spoke, “We’re going to infiltrate the castle. Make your way back to Major Melody and let her know that we are in. Then do what you can to help her with keeping the civilians safe.”
The soldier saluted as one replied, “Yes sir. Good luck Commander.”
Cirrus nodded, “Thanks… you too.”
With that Cirrus opened the front door and looked outside for any patrolling guards before trotting out and making his way down the road with Gem and Zine following closely behind.

As they made their way down the road that outlined the castle wall, Cirrus looked back at Zine as he asked, “Alright Zine, where and how are we getting in?”
Zine smiled as he reached into his saddlebag and pulled out the same green potion he had earlier, “Where ever you want commander, just point at the wall and let me work my um… magic.”
Cirrus nodded his head as he replied, “Sure, can you do it right here?”
Zine nodded his head, “Can I? just watch and see.”
With that, Zine trotted to the wall and pulled the cork from the flask as Gem Stone spoke, “What is that potion going to do?… It better not explode and attract a lot of attention?”
Zine looked back at her and smiled, “It shouldn’t attract much… although that depends souly on who’s watching from the other side.”

Without explanation, Zine flung the flask as the green potion flew out of the opened top, and onto the wall as it slowly began running down the solid surface like watered down paint. Shortly after, the potion started reacting as it began spreading across the wall until it coated a five by five foot area then vanished leaving that segment of wall with a strange shin as if it were laminated. As soon as the potion was gone, Zine turned to the other two and smiled, “So… who’s first?”
Cirrus and Gem Stone gave him a funny look as Cirrus asked, “First for what?”
Zine smiled as he replied, “For this.”
Zine then held up the empty flask that the potion was in, then tossed it at the wall as the glass veil went completely through the wall and vanished leaving no change to the wall’s appearance.

After seeing this, Zine explained, “The wall looks there… but it’s not. That potion ate it away as if it were butter being soaked in boiling water. But for the next few hours it will look like it’s still there. It’s called the phantom acid. Good for walls… bad for... anything that is alive.”
Cirrus and Gem nodded as Cirrus replied, “Alright does that mean we can trot through it?”
Zine nodded, “I want to say… yes… but honestly I’m not sure. If we can’t we go to plan B.”
Gem replied, “Plan B… Which is?...”
Zine shrugged his shoulders, "I signal Spike early and he carries us over… but that’s only if this doesn’t work.”

Gem Stone gave Zine an angry look as Cirrus shrugged his shoulders, “Well… I guess now is as good a time as any to find out.”
Cirrus approached the wall as he reached his hoof out to touch the visible surface, only to find that Zine’s explanation was true. As soon as his hoof touched the wall, it began phasing into it without any restriction from the wall’s visible surface. Pulling his hoof back and checking for any change in his own appearance, Cirrus nodded, “Alright… here goes.”
With little hesitation, Cirrus trotted forward as he completely phased into the wall and emerged from the other side into what seemed to be a large garden.

Shortly after entering the castle yard, Cirrus looked around for Royal Guards as Gem Stone slowly emerged from the same place, followed closely by Zine. As the last of the trio entered the castle yard, Cirrus turned to his team and spoke, “We’re here… now to get to the castle gate and open it for The Rebellion. From this point on, the battle is officially on our side. Are you two ready?”
Zine turned his head slightly and looked at the potion on his staff as he smiled sinisterly, “For far longer than you realize.”
Gem Stone smiled as she replied, “On your lead Commander Halo.”
Cirrus smiled as he unlaced his cloak and removed it to reveal his navy blue armor and shield underneath, “then let’s go end this war.”
Nodding her head, Gem removed her cloak to uncover her armor, bow, quiver, and short sword, while Zine just adjusted his cloak so that the hood started casting an eerie shadow over his face.

Back in the Castle, Commander Mist and a small team of six guards returned as Commander Mist spoke, “Your majesty this is the team you wanted to see.”
Thundaga turned to the ponies as she smiled, “Good… are the castle gates locked?”
Commander Mist nodded his head, “Yes… and the castle guards are in the city trying to suppress the riots.”
Thundaga smiled, “Good, so the castle is empty then?”
Commander Mist nodded, “Yes, other than the servants who are hiding in their quarters, there are no other ponies in the castle.”

Thundaga smiled as she turned back to the balcony and replied, “Good… then the stage is set.”
Commander Mist was confused, “Stage? What are you talking about your majesty? And… why did you order the castle guards into the city?”
Thundaga smiled, “Think about it commander, General Dash lured our army outside the city and is now facing them in a full frontal assault. And yet, why would he do that with an army that is obviously too small, under equipped, and untrained?”
Commander Mist replied, “To lure our forces outside so that his riots inside will have less resistance.”

Thundaga nodded her head as she replied, “Yes… or so it would seem. However… there is more to it than that. Sure the riot will do plenty of damage… but even with that, they will not be able to take the city by force, so what other reasons would they attempt this?”
Commander Mist thought to himself but was unable to understand what she was explaining so she replied, “The riot inside the city isn’t the main assault… it’s a second diversion.”
Commander Mist was confused, “A diversion?… for what?”
Thundaga smiled, “For a third attack. The first was meant to lure our army outside the city. The second was in the city meant to lure our castle guards outside the castle… so where do you think the third will be?”

Commander Mist’s eyes widened, “It’s here… in the castle isn’t it?”
Thundaga nodded with a wicked smile, “Precisely… and if we were to guess, the ponies who will be attacking in the castle, will be his aces in the hole.”
Commander Mist was still confused, “But… if his plan was meant to lure out the castle’s defenses, then why did you go along with it? Why not keep the guards here?”
Thundaga replied as she turned her head to Commander Mist, “Because the plan was too perfect to ignore. Sure we sort of fell into his hooves, but even with that in mind, we still hold the advantage since we know the plan in its entirety, and at any time can change its outcome. Besides, we thought you would enjoy facing the one he would obviously send in to attack the castle. After all you and he have had a rivalry since the day you two met in Zebrica.”

Commander Mist thought to himself as he realized who she was talking about, “Zine? He’s the one who will attack the castle?”
Thundaga turned back to the balcony, “Yes, in fact, we would guess he, Gem Stone, and probably Cirrus Cloud too, are already in the castle.”
Commander Mist turned to his troops, “Search the grounds, kill anypony who isn’t supposed to be here.”
“No… let them come.”
Commander Mist looked back at Thundaga as she smiled in a sinister way, “If they want to face us… then we want to see what they have in store. You will remain here until we tell you to move, after all… we’re enjoying this battle too much to allow it to end so soon. So until then, let’s play along for a bit longer… then, we will crush them and any hope they still hold.”