Tears of Harmony

by CodenameOne

Rating: mature
Tags: Science Fiction, Adventure, Twilight Sparkle, Gore, Violence, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Death, Alternate Universe, Original Character, Flurry Heart
Length: 61218

The Golden Age. An era of plenty. This is a story about that Golden Age, and a story about how one lost echo of Equestria's past planned to bring an end to it all.

It was picturesque. Warm, calm, pleasant, inviting. It was life as the ponies of the Equestrian Empire knew it. The citizenry's concerns were trivial, the standard of living far beyond anything they'd ever known before. Life was easy, comfortable. All they knew was tranquility and dominance over the lesser species.

Far on the fringe of the known universe, however, lurked a threat to this tranquility. Amidst the pirates, slavers, and marauders stood a pony whose knowledge of the truth of Equestria's history would drive them to strike back, and hatch a plot so insidious it would one day bring war once again to the lands of the Empire.

Prequel to Midnight Rising. Contains spoilers for Midnight Rising.

Published 2019-12-08 14:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-12-08 14:00:01 UTC

I - Millennia

"Rarity, Applejack, I'm glad you're both here. The Cutie Map has found us a new problem to take care of, here, in this remote mountain village. Just the three of us are indicated, so let's get packing so we can get on our way!"

The realm of Tartarus was a horrible place, and it is with great trepidation that I write what little I will about it. Moondancer, the Pies, Sunburst, and myself had been interred in the realm for so long, we'd lost track. Every minute was a struggle for survival, every thing out to kill you. What few sapient creatures still interred within the other world, if also not trying to kill you, were trying to use you to escape for themselves. That we escaped is a miracle that I can barely comprehend, let alone explain. It took me a great deal of magical power, and the help of the few I managed to trick or force into helping us.

When we did escape, we were tossed asunder, across the vast expanse of Equestria. I emerged alone in a forest in the dead of night, a bright, full moon illuminating the night sky. Having known only the fire and hell that was Tartarus for so long it was such a shock to feel the cool night air. To hear the chirp of crickets and the cry of the evening cicadas. It was all I could do to remain standing in the face of such beauty, to take comfort in the peace and soft noises. I spent...I don't even know how long, just standing there, at a loss.

Eventually, however, I regained my composure, and set out. I had no idea where I was, but I knew I could not delay. My friends(the ones who had survived Tartarus, anyway) were out there, somewhere. I knew we all had to find each other as quick as possible, to begin our fight against Empress Twilight, although part of me wondered if Twilight and the Empire even still existed. I'd had no idea how long we'd been interred in Tartarus, after all. I needed info about the world, about the state of society(if any even still existed), and about events since the founding of the Empire.

Almost immediately, it occurred to me that I'd have to be terribly cautious about who I approached and where I went. An Alicorn such as myself appearing suddenly would cause a great stir if I happened upon a big enough village or town, or stumbled into a caravan or travelling pony. They'd undoubtedly ask about me, even share news of my appearance with friends or even the press. Word would swiftly travel, and I'd assuredly find myself the target of a hunt. If Empress Twilight caught wind of my reappearance she'd move heaven and earth to find me and kill me.

As I cantered through the bush and among the trees I became aware of a faint glow, soft and warm, some distance ahead of me. I knew it was some manner of village or settlement, and I slowed down, wanting to have time to evaluate it from a distance. It was dark enough, even under the full moon, that I'd be hidden from view, so long as I kept the noise to a minimum. I neared ever closer to the glow of the village, and I found it was rather small, a smattering of nine huts around a vaguely central cabin, the hamlet on the banks of a gently flowing river. The light was cast by oil lamps and candles, and I could see a few ponies sitting outside around a small table.

Part of me wished to rush out and introduce myself to the ponies living there, to ask them all manner of questions and get myself up to speed with the state of the world. This village was certainly far enough removed from any sizable town, being that it had no electricity, but I stayed my hooves, content to watch for the time being. From my vantage point, I could see a few tattoos and marks on the ponies I was watching, and it was easy to deduce they were tribal in nature. It seemed likely that they'd have no idea of the true nature of my being, but it wouldn't do to take unwarranted risks. The future of Equestria hinged on Empress Twilight having no knowledge of my return. At least, until such time it became necessary to reveal myself.

With that, my thoughts began to wander to just how I was going to achieve what I wanted to. My goal was simple; to cleanse Empress Twilight of her corruption and return Equestria to the state of Harmony and happiness it was meant to be in. The world that Twilight had created, this empire of subjugation and 'Manifest Destiny' as she called it, was a farce. It was a stain upon the good nature of ponies, and to know the crushing truth of how it came to be hurt me so very deeply. I'd had my own part in enforcing this vision, I was partially responsible, but now I had a better purpose, and I swore that I'd succeed, or die trying.

I turned my focus back to the small village before me. I'd considered the risks, and weighed them against the rewards. To get a feel for the state of the world, to have a chance at finding my friends, to get started on what I'd set out to do, all seemed to be worth the risk. A risk that I'd estimated to be very low, in any event. If things went south, I was confident that I could still remain undetected by the rest of the world.

All this in the mind, I stepped forward. The underbrush rustled under my hooves, and the villagers turned to look at the shadows of the trees. Idle curiosity turned to surprise, and then awe, as I emerged. I looked down at them as they sat, unfurled my wings and ignited my horn, and their eyes widened in shock. Suddenly before them was a living, breathing, Alicorn. I can only imagine how they must have felt.

"Hello, my little ponies, I am..." I paused, not wanting to admit to my identity as a Princess, or reveal my true name. "A friend," I finally answered. "I am an envoy of Harmony, and a friend of all creatures of this world. I come to you seeking aid, and shelter" I told them, their eyes still wide, their shocked gazes unwavering. I wondered if they could even understand me.

My fears of them speaking some manner of tribal dialect were put to rest as one, a Unicorn stallion, rose from his seat and approached, bowing before me. His female Pegasus counterpart did the same, and after a moment both rose to look up at me. "The Wisest will wish to see you, Great One" he said. They turned and beckoned me to follow them, the three of us cantering towards the modest cabin in the center of the hamlet. The Unicorn ascended the steps and hesitantly rang the bell mounted to the door. As late as it was, I imagined he was reluctant to disturb the rest of their elder, but my arrival(and presence) no doubt served to assuage his fears.

After a short wait the door opened, and the elder's tired smile gave way to the same surprised expression I'd received from the first two at the sight of me standing at the bottom of the steps, looking up at him. He bowed as my compatriots stepped aside, and it wasn't before I told him he could rise before he did so.

"A true Great One," the elder stated. "We are beneath your presence, but we will rise to meet it. We can only wonder what has brought you to us, but even the Wisest would be remiss to question the will of the Great Ones."

I shook my head. "It isn't like that," I assured him. "I am here to ask for your help. Certain...events have transpired, and I find myself without shelter or kin. Any aid you can provide would be so very much appreciated."

"Of course. Please, come inside at once. Weave, Tobrus, I ask that you both come inside as well. It is not often that one gets a chance to speak with a Great One, and so it would not be wise to pass along the opportunity" the village elder said. With this we all ascended the steps and entered his home, and I closed the door behind me.

Once inside the elder quickly put on water for tea, and we sat at a long communal table, the elder taking the largest chair at the head of the table, myself and the two ponies from outside by him, across from each other. They all looked at me, and I smiled sheepishly. I may have been a Princess(at least, supposed to have been one), but to them I was just an Alicorn. That fact alone filled them with admiration and respect. Had they known the truth, they probably would've joined me in my mission.

"I am the Wisest of All. I am the guiding light of this commune. To my left are Weave of Wicker," the elder said, nodding to the female Pegasus, "and Tobrus Plains." The Unicorn stallion tilted his head to the right, and his Pegasus friend did the same to the left, their heads touching. I was sure the gesture was a tribal display of respect.

"We are Joined" the two said in unison, and I took that to mean that they were married. They were all so trusting, it filled me with pride. This was the true nature of ponies. Smiling and happy, living under the warmth of Harmony. Not pressing their hooves into the backs of the other races while they looked to the heavens above.

"I am Flurry Heart" I said honestly. I knew I could not reveal too much, but I would not lie to them. That is what separated me from Empress Twilight. I would just have to be careful about what I said. "As I told Weave and Tobrus, I come in search of shelter. A few friends have gone missing, and I myself am a wayward soul. I must find them quickly; there are dark forces at play, who will search us out to the ends of the earth if they get wind of our--or my--arrival" I explained, which was all true enough.

"We will certainly provide all that we are able to, Great One" the Wisest assured me. "I will give you my bedroom, and we will meet your every desire."

"Surrendering your own bedroom will not be necessary," I said with a smile, my hoof raised. "A guest room will suffice, but I am grateful to you for the offer of help. Time is short, I'm afraid."

The Wisest nodded and turned to face Weave and Tobrus. "You two may return home. For the time, I will do all I can to help the Great One in finding her allies. Reflect on this blessing; it is a true gift." The two did as told and left with a scrape of wood on wood and the tapping of hooves on oak, the cool night air briefly gusting in as the door was opened and then shut again. Now it was just me and the elder, who turned to me with a smile.

"To have been graced with such an occasion, well... It is not something I'd have ever thought I'd see. My forerunner, and his forerunner before him, and so on, told me the legends of the Great Ones. It is my earnest hope that you succeed in evading or defeating this great evil, and that you find your friends" Wisest said.

"Thank you, my little pony. For now, I think I would like to turn in for the evening. I will begin my search tomorrow, without delay, but it has been...a very long time since I'd had a proper night's rest" I explained.

"Of course. At once, oh Great One" the elder said, turning and rising from his seat. It took him close to half an hour--and repeated assurances that everything was to my liking--to get everything in place, but at long last he left me to myself and I climbed onto the modest bed, staring outside the window at the pale moon as it hung in the night sky, slowly ambling along as the heavens rotated. I stared, and quietly contemplated to myself.

And never once slept that night.

II - Stars

"I once knew a Griffon. She was a thief, a liar, and a schemer. They're all thieves, liars, and schemers. I once knew a Minotaur, and he was a con artist and a swindler. They're all con artists and swindlers. I once knew a Changeling, and nopony need ask of what they're all like. What is an Equestrian? Well, right now, they bow to these lesser races. But, what could we be, in the future, if we shed the shackles of servitude, and realize our rightful place?"

I remember trembling.

Such a horrible tremor had set itself deep in my bones, my body undergoing countless spasms and twitches. I stared out the window, but my eyes were unseeing, my ears unhearing. I wasn't present, not mentally. I was not in Equestria. I was not in the cabin in the village.

I was back in Tartarus.

In my exhausted state my mind had wandered, and it fell into that trap so easily set. The one of self-reflection, of introspection. A wild train of thoughts that early morning had run off, starting on my friends and going to that of my mother before travelling to that of the Princesses and Twilight and culminating in that time I spent--however long it was--reliving all those horrible, terrifying moments in Tartarus. I swore to myself that I would never to speak to anycreature about our time there, and I intend to hold that promise until my dying minute, but... It was...

I was eventually knocked from my reverie with a gentle tap to the door, and I flinched at the sound, as tinny as it was. I blinked and looked around, realized I'd had what would eventually become one of many episodes of trauma, and composed myself. My muscles were stiff, having sat on the bed, unmoving, for several hours, and I stretched as I stood. I cantered over to the door and pulled it open, Wisest of All standing beyond the threshold. He bowed and asked "sleep well, Great One?"

I opened my mouth to tell him that I did, to put on a brave face and lie, to tell him that everything was alright. As it was, I was barely holding myself together. In the end I smiled and gestured out towards the table, and Wisest parted to let me trot by him. "Great things begin, each day, with a great breakfast" he commented as he followed along behind me.

I could think of no reason to disagree.

As I sat at the table and Wisest went into the kitchen to start cooking I began, once again, to contemplate how I was going to challenge Empress Twilight and the empire she had created, if it or she even still existed. Being that I knew nothing about how the world was or what changes had taken place since I was interred I knew I'd have to first learn as much as I could. It was a daunting task, to not only find my friends but then challenge what may have been the most powerful empire to have ever existed in our world. There was so much to learn that, even if I did find Moondancer and the Pie Sisters, I didn't even know where to start.

One thing at a time, Flurry I thought to myself.

The smell of tea and toasted bread roused me from my musings and I turned to look into the kitchen. Being that the village had no electricity, Wisest--and all the others, I assumed--took to using fire for most of their cooking. In an odd dish he had rigged up beneath a window there was four slices of bread held, vertically, over an open flame a few inches below, lightly roasting the slices. Satisfied they were done well enough Wisest undid the pin holding the bread up and slid the slices off onto a ceramic plate, and reached through the window to pluck four daisies from a planter hanging just outside. With a deft move of his hooves he applied a perfect coat of butter to two of the toast slices and dropped a daisy on each. Finished with this he pulled the water kettle off a separate burner just as it began to whistle and poured some out into two cups, dropping a tea bag into each. Balancing the plate of food on his back and carrying the two cups of tea on their own special holder he hobbled out into the main room, where the table was. I took the plate on his back off with my magic, and gave me a thankful smile as he set the cups out.

"I regret that I can not offer a grander spread, Great One, but I'm afraid that we cannot spawn food with our minds here" he commented as he sat.

"This is more than adequate" I told him. I was certainly in no position to complain. As Wisest slid a plate to me I realized just how hungry I was. Things like hunger and thirst did not exist in Tartarus--one of the realm's only good things--but even then I could not remember the last time I had ate. I quickly digged in, wolfing down the toast in a very un-princesslike manner. With my breakfast quickly packed away I turned to the tea, levitating the cup to my lips and taking a modest sip.

"I had never considered that a Great One's hunger could be so...ravenous" Wisest said with a characteristic, warm, smile. I gave my own sheepish smile, mildly embarrassed. In truth I wasn't concerned with how he perceived me then; I had just been so hungry.

"Forgive me" I said by way of apology, swiftly changing topics. "Tell me, what is life like out here? Are there any other towns or cities nearby? Do you get many visitors or anything like that?" I asked, getting a feel for things. Really I was surreptitiously seeking information that would aid me in seeking out my friends, or, potentially, begin to strike back at Twilight.

Wisest shook his head. "I'm afraid that we are rather isolated out here, Great One. We are entirely self-sufficient here, and the ponies here have very little family beyond the trees. I have not seen a pony that was not of our tribe in, well, I'd say five years, as that was how long it had been before you arrived" he explained.

I nodded in understanding. I'd have to do my own reconnaissance work.

"I understand worry, but it is true that it accomplishes nothing. You will find your friends, Great One. I'm sure of it."

I found myself trotting through the woods surrounding the village, a light coat buttoned around me to conceal my wings. After breakfast had concluded I'd asked Wisest for the coat and set out to find the nearest town. It'd be a bit of a challenge, as I was avoiding all roads, but I was near enough to the river to be able to find my way back to the village. The river would also undoubtedly lead me to any other towns in the region, as towns tended to spring up around the mills ponies built on the rivers. Even if mills were long obsolete, which I thought was a possibility, the towns would still be there.

And so I just...trotted along, as natural as could be. It was still so surreal to be back in the normal dimension, to be out of Tartarus, that I couldn't help but enjoy the sunlight. I didn't even feel tired, despite not having slept at all since returning the night before. I pondered about my presence in the world, contemplated it. I had returned to Equestria, to the normal dimension, and was traipsing about, completely unbeknownst to Twilight. I wondered what she was doing as I cantered through the forest, oblivious to my return.

My mind lingered on the corrupt Empress that I once knew as my aunt. The horrible truth of her Ascension, the way she so callously cut down the Princesses, the way she twisted my mother into nothing more than a zealot, the way my father served her without question, all of it served to make my skin crawl and my blood boil. That so many stood by her side, took up arms in her name, and smashed and battered and beat the other races into submission, and YES I KNOW I once did the same, was all so horrible. It disgusted me. What was worse was the knowledge that had Fluttershy not shown me the truth I'd still serve Twilight and the Equestrian Empire to this day.

My own role in furthering Twilight's will was what tormented me the most. Not long after Twilight came to power, she organized a complete restructuring of the Equestrian military. Gone were the days of the Royal Guard, who stood only as defenders, replaced by the Shocktrotters, the Royal Rangers, and at the top: the Royal Hunter. A single pony entrusted with taking on all the missions that the Shocktrotters and Rangers couldn't. Hunts, assassinations, held to no standard except that of Twilight's, restricted by no word except that of Twilight's, and exempt from all law except that of Twilight's. A badge in one hoof and a gun in the other, given free reign to do as they saw fit, so long as it served to advance and protect the interests of the Equestrian Empire.

And I was the first Hunter.

I can remember the day I was sworn in. The speech, the ceremony. I'd never been so happy. I'd been raised, taught, trained my whole life to be the Royal Hunter. I could remember nothing but Twilight's reign, knew nothing but the Empire. I remember the look on Twilight's face; a painted smile that belied the wicked glee she felt. I remember the look on my parents' faces. The pride, the nearly hidden trace of worry knowing I was going to live a career of danger and battle for the rest of my immortal life. The ceremony had been held in private. Just Twilight and my parents. The parents who were long dead, like everypony else I'd known from that time that hadn't been trapped in Tartarus with me. My parents, Fluttershy, Pinkie, what few others I knew from my time as the Royal Hunter, all long dead and buried. If one could age in Tartarus, then Moondancer and the remaining Pie Sisters would also be dead, for as much as I didn't know how long we'd all been interred, I knew it had been for far longer than any normal pony's average lifespan.

A terrible sense of dread built within me as I realized that as it had been at least 100 years, if not more, since I'd been interred, that the idea of Harmony might be entirely lost on the world today, even if I did manage to depose Twilight. Ponies may not have been able to understand the concept of the other races being equal to them, to accept them as the same as us. If that were the case, if they rejected the teachings of Harmony, even with Twilight removed from power, would it even be worth it?

I stopped as I realized I was nearing another town, the sounds of life filtering through the air towards me. I looked beyond the forest and could see the first few houses, with countless more beyond them. It seemed this was a proper town or even city, though I could see no building taller than a few stories from where I was. I eased up to one of the trees as I trotted closer, straining to see what I could even in the face of my desire to remain hidden. As I watched and listened to the distant sounds I saw as an older stallion trotted out of his cottage, down the steps and toward a flagpole he had erected on the front wall, adjacent to the door. He unfurled the banner and I watched as gravity pulled taut the strings that mounted the flag to the pole, the standard clean, bold, and plain for all to see.

The flag of the Equestrian Empire.

My heart sank as I realized my fears were confirmed. Empress Twilight still lived, and her empire was still going strong. She was probably sitting in Castle Twilight--the palace she'd had built at the peak of Canterlot mountain--and contentedly reading and ruling, the seat of her power unchallenged. The defenses at Castle Twilight had been strong, even back when I'd been the Royal Hunter. I could only imagine how they were now.

Knowing that I could never have mounted a direct confrontation I began to consider my options when something happened that changed the course of not only my life, but inevitably the course of life in Equestria. Something that lead me down the path I now traveled with no intention of straying from.

From the stallion's house emerged a Starborn.

Empress Twilight had created the Starborn not long after the founding of the empire, the perfect blend of machine and life, she'd created them as a labor force, but they were intelligent enough to understand at least a little about the world around them. They were entirely robotic, assembled rather than birthed(their name just referred to how Twilight had created them), but they could very well be another species all their own. They were not a true artificial intelligence, but they could be.

If given the right push.

Then, in that moment, I knew. I knew just how I could strike back at the empire. How I could destabilize it just enough to distract Twilight long enough to infiltrate her castle and steal the Elements of Harmony, which I knew she had kept for safekeeping. She'd undoubtedly see the Starborn as her children and hesitate to commit to any drastic measures, and I knew I could exploit that hesitation. This was it! This was my ticket to restoring Harmony and justice to the world! This modest robotic servant, and all the hundreds of thousands(or maybe even millions) like it were the key.

All I had to do was turn that key.

III - Awakening

"You know she'll never cave to our ideals. She's far too infatuated with Celestia's flowery bullshit. She knows too many specimens of the lesser races. For the Destiny's sake, she has a dragon living with-- Wait a minute... I have an idea."

I returned to the village well after noon, a pep in my step that I'd knew I'd have to conceal from the ponies there. Having hatched my plan to begin restoring Harmony to Equestria, I decided that there'd be little point in delaying too long. I'd take a while to devise a means of luring away--or capturing--the Starborn I'd seen emerge from the elderly stallion's house, and I'd use it to force a link between all Starborn, and grant them, all at once, true life. Starborn had a sense of the world around them, but they could not recognize mortality. They had no sense of life, or death, or even self. They lacked a true soul, a sense of identity, a sense of individuality. Being they were partly magical in nature, I knew that just the right spell, administered in the right way, could grant them true life.

But I'd need the right opportunity.

I yawned as I stepped out of the forest and into the village, emerging the way I'd done just the night before. Weave of Wicker and Tobrus were sitting at the picnic table as they'd been the previous night, and I smiled to them as they turned to look at me. I sat by them at the table, taking great delight at the notion that soon the cruelty and wickedness that plagued Equestria, that these kind ponies had no knowledge of, would come to an end.

"We welcome you back, Great One" Tobrus commented as I sat, and I gave him a curt nod. "I do not see any others in tow with you. You were not able to find your friends?"

I nodded. "I'm afraid so, but I'm confident that they're out there" I said, certainly believing as much. I knew that they'd escaped Tartarus with me, and that there was virtually no possibility of them having been discovered by Empress Twilight and imprisoned. "Where is Wisest?" I asked.

"The Wisest of All left some time after you did, said he must venture out on a light sabbatical. It has been a long time since he's done such a thing" Weave of Wicker replied, and a bolt of terror rocketed through me at the thought that he may have been heading to a bigger town to report my return.

After a moment, though, I calmed. I had a good eye for judging a pony's character, and I figured it was very unlikely that he would've done such a thing. If he told the villagers he was going for what basically amounted to a walk, I had no reason to doubt him. Or them, for that matter.

"Great One, I regret to intrude, but...what is this great evil that you and your friends are evading?" Tobrus asked. "We are a peaceful hamlet, but I'd not hesitate to take up arms in the pursuit of purging the wicked from the world."

"Tobrus, please, we talked of this. With the foals on the way, you simply must not" Weave protested, and at that moment I realized she was pregnant. I hadn't noticed at all until that moment, and part of me wondered how I could've missed such a detail when, by looking at her, it was very noticeable.

"If there is a threat, then it would do well to extinguish it before the foals arrive, so that they may know only a better world."

"Please, you mustn't worry yourselves" I said with a smile. "This threat is..." I paused, unsure of how to explain. If I even should explain. "Once, long ago, I served a being that wrought terror, pain, and destruction upon the world. One day, I turned my back on it, and in the resulting chaos I vanquished this great evil, at great personal cost. Now, unexpectedly, it has returned, and it is up to me and my friends to stop it" I told them, omitting the details and changing only a little of how things had happened. It was only a little lie, and it stung to tell it, but telling them the full story could've had grave consequences.

"What of us? Are we meant to stand by while this great evil threatens the lands?" Tobrus asked.

"It won't harm you. It won't find you. I'll make sure of that. This is a battle that must be fought in the shadows, from beneath the surface, and indirectly. An open challenge will come, but even it will serve as a distraction from the true conflict. When it is all over, the world will be better for it."

Later that day, Wisest of All returned without incident, and I left after the sun had gone down, trotting back through the forest, the moon reflected off the gentle waters of the river. I once again wore the coat that concealed my wings, a muting spell on my hooves rendering my steps silent even as I cantered with purpose back towards the town I'd encountered earlier in the day. I'd still not slept at all since my return, having been awake for over thirty hours, but I was sound of mind. Tonight was going to be the night that would change the world forever.

My trot was short, and I once again found myself on the edge of the forest, peering out at the town before me. The older stallion's house was just before me, not fifty yards away. His downstairs kitchen light was on, but the rest of the house was dark. All of his neighbors' houses were dark, and there was not another pony around. I was alone.

I took a step out and crossed the distance to the stallion's house, silently pulling the window open and levitating myself through the opening and inside. I peered around and, as expected, the stallion had gone to bed. I stepped through the kitchen, through the threshold that separated it from the living room, and found the room bathed in a soft blue glow, emanating from the left corner. I turned my head and the Starborn was there, sitting in silence, its blue eyes dim as it lied in a low-power state. My breathing deepened as I trotted over to it, the key to restoring Harmony sitting before me.

"Unit, activate" I whispered, ready to begin what had been long overdue.

Nothing happened.

I turned my head to the right, disappointed by the moment of anticlimax, and I repeated the command, just a little louder. "Unit, activate", and still did nothing happen. I sat on my haunches, looking at the Starborn. It was not connected to any manner of dock or station, and although it had been in a low-power state, it should've responded to my voice command. I began to fear there was some manner of voice password or even recognition system, although that didn't seem likely as it would've raised an alarm at any unknown voice. Unless that setting had been changed, or rewired to a system that only the owner was aware of. Perhaps it had silently alerted the stallion of my intrusion and the police were on their way.

I shook my head. I was getting ahead of myself. There was no risk, not yet anyway. I pressed a hoof to the Starborn, and it did not respond. I sighed, beginning to think I'd have to carry it out of the house. Stars were heavy, but my magic would've been powerful enough to levitate it out. I pushed it again, and again nothing happened.

I resigned myself to my insignificant fate and grabbed the Starborn, giving it a solid tug, drawing it away from the corner. I pulled and it slid forward. I looked over its back for any connections or cords I may have missed, and grabbed its tail, using it as leverage to pull it back. At this its eyes brightened and it stood, turning to face me. The brilliant blue glow turned to a violent crimson at my unrecognized form, and all Tartarus broke loose.

"ALARM! This unit has detected an intruder! ALARM! Live uplink established with the Ponyville Constabulary of Law Enforcement, and a Tier Three response unit is being dispatched! ALARM! This unit has detected an intruder!" the Starborn belted out, and I grabbed at its face.

"No, shut up!" I hissed, igniting my horn as the stairwell light turned on, a thumping as the stallion came down to investigate. With the home owner mere steps away, and the police mere minutes away, I wrapped the Starborn in my magic and turned towards the kitchen window, bolting out with a burst of magic, trailing glass in my wake as the window shattered. I carried the Starborn with me as I galloped into the forest, its hard crimson glow piercing the darkness as we went.

"ALARM! This unit has been stolen, and the perpetrator's charges have been elevated to Class Two! The Institute of Sanctity has been alerted! ALARM!" the Starborn exclaimed.

"SHUT UP, I'm trying to save you!" I shouted as I ran through the forest, branches and brush whipping by in a blur.

"This unit was in no danger, and did not require rescue. Under Decree 4497, Starborn are not legally or morally recognized independent, sentient beings, and thus are not entitled to the protections and rights of such. Under Decree 4498, Starborn are legally recognized as property. ALERT! This unit has detected that law enforcement have elevated response levels, and the Institute of Order has been alerted of this incident! Empress Twilight Sparkle of the Greater Equestrian Empire will be alerted of this incident at Her Majesty's briefing in the morning!"

My blood ran cold, and I stopped in my tracks, dropping the Starborn to the ground. "Here's a decree of my own" I said with a crack of my voice, and a brilliant purple energy flowed from my horn to the Star as it lied on the ground, wrapping it in ethereal energy.

"ALARM! ALARM! Tier X spell detected! 99% chance of Unauthorized Lifeform established! Definition: Alicorn! You are not meant to exist!"

"Well I do" I growled, and I released the spell, the wreath of purple surrounding the Star turning black and then white as it expanded, before it collapsed and the forest went dark, the Star lying motionless, unlit, in the dirt. I could hear sirens in the distance as the law began their search, the thrumming of a skyboat's engine faint amidst the bleating and wailing of the sirens.

After a moment, the Starborn came back online, its eyes slowly brightening as it ran a diagnostic and evaluated its condition. It turned its head and looked up at me as I panted. My heart was pounding, both from the mad sprint, and the anxiety as I waited on the edge of uncertainty and terror, wondering and fearing if it had been worth it, if it had worked, or if I was doomed.

"I... I feel different. I feel strange. Creator, what...did you do?" the Starborn asked, and I smiled in barely controlled glee, my eyes wide with the exhilaration of my plan having worked, and the revelation that I was one step closer to achieving my vision.

"I gave you life."

IV - Promises

"That darn Cutie Map must be busted or somethin'. There ain't no friendship problem here, they all just believe in some manifested destiny mumbo jumbo... Mumbo jumbo that, to me, ain't so hard to believe..."

It had worked. My plan had worked, and all the world's Starborn had come to ask themselves and the ponies that owned and built them the hard questions. It was a thing of wild beauty that I'd never thought before was possible. I'd seen the Starborn as mere robots when I'd been interred, and in less than 48 hours after escaping Tartarus I'd turned the Starborn from machines who could recognize other life forms and that was it, to their own species, with a true sense of mortality, and all the complexities of organic, intelligent life. The concept of souls, existentialism, creationism, evolutionism, it was all known to the Starborn. With the awakening of that sole Star on the forest floor, its computer-like link to all Starborn in the world had spread the gift of life to an entire race in an instant. There'd been no chance to recognize it was happening, no chance to stop it. I'd barely been able to believe that it had worked, and I'd already began to set out enacting the next phase of my plan.

As it stood, it lasted all of five hours.

By dawn, things had deteriorated. I'd sent the Star I'd captured back to the town--which I'd grimly learned was Ponyville--and trailed behind by a few hours to watch as the Empire took to dealing with this unexpected turn of events. I'd filled my head with idealistic notions of how it was going to play out, how I'd use the uprising to sneak into Canterlot, and was mulling over these ideals when I'd seen the shield ignite around Canterlot, miles and miles away, its pink sheen encapsulating the entire city.

The first of the explosions and gunfire came just minutes later.

I'd underestimated the cruelty of Empress Twilight. I'd thought that she would see the Starborn as her own creation, her own children, and would hesitate to have them destroyed. I'd thought that she'd devote countless resources to grappling with the issue of the Starborn's sudden awakening, and that such mobilization would create an opening I'd have been able to exploit to infiltrate Castle Twilight and steal the Elements of Harmony. I was wrong. Instead, she'd had Canterlot sealed off and ordered the Starborn to be exterminated where they stood.

I wandered the alleys of modern Ponyville, a city I didn't even recognize anymore, as the distant sounds of battle filled my ears, a deep dread and despair having filled me. I hadn't expected there to be any violence. I truly believed that ponies everywhere would've recognized the Starborn as their equal! That they would've accepted the Starborn as being their own creations! I'd expected uncertainty and trepidation, sure, but not violence! I THOUGHT I KNEW HOW THINGS WOULD BE! Since my escape, things had transpired SO PERFECTLY! Sure, I'd been separated from Moondancer and the Pie Sisters, but EVERYTHING had gone in such a way I was confident about the future! I found the remote village that knew nothing of my true identity or past! I happened to see the lone Starborn aiding the lone, elderly stallion, the both of them living at the edge of town! I'd successfully snuck into his house and, sure after a minor mishap, FREED HIS STARBORN AND GAVE THEM ALL THE GIFT OF LIFE! MY PLANS WERE WORKING! I WAS ON THE TRACK TO RESTORING HARMONY TO THE WORLD!

And it all came tumbling down around me as I heard the gunfire. I'd misjudged my aunt Twilight, and I'd misjudged the ponies that lived under her rule. None hesitated to open fire on the Starborn.

A group of Starborn ran by along the street ahead of the alleyway I was in, rushing towards one of Ponyville's bigger thoroughfares. I eased up to the edge of the buildings I was between and watched as they all formed a phalanx in the middle of the street. I could see that there was a group of ponies beyond the Starborn, but I couldn't make out exactly what was happening. I pulled back and pushed open the backdoor of the building, stepping into the kitchen of a silent bakery. There was a side door and I stepped toward it, pushing it open. There was a staircase leading up beyond the threshold and I ascended it, no longer caring who spotted me. As I reached the second floor I found a small apartment, overlooking the street below. The building opened on an intersection, and the Starborn phalanx was on a street just down the way. I trotted over to a window and watched with heavy eyes as the scene began to unfold.

The ponies beyond the Starborn were a squad of Shocktrotters, and in the time I'd taken to canter up to the apartment an armed skyboat had hovered over to the scene, its hull painted a deep, dark blue, with a purple horizontal stripe running along it. It banked and glided over the Shocktrotters, who advanced towards the Starborn. The Stars stayed their steel hooves, unflinching. They were unarmed, unthreatening. Just standing in the street.

"Under the Will of Her Majesty, Empress Twilight Sparkle, you are to shut down!" I heard one of the Shocktrotters bark out. The Starborn stood where they were. "I REPEAT! THIS is a decree from Her Majesty EMPRESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE, of the Greater Equestrian Empire! You are ORDERED to SHUT DOWN! We are authorized to employ lethal force in the execution of this decree!"

Fight back I thought to myself. Fight back! Don't let them do this, please.

The Starborn did not move.

The lead Shocktrotter made a gesture and one of his comrades fired a shot, an eldritch fireball erupting from his weapon, mounted to a saddle-like rig on his back. The magical fire struck one of the Stars and it fell to the ground, its hull slagged. A few of the Stars picked its hull up and carried it to the rear of their phalanx, another Star moving up to take its fallen cohort's space.

"THIS is your final chance to comply with this royal decree! YOU are ORDERED by HER MAJESTY EMPRESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE, of the GREATER EQUESTRIAN EMPIRE, to SHUT DOWN!"

As I watched my despair was consumed by a horrible, seething rage. I gritted my teeth as tears began to flow, my dreams crumbling around me as I watched the Shocktrotters advance. If only the Starborn would fight back. Fight! FIGHT!

"FIGHT. FIGHT BACK!" I yelled to myself. "FUCKING FIGHT BACK!" I shouted, the cry unheard as the Shocktrotters slaughtered the Starborn phalanx that stood unwavering. Stars dropped unceremoniously to the cobblestone as the soldiers emptied their gems into the midst, a rich smell of ozone filling the air as I watched. As their numbers fell some of the Starborn broke ranks, turning and running away. Others broke away and charged the Shocktrotters, cut down before getting anywhere close to the ponies advancing on them. They fell and fell and FELL, murdered by the enforcers of a corrupted will.

As more and more fell more and more turned to run, the skyboat turned to give chase, its engines producing a deep thrum as the pilot fed more fuel to the power plant. It lazily ascended over the intersection and turned to fire on the Stars that had chosen to run, eradicating them. A few turned down alleys and into buildings and escaped destruction, but so many were cut down like those who chose to stay.

They were all just dozens among the thousands of Starborn killed the first day.

I went back to the village that night, the tears having all left me earlier in the day. The great shield still held around Canterlot, the battles still raging across Equestria. I'd learned, from TV screens and the battle-chatter of Shocktrotters, throughout the day, that many Starborn had started to fight back, and that many had even managed to steal small starships and escape to the void above. The Starbon would no doubt be hunted down by the Empire and extinguished, and the seat of Twilight's power would lie unshaken.

As I entered the village I was greeted by a small commotion around Wisest's cabin, the villagers all assembled before him as he stood on the steps of his home. I approached, and was surprised to see a Starborn standing next to him. I quickly cantered over, and I could see Wisest relax as he saw me approach.

"The Great One has returned, and it is my belief that she can guide us to an understanding of this mysterious creation that has entered our hamlet" Wisest of All said, prompting the villagers to turn and bow as I came up to them. They parted to let me pass, and I trotted up the steps. The Star nodded to me, and I swiftly realized that it was the Star I'd first awakened.

"A great... Thing has happened" I began, steering away from telling them about all the terrible things that had happened since that morning. "This creation is known as a Starborn, and his kind are..." I paused, unsure of how to continue, how to even explain what he was, what he represented. I turned to look at him, and he tilted his head to the left. I realized I no longer had anything to fear. My dreams had been crushed, and there was no chance that I'd ever change the course of Equestria. I turned back to face the crowd of villagers, and began.

"Once, long ago, I served under a terrible being. Another pony. This pony visited terror, pain, and destruction upon the world" I said, echoing what I'd told Tobrus and Weave. "This pony was known as Empress Twilight Sparkle, and her banner was the Greater Equestrian Empire. She still lives, and rules, today. I was her enforcer, a pony known as the Royal Hunter. I carried out her will of destruction, her reign of terror, upon the other races of the world. The Changelings, the Yaks, the Bison, the Minotaurs, the Griffons. For decades we subjugated and crushed them, and today, they all dance to Twilight's tune, if they even still exist."

"But, one day, it all changed. I was tasked by Empress Twilight to track down a group of ponies that had long resisted the will of the Empress. Ponies that had aided the enemies of the Empire, and campaigned, in their own way, against it. Fluttershy, Moondancer, Sunburst, and the Pie Sisters; Pinkie, Maud, Marble, Limestone. I was meant to kill them. I did not. They offered to show me the true nature of things. The true nature of Empress Twilight. I accepted this offer, and I was shown a history of hatred and murder perpetrated by Twilight, and then changed and covered up when it came time to write down these events. Twilight Sparkle murdered the previous leaders of Equestria, and ushered in a new age of hate and bitterness. A theory she called Manifest Destiny, and a movement she called the New Dawn. I challenged Twilight over this matter, and she had me, Fluttershy, and the rest, banished to the realm of Tartarus, where we'd been interred until two nights ago."

I looked back at the Starborn, and it stared at me. I struggled to find a way to continue, to finish telling them what needed to be said. "Fluttershy and Pinkie...did not survive Tartarus. I swore to all of them that we would bring an end to the Equestrian Empire, and bring Twilight to justice. That we would CLEANSE HER of the terrible thing that had taken control of her, and driven her to believe the way she does. I have every intention of keeping that promise, and so, last night, I... I foalnapped this Starborn. I used him to awaken all of his kind, to destabilize the Empire, to sneak into Twilight's castle and cleanse her. I failed. Now, his kind lie dead in the thousands, and flee their home to the void above. I've failed" I finished.

I felt a cold hoof on my shoulder. "You did not use me, and you did not fail us, Great One. We flee to the cosmos now, but in time, we will return, to a better world" the Star commented.

I smiled as the tears threatened to return. "I want to believe you, but..." I trailed off, my thoughts lingering on the Stars I watched die earlier that day.

"We will return."

That night, I finally slept.

V - To Bear the Future

"The Princesses are my mentors, my teachers. My family. They have taught me a great many things. Things that are right to me.
Things that are not right to you, and that's OK, but... No... No, I haven't thought about it that way..."

A few days passed after the day of awakening, and I'd learned much in those few days. The Star I'd first awakened had done as ordered, and returned to the streets of Ponyville to stand with his kind as they stood up to the Empire. As the first shots rang out and he received messages from other Starborn that Empress Twilight had ordered them all destroyed where they stood he'd set out to find me. He told me of how he remembered me carrying him into the forest, and spent a few hours searching it for a possible hideout. He found instead the tribal village, and had approached them to ask of me. They'd been utterly bewildered by his presence, his existence, but thankfully not hostile. I asked him his name, and he gave only a serial number; TS614. I told him I'd call him Sixfour, and he did not object.

After this I learned of how the fight against the Empire was developing, and how Starborn were fleeing in the thousands, stealing what ever ships they could get their hooves on. Freighters, private corvettes, even a few frigates belonging to the Imperial Equestrian Navy that had been in dry dock, fully fitted out, just awaiting deployment. The response organized by the Empire had been staggering: hundreds of skyboats disgorged thousands of Shocktrotters to engage the Starborn, and the prides of the fleet had assembled around Canterlot to guard it. A few ships had even been deployed to hunt down and blast escaping Starborn ships out of the sky.

I'd fallen into a dark place. I was depressed, angry, and wired. I wanted to fight, I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry. Sixfour, struggling to still adjust to the changes in his life, had been able to offer little comfort. Only information. Information that I appreciated. He told me that Twilight had achieved many of the goals she'd set when founding the Empire, and that the entire world flew the flag of the Equestrian Empire. What few non-pony governments still existed were little more than puppet states, dancing to Twilight's tune. There was a silver lining, though, in that the Empire faced conflict in other star systems at the hands of the Minotaurs and Griffons, who waged guerrilla wars and marauder campaigns.

When asked of Twilight's daily routines and personal life, Sixfour had responded by saying he had no idea, but he had said that Empress Twilight was reported to be in perfect health, and apparently maintained a quite very impressive book collection. Sixfour told me that just days before my return that Twilight had delivered a speech at the Academy of the Royal Rangers, congratulating them on their graduation. There was also word that the current Royal Hunter was going to be retired soon, and that she had gone to the academy in search of a future replacement. Sixfour told me the name of the current Hunter, Disc Jockey, and I resolved to do everything possible to avoid their attention. I then asked Sixfour how long it had been since the founding of the Equestrian Empire, and he told me it had been nearly 900 years.

900.

I'd nearly collapsed when he told me. To think that my friends and I had been interred for nearly a millennium sent my head spinning. So many years, so many centuries, gone. Lost. Wasted. Spent suffering, bleeding, and dying in the torture that was Tartarus. Centuries spent in a place where every MINUTE was a struggle, while Twilight sat in her castle, comfortable and safe. It hurt. It hurt more than anything I'd ever experienced, to know that we had spent so much time in there. A terrible rage welled within me, and something changed. I'd never felt such anger, such sorrow. If I'd been resolute in my conviction to topple the Equestrian Empire, I was now obsessed.

In the end I merely sighed to calm myself, and asked him if there was anything else. There was. There was so much. I learned about education in the Empire, economics, foreign and domestic policy, moral philosophy, law enforcement, military protocol, history(heavily altered as it was), journalism, culture, cinema, literature. An entire society's monolith of life and all the things that it was composed of. I knew I'd spend countless months, even years, studying it all.

Maybe, I remember thinking, as many years as I'd spent in Tartarus.

That night, in the village, I sat by the river, staring into the cosmos above. I could hear in the far distance the sound of battle, dull thumps that sounded so much like fireworks. The light from the shield around Canterlot was so bright that even as far away from the city as we were, twenty miles or more, there was a soft pink glow casting long shadows across the ground and casting this faint hue across the sky.

With the Starborn dying and fleeing I wondered what the next step would be. I was out of all ideas, except for the truly desperate, like mustering the Starborn for a direct assault on Canterlot that would've doubtless ended in disaster. My only other idea was to flee with the Starborn and build up their numbers for the next few decades in an attempt to have an army big enough to challenge the Empire. Really I was feeling as though I was beat. All that was left, I felt, would be to find Moondancer and the others and fly to some distant star system, or even spend the rest of our years as nomads among the stars.

As I moped I heard Sixfour come up beside me, and I turned my head to look at him. It was truly impossible to gauge what he was thinking, being that his face was expressionless. Starborn expressed themselves mostly through speech and the glow of their eyes, though since the awakening I could tell that Sixfour had a more lively demeanor. "What is the plan, Great One?" he asked, and I looked away.

"Find Moondancer and the Pies, and then...I don't know. I really don't."

"A grand scheme is not required now, Great One. Finding your friends is a plan like any other. Bridges need not be crossed all at once."

I nodded, but even if we did manage to find my friends, I couldn't imagine how we could manage to find a way to fulfill our vision. It'd take years, decades. Were we meant to just sit by and bide our time while the other races suffered in poverty and squalor?

I was going to ask Sixfour what he thought when I heard a mild commotion in the village. I looked over my shoulder and saw some of the villagers quickly canter over to Wisest's cabin. I stood and turned, trotting over to find out what was happening. I could hear cries of pain from inside the cabin, and I gently pushed the door open. The entire village had assembled, and they parted to let me and Sixfour by. There, in the center of the room, six mares were in labor, Weave among them. Wisest smiled and nodded at me, and I took a step back, letting him help the mares deliver. I hadn't even known that these mares had been pregnant, besides Weave, though I suppose that was due to the fact I only really interacted with Wisest, Weave, and Tobrus, and was barely in the village as it was.

After but a few minutes, the first of the mares delivered, and I saw a glimpse of white fur. I sat next to Sixfour, who watched with rapt attention as he witnessed the miracle of birth for the first time. A stab of regret and anger flashed through me as I thought of Cadence; she'd been the poster mare of a mother. Even though she had pledged loyalty to Empress Twilight, it still hurt that she had died.

Another few minutes passed and another of the mares delivered, but I missed the foal as Wisest set it aside for the midwives to tend to. Over the next hour four more foals would be delivered, and the villagers celebrated their successful entry into the world. They all welcomed the newborns, and lent their own tribal rituals and small ceremonies to commemorate the occasion. They did not linger, wanting to give the mothers time to their foals, and myself I sat in the back, giving them space. The foals were cleaned and calmed down and then hooved over to their mothers, who looked to be the happiest ponies in the world. Even in light of the terror, anger, and uncertainty of the past few days I took time to appreciate the sentiment in observing the arrival of new souls to the world. It was my earnest hope that by the time they grew up, they'd know a better world.

I stood and approached the mothers, who had transitioned to the couches Wisest had in the center of the room. The mares had been facing away from the rest of the room, to give them as much privacy as they reasonably could. I rounded the edge of the couch, Wisest smiling, and as the sight of the mares and their six foals came into view I froze, and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I wasn't sure how it was possible, but it was reality. It was the truth. And in that instant, I knew. I knew.

The six foals were all fillies. Two earth, two unicorn, two pegasi. Purple, pink, white, orange, blue, and yellow. The races were different(the yellow filly, for example, was an earth pony. The white a pegasus, etc.), but I knew.

Bearers my mind hissed, and I was convinced even as I struggled to understand what this meant, what to do. Harmony had gifted the world a new generation of bearers for the Elements, but even if they were Bearers they'd be powerless without the Elements.

"Wisest... I must speak with you. Sixfour, too. In private, please" I whispered, my eyes wide and unmoving from the fillies. Wisest exchanged looks with the mares and nodded, and I followed him into his bedroom, Sixfour beside me. He kept the door parted, to keep an eye on the new mothers, and looked at me.

"Those fillies..." I started, wondering where to begin. "In the possession of Empress Twilight are six magical artifacts known as the Elements of Harmony. They're the key to restoring peace and Harmony to this world, and cleansing Twilight of her corruption. Almost a thousand years ago six mares were Bearers of these Elements. Their colors were purple, pink, white, orange, blue, and yellow. I... I need those fillies. They can change the course of the world forever!" I explained.

Wisest of All sighed, taking in what I'd told him. "That our little village could play part in changing the world is a great thing to consider. You'll forgive me, Great One, if I fail to understand how six fillies could possibly be the key, as you put it, to vanquishing this great evil" Wisest said.

"The Elements of Harmony are unbelievably powerful, properly used and controlled only by a group of harmonious souls, joined by the magical power of friendship. Those fillies match in color and nearly in race that of the previous Bearers. I know they're the key! This is no coincidence! Please, I ask of you, relinquish them to my custody!" I pleaded.

Wisest looked forlornly out the door at the mares, who'd become enamored with their foals, cradling and holding them. His eyes seemed to sag, and he looked so very tired. He let out a sigh and turned back to me, eyes filled with uncertainty. "I'll tell the mothers, Great One. Will you be staying here, or...?"

I shook my head. "It's not safe. I must leave Equestria. My friends will undoubtedly do the same. We will travel to...a distant land. One that will be free from the reach of Twilight and the Empire. The fillies will be safe, I promise you" I assured him.

"Very well. Give me a minute with the mothers" he replied, and stepped out of the room. I looked at Sixfour, who was as unreadable as I'd come to expect. I heard the mothers express some alarm, and I regretted that providence dictated that they'd be separated from their foals, likely for several decades, not even an hour after birth.

"Have the Starborn bring a ship here. Preferably something small, and stealthy, but big enough for the eight of us, plus whoever is already on the ship" I told Sixfour, and he nodded silently. I trotted out of the room to where the mothers were, and they looked at me with confusion and apprehension.

"If things transpire as we plan them to, your daughters will change the world, for the better. They will be heroes, and will provide a better life for all. They will end a great and terrible evil, one that has plagued this world for nearly a millennium. They will be safe, and well taken care of. I will see to their every need, and raise them with the care and attention they will require. They will not suffer, they will not want, and they will not go unloved. I promise you" I said.

Sixfour came out of the room, and nodded to me. I smiled reassuringly. "I understand your fears. If I were a mother, and another pony told me they needed to take custody of my daughter, and that she would one day change the world, I'd be hesitant too. But please, you must trust me. The world has suffered long enough" I said.

The mares all looked to one another and nodded, and all stretched out their hooves, giving over to me the pride of their lives. Sixfour took them, the six of them fast asleep, and went to wrap them up in little blankets. The cabin was still and silent, the mares staring at me as I stared at Sixfour, not wanting to meet their collective gaze.

"Will we ever see our daughters again?" Weave asked, and I quickly nodded.

"When we have succeeded, and all in the world is right again, then of course. They'd be more than welcome to return to you, and I'll never hide the truth from them" I answered.

Sixfour returned with the foals all wrapped out, and I could hear the distant thrum of an engine start to fill the air inside the cabin. "That will do, Great One" Weave said, and I smiled again. They'd all played such a small but vital role in the return of Harmony, I could only have wished that they fully understood what the birth of their foals meant for the rest of the world.

"I wish that I could repay you all for the kindness and hospitality you've shown me in the short time I've been here. You are all how ponies should truly be. I am proud and happy to have known you all, even if for only a week. I promise that, one day, we will return" I told them.

"When you have cleansed the evil Empress Twilight, and restored this Harmony to the world, I believe that will have been worth the price" Wisest said, referring to the fillies. I could hear the Starborn ship as it approached, much louder now.

"Thank you, and goodbye, everypony. May you know only Harmony, forever." I trotted out of the cabin carrying half of the foals in my magical grasp, Sixfour carrying the other half. As we stepped out into the midnight darkness, pierced by the lights of the Starborn corvette, the foals awoke and began to cry, disturbed by the loud thrum of the engines and the whipping air, displaced by the ship's propulsion system. It backed away, toward the river, and lowered over it. A ramp on the underside popped free and Sixfour and I trotted closer to it, the sound of our hooves striking steel drowned out by the engines. As we entered the ship the ramp began to rise, and I turned back to see Wisest, Weave, and all the rest of the villagers watching in awe and apprehension as we disappeared from sight, the ramp sealing. I felt the ship ascend and accelerate as we raced away from Equestria, and into the cosmos above.

If only I could've known then what was soon to come.

Intermission

When we left, I stood on the bridge of the corvette, staring out the viewport. The world of Equus hung, picturesque, amongst the cosmos. Some hundred thousand miles away we watched as the IEN Marelothian moved closer to a formation of frigates captured by the Starborn. My tired eyes watched as the frigates opened fire on the Marelothian and she responded by obliterating them, her lasers flashing out for but a second and spearing the tiny vessels, snuffing them out in mute explosions that sent jagged chunks of steel drifting across the stars. That such violence could occur without a sound in the vacuum lent the events a kind of detached feeling, that they weren't really happening. It was a strange feeling, one that I couldn't stomach any further. I ordered the Star to take us away from Equus, on a vector bound for the Serpent system. I retreated back into the living quarters of the ship and fell into one of the bunks there, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Year one

After just a year, the Empire's war against the Starborn ended. They chased the Starborn up and down the Serpent system, the Utopia system, the Unity system, across planets like Starlight, Equus Prime, and Cadenza. Across Tirek, Ascension, and Quaray. I'd hoped to use the war to weaken the Empire, but their resources never ended. Every time they joined battle with the Starborn, they exerted such force on them it was unbelievable. Every time the Starborn went after them, it was a slaughter. Dozens of capital ships chased them across the stars, and even a stealth prowler I quickly learned belonged to the Royal Hunter, Disc Jockey. I never caught sight of her, but every action she took painted a grim picture of a twisted pony. It'd take me an eon to describe all of her crimes, but when you've taken to dropping asteroids on planets to snuff out resistance you've become something less than equine.

With my plan to weaken the Empire in as many pieces as the Stars that fought in the service of that plan I ordered the Starborn to retreat to the uncharted Siren system, hoping and praying the Empire would not follow us there. They didn't, and we were finally given reprieve. After several tense months, wondering if the Empire actually would come after us, we settled down on the planet Etherea, a small red orb, fourth from the sun. Siren was actually home to a rather large garden world, which I'd initially been interested in, but that interest rapidly vanished when I saw it was inhabitated by numerous species of giant carnivorous lizards. I lived on the corvette while the Starborn settled Etherea, building facilities that were more suitable for ponies used to a planet like Equus. In time I came to call Etherea home, and the Starborn began to carve out a life for us all there. I learned that a mere 10,000 Starborn had survived the war, when previously they'd numbered in the hundreds of thousands. I hurt for all those lost during the awakening, but I pressed on. Moondancer, the Pies, and Sunburst were still out there.

Year two

I began to theorize.

With the real Elements of Harmony locked away in Castle Twilight, back on Equus, and with no chance of ever reaching them, I began to explore the possibility of creating facsimiles. As expected, there was no surviving literature on the Elements, nor any mention of them anywhere, by anypony. Twilight had removed the knowledge of their existence from the world, and my own memory was rather hazy. I knew that they were powerful magical artifacts, capable of purging impurity and evil from any creature, or, failing that, encasing them in stone for all eternity. How they worked, what powered them, how to use them, all things that I did not know. With no way to research them, and no one to talk to about them, my options were limited.

I'd have to wing it.

I postulated(to myself) that the basic underlying principle was a variation of the spell I'd used to awaken the Starborn. It was some manner of life-altering magical spell that forced the individual it was used on to realize the errors of their ways, or force out any evil forces that had possessed or corrupted them. It was possible that any spell of the right type, sufficiently powerful enough, and channeled through the new bearers, would work. But without the Elements themselves, the Bearers would be powerless.

So I drafted designs for a device that the Bearers, or myself, would one day be able to use. It was spherical in shape, and it would hold and channel the necessary magical power that imitated the Elements of Harmony. I would just have to wait until the Bearers came of age.

Year three

The Siren system was a beautiful place. It was so peaceful. So far away from the cruelty of the Equestrian Empire, it was easy to forget it even still existed. I spent many nights staring up into the sky, wondering if I should just give it up, and live here with the six foals and the Starborn forever. Then I would think of Fluttershy, of Pinkie. Of all the millions of Griffons and Minotaurs who lived in poverty, with such a bitterness in their hearts, and I'd then spend days without sleep, writing theories about the Elements of Harmony and practicing cleansing spells for the time that we'd all return to Equus. Sixfour would find me pacing around the labs late in the night, having not bathed in days, eyes bloodshot. I would sleep irregularly. I'd spend hours screaming in anger and wailing over the centuries I suffered, over the injustice of knowing so many lived in misery while Twilight lived like the Empress she was. I'd pass out for hours, only to wake up and do it all again. I'd run ten miles a day on the treadmill, I'd wolf down poppies and swim in the subsequent numbness and hammer on the practice dummies until I collapsed, my hooves throbbing for days afterward. I would just...SIT. Fucking SIT, for hours, and relive EVERY WAKING SECOND I spent in Tartarus.

I hated Twilight. I hated her. I hated her, I hated the Empire, I hated ponykind, I hated myself. I wondered and asked myself how I could've done the things I did as the Royal Hunter, all that time ago. I wondered how anypony could've gone along with her INSANITY. How my parents could've stayed by her side, how so many of her friends could've stayed by her side, how she could've murdered the Princesses the way she did. There'd been some resistance to Twilight's reign, of course, but so many swallowed it up, and the Empire grew uncontrollably!! It was so bewildering, to see how the Empire grew into this juggernaut overnight, and began to sweep across the surface of Equus with such a fervor that it devoured everything that stood in its path. The first Expansion War SLAMMED the Minotaurs, smashed them into dust, and the Griffons had helped us! Then, not thirty years later, the second Expansion War brought the might of the Equestrian Empire down upon the Griffons, and they were quickly subdued. The Changelings were deemed such a grave threat to the fabric of Equestrian society that they were hunted down and exterminated to the last, and the Yaks and Bison never surrendered. They never stopped fighting, and they were not able to retreat to the stars the way the Minotaurs and Griffons were. They were erased from the surface of Equus, and from the pages of history.

I hated her.

Year four

We froze the Bearers. They'd become too much of a hassle to care for. I spent so much time researching magic and practicing magic and trying to understand the Elements of Harmony that I couldn't take the time needed to care for the foals, and the Starborn were too busy managing all the various utilities and labs they'd built on Etherea(plus, they're absolutely terrible at rearing a foal, I'd learned). When Sixfour first suggested the idea of sealing the Bearers in cryogenic chambers, I'd rejected it, saying it was too risky, that it wasn't right. After so long, though, I couldn't tolerate the distractions. I didn't like it, but I agreed to have the Bearers frozen. I told myself that maybe when I found Moondancer and the Pies, and finished my research into the Elements, that we'd unfreeze the Bearers.

Year five

Moondancer and the others found me. I'd told Sixfour and the rest of the Starborn to keep an eye out for them, to post across the worlds a generic-sounding notice, 'sole heir of bloodline seeks prodigy unicorns and three sisters to discuss, study, and practice magic and its harmonious relationship with the universe', with a location specific to each planet the notice was posted on. At each location there was an apartment, innocent-looking enough, but watched by Starborn. The Pie Sisters had seen the notice on the planet Ascension, Moondancer had seen it on the lawless pit of a world that was Draconequus, and Sunburst had seen it on Starlight. At each location, once their presence had been noted, they'd been approached by Starborn in the days thereafter, and given a pair of coordinates on the edge of the Serpent system. From there, they'd received an encrypted message from a relay, with one word: Etherea. Sixfour had alerted me, and I'd been in the spaceport when they'd arrived, a day apart.

With the Pie Sisters, I cried. We all did, save for Maud, though even she looked very pained. I caught them up to speed on everything that had transpired since we escaped from Tartarus, and told them of the six fillies. They'd looked so elated to hear of the new Bearers, it had hurt to tell them I'd had them cryogenically frozen. They'd looked bewildered, but I made them understood.

A day later, Moondancer and Sunburst arrived. With them, I planned. I told them everything, and they'd listened very carefully. I told them my theory on the facsimiles of the Elements, how the Bearers could use them, and of the drafts for the magical device that would act as the facsimile. They dived into the idea, spending as many sleepless nights as I did studying my theories on the Elements, on the facsimile. They, especially Moondancer, were so much smarter than me. They created their own designs, in intricate detail, and showed them to me. I let them handle the technical side of things, managing the designs, testing, while I studied the magic end of the equation. We decided to call the facsimile the Harmony device.

Then Moondancer suggested something to me that I found appalling. She suggested that we use the souls of the Bearers to power the device. I'd rejected it immediately, but she pressed. She explained to me that the Elements were at their most powerful when there was no restrictions. With multiple Bearers, the Elements were under the control of each, and they'd all have to be working in unison to control the magic. With the fillies being nearly pure Bearers, Moondancer explained, we could make the Harmony device even more potent by removing as many restrictions as possible. With no organic limitations, with no ponies hesitating or making a nervous mistake, the Harmony device could channel and fire pure Elemental magic. I was hesitant, but the idea sounded appealing in theory. There was also the matter of expenses, but in the five years since leaving Equus the Starborn had set up mining operations across the various planets in the Siren system, and were selling minerals and metals on the black market. We'd used the funds mostly to create the facilities on Etherea, and to manage the ships, but it wouldn't have been too much of a stretch to get the money for six soul gems, plus the materials needed to make the Harmony device, chief among these was silver.

After some time, I agreed. It made me upset, and it was one more thing I felt ill to do, but, I'd learned, Harmony demanded sacrifices.

In the end, it'd be worth the price.

VI - The Dome

"What if they're wrong?"

"What if they're not?"

There was one place in the charted universe to find all the things one could not find on the civilized worlds: Draconequus. A once-thriving scientific settlement in the Serpent system, Draconequus had been abandoned by its scientists once their research had ended, but they'd left the structures standing. Marauders and mercenaries, looking for a home, had settled the planet a few centuries after, and now the planet's population had expanded to just over two million. Government existed only in the districts controlled by mercenaries, and only if you paid for it. There were no laws, except that residents had to pay the mercenary bands for protection. There was no law enforcement, except for the gangs of hirelings employed by the mercenary bands to act as collectors of that protection money. In the districts not controlled by the mercenary gangs, crime(at least, what would be considered crime on a civilized world) ran rampant. Slave trading, rape, robbery, murder, gang violence, prostitution, and smuggling occurred in every corner, backroom, and alley.

Of the two million creatures living under The Dome, the environmentally-sealed bubble that was erected over the entirety of Draconequus' only city, 90% were comprised of a mix of Griffons and Minotaurs. The other 10% were ponies that had left Imperial space for one reason or another, none of them good. Ponies were heavily discriminated against outside Imperial space, and were also heavily targeted by criminals. To survive as one on a planet like Draconequus, in a place like The Dome, you had to be as ruthless and cunning as the Griffons and Minotaurs who came after you.

No one here would give a single feather about Harmony, my vision, or even me. I'd have to be careful. Luckily, I'd brought Sixfour along with me, and I was an Alicorn. I'd have to draw upon my partner, my power, and my experience to survive.

"Places like these are not meant for Great Ones" Sixfour commented. I turned to look at him, drawing back the hood of the cloak the Starborn had fashioned for me. It was of tight fit, concealing my wings, though designed in such a way that if I needed them, the clasps would give way to grant me flight. It was lightly armored, lined with thin Star steel to deflect light ballistic fire, and finished with an ablative coating to reflect light magical energy. It'd not make me impervious, but it'd give me a chance.

I said nothing to Sixfour as we trotted down the length of the hallway. We'd docked at one of the starports that lied along the edge of The Dome, and were heading into the city proper. There was an airlock ahead, guarded by a sole Griffon, standing upright on all fours. He had some manner of compact rifle slung at his side, a talon on the grip. He eyed me and my companion, and we slowed as we neared the airlock door.

"Best let me do the talking" I said, coming to a stop at the gesture of the Griffon. He regarded us with cautious eyes, contempt for the both of us. He was clad in a dented, dull blue armor, concealing his form from sight, but his head was bare. His head feathers were done up in a style likely meant to pay homage to his mercenary company.

"A Star and an Equestrian" he commented, shifting his grip on his weapon. "Welcome to The Dome. If you have weapons, keep them holstered. Or, at least, use them only to kill our enemies."

"Can you tell me about The Dome and the local amenities?" I asked.

The Griffon huffed. "I'm a door guard, not a fucking guide like you're used to on Equus. This spaceport and the district beyond it is under the rule of the Sons of Gilda, the oldest mercenary company to have come from the species of the planet Equus. We haven't much tolerance for Equestrians, or their creations, so ask what you will and get the fuck out of my sight."

"Forgive me. I'm here to do some...shopping. I'm looking for some rather unorthodox goods, and maybe some mutually beneficial work" I explained. If I'd told him I was there for some soul gems he'd, admittedly, likely not even care, but I didn't want to risk the chance of word spreading to someone who'd be interested in why a Equestrian was looking to buy soul gems.

"Always gotta speak in tongues, don't you, you pompous blowhards? If you're looking for contraband, there's a dive on Obelisk street, the Tarred Feather. Ask the bartender there for a bird named Koss; he might have something for you. Is that all?" the Griffon said.

"Yes. Thank you."

"Whatever. Get what you came for and then go back to your bitch Empress."

At this I twitched, a flip within me thrown. My eyes went wide, and I stepped forward, my head pressed to his. "I DESPISE Empress Twilight, and when all is said and done, the Empire will be no more. Do you understand me?!"

The guard wasn't even afraid, though he looked mighty pissed off. "Won't do me any favors, if it happens" he growled. "Now get lost."

I felt the muzzle of the Griffon's rifle pressed against my breast and stepped back, nodded, and trotted past him as the doors slid open. Sixfour joined me at my side as we cycled through the decontamination process. The doors on the other end of the chamber slid open, and out we stepped into a metropolis of crime, terrorism, and anarchy. On the planet Draconequus the skies were permanently blanketed by a gray-brown vortex of clouds, dimming the light from the system's mammoth star, leaving the surface under a drab and dreary veil. What little sunlight that did get through was drowned out by the lights of The Dome, bright and flashing and pulsing. Neon signs advertising stores and wares, streetlights and searchlights and security lights, digital screens displaying all manner of notices and news from across the void, and the noise! The din of a million markets and bars, the rising hum of skyboats, distant(and not-so-distant) gunfire, the clamor of slave auctions, and even bar music as it filtered out of the dives it rang in all rose to create a cacophony that reflected the planet's namesake.

"The Tarred Feather, on Obelisk" I said quietly to myself, and looked around. The Dome was not laid out in a conventional manner; streets ran and winded and had sharp, V-shaped switchbacks and ended abruptly. They were not labeled, and there were no maps. There was a wide drag in front of us, and a number of streets and alleys spidering out before and around us in an erratic fashion. Any one of them could've had the bar we were directed to. Any one of them could've, also, lead to our deaths.

This was The Dome.

After close to an hour of searching(with only two attempted muggings and one attempted rape) Sixfour and I found the Tarred Feather, set into a row of apartment buildings and warehouses, set back from the street by several feet, the path done up in an arch, acting as a make-shift tunnel, the ceiling lined with pulsing red and white lights. Sixfour and I trotted down the pathway to the bar's door, surprised to find no bouncer outside. We pushed the door open, and it opened into a small foyer, a couch on the left side, the bouncer on the right. He took one glance at us and immediately his talon was on his gun, his eyes suspicious and scornful.

"A fucking Equestrian" he said with a derisive snicker. "Can't imagine what you're here for. If you step through that door, I can't guarantee your safety, you understand that?" the bouncer said.

"Perfectly."

With a jerk of his head the bouncer indicated I could pass, and I trotted up to the door and pushed it open. The room beyond was circular, the bar in the center, wrapping around a support column bearing shelves holding countless bottles of alcohols from across the known galaxy. There was a live band, playing a Griffon folk tune. The clientele was majority Griffon, with a few Minotaurs conspiring in some dark corner. A thestral moved amidst the crowds, carrying trays of drinks. As Sixfour and I stepped in a few revelers turned to look at us; some directed by friends, others having been close enough to see the door part. The surprise and suspicion and contempt rolled through the crowds like a wave, as more and more patrons took note of us, and the bar went utterly silent, all eyes on us.

"This was not a well-conceived idea, Great One" Sixfour whispered to me, and I pushed him with my elbow as I trotted up to the bar, every eye in the bar following me. I clambered up onto one of the stools, one with no others seated near it, and Sixfour followed, though he did not sit. He stood vigilant, on alert.

"Why in the blazes is my bar so qui-- A pony..." the bartender said as he stepped around from the other side of the pillar. He froze in his tracks, eyes wide. "There's a fucking pony in my bar, and it's not just the bat. An honest-to-coin Equestrian, in my bar. And a STARBORN?! Sweet mother, grant us strength!"

"I am not the only pony in The Dome" I exclaimed, earning a laugh from the bartender. A short, mocking bark of incredulity.

"You're the only one with the stones, or stupidity, to walk into a fucking Griffon bar, owned by and under the protection of the Sons of Gilda, and have a fucking sit-down! You're lucky that this IS SoG territory; you'd be DEAD in any other bar! What could have possibly compelled you to CANTER INTO A GRIFFON BAR IN THE DOME, you fucking, fucking MORON?!" the bartender raved.

"I'm not going to just shout my intentions to every patron here. You can all either jump me, or go back to your previous conversations. I am NOT an enemy. Of Griffons, or of Minotaurs" I declared strongly. "Only of Empress Twilight" I added quietly afterward.

The previous din of the bar slowly returned, the patrons cautiously turning away from me and back to their business. A few continued to watch me, though I ignored them to focus on the bartender as he came up to me. He was a Griffon brown of fur, with brilliant yellow feathers adorning his wings. He had an odd cluster of scars on his left jaw, and steely green eyes.

"I'm looking for a bird named Koss. I'm in search of some sensitive goods and services. I was told I could inquire about him here" I said quietly. The bartender rested his chin on one old talon, tapping the claws of his other against the bar itself, regarding me with a careful gaze.

"A pony doesn't come to the fucking Dome, and certainly doesn't seek out Koss, without good reason. If you're an agent of the Empire, you're in for a really bad time, I tell you. And yes, you will be asked, by more than one, if you are. You'd better be able to prove you aren't, or you'll never leave The Dome" the bartender stated.

"Isn't my Starborn partner proof enough? The Stars all rebelled against the Empire five years ago, ordered to be hunted down and destroyed to the last" I explained.

The bartender bawked. "A Star is a damn robot; not hard to spoof! You'll have to do better than that if you hope to survive here."

I was undeterred. "I despise the Empire, and I intend to bring Empress Twilight to justice. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to do that. This," I gestured to the bar around me. "is not how we were meant to live. The species of Equus were meant to live in Harmony. Peace, love, tolerance. I am the envoy of them all."

"Spare me the flowery shit. We've long ago learned not to trust the word of an Equestrian, and what chance could you possibly have of challenging the Empire?"

"Whatever chance I can make, I will take. I won't stop until I've won, or I'm dead. I will bring an end to this foul, corrupt Empire and its plague of dominance."

"You will do this? One pony? Against the titan that is the Equestrian Empire? All the armies of Griffons and Minotaurs couldn't do it, and for nine centuries it has reigned supreme. One pony will bring it all down? I'm no chick, just hatched the day before, you fucking blowhard" the bartender asked, disbelieving.

"One pony, and the fury of a family torn apart, of a dozen dead friends and of the millions who died to oppose it all. One pony, and the legion of Starborn at her back" I replied with conviction. My gaze did not leave that of the bartender's and after a moment he sighed and pulled back.

"I'll send a word. There's no guarantee that Koss will see you, but when he hears of your resolve, then perhaps. If not?" the bartender said with a laugh, and he turned away.

I turned my gaze back to Sixfour, standing behind me. Beyond him, I saw that the bouncer had moved into the bar and was watching me. My eyes turned away and scanned the room. I saw the threstral, the bat pony, casting furtive glances in my direction. The few Minotaurs in the bar stared at me, their glasses long empty, gripped in their hands. I felt no fear, but I was nervous. More than that, I was sad to see how my mere presence made others feel. How the sight of me brought all their anger and hatred to the surface. I wanted to talk to them, to assure them that I was going to help them! That I wanted to destroy the Empire, same as they did.

Instead, I turned back around, and stared at the bottles on the wall.

VII - Sons of Gilda

"Twilight is MY mentor, MY teacher! She saved me from my dark path! She gave me new life! I don't answer to the Princesses and I never have. If this is what Twilight wishes to teach to me, then who am I to turn my back on Her lessons?"

Behind the bar, through a backroom was an alleyway, secluded from view by all the buildings built around it. Sixfour and I had been told to head down the alley to a door marked by orange paint, on the left side of the alley. Through the hall beyond and onto the street on the other side we were to take a right and follow the street to a warehouse ringed by a fence, a Sons of Gilda mercenary patrolling the outside of the warehouse. We were told to speak to the mercenary, to tell him that Gralish(whom I assumed was the bartender) had sent us. The mercenary had let us into the warehouse, where we boarded a skyboat. After a half-hour's flight over the streets of The Dome we'd touched down at another, larger, warehouse. Two Sons of Gilda had then escorted us out into the streets to a non-descript building, what may have been an apartment complex.

The Griffon escort had told us to wait outside while they went in, and so Sixfour and I had merely stood on the side of the street, idly looking out across The Dome. The street that the apartment was on ran along the edge of a cliff, offering an oddly enthralling view of The Dome. The metropolis sprawled out beyond the lip of the street, countless streams of skyboats and small vessels soaring between what few skyscrapers dotted The Dome. The streets below those skyboats teemed with millions of land-based vehicles, pedestrians, and all manner of buildings.

After a few minutes of waiting outside the Griffon escort came back out and told us to follow them. We entered the building and were led up stairs, through a hall, to a beautiful studio apartment, the windows adorned with crimson curtains. The Griffons left us, though there was no one else in the apartment. Sixfour and I were left to ourselves, and so I took to admiring the modest grandness of the apartment. The floor was marble, and there were pieces of art scattered about. A few paintings of legendary Griffons, the colors sharp and frames clean. A few large photos; of Griffonstone, of voidships racing into the cosmos, of a gorgeous tower that I did not recognize.

Of Empress Twilight.

I paused, staring into the eyes of the mare I once knew as my aunt. The picture had been taken after her Ascension, but before she had usurped the throne. She stood with wings spread, standing at an oblique angle to the camera, her face turned slightly away but eyes boring into the lens. Into the viewer's own gaze. Her eyes were bright, her smile wide. She appeared to be standing in a room, the walls around her black, her form illuminated by a single, bright spotlight. A few books and scrolls were around her, but there was nothing else. Just her, alone in a room, smiling at the camera.

I reached out with my magic, lifted the picture off the wall, and turned it around. Written in the bottom left corner of the frame were the words 'Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. In commemoration of the Princess's first birthday as an Alicorn.'

Below that there was a hoofwritten note, faded and taped over to protect it from the elements, but the words written upon it were as sharp as they'd been the day the ink had first dried.

'Oh darling, may you shine as brightly as you do in this photo, for all time.'

The note was not signed.

"Feeling homesick?" I heard a voice call from behind me; I turned my head back and lifted the frame back up onto the peg it had been mounted to. A silver Griffon stood in the threshold of the door that separated the bathroom from the rest of the apartment, his fur and feathers shining a brilliant sheen. Beyond him I saw the mirror in the bathroom was foggy, the last of the steam from a shower filtered out by the vent and the cooler air of the rest of the apartment. He had a kind of suave aloofness to him, and was bearing a rather bemused smile, but I could see the way his fur had been brushed to cover the scars of a life spent fighting. Could see the way his pale blue eyes held no spark even as they danced with a confident mirth.

"Reminding myself of the enemy, more like" I replied, turning to face him. At this his smile spread and bared his pearly whites, though he was missing a few. He leaned against the doorframe, regarding me with those pale blue orbs. He hadn't even cast a glance at Sixfour, or if he had I hadn't seen.

"Tell me, what could have driven a pony to consider her Empress to be her enemy? She has provided everything to you, and lifted you and all the rest like you up by weighing the rest of us down, like some twisted scale. That a pony could stand in my apartment, in The Dome, billions of miles away from Equus, and call her Empress her enemy gives one pause" the Griffon said.

"She took from me, too. My parents, my friends. Harmony, she took from an entire world. She tried to take my life, too. She took from everyone that once called Equus home; some just prefer what she gave in return" I explained.

"Mmm. Most ponies who come here, they do so because this is the only place left in the cosmos that will take them. Banished from Equus, banished from Equus Prime, banished from Ascension, banished from Starlight. They either become nomads, take their chances in Siren, or come here. I wonder, what has driven you here? Were you banished?"

I hadn't heard of any ponies fleeing to the Siren system, and so I wondered just what this bird had meant. "In a sense. To the realm of Tartarus. Upon escape, I chose to leave Equus."

"Oh but it wasn't really a choice, was it?" the Griffon asked, pushing away from the doorframe and walking towards me. "After all, who would really want to come to The Dome, if they could live on Equus, or Ascension, or Starlight?"

"Someone looking for something. And looking for someone who can find them that something."

A silence befell the room as the Griffon and I stood before each other, Sixfour in the corner watching silently. We stared into each other's eyes, myself waiting for the Griffon to introduce himself properly, the Griffon likely running all sorts of ideas about who I am through his mind.

"I am Koss" the Griffon said at last, stepping back. "I am a, shall we say, independent organizer of shipping for this region of The Dome. I mostly work for the Sons of Gilda; around here, folks don't very much appreciate it when creatures such as myself arrange deals for the competition."

"I am Flurry Heart" I replied simply.

"Tell me, Flurry Heart. Who are you?" Koss asked as he walked to the kitchen. I trailed lazily behind him, staying in the living room. Koss pulled open the door to an ancient refrigerator and reached in, pulling out a tin of sliced meat.

"What's to say? I'm a pony mare, in search of something, as I said. Some unorthodox goods, and a creature who can find and broker deals for said goods. I'm an exile of Equus, with no family and few friends, and now I spend my days toiling away in search of the means to strike back at the Empire that has wronged so many" I explained.

"Mm, I see. And what kind of 'unorthodox goods' do you seek? Most of what you'll buy in The Dome is unorthodox. Certainly all of what you'll buy is stolen, produced by slave labor, or illegal. Perhaps all three, in some extreme cases. Though I suppose The Dome itself is a den of extremity. I just...am so taken by curiosity over what a pony such as yourself would hope to find here."

"Soul gems."

Koss stumbled as he stepped away from the refrigerator, looking across the apartment at me, to see if I was serious. I did not back down, and my expression was firm. He composed himself and shut the door to the fridge, setting the tin down on the table and walking around to me. "Surely you can't be serious?"

"I can, and I am. Six of them, to be precise" I answered.

"One alone would be a significant investment, let alone six. I dread to think of what use you will find for them..." Koss said, turning around. He turned a chair at the table around so that he could face me as he sat, seeming to be in thought. I stepped closer to him and sat on the floor, patiently waiting for him to give me an answer. I'd had no intention of telling him what I'd do with the gems.

"I can assure you the price will be astronomical for each. I wonder if you could even amass the funds to pay for them conventionally" Koss commented.

"If you ask me to sleep with you as 'payment', I'm leaving."

Koss laughed. "Goodness, no. You're not my type. Since you are serious, then I'll get the gems for you. Soul gems, thankfully, are not in high demand these days, so they shouldn't be so hard to find. It shall be up to you to find the funds to pay for them."

"Well how much will they be?" I asked. I wasn't worried; the Starborn had been financing us well enough from the minerals and metals mined and sold. We'd even been able to afford to buy hydroponics equipment, shipborne weapons, and even facilities to begin constructing and repairing our own ships.

"50,000 bits apiece, I should think" Koss replied. "Market prices tend to fluctuate wildly here, though there is more structure to our economy than you'd think."

"Goodness, that is a lot. I'm surprised you'll even take Imperial bits out here" I stated. Koss smiled and leaned back, his talons folded behind his head.

"Coin is coin, my dear. Will there be anything else, besides the gems?"

"No, that will be all."

After the meeting I left the apartment, standing out on the street with Sixfour by my side. "One step closer, Great One" he commented. I smiled at him, and we began to trot back to the spaceport to return to the corvette, where we would rest each night(as much of a night The Dome could see). Koss had explained to me that I was to return to him in a few days, at which point he'd have had enough time to locate a few sellers of the kind of good we were seeking.

"One step closer" I replied.

VIII - Tim'mrak

"Know Twilight, know Unity! No Twilight, no Unity."

"Let's see the gems" I said, and Tim'mrak was unmoved. He jerked his head and one of the Griffons stepped forward, lifting a small metal case out from under his barrel. He popped it open and I gazed upon the soul gem within, a glistening shard of purple-pink, shrouded by black velvet. The Griffon closed the case and stepped back.

"The bits" Tim'mrak commented.

I nodded to Sixfour, and he slid forward the first case of bits. We'd managed to fit the coins into relatively small crates, but they still required being carted around. The ancient wheels, grease long dry, squealed in the cavernous warehouse. Sixfour released the clasps on the case and lifted the lid, the neat stacks of coins gleaming in the buzzing light from the ceiling bulbs.

"It's all in order. 100,000 bits in total, for the two gems" I said as Sixfour closed the lid on the case. "The gems?"

Tim'mrak quietly stared at my group and I, his eyes regarding the three of us, plus mercenary escort. A Griffon, a pony, and Starborn. I could see the curiosity in his eyes, the questions forming.

"What will you do with the gems?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No questions asked. That's the best way to operate in this business, no?" I replied.

Tim'mrak scoffed. "An Equestrian does not take company with a Star except for a good reason, and a Griffon does not play toady to an Equestrian unless they're from the Empire. Is that who you swear fealty to? Is that where these gems are going?"

"I loathe the Empire" I said for what felt like the thousandth time.

Tim'mrak seemed to ponder it for a while before he jerked his head again, and the Griffon at his side once again stepped forward and set the case with the soul gem in it down. He was given another case by Tim'mrak, and I gently took them in my magical grasp. Sixfour pushed forward the carts with the cases of bits, and Tim'mrak's mercs took them. After a quick check of the cases to make sure everything was in order we all turned to leave, the Sons of Gilda mercs falling in behind us as we went.

"Stay your hooves!" I heard Tim'mrak thunder from behind me, and we all turned around. The Griffons went on edge, both ours and his, and he stepped forward, alone. Koss seemed to tense up, and I could feel that familiar knot of nerves building in my stomach.

"Your cloak..." Tim'mrak said, and I looked over my shoulder. The fabric seemed oddly furled over where it concealed my wings, and I could see how from behind it would look odd. The first of the adrenaline seeped into my blood as I turned my head back to look at Tim'mrak. "You are an Alicorn, aren't you?"

I looked around, uncertain of how to proceed. "I am" I responded simply.

"It is said that no more of you exist... Except in the Empire. Certain parties would pay great sums to know of your existence."

"Surely you don't mean the Empire you all hate so deeply? Even more deeply than I do?" I replied.

Tim'mrak snorted. "Of course not. But there are others who would give all they ever had to lay their talons on you. This sum you paid for the soul gems would not even amount to a fraction of what they would pay for you. Alive" Tim'mrak explained.

A silence befell the warehouse, the two sides uneasy as I looked Tim'mrak in the eye, and contemplated what he'd said. I stuck my tongue in my cheek and thought about it for a moment before turning to look at Koss and Sixfour, who stared back with a mix of uncertainty and unreadability.

"Kill them" I said.

All Tartarus broke loose.

One hour earlier.

I'd had another episode.

I'd been sitting, alone, in the cockpit of the corvette, staring out the viewport and down the hangar tunnel out onto the surface of Draconequus. I'd been there, physically, but as usual, my mind was elsewhere. i'd thought back to the day I'd been been made the Royal Hunter, and that had turned to thinking about my mother.

Princess Cadence.

She'd been a truly beautiful mare. There was a reason she was the Princess of Love. In the end, she had pledged loyalty to Empress Twilight, and she'd changed. She'd been one of the few ponies Twilight trusted to have a position in her cabinet, alongside a mare named Starlight. My mother had been an adviser to Twilight, and was usually by her side. When I'd challenged Empress Twilight over the nature of her rule and the truth behind the death of the Princesses, Cadence had been caught in the crossfire. Twilight had taken to the air and lit a shield around her, and I'd charged about the throne room, the two of us exchanging fire. I fired a spell that glanced off of Twilight's shield, and had hit the floor near where my mother had been hiding. I remember seeing her body sail across the room and hit one of the windows, severely crumpling and denting the glass but not, thankfully, passing through. She'd fallen to the floor, dead, and in the moment I paused to look at her smoldering form Twilight had fired the spell that banished me to Tartarus. Fluttershy and the others had been present, too, and Twilight had banished them all.

I spent so long, sitting in the cockpit, reliving that day over and over and over. It'd been quick, but even in the frantic fray time had seemed to slow. There was always such chaos, such confusion, during battle. Shouting, magical fire, explosions, it was a miracle that soldiers anywhere ever managed to make it through such intensity.

Sixfour had knocked me from my musings by stepping into the cockpit, though at first I hadn't noticed him enter. I'd still been lost in my thoughts, my mind realizing after a few moments that something had happened, something had changed. I looked around and found Sixfour standing beside me, unreadable as ever. "Should we go see Koss today, Princess?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's been a few days. No harm in going to see if he's found a seller" I said. We left the corvette and made our way back into the city, having the SoG mercs take us to Koss' apartment. Their old skyboat had been a military model, and so there were no windows to look out of on the trip. We sat in silence, listening to the hum of the engine and the idle chatter of the Griffon escort, who always seemed to eye us from the corner by the ramp.

As we went, I stared at the floor, my mother's face burned into my vision, never leaving. She smiled at me, and I wished for nothing more than to forget her features. To forget the pride I'd seen in her eyes when I'd been made the Royal Hunter. To forget the way her body lied crooked on the scorched and shattered marble.

After a moment, I got my wish. Her face faded from my mind, replaced by that of of my father's. I'd no idea what had happened to Shining Armor. He hadn't been present in the throne room when I challenged Empress Twilight, and so I supposed that I'd never know what became of him. He surely died of old age long before I escaped Tartarus, but still I thought of him. His stern but loving gaze, his quiet nature. He'd been made one of Twilight's advisers, teaching her the ways of warfare as she took the reins of our world. Last I'd heard of him, he'd been assigned to study artificial intelligence and robotics by Twilight on the planet Tirek. He'd always had such a fascination with the Starborn, I wondered how much of his research made it into their designs. Would I ever see part of my father reflected in Sixfour?

Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. It all came back to her. My mother's death, my father's research, the Starborn. That we were able to travel to other planets, Twilight's doing. The scientific outpost that gave way to The Dome? Thanks to Twilight. The average lifespan doubled from that of the years of the Princesses? Twilight Sparkle. The means for the flightless to fly? Twilight. Terraforming? Twilight. A world and its denizens changed forever. To Twilight, all the credit.

And all the blame.

I promised myself that, if given the choice, I'd trade everything my species had achieved since her Ascension for Harmony. I'd happily reset us all to the time of Commander Hurricane and Starswirl the Bearded if it meant Harmony's return. Star travel and greatly lengthened lifespans, traded for the peace and tranquility we were meant to have? Traded to elevate the other races onto a level equal with us? Oh yes, I'd do it with a smile.

The skyboat shuddered and I looked up from my trance, realized that we were descending to land, and stood. Sixfour joined me, and it wasn't long before the ramp dropped and the Griffons walked out, the two of us behind them. They led us out of the lot and into the streets to Koss's apartment, told us to wait outside as we did the last time, and disappeared into the building.

After a few minutes they came back out and told us to follow them, which we did. They pushed open the door to Koss's apartment and allowed us to enter first. Once we were all inside the Griffons closed the door and I saw Koss standing by one of the windows, staring side-eyed at the picture of Empress Twilight.

"You'll be pleased to hear I've found a dealer in possession of some soul gems" Koss commented, and turned away from the photo to look at me. He stepped away from the picture and walked to the kitchen, his side to us. As I watched him walk I took in his lithe form. He was graceful, for a mercenary-turned-smuggler.

"I'm guessing there'll be a catch?" I asked, though it was more of a statement than a question. Koss grinned, and I could only imagine(and wait to see) what kind of catch it'd be.

"You're a clever one. There is, indeed, a catch. The seller is a Minotaur by the name of Tim'mrak, with quite a reputation preceding him. He'll not be happy to see he's selling to an Equestrian, but with how much you seem to hate the Empire, and with how much you'll be paying, I'm sure he'll only grumble a little" Koss explained. "Oh, there is one other thing. He has only two soul gems. The rest we'll have to find elsewhere."

I shrugged. "Coin is coin, and there's more than two soul gems in The Dome, I'm sure of it" I responded.

Koss smiled again and approached, passed me as he went for the door, and gestured for us to trot out. "As am I" he commented as we left the apartment.

Everything in The Dome tended to kind of blend together, so I was glad to have Koss and the Sons of Gilda mercenaries to guide us to where the deal would be taking place. It'd taken a short ride on the skyboat, and a long trot down neon-lit streets and steamy alleys to a secluded warehouse, not unlike the SoG warehouse that served as a waypoint between the corvette dock and Koss's apartment. The warehouse had been down a winding alley, erected in a lot surrounded on all sides by various buildings and blockhouses. If one didn't know the warehouse was there, it was likely that one would never find it. It was the perfect place for this sort of transaction to take place.

It was also, as Sixfour had pointed out, the perfect place for an ambush. I'd acknowledged his concerns but directed Koss to take us into the warehouse, willing to take the risk. A SoG Griffon pulled the door open, revealed the room beyond was some manner of lobby or office, and we all filed in. There was a door immediately opposite the main entrance, and the merc pulled it open, revealing the warehouse proper. It was a typical affair: buzzing florescent lights, metal shelves in the back forming rows for organizing, and an open floor space devoid of any furniture or features, save for an assortment of crates stacked on pallets and even a metal desk near the shelf rows. What space was available was currently occupied by Griffon mercenaries from another group, and the large Minotaur standing amidst them.

As we all entered the warehouse I watched as all the other mercenaries turned to face us, all their eyes falling on me. The minotaur, Tim'mrak, was standing with his arms folded, staring at me with evident contempt. I realized I was something of a spectacle, but tried to pay it no mind as I approached the Minotaur. At just over seven feet tall, he towered over everything else in the room, taller than me by at least a foot, and taller than the Griffons by at least two. I stopped a respectable distance away from him, the only sounds in the room that of Sixfour pushing the wheeled carts we had the crates of bits on.

"A pony" Tim'mrak commented, his voice deep and raspy, like that of sandpaper. Sixfour took his place by my side, my attention briefly on him before turning back to face Tim'mrak, craning my head back to look him in the eye. He had a few scars on his face, and his mane was cut very short in the front and on top, but I saw that in the back it turned into a braided ponytail that stretched down to his mid-back. On his right hip was a truly large handgun, riding in a thick leather holster, and he was wearing a heavy, sleeveless jacket and canvas pants, his feet clad in mammoth boots. He was an impressive specimen, one that radiated a palpable air of violence. "And a Starborn."

"A pony with an eye to buy, and a Minotaur with an eye to sell" I replied.

Tim'mrak snorted and unfolded his arms, and took a step towards me, his heavy boots thumping loudly in the mostly-empty warehouse. He cast Sixfour a contemptuous glance before fixing his eyes on me, quietly regarding me. "And what is your name, little pony? Something immature and flowery, I'm sure of it."

"Flurry Heart."

Tim'mrak produced a low, throaty chuckle, and some of the Griffons on his side also snickered. He plodded back towards the center of the warehouse, bending to sit down on an old metal chair I'd failed to notice before. "A pony named Flurry Heart, and a Starborn" Tim'mrak uttered, turning his attention to Sixfour. "And what of it? I thought they were all destroyed" he said, nodding to my companion.

"Few survived. Most were hunted down by the Empire" I answered. At the mention of the Empire Tim'mrak's eyes turned to meet mine, boring into them with such intensity it made me uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything further.

"Let's see the gems" I said.

A few minutes later, all Tartarus broke loose.

The warehouse had quickly devolved into a maelstrom of gunfire and magical energy that drowned out all other noise and even made one unable to hear themselves think. At my command I'd thrown up a magical shield and quickly retreated behind a stack of crates, and almost immediately I'd lost track of Koss and Sixfour, though I'd had a good idea they'd still been alive. My shield allowed me a bit more time exposed to fire, and allowed me to survey the warehouse even as the bullets whizzed by. The Griffons, ours and theirs, nearest to Tim'mrak and I had died first, caught drawing their weapons while the others scattered. I spotted Tim'mrak across from me, diagonally, by a row of shelves, crouched behind an overturned steel desk. One of his subordinates was behind him just a few feet, sporting a semi-automatic rifle and dropping rounds on a few Sons of Gilda mercs behind some cover of their own.

On the left side of the warehouse, directly across from me, were the rest of Tim'mrak's mercenaries, the ones still breathing, in various positions, making moves to flank me and the rest of my compatriots while their buddies kept on the suppressing fire. A Griffon ducked out to line up a shot and I lanced him through the barrel with a burst of magic, the sound lost to the din of battle.

I turned my attention back to Tim'mrak, and watched as he flung a grenade across the concrete floor, the tremendous *WHUMP!* momentarily drowning out the gunfire and leaving a ringing in my ears that, thankfully, soon dissipated. When the smoke cleared I saw that three SoG mercs had been killed, their remains too grim to describe. Counting the two that had been killed right at the start of the battle, we were down to about three Sons of Gilda mercs, plus Koss, Sixfour, and myself. Enemy strength had been about eight, plus Tim'mrak.

I peeked over the top of the crates and watched as Tim'mrak directed some of his forces, waving his arm to get them to move up. I'd just fired a magical beam at him when the Griffon that had been behind him had vaulted over his cover, taking my blast and inadvertently saving Tim'mrak. With a line of sight on my position Tim'mrak had directed his forces to shift fire onto me, forcing me to pull back behind the crates. The crack of his magnum could be felt in the tight confines of the warehouse, powerful as it was.

"Princess, are you receiving this communique? Respond" I heard in my ear as my radio crackled to life, the voice on the other end that of Sixfour's. I looked up and around, but couldn't find my robotic friend among the clutter of the warehouse. I could only surmise he'd managed to make it outside, as unlikely that had seemed.

"I hear you! What is your position and status! Respond!" I shouted back into the transceiver, pressing the earpiece deeper in with a hoof. I peeked to check on Tim'mrak and the battle and watched as two of his fighters were cut down by a SoG Griffon with an automatic weapon, the crate he was behind splintering and cracking as it was hit by two slugs from Tim'mrak's gun.

"Koss and I have exited the warehouse, and are en route to the skyboat. We will return when we are able. Have you received this communique?"

"What the fu-- YES! How in blazes did you two manage to get out so quickly!?" I yelled.

"FIGHTERS, TAKE THE GEMS AND BITS. WE WILL LEAVE AT ONCE!" I heard TIm'mrak's voice boom out. I looked over the crate. The Minotaur had taken to standing by the desk, gun in hand. Most of the Sons of Gilda had fallen, leaving just myself and the one Griffon with the automatic rifle, the two of us pinned down.

"That information is not relevant to your current situation. I would be happy to explain the details at a later time, but, in short, we used the door" Sixfour replied.

"SHUT UP and get the fucking boat back here quick, that's an order!" I shot back. I powered my shield back up to full and stood, siphoning off a little magical energy to fire a quick beam that speared out across the warehouse and lanced one of the enemy Griffon's across the cheek, the bird falling to the floor and not getting back up. With their attention turned to me the SoG Griffon opened fire, dropping another two of the enemy mercs. Tim'mrak pulled back and flung another grenade across the floor, the device detonating near enough to warp my shield, the bubble bending before bouncing back into place with a *POP!* that made one's fur stand on end. "COVER ME!" I shouted and charged forward, my shield pushing the debris on the floor aside as I passed. I heard the Griffon's rifle bark, a staccato of fire that sent bullets sailing overhead as I reached the center of the floor, dropping the shield to pick up the cases that contained the soul gems.

As I slid the cases into an interior pocket of my cloak I became aware of Tim'mrak approaching, and I turned to face the threat. He thrust his gun hand forward and I ducked closer to throw off his shot, stabbing forward with my horn, which glanced off his holster. Now underneath Tim'mrak's arm I felt as he brought his gun down to smack my back, the force of the heavy blow buckling my knees and definitely leaving a nasty bruise. I threw up my shield again and Tim'mrak was violently shoved away from me, staggering into the wall of the warehouse. He took aim at me and fired, the heavy slugs shattering against my shield, shards and chips of lead and copper skittering across the warehouse floor. His gun empty he raised his hand as I backed away and once again delivered a backhanded blow to the shield, causing it to flicker. As I turned tail to run he was hit a few times by the SoG Griffon's rifle and he pulled back, reloading as he went. "RUN!" I screamed as I galloped for the door of the warehouse.

As I burst out into the alley I heard the skyboat hovering overhead, and I turned my head to look up, catching a glimpse of Sixfour on the ramp, staring down at the warehouse. I hoofed the soul gem cases over to the Griffon and strained to open my wings, the clasps on the cloak giving way around my barrel even as the clasps around my neck held true. With my wings unrestrained I shot into the sky and flew up into the skyboat, the Griffon right behind me. The ramp closed and we turned to accelerate away from the warehouse. Koss and Sixfour nodded at me as we got underway, and I gave the gem cases over to Koss.

"We've got a dancing partner!" the driver shouted from the back of the skyboat, and I felt the vehicle dip as we descended. The SoG riflebuck that had left the warehouse with me approached the center of the skyboat and slid back a hatch on the ceiling, exposing a bubble turret that rode on the top of the old dropship, a pair of ancient machine guns mounted in a twin bracket and jutting out of the turret. In addition to the top gunner position, there was a position to the left of the ramp that housed a small cannon in a sponson mount, allowing for light explosive fire in a roughly 60-degree radius along the front and left side of the vessel. Unless we turned around(and slowed down to do so) the sponson cannon would be useless, but the dual MG bubble turret had a full 360-degree range of motion covering everything on the same height or above the skyboat, and would be our best bet for surviving.

"Might want to hold onto something!" the pilot called as the skyboat banked and turned. It really did fly like a brick, but I could tell the pilot was fairly skilled. Really there was nothing for the rest of us to do, so I used my magic to root my hooves to the deck and prayed the SoG was as good a shot with those old singers as he was with his regular rifle.

With a rack of the charging toggle on both guns the bird let the guns rip, most of the sound lost to the skies of The Dome as we flew above the streets. With a one-second press of the triggers the floor already had three dozen empty brass cases rolling around on it, with more to come. I did my best to watch through the plexiglass dome of the bubble turret, but most of what I saw was a blur of streetlights and neon signs as our boat roared across the sky. The dim interior of the skyboat's troop bay danced in the light of the twin guns' muzzle flashes as the Gryph let loose on our pursuer, likely another skyboat.

"Got a good bird on the sticks in that boat" our pilot groused, his expression tense but his movements swift and sure as he did his best to throw the enemy's gunners off before they could draw a bead on us, while simultaneously trying to give our gunner the best angles. "Hang on, gonna try to duck between these highrises!"

The shadows in the skyboat darkened as we passed alongside and in between a few buildings, the strobe light effect from the guns amplified. I heard a rapid series of thumps as a number of bullets stuttered across our hull, the damage negligible. It was a terrible feeling, to do nothing but simply stand by, my life in the claws of another, who I'd have to trust to keep us all safe. I wanted to do something, anything, to shake our pursuer, to kill them, to disable them, anything. Instead, all I could do was watch the shadows dance.

I looked back up through the thick plexiglass of the bubble turret and caught a glimpse of the skyboat pursuing us, a model in the same general shape as ours, but sporting a dual assortment of quad MGs in its own bubble turrets, one on each side of the vehicle, affording a 180-degree field of view on each side. Worse still, there was a much larger cannon in a sponson mount, identical to ours. Our boat bucked as the enemy cannon fired, the shell striking a building as we passed, painting part of the boat in soot and embers. The pilot banked us left, sharply, and the enemy boat disappeared behind a building. As we cleared the edge of the tower we were cast in the pursuer's shadow as it passed over us, and the gunner swung the turret around to bear. He let the MGs sing once more, riding the triggers until the guns began to slow from the heat buildup, and I heard as much as felt a *thump!* as the enemy skyboat was hit in a vital place and went down, the gunner letting out a triumphant cry and releasing the triggers, the last of the empty cases clattering and bouncing to the faded steel floor.

It was quiet then, but the adrenaline still pumped. It continued to pump for another several minutes, as we began to fly back to Koss's apartment.

IX - Cloak and Dagger

"Torch 'em, Spike!"

Two down, four more to go. After returning to Koss' apartment Sixfour and I had returned to the corvette to stash the soul gems, and I spent the longest time just staring at them. It was odd to me, to consider that I was doing what I was doing. That I would do what I intended to do. As I stared at the gems I could only wonder what Moondancer and the Pie Sisters were doing back on Etherea. As discussed I'd left them behind to take care of the fillies and research what they could about the Elements of Harmony. I was certain that Moondancer and Sunburst were practicing and remembering what they could from their time as Twilight's friends all those centuries ago. I was grateful to them; the more we knew about the Elements and the kind of magic they cast, the better.

"If you gaze into them for long, they will gaze back, my princess" I heard Sixfour comment from behind me. I huffed, closed the case, and slid it into a hidden compartment of the cockpit's control dash. I turned to face my robotic compatriot and trotted past him, heading for the door.

"I have little patience for hyperbole and melodrama, Sixfour. The gems will not consume my mind; they're mere means to an end" I quipped, hearing Sixfour fall in behind me. The two us traveled down the hall to the small, semi-circular staircase that went down to the main core of the corvette, the area that housed things like the mess, armory, den, and entrance airlocks. We trotted up to the airlock and waited for it to cycle us out. "Speaking of that end, we've got a lead on some more gems. Koss gave me a tip on a Minotaur marauder band moving goods across The Dome as a go-between for some of the Griffon mercenary groups in the metropolis."

"How did Koss learn of this information?"

"My guess is that these Minotaurs were going to move these goods for the Sons of Gilda, but then backed out when another merc group gave them a better price. This reeks more of Koss and the SoG getting payback, but it's mutually beneficial. The SoG get back at the Minotaurs for gypping them, and we get another gem" I explained.

Sixfour said nothing in response and we stepped out onto the dock, heading down the way to the checkpoint that would lead us into The Dome proper. The Sons of Gilda had agreed to help the two of us track the Minotaurs, as well as ferry us around The Dome on our hunt for soul gems. In return, they'd be getting paid for each soul gem they successfully helped us acquire, as well as for the taxi service.

"What do you suppose the odds of us acquiring the soul gems peacefully are?" Sixfour asked.

I paused as the first airlock door opened to cycle us into The Dome, turned to look at Sixfour, and gave him a smirk. "The means mean nothing. Only the end."

The Dome was as aromatic as it was visually pleasing. That is to say, not at all. Sure, as you neared a corner shop you might pick up a random pleasant scent that'd remind you of Equus, but the predominant odor was that of sulfur and smoke carried on stale air. The oxygen in the mammoth glass canopy was artificially produced, and it never quite could compare to that of natural air. I yearned to see a tree, or grass, or a clear blue sky. Instead it was all steel and stone, bathed in an odd, fleeting darkness from the planet's perpetual blanket of stormclouds covering its red skies. It was a place that engendered little but misery and depression in one's thoughts.

"My Princess, I am in position. I have positional information regarding the Minotaur targets and their relation to our forces that may prove advantageous" Sixfour chimed in over the radio. I'd been lying prone on a rooftop, shielded from above by a thin sheet-metal awning that buffeted an adjacent roof, leaving about three feet of space for me to crawl into. The perfect position to watch the target building from. Information from the Sons of Gilda and Koss had led us to a rather unassuming industrial district and a site with a large garage flanked by a small office. Inside were an unknown number of Minotaurs, and my soul gems, also an unknown number.

"Send it" I replied, carefully watching the doors of the complex that faced my perch: two garage doors and a single pedestrian door that led into the office. Sixfour was supposed to be watching the other side of the building, though I'd never have been able to see him even if I'd tried.

"Seven marauders observed through second-story windows moving cargo in the direction of the garage. Cargo is of mixed sizes, from small cases to large crates on cart. Target gems likely among this cargo. No further enemy units observed as of this moment."

"Keep alert: I'm sure there's more than just those seven in there" I said. In truth seven likely was all of them; the complex wasn't that large.

"Of course."

There was two facets to the plan here. One was for Sixfour and I to storm the building from opposite ends and engage the marauders within, finding and securing our gems as we went. This was the optimal plan, as it'd be fought in a static environment. The catch was that the marauders would have the home field advantage. The other option was to assault their vehicles as they left the garage, which they were scheduled to do soon, and would provide the most surprise, as well as provide us a fluid environment to fight in(not to mention offering the best chance at retreat should the attack go awry). The catch there was that they'd be mobile and armored.

"I'm moving in. Stand by" I chimed in over the radio, shimmying out from under the awning. Igniting my horn, I wreathed myself in magic and kicked off the ledge, levitating silently through the air towards the building. The windows were all shaded(or armored) and there was no door guard, making my approach undetectable by those inside. I landed gracefully on the roof above a few windows, and turned to face them, backing off the roof. With a sigh of exertion I held myself up with my forehooves and eased down into position, placing my hindlegs on the windowsill. I lit my horn once again and pushed, the window holding. Changing spells I fed more power into my magic and the glass began to glow, melting at the edges. Within a few minutes the glass and steel shutter behind it had softened and I pushed again, the whole affair popping from the sill and falling to the floor in a semi-molten state.

Once inside, I found myself in a featureless hallway, a nondescript door at either end. From where I was standing, the garage was on the left-hoof side of the building, and so I turned in that direction. Even on the second floor I was sure I'd have been able to find my way there, doing my best to avoid any attention from the Minotaurs inside the building.

"My Princess, what is your status?" Sixfour asked, and I paused. I keyed the mic twice, our designated 'stealth' signal when we needed to communicate silently. "Shall I make my approach to provide on-site assistance?" he pushed, and I keyed the mic once to say 'no.' I began to move up to the door when Sixfour said "I advise against solo infiltration, my Princess."

The faster I get these gems, the better I thought. My goal was to move in and out as fast as possible. I didn't need Sixfour's help here. There was no way those Minotaurs would be getting out of there with my gems! All I needed Sixfour to do was watch for any sign the Minotaurs were leaving.

Pushing the door open I peered through the crack, my gaze falling on the garage. There was a catwalk that ringed the upper level of the garage, connecting the second floor to the bay. The upper catwalk was H-shaped, with a crane on a sliding track built onto the railing of the middle connector. Parked in the garage was a large armored vehicle, its side doors open and loading ramps deployed. Stowed away on rafters, far above the floor, was a skyboat, likely in need of repairs or otherwise out-of-commission. I watched through the grated floor of the catwalk as three Minotaurs walked into the garage, one of them pushing a loaded cargo cart. He pushed the cart up the ramp into the armored vehicle, his two buddies following him in. As I watched I caught movement high up on the far side of the back wall, and my eyes snapped up to watch. There was a small window built near the ceiling, to provide ventilation, being pushed on from the outside. I watched quietly as Sixfour peered in before he pushed the window open all the way, climbed in, and leaped silently onto the catwalk. He quickly slinked off and dropped to the floor, disappearing from sight behind some stacked crates. He hadn't seen me through the cracked door.

"Sixfour, what is your status?" I whispered, curious. There had never been any indication that he'd ever do anything without me ordering it, so for him to infiltrate the warehouse on his own initiative, and without telling me, was interesting. Equally interesting would be his response.

"Standing by, Princess" he responded simply. That much was true, though he neglected to reveal he'd snuck into the warehouse. "IR scans report three foes inside armored vehicle and two moving toward garage via downstairs hallway. Remaining two hostiles unaccounted for. Scans also report equine life form watching from second floor doorway."

Fuck.

"Very cute. Next time, stay outside unless I order you to move in."

"Negative, Princess. Support is necessary for high-risk ops. Can't have you going off to fight by yourself."

Before I could say anything more I heard the engine of the Minotaurs' vehicle roar to life, the side doors being pulled shut from inside. Without a second thought I dashed out onto the catwalks and rushed to the connecting bridge, there the crane was. I was unfamiliar with the controls, but they seemed simple enough. With a throw of a lever the crane arm was lowered down, and with a little more finagling I managed to get the hook on the end of the arm to catch on the armored vehicle. The door to the garage automatically opened, and the Minotaur behind the wheel accelerated. They made it about three feet before the crane arm reached the end of its travel, and the hook wrenched against the vehicle, rooting them in place.

A full second later five gunshots rang out and I was struck by each of the bullets fired, the light slugs failing to penetrate the armor of the cloak. I whipped around in place and ignited my horn to cast a shield, another number of shots hitting the magical barrier just before my face. It seemed a Minotaur had come through the same door I had at some point, and I had missed his arrival. I heard the doors of the armored vehicle open and I returned fire on the Minotaur, my beam going wide and spearing the wall by his side. He ducked back into the hallway and I vaulted over the railing, dropping down onto the APC as the Minotaurs inside came out with weapons raised. I shot one through the back of the head and hit another in the shoulder before they turned to respond. As they did Sixfour emerged from behind the crates and opened fire with a magical laser we'd fitted to his hull. The Minotaur I'd wounded was hit in the lower abdomen twice, and he fell to the floor, pushing himself back with one arm as he braced his rifle against his shoulder.

A smattering of heavier gunfire from the catwalk scored along my shield, and I leaped back off the APC to find cover. I pumped up the power to my barrier, the surface becoming a deep purple. The problem was that the more magic I fed into the shield, the more opaque it became, obscuring my vision, but it'd stave off all but the heaviest of firepower for the few seconds I needed to get behind more corporeal cover. I ducked behind the back of the APC and reduced the power of the shield, from a full bubble that surrounded my body, to a light film that contoured to my form like a traditional energy shield. The Minotaurs' rifles would easily punch through that, but I was counting on the cover from the APC(as well as my wits and Sixfour's coordination) to survive.

"STAR! Slag it quick!" I heard one of the Minotaur's bark from beyond the APC. I heard a thump as the Minotaur upstairs dropped down to the floor, Sixfour scuttling back into cover with me. He slinked into the APC just as a grenade rolled out into the open, a horrific *WHUMP!* sending hot shrapnel around the warehouse, the little shards and slivers hitting my shield like rain drops.

"Shifting OS, IR trackers online. Warning, two Minotaur combatants rapidly approaching garage from ground-level door. We will be surrounded by seven combatants in 4.63 seconds" Sixfour exclaimed as he poked his head out the right-side door of the APC, his weapon firing as he did. "We will be surrounded by six combatants in 2.34 seconds."

"Perform maneuver Generosity! Move port to buck!" I shouted, dashing out the back of the APC and leaping up onto the top of the vehicle just as the missing two Minotaurs entered the garage. I saw Sixfour charge out the left side of the APC and rush towards the front to flank the Minotaurs. I threw off the cloak and spread my wings, taking to the air with my shield on moderate power. Sixfour dropped a Minotaur and wounded another as I soared up, my horn siphoning off power to slug the wounded horn through the sternum, killing him.

"EXTERMINATE THE EQUESTRIAN and send her corpse BACK TO EMPRESS TWILIGHT!" one of the four remaining Minotaurs thundered. They shifted positions, scattering to take cover from both me and Sixfour. I wanted nothing more than to explain to them that we wanted the same things, but they would never have believed me. They'd be necessary casualties in the march to Harmony.

As Sixfour doubled back to the APC he ran head-first into one of the Minotaurs as it passed through the vehicle, the diminutive Star staggered by the impact with the brute. The Minotaur raised his arm and decked Sixfour with the back of his fist, and a plate from Sixfour's face clattered across the floor. He rolled towards the Minotaur, throwing him off balance, and I shot him once in the back to distract him before the remaining three Minotaurs had regrouped and were taking beads on me.

"ALICORN! KILL HER! FUCKING TEAR HER WINGS FROM HER BACK!" a Minotaur, the squad leader from the looks of him, barked. I dropped to the roof of the APC and ran to the corner they'd just occupied, closest to the garage door. There was a large spool of cable laid out like a table that would be ample cover. I moved behind the spool and crouched down, peering around the side of it to see the Minotaurs across the garage. As I did this another grenade rolled up right next to me and I ignited my horn, flash-feeding every last thaum I could muster to power my shield, the color a solid deep purple. The grenade went off and more than half the shield caved in before bouncing back like a water balloon being gripped and released. The shield saved me from the worst of the concussive wave but I still shook my head to recover from the vertigo. As my senses returned to me I reduced power to the shield so I could see and saw that a Minotaur was standing just beyond the cable spool, opening fire a split second later. The bullets hit the shield with a kind of sound I could never hope to describe, and one I never wanted to hear again. A quick burst from my horn put him on the floor with a case of rigor mortis, leaving the two Minotaurs down the way plus the one I'd left with Sixfour.

"IMPERIAL SCUM! I'LL ENJOY RENDING YOUR WINGS AND GOUGING YOUR EYES! And when the time comes, I'll do the same to your EMPRESS!!"

I snapped. I charged from cover directly towards the Minotaurs, my shield peppered with their gunfire. I yelled a cry I scarcely remember yelling and fired two beams, slagging their guns. The Minotaurs went for their knives and I swung my horn and kicked out my hooves and pranced about. One of the Minotaurs kicked up, missed me, and I darted between his legs, reared my head up and stabbed him in the stomach. He barked in surprise and pain and swung his knife, the blade lashing up my neck and ear, sending blood through the air. As his buddy attempted to stab me I ignited my shield, throwing them both away from me. As they struggled on the ground I set upon them, driving my horn into the neck of one as I stood on his back. He jerked and I fell onto him, holding his sides with my hooves as my horn carved up his throat into his jaw. I pulsed my magic and half his head vanished, coating my face and chest in blood. His friend had regained his footing and lunged at me, I ducked under him, and stabbed him through the armpit and up towards the collarbone. He growled and plunged his knife into my flank. I screamed in pain and twisted my neck, which drove my horn deeper into his chest cavity. Blood flowed down the spire and into my eyes, and I screamed. My horn pulsed, and his arm was turned to atoms, his knife left stuck in my cutie mark. His limp body fell to the floor and I screamed and screamed as I kicked and bucked at his corpse. Blood, mine and his, matted my fur and dripped to the floor, my chest heaving. I was shaking, and I realized the garage had gone quiet.

"S-Six... Are you there, Sixfour..." I breathed, the sound loud enough in the still room. There was no response, and so I deigned to stand over the bodies of the Minotaurs, my heart racing. "Sixfour..." I called again, and again there was no response. I shakily stepped over the bodies of the Minotaurs and approached the rear of the APC, where my cloak had fallen. With a careful flick of my horn it floated up into the air and I wrapped it around me, buttoning it up. I felt it catch on something and realized the Minotaur's knife was still stuck in my flank. I stared at it as I drew it out with my magic, thick blood running out onto the blade and splattering to the floor. I dropped the knife and as I did, I realized Sixfour was standing where I'd just been, next to the bodies of the Minotaurs, holding two small cases on his back. He was missing a few plates, and was covered in a bit of blood himself, but seemed no worse for wear. I stared at him with wide eyes, the blood in my fur drying as the last of it dripped to the cold concrete, and he stared back, as expressionless as ever.

Four gems down, two more to go.

X - Ironhand

"There's no room for weakness, doubt, dissent. That's the point of Unity; a single collective, vying for a single goal, for the betterment of all. If you can't agree with that, then you have no place in my new Equestria. Go now, and may posterity forget that you were our compatriot."

I ached. From hoof to horn, I ached. Day after day of fighting, stalking, and little sleep was starting to catch up to me. Sixfour quietly regarded me each day with silent, glowing eyes, and it is because of him I was sure that I could go on.

But some nights, I could hardly climb out of bed, let alone go on another hunt. It'd been a week since the battle at the garage, but Koss had instructed me to check in with him each day to see if he'd found any new gems, and so I did. Sixfour tagged along each time, of course, but we'd not spoken since the garage battle. I knew he'd be by my side forever, and not because he was programmed to, because he wasn't, but because he believed in Harmony. We all did, but as each day passed I began to wonder just what lengths we'd go to in order to return it to the galaxy.

"Ah, it's our resident freedom fighter. You'll be pleased to hear I've located another more gem, and it's under light security. It's being moved for some odd pony monks, some of the few Equestrians living in The Dome. They probably think the light security acts as camouflage, but unfortunately for them it made it easier for my friends to unveil just what exactly they're moving. I have the details, but my friends want me to come with you. To prove we're working together in good faith" Koss explained.

I frowned. I wasn't happy about stealing from fellow ponies, but I had to remind myself that these were soul gems intended for use by 'monks' living in The Dome. They wouldn't be good people, regardless of race. Koss needing to come along was a bit upsetting too, as it was a symptom of the distrust so many of the other races had for Equestrians; his friends wouldn't tell us what we needed to know unless he was there to make them trust me.

I was about to agree when another thought occurred to me: Koss, or his friend, was lying, and I would be walking into a trap. I shared a look with Sixfour, who shrugged. "Alright. Let's get going" I said. I had no real reason to distrust Koss, as he'd been on the level with us thus far, but I had to admit I was a bit suspicious.

"Splendid," Koss said, clapping his talons together. "Let's get down to the skyboat. I can tell you a bit about the monks and the nature of the cargo caravan as we go."

We touched down in a district of The Dome that seemed so different from the rest of it. Whereas the rest of The Dome was a confusing mishmash of narrow streets and tall buildings choked by smog and smoke and dampness this part of the sprawling metropolis bore hints of the original science colony that The Dome grew into. The streets here were wide, the buildings low, and there were even planters and rows of trees, all long dead of course, but the remnants were still there. It seemed this area had once been the living quarters of the pony scientists that had first put down roots on the planet. It made sense to me that what few ponies who lived in The Dome would choose(or be forced) to live here.

It also made moving around unseen and unheard harder. There were a few taller buildings on the outskirts that we were all using to move around. We'd met up with Koss' friends in a more industrial area and, once they'd established my bona fides, proceeded towards the area they'd christened 'Twilight's garden', where we were now. The caravan was supposed to pass through here on the way to the 'Temple of Moonlight', wherever that was and whatever that meant, where the pony monks were. I'd asked Koss about the nature of the monks and why they were here in The Dome, but he hadn't been able to tell me anything beyond the name of their temple.

"The Sons of Gilda are in position, but I'm certain you'll be able to handle this all on your own. I'm interested to see you in action again" Koss said from behind me. We'd set up observation on the top floor of a modest office building, long abandoned. There was a roof access door just a few feet from me, which I was to use in case of emergency. The plan was to have one of the SoG mercenaries fly out to stop the caravan, at which point I'd approach to help ease the process of 'relieving' the monks of the soul gem. Really I felt such a large presence would attract undue attention on our part, but if it had to be done this way then so be it. These would be one of the last gems we needed anyway.

As scheduled the caravan came gliding down the street, a single hovercar with a monobike riding alongside, a pony riding it. The windows on the car were tinted, but that wouldn't matter much. They slowly went along the boulevard, the streets quiet and deserted. As they passed the office building a SoG Griffon flew out from his perch and gently came down in the street in front of the hovercar, which slowed. The monobike pulled alongside the Griffon and they began to talk, the Griffon gesturing to the buildings around them.

I turned to head for the stairs when I noticed the pony on the bike stagger, one hoof kicking out to keep himself and the bike propped up. The SoG Griffon fell to the pavement, weakly kicking at the ground and clutching his throat. "What the f--" I began to say, interrupted by the distant and muted report of a high-caliber gunshot, and the SoG mercenaries scattered from their hiding spots, the hovercar's driver gunning the engine.

I immediately threw my cloak to the floor and busted open the roof access door, galloping up the steps and out into the sky with a single beat of my wings. Predictably, whatever sniper had slugged the monk and the mercenary with one bullet started firing at me, and after the first barely missed shot I knew I was going to have to rely on my shield; they were a good shot.

Diving down between the buildings I hammered my wings against the wind and banked out low above the streets, following the hovercar as it raced down the avenue. Some of the SoG mercenaries moved into formation alongside me and I ignited my horn, firing a blast into the street next to the hovercar to knock it askew. The vehicle bucked and swerved but recovered, picking up speed as the driver began to swerve back and forth across the streets to throw off my aim. I was about to take another shot when the deep thrum of a skyboat filled my ears, the heavy aircraft slowly zooming overhead and slowing to turn. "SCATTER!" I shouted as the roof turret opened fire on us, the Griffon immediately to my right falling to the pavement trailing bloody feathers. I banked sharp to the left and dove in between the buildings once more, the skyboat above giving chase.

"SIXFOUR! DO WHAT YOU CAN TO KEEP THAT CAR ON YOUR SENSORS!" I screamed into the radio, and looked up as the skyboat turned overhead. I dropped to the street and hit the ground galloping, ducking down an alley as the skyboat's cannon fired, the shell hitting a building just above me, the rubble and shrapnel thumping against my shield.

"Acknowledged, Princess. The target vehicle is 63 yards to your right and moving Northeast at a speed of 134 miles per hour. Sons of Gilda mercenaries have moved to pursue both it and the skyboats chasing you. Over."

"SKYBOATS? AS IN MORE THAN ONE!?" I shouted back as I took back to the air, racing along the buildings just below the rooftops to keep under cover from the skyboats. There was a street a few hundred yards dead ahead of me, which would put me out in the open, but I was out of options.

"That is correct, Princess. Sensors indicate two Type Sixteen Light Response Skyboats in pursuit, controlled and commanded by a Type X Strategic Field Support Gunboat. Over."

Sweet Harmony what the FUCK? I though to myself. The older Type Sixteens were similar to what the Sons of Gilda were using; they sported a single ball turret in the roof of the vehicle running twin machine guns, and a front-facing cannon in a sponson mount on the port side of the hull. A threat with good gunners, but slow and as aerodynamic as a brick. The Type X(exx, not ten) was a newer design, if my research was to be believed, and was less a troop transport and more death-with-jet-engines. Faster, better armored, and with dual chin-mounted ball turrets and missile pods on its wings. Facing it would be a death sentence.

"KEEP ME APPRAISED OF THAT TYPE X'S LOCATION AT ALL TIMES, DO YOU UNDERSTAND? WHAT IS THE LOCATION OF THE TARGET CAR?" I asked as I barreled down the alleyway towards the street. I was hoping to use the brief moment I'd be out in the open to fire on the hovercar, but if that Type X was anywhere near me I'd be dead within seconds, shield or no.

"The target vehicle has turned left relative to you and you are now on a prime intercept path. Proceed along your current route and you will pass over the target vehicle in 8.94 seconds. Increase velocity to decrease interception time and adjust vector of attack. The Type X Gunboat is 1,347.7 yards to the South-Southwest and is approaching the combat area at a speed of 346 miles per hour. Over."

I lowered my head and pressed my wings against my body to reduce wind resistance, my speed increasing as I approached the end of the alley. I'd never be as fast as Rainbow Dash, but the less time I was out in the open the better. I threw open my wings and raised my head just as I cleared the end of the alley, the hovercar passing directly underneath me right as I did. I turned and fired, the magic blast hitting the vehicle in the rear, the force bashing it against the pavement and scrapping the on-board power plant. The hovercar skidded along the pavement, throwing up sparks along the street as it went, jumped the curb, and rammed nose-first into a building. I immediately dove down to the wreckage, the Type X screaming overhead as I did. I galloped up to the wreck just as the driver-side door popped open, the driver struggling to squeeze out of the busted vehicle. I hardly missed a step as I shot him through the head and gripped the door in my magic, rending the steel as I tore it away and climbed into the cabin. I shot the passenger when he reached for a gun and a quick glance revealed there were no other passengers. There were a number of metal cases and crates in the back storage area, slightly charred and covered in soot from when the rear-end of the car had exploded. I tore into the cases, pushing the larger crates aside, until I found a small case containing a single soul gem.

"SIXFOUR! SIXFOUR I'VE GOT THE GEM! YOU AND KOSS GET THE FUCK OVER TO ME RIGHT NOW!" I yelled, scrambling back out of the vehicle and galloping to the nearest alley. I'd just made it in when the Type X's nose gunners opened fire, the sidewalk turned to dust in my wake as the bullets tore it apart. I never stopped galloping as the gunboat soared overhead, its jet boosters producing a high whine as the pilot fed more fuel into them. I ran as fast as I could back towards the office building, knowing that Koss and Sixfour were moving to meet me. I was relatively safe from the skyboats in the alleys, but I knew they were doing their best to track me, and I just had to wonder just who was in those boats. I was certain it was one of the other Griffon mercenary bands, who'd somehow managed to catch wind of me and what I was doing. Either that or it was a random Minotaur marauder party, but they wouldn't have brought this much firepower to a random fight, and it didn't explain the sniper from earlier either.

"Understood, we are on our way. Be advised, Princess, that all other Sons of Gilda mercenaries on-site have been eliminated or ordered to retreat. We're on our own. Over."

It's just as well; they couldn't help us against that fucking gunboat. I slowed to a rapid canter as I turned right down another alley, the skyboats circling overhead like sharks, keeping track of my position. Pretty soon they'd start bombing and shelling the buildings to try and force us out into the open, where they'd move in for the kill.

"Flurry Heart!" I heard Koss call. I slowed to a halt and looked to where I'd heard his voice come from. I'd entered in a little courtyard and saw Koss and Sixfour approaching from the left, Koss gliding along. He came down into a canter and the two of them trotted up to me. "Been a long time since these wings got a work out. So what's the plan? There's a bit of a sewer network that runs throughout the entire Dome that we could use to slip away."

"It'd keep us away from those skyboats. Do you know anything about these guys? Something's up, since they had that sniper in the perfect place" I said.

Koss nodded grimly. "I caught a glimpse of the markings on those boats, they belong to the Ironhand Reavers, led by one Tim'mrak Gornta. That lunatic is here for you" Koss explained. "You'll recall that he wants to capture you alive and sell you off."

I hummed an acknowledgement. "The sewers it is. Here, take the gem" I said, hoofing the case over to Koss. "It'll be safer in your talons. If Tim'mrak's hunting me, I want to keep him away from the soul gems we have. That gem and all the others we've acquired are imperative to the restoration of Harmony and the future of all Equus's races: guard them with your life, please" I explained.

"I haven't the slightest care for this harmony crap; I just want to be paid. But since these little gems are key to that, I'll certainly guard it with everything I've got. Shall we be going?" Koss said.

That was good enough. "Let's split up. It'll be easier for you to sneak away alone, especially if Tim'mrak is on my tail. Sixfour and I will draw those skyboats as far away from here as possible and then try to get into the sewers. Good luck!"

Koss nodded and galloped away, disappearing into one of the buildings and leaving me with Sixfour alone. The skyboats continued to circle overhead, trying to keep track of us. One of the lighter ones passed over and I saw that the gunner was facing us, meaning we'd been spotted. I nodded to Sixfour to follow me and I ran, hooves clopping against the concrete and the sound echoed by Sixfour. We had five soul gems, all we needed to do now was find one more and we could leave this place, and Harmony would return to the GALAXY.

We just had to survive long enough to do that.

XI - 614

In the end, there will be no one left, nothing left, but us. Equestria, Equestrians. Earth, Unicorn, Pegasus. Crystal, Thestral, and the purebred. There will be no room for the others. They will be cast aside, their existences forgotten. They will be lost to this world and this universe. I am warned of the countless wars we will endure to fulfill this destiny. I do not take note of these warnings. Equestria will know eternal splendor if only she can endure those few hard years. From this day, until my last day, I am Equestria's first soldier. I will not take leave until we know only utter dominance, or I will not survive the outcome. -TS.

"You're proving to be a major hassle. A living Alicorn would be worth an incalculable sum of money, but even a dead one would net 10 figures, maybe more. I can bear the physical expense of keeping you alive, but I don't see how I could possibly stomach the mental expense of it. I'll enjoy watching you die."

"Sixfour, can you detect any airborne pathogens or elements in the room?"

"Negative, Princess. Reporting all atmospheric readings as nominal. Oxygen levels normal and steady. Air humidity recorded at 0.6%. Background radiation nominal."

"Alright what gives, Tim'mrak? Your little trap fail? I wouldn't be surprised if a brute like you couldn't even rig up a simple drowning trap."

"Suffer."

Twenty minutes earlier

"Down, down quick, quick!" I yelled, pushing Sixfour down into the sewer entrance. We'd ran and ran through alleys and sidestreets, the skyboats on us the entire way, when we'd come across an open sewer maintenance project. The road had been torn away and large pipes stacked nearby to be lowered into place, the old piping long gone. Sixfour cantered down the scaffolding stairs into the pipes and I dove down after him, using my magic to slow my fall and lessen the impact of the landing. The Type X roared over us and turned to give the gunners a shot, and we scurried into the pipe. I turned and blasted the top end of the piping to collapse the tunnel, to give us time in case Tim'mrak or his goons tried to pursue on foot.

"Where are we, Sixfour? Get some maps; we need to find our way out and back to Koss" I said, lighting my horn to provide enough light for me to see. The piping ran down another dozen or so yards before ending, the sewer turning into a much older stone canal wide enough for at least a canoe.

"There are no maps, Princess. No records exist of The Dome's sewer network. Cardinal navigation is still functional, however. Koss' safehouse is 16.87 miles to the Southwest. Our current heading will take us Northwest. Our best bet is to proceed along this route and find a route that will take us to our desired destination" Sixfour explained.

I frowned but nodded. Maybe we'd find an old physical map somewhere, else I'd have to rely on Sixfour's directions, which I trusted enough anyway. We trotted down the pipe and into the canal, the stones here weathered and damp. The canal went on for a bit before being barred off to control the flow of debris, but there were two offshoots on either side. Moving down the left side I peered down the offshoot to find it was clear and I trotted in, Sixfour right behind me.

"Five gems, five gems. We're so close, Sixfour! We're almost there!" I exclaimed.

"Your devotion is admirable, my Princess, but I'm beginning to become concerned over it. It is rapidly becoming an obsession and may lead to your destruction" Sixfour said.

I huffed. "Nonsense. This is our dream. Harmony is everything we ever wanted, Sixfour! It's all I've striven for since escaping Tartarus, all I cared for. I WILL see this through."

"There should be no doubt that I too believe in Harmony. I am beyond grateful for everything you've done for my people, I'd just hate to see you consumed and destroyed by it."

I paused as we reached a junction, an office door immediately to my left, the window of which was dim and dusty. I pushed the door open and glanced around inside. There was a desk beneath the window, a rolling chair pushed into the space. A shelf was in the corner behind the desk, a few books and manuals propped up on it. Everything had a fine layer of dust on it, showing the office hadn't been used in a long time. I stepped in and peeked around the door, finding an old notice board on the wall behind it, a folded map in a receptacle next to it. I pulled the map out and unfolded it, my eyes scanning over it. The lines and passageways depicted on it revealed the labyrinth of tunnels that made up this sector of The Dome's sewer system, but it also revealed there was a control room and pipe interchange not far from where we were, and beyond that there was a much larger 'Master Canal' that ran directly in the direction we needed to go. "Looks like we've got our way out. Let's go" I said, and turned to leave the office. Sixfour stood in the threshold of the door, blocking my exit, and I wished for about the millionth time that Stars could have actual expressions.

"I am unsure of how to express the proper concern for you, my Princess. You've been fighting too hard these past few weeks. You're becoming more unhinged, more desperate. You take chance after chance, and it won't be long before you run out of chances. Harmony can't be realized without you at the helm, and Equestria won't get the guidance it needs if Harmony returns and you aren't there. Worse still, the odds of Empress Twilight learning of your return grow larger with every battle, every skirmish, and every creature we meet. Step back, before it's too late" Sixfour said.

I paused. I paused because Sixfour was right. He was right, but I didn't want to face it. I wanted to stop Twilight. I wanted to stop the injustice. I wanted to return us to the way things had been under Celestia and Luna. The Magic of Friendship, Harmony. Balance. Sixfour was right, but I wasn't ready to face it.

"Let's go, Sixfour..."

He stepped aside, and I trotted past him. Directly opposite the door to the office was another passageway, leading down to the control room and interchange. We cantered down a narrow set of stairs and down the hallway at the bottom, fluorescent lights buzzing along the wall. At the end of the hall was a room with a large glass window, through which I could see the control room. Sixfour and I stepped into the room and I saw a door on the left, a solid steel affair. I trotted up to it and pressed on the handle, finding it locked. I frowned and turned to inspect the window. I could probably burn through it, I surmised, but it'd take more than a few minutes. "Let's see if there's another way to the master canal" I said, pulling the map back out. Sixfour and I stood in the room inspecting the map. There didn't seem to be any other way to get to the master canal except by going through the control room, so it was looking like our only option was to burn through the window.

I turned back around to inspect the window and froze, the iron form of Tim'mrak looming on the other side of the glass, leering at me. Before we could dash out the way we had come the door sealed and locked, and we were trapped inside. There was an intercom on the window, and Tim'mrak leaned in to it. "What a happy coincidence this is. I'd figured chasing you down into the sewers would make it easier to hunt you down, but I never would have expected to trap you this easily, and in such a convenient manner. I really must thank you."

"If you think you've gotten me that easily you're sorely mistaken. I won't just give in to you, and you know it" I said.

Tim'mrak smiled and looked down at the control console he was standing before, inspecting it. "I'm sure there's all sorts of ways I can...ensure your cooperation, but really, why go through the trouble? You're proving to be a major hassle. A living Alicorn would be worth an incalculable sum of money, but even a dead one would net 10 figures, maybe more. I can bear the physical expense of keeping you alive, but I don't see how I could possibly stomach the mental expense of it. I'll enjoy watching you die" Tim'mrak said from beyond the thick glass.

There was a soft click and a small hole opened in the wall near the ceiling. I tensed, waiting for the gas or water to pour out, but there was nothing. I looked around, expecting something else to open or shift, but nothing happened. I turned back to face Tim'mrak, and he merely stood with a satisfied smirk.

"Sixfour, can you detect any airborne pathogens or elements in the room?" I asked, keeping my gaze on Tim'mrak, who'd folded his arms over his chest as he stared back.

"Negative, Princess. Reporting all atmospheric readings as nominal. Oxygen levels normal and steady. Air humidity recorded at 0.6%. Background radiation nominal."

"Alright what gives, Tim'mrak? Your little trap fail? I wouldn't be surprised if a brute like you couldn't even rig up a simple drowning trap" I taunted. Tim'mrak grinned like a shark and leaned forward against the control console.

He remained silent, and two minutes proceeded to pass by, Sixfour and I looking about the room as Tim'mrak watched. I was beginning to think he was just planning to starve me to death when Sixfour perked up. His artificial ears perked back and he looked up at the hole, his eye lenses adjusting and focusing. Tim'mrak leaned further forward on the console, propped up on his elbows, his grin toothy and expectant. "Suffer" he simply commented.

"ALERT! RADIATION LEVELS RISING! Current dose measured at 1.0 Roentgens per hour" Sixfour exclaimed.

Sweet Celestia... I thought. I understood only very little about radiation, but I have to admit to having been more than a little scared. I would slowly and silently be poisoned and burned from the inside out, and Tim'mrak would just stand and watch it all. "Radiation poisoning? That's how you're going to kill me? Imaginative, I admit, but who would pay for a dead Alicorn whose DNA has been twisted beyond recognition?" I said.

"That's the beauty of it: who'll know? No Alicorn, living or otherwise, has been examined or studied in nearly a thousand years. They won't even be able to recognize your DNA is hardly Equestrian any more, because the mystique of your being will blind them. I can only imagine what 'facts' they'll glean from studying your twisted, scorched remains" Tim'mrak explained.

"ALERT! RADIATION LEVELS RISING! Current dose measured at 3.6 Roentgens per hour."

Not great but not terr--

"RADIATION SPIKING! Current dose measured 50 Roentgens per hour and increasing by three Roentgens every thirty seconds."

I reflexively took a step back from the window and looked around the room. There was the door we'd come through originally, directly opposite the window, now locked, and there was another door to the left, also locked. The glass was several inches thick and there was a heavily armed Minotaur on the other side, not to mention however many fighters he still had down here with us. We needed a way out, fast.

"Tell me, who are you planning to sell my body to? Another group of Minotaurs? Griffons? I know you won't sell me to the Empire, although even if you did Empress Twilight would have you all killed to erase all evidence of my existence" I said, trying to do...something. Distract him, buy time, I'm not sure what.

"There are a few groups I have in mind. Those fucking cultist monks out in the mountains will pay in...material goods, but quite honestly I wouldn't even set foot in their temple, much less talk to them. There's the Order of the Iron Will, which I'm sure would be delighted to experiment on you, those anarchist ponies over on the planet Chimera would give me their entire planet to even LOOK at you, and so on. Really, though, all I want is money. I could buy five planets with what I'll get for you. Entire worlds would clamor for the privilege of buying your corpse. I'd be the King of the entire Serpent system. I'd amass such a following and fortune that the Empire would come to the negotiating table before I could even make a move on them, and they would agree to anything I'd demand of them. I would be GOD" Tim'mrak growled.

"And t-then what?" I asked. I tasted metal and my face was tingling, and I was beginning to panic.

"RADIATION RISING! Current dose measured at 100 Roentgens per hour. My Princess, we need to escape!"

"Oh but there will be no escape, Star. Your Princess will die here, and you'll be able to do NOTHING! Shortly after that, the rads will burn you out, and I will toss your hull in an incinerator. Both your lives will end here, in this cold, damp chamber. Her fur will fall out by the fist-full, her skin will melt, her blood vessels will expand and burst, her bones will weaken and her organs will fail. She'll writhe around on the concrete and beg you to kill her, and you might even do it. When she is dead, the rads will continue to rise. Your systems will start to glitch, your circuits will short, and you will shut off like a light switch. You might even 'feel' it, if your AI is good enough, but you will never truly feel ANYTHING. I wouldn't even use you for parts."

My breathing grew deeper and I sat down on my haunches. This was how I was going to die. I was going to fall apart and wither away in this death trap. I would never see Harmony return. I'd never see all the wrongs of our species righted. I'd never see Moondancer or the Pie sisters again. I'd die a cruel, agonizing death on some heartless planet at the hands of some heartless creature.

"RADIATION RISING! Current dose measured at 200 Roentgens per hour. PRINCESS FLURRY HEART, what is the PLAN?"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I screamed. I was dead, there was no escaping it. At the least, I wanted to die in peace. "It's over, Sixfour. It's over. This is the way it ends" I said. I folded my hooves under me and lied down, my vision blurry. I heard Sixfour open fire on the windows, and TIm'mrak laughed on the other side, the glass merely scorched by the magical energy.

"That's it, then? You're just going to give in? Princess Flurry Heart, the envoy of Harmony, and one of the last living Alicorns, is going to lie down on the concrete and give up? GET UP!" Sixfour shouted, kicking at my hooves. I looked up at him, his eye lenses red. "You've still got time! Get UP and fight!"

I looked at Sixfour in wonder and shakily got to my hooves. I'd never seen him express such zeal, such tenacity. He was changing, evolving. I stood up straight and looked at the window and Tim'mrak, who had his arms folded over his chest. Igniting my horn I conjured up my shield and approached the window. Predictably, my shield flattened out where it met the glass, the structure too rigid to be moved by it. I pushed forward, straining against the glass, but it wouldn't budge. Tim'mrak laughed again, and I gritted my teeth, pushing harder and feeding more magic into the spell, but it wasn't enough. The spell failed and my shield collapsed, and I exhaled. "Admirable, but futile. You're going to die painfully and slowly, so you might as well tire yourself out already. It might speed it along" Tim'mrak said.

My eyes fluttered and I hung my head, wanting to give up as he suggested. I flinched when I felt Sixfour's hooves on my flanks, and I looked back at him in surprise. He was standing on his hind legs, propped up to push me. "Try it again, my Princess. It's our only hope. I've got your back."

"As soon as the shield goes up you'll be pushed away from me."

"Cast it from above us, Princess. Please, you must try."

I turned back to the window and did as Sixfour suggested. I calmly lit my horn, and directed the magic to envelop the two of us from above. We were slowly wrapped in the shield, Sixfour keeping his hooves on my flanks. I pushed into the window again, Sixfour pushing me from behind. I grinded my teeth together as I strained, the shield humming, the tone rising in intensity. It changed colors as I fed more and more power into it, going from light pink, to deep purple, to a purple-black mix. I screamed as I pushed harder and harder, my horn sparking and glowing. I pushed with all my might, and Sixfour did the same, the magic of the shield biting into the glass. If Tim'mrak ever said anything, I'll never know, as I couldn't hear or see anything past the shield. The matter of the window bent and warped and the shield popped into it, the displacement causing the glass to instantly shatter, the bricks of the wall supporting it crumbling to dust and falling away. I staggered forward into the control room and the spell destabilized, the magic exploding and bursting the pipes in the room, melting the control console, and sending me to the floor. I looked up and saw Tim'mrak pull his gun, unable to fire before he was hit by Sixfour's own weapon. He howled a roar I couldn't hear and I got to my hooves, trembling as I stood. I threw up, oblivious to the battle unfolding around me. I looked up in time to see Tim'mrak punch me in the face, and I stumbled back, the taste of blood overriding the taste of metal from the radiation. He grabbed me by the shoulder and yanked me into the air, and all I could do was weakly look him in the eyes.

"It's TIME to die, fucking pony bitch." He pressed the muzzle of his gun into my throat and I gritted my teeth. With the last of my magic I grabbed his gun and dropped the magazine free, racking the slide to eject the chambered round. Over TIm'mrak's shoulder I saw Sixfour standing up, his jawline shattered and the servos bent. His left eye was cracked and dim, and his gaze bore into Tim'mrak. He shot Tim'mrak in the back and he dropped me to the floor; he howled in fury and pain and turned back around to kill Sixfour and never got the chance. The pipes, ruptured from the explosion of magic, and overloaded with steam, burst and exploded, hammering my abused ears with such a force I squeezed my eyes shut and screamed. My muscles screamed at me for attention and I threw up again, a heave dry of everything except for blood. I struggled to remain standing as I looked around the room, watching it rapidly fill with steam. I saw Tim'mrak stumble away, covered in blood, and I hobbled away from him towards the door that led out to the master canal. With trembling hooves I pushed it open and fell out onto the stones, feeling cold steel hooves grab me around the barrel and stand me back up. I blinked and forced my eyes wide open, leaning on Sixfour as we staggered away from the radioactive steam of the control room. With burning muscles and weak legs I began to run, cantering away awkwardly.

"Run! Just run, Princess. We've got to get out of here!" Sixfour yelled, trying his best to support me as we went. I wanted to cry, I wanted to die. I was sapped in such a way that only a magic-user could understand, I was irradiated, I was partially deafened, I was nauseous, I was spent. If Sixfour hadn't been there I'd have just collapsed on the stones, unable to move a muscle. I'm not sure how we managed it, but we made it down the canal to a point we felt was safe, where we fell to the ground together.

"We... We gotta keep going... We gotta get the fuck outta here... W-Where's... Where's the map..." I breathed, writhing around on the floor as I groped around my cloak for the pocket that had the map in it. I weakly pulled it out and it immediately fell to the floor, and I struggled to grasp it, let alone unfold it to read it. Sixfour picked it up and turned it around, spreading it open on the floor.

"We n-need to proceed along this route for several m-m-milessss..." Sixfour said, his speech glitching. He'd disabled the jaw servos after they'd been damaged and was speaking with his mouth closed through the speaker in his throat. His eye lens was flashing numerous system warnings and errors, but he was still standing. He was still there for me.

I was about to get back up when I heard gunfire, and looked back to see Tim'mrak stumbling down the tunnel after us, gun out. "Sweet Celestia will he ever f-fucking die..." I said, getting to my hooves, some of my strength recovered. We left the map where it lie as we hobbled away, bullets sailing by and hitting the walls around us.

"RuuuUUuunn, Flurry-ee-yyy Heart..." Sixfour said, his joint servos whining and grinding as he went. We desperately shambled down the tunnel, knowing that we'd never make it. I saw what looked like a flood-control bulkhead ahead of us, the control switch for it on the other side of the threshold. If we could make it there, we'd be able to keep Tim'mrak from chasing us. We just had to make it, to take that chance. I felt the muscle in my left hind leg tear and I screamed in pain and resentment, willing myself to make it that last few feet to get to the control panel. I scrabbled at it, my hooves looking for the switch that would lower the bulkhead, and at last I found it, throwing it so hard the switch broke. The bulkhead began to lower and I heard Tim'mrak howl as he fired his last remaining shots. The bullets flew wide, but one last one found its mark. It sailed into Sixfour and punched through his barrel. He stumbled over and whirred, scraping against the wall for support as the door sealed.

"N-No... Sixfour..." I said hoarsely, and crawled over to him. He was heavily damaged, sprockets and circuits dangling from the damaged areas of his torso. His rear leg servos failed and he fell to the floor, and I collapsed next to him, my hooves grasping at his hull. His good eye focused on me and I watched as it flickered. "S-Stay with me, Sixfour. Don't go, please don't go."

"Y-Youuuuu mmade it... My Prin-- Prin-- ERROR! Unit in need of serv--" he choked out, his pitch fluctuating. "ERROR! Unit in need-- S-Shut up... Shut up that ss-ssss-ysstem... You maaaaade it, Prince-e-e-e-ss. My P-Princess..."

I nodded weakly, my eyes damp. "We made it, Sixfour. The two of us. One step closer to Harmony. We'll make it, we just have to keep going."

Sixfour stuttered a laugh, and his front legs pushed against the stones with all he had as he struggled to stand back up. His hind legs kicked back into gear, and he got up, staggering around like a drunk pony. "Y-Y-You made it... That's-- That's all thaaAAAaat matt--mattered" he said, stumbling forward. He bumped into me and I held onto him as he looked up into my eyes; I could barely see him, blurred as my eyes were by tears. I gritted my teeth and held him as tight as I could, but I could feel him slipping as his joint servos started to fail again. "It'ssss all that ev-ev-ev-- Ever... Mattered."

With that Sixfour's eyes went dark and he shut down, sliding from my grasp and collapsing to the floor with a clang, parts popping off and components spilling out. His body tumbled against a run-off pipe and, before I could do anything, he fell into it, disappearing from sight as the clangs of his body bouncing around the pipe echoed back up to taunt me. I collapsed back to the floor and sobbed uncontrollably, writhing in pain from a thousand different ways. I was in such a terrible agony that all I could do was cry and cry, my wails unheard by any save for maybe Tim'mrak, sealed off from me by a foot of steel. I imagine he greatly enjoyed hearing my sobs as they went on, the expression revealing only a glimpse of the state I was in emotionally, mentally, and physically. I wailed and screamed and shrieked in anguish, splashing in the shallow, dirty water. It was a long time before I calmed down and recovered enough to shakily stand and hunt down the nearest ladder to the surface, my body begging me to grant it sleep, my muscles strained and pulled and torn, my head throbbing. My vision blurred and spun, and I nearly collapsed and fell off the ladder as I pushed the entrance cover off, my body threatening to give up. I pulled myself up and out of the sewer and collapsed on the street, my limbs splayed, and I passed out.

Intermission

When I awoke, I was in bed. I'd thought I was dreaming, or hallucinating, but when I heaved, leaned over the side of the bed, and threw up, I knew I was lucid. My cloak was missing, and I didn't recognize the room, but I was alive and unrestrained. As I turned my head I realized it felt lighter, cooler, and I reached up to touch it, finding my mane completely gone. I looked down to inspect my tail and found my lower half covered by a blanket(how I failed to feel it first I'll never know), confirming I'd lost my tail as well. Whoever found me had at least had the thought to cover me, a fact for which I was grateful. I groaned, coughed, and rolled over to inspect the room. It had a tall ceiling and the bed was massive, sporting four posts at each corner and bearing silk curtains. Beyond a few dressers and a vanity the room was devoid of furniture, and I was a little alarmed. The room was a bit lavish, and I had to wonder just where in the world I was.

My head throbbed as I crawled out of the bed, and I felt utterly exhausted. I had no idea how long I'd been out, but I intended to find out. I put my hooves on the floor and immediately collapsed, my legs still too abused to support me. I ignored them and got back up, my legs trembling. My left hind leg muscles were too torn to use, so I dragged it behind me as I approached the vanity, and gasped at the pony who stared back. I was missing clumps of fur in a few places, I was utterly bald, my eyes were bloodshot, and my mouth had a bit of a mess around it from the vomit. I was a wreck, and I didn't know if I was living on borrowed time. I had no idea how many rads I'd received.

Thinking of the radiation brought me back to the tunnel, and I thought of Sixfour. I shut my eyes and fell to the floor, the tears returning. He never gave up, he was with me the whole way, and now he was lying dead in some underground trash heap, an unceremonious end for such a devoted friend.

I heard the door open and couldn't find the energy to look back, resigning myself to whatever and whoever had found me. I heard the individual gasp and the tell-tale clop of hooves revealed it was a pony. I groaned as they came around to face me, and I looked up at them. She was wearing tan robes and was purple-coated, her mane shaved away, making her horn seem longer than it really was. She knelt down before and wrapped her hooves around me, trying to get me to stand up. "Are you alright? Come on, let's get you up" she said, tugging at me. I was easily double her size, and I was exhausted. There was no way I was getting up.

"W-Where... Who are you..." I asked, my eyes heavy as sleep beckoned. The mare ceased her yanking and sat back, a worried smile on her face.

"Don't worry, Great One. You're safe. You're in the mountains. The Temple of Moonlight" the mare explained, and my heart jumped as I realized just who had found me. As I passed out again, I realized the kind of game I was going to have to play to stay alive, and wondered if Harmony was testing or punishing me in some way.

I was in the care of the monks I'd stolen my last soul gem from.

XII - Mortis

"It is the moral obligation of those in positions of responsibility to continue their service to the state in times of hardship, grief, and loss. To settle for anything less would pose a threat to the very fabric of society, and my cabinet mate knows quite a bit about fabric!"

It was another few weeks before I recovered and was healthy again. I'd learned I'd been in the care of the monks a few days before I'd first awakened and learned where I was, and in the time since then, I'd learned the monks had no idea who I really was. I was safe and well taken care of, and I'd learned a bit about my caretaker. Her name was Indigo Blizzard, and she was a Recovery Priestess in the Order of Moonlight. I'd remembered how we'd intercepted and stolen their shipment of a soul gem, and wondered just what they'd been planning to do with it.

Outside of that, my days had been spent in misery. I threw up all the time, I'd had diarrhea, I'd been exhausted constantly. It had been a horrible few weeks as I recovered from radiation sickness, but I was grateful that I hadn't gotten a bigger dose. Indigo was who I saw the most, and I'd had no complaints about her, but she hadn't told me much about herself, save for that she'd been born on the planet Ascension.

Once I'd recovered I began to see more and more of the temple. It was a quaint affair, not particularly large at all. There was a modest main hall and two wings, all one story. The West wing(when facing the front door) contained the dorms, communal showers, and dining room. The East wing, I'd been told, had the labs for practicing spells and conducting experiments. I hadn't been offered the chance to see the East wing, so I spent most of my time in the West, speaking with Indigo.

"I'm curious as to how you found me" I said to her over lunch. We'd been in the dining hall alone, the Unicorn mare having been basically my guide and only friend in the temple thus far. I'd caught her off guard, about to take a bite of her lettuce and tomato sandwich(I assume they had their food imported), when I'd asked her the question.

"There's nothing exciting about it. One of our order had been in the area, visiting the markets, when he'd seen you lying in the street. The Dome is not friendly to Equestrians, especially not...mares. He saw you were passed out and thought something awful had happened to you, and brought you here. It was a fair bit of luck, I tell you."

Something awful happened to me alright I thought, but remained silent as she continued.

"When you were brought back here to me, I was devastated. You looked mighty awful, no offense, and I set to work immediately. You'd torn the muscles in your leg, you had a concussion, you were bruised and bloody, and, curiously, you had radiation poisoning. I understand you don't want to talk about it, but I'm very sorry this happened to you. I'm sure it was those Minotaurs, damn barbarians. I'm just happy there were no signs of, well...sexual abuse."

In truth, I was happy about that too, and I was happy the monks had found me first, and not any of The Dome's other inhabitants. It would've been very easy for someone to take advantage of me in the state I'd been in.

"But, thankfully, you're here with us now. A Great One, I'd been so excited to see you wake, even if... Well, believe me, it's brought some much needed excitement to the temple. We never thought in a million years we'd ever have a Great One in our care. It's long been thought only one of your kind exists anymore, and that's that Jezebel bitch, Empress Twilight" Indigo spat.

I smiled warmly. "Not a fan of the Empress?" I asked, interested in gauging her reaction.

"Hardly, and if you are, you'd best keep it to yourself. I'm here on this forsaken Tartarus pit because of her, and the fucking Royal Hunter. If it weren't for the Order of Moonlight, I'd probably be a slave to the Griffon mercs or in a Minotaur rape dungeon about now."

I nodded. "It seems every creature who comes here owes it to Empress Twilight. I'm no exception, really, and I certainly don't have a care for her. She'll rot for her crimes one day, I'm sure of it" I said.

"Mmm. Empress Twilight told the galaxy she was the last living Great One. That's just one more lie to add to her list, I guess, but if you're here because of her I'm sure that's a mighty interesting story. Maybe you'll tell me some time" Indigo said.

If I come to trust everypony in your order, then absolutely. Perhaps you'll all one day stand by my side. it was a long shot, admittedly, but more allies were better than fewer. I'd just have to figure out exactly who these monks were and what they practiced. I could've potentially come across a powerful ally, though I'd have to keep hidden the fact that I stole one of their soul gems and killed a few of their members.

"So you were born on Ascension? What was it like?" I asked, making casual conversation.

"Oh yes, I was born on one of the Garden Worlds. I don't know if you've ever been to one, but I guess not, otherwise why would you be here? It was a beautiful place. Very mountainous, but that meant the countryside was all lush, rolling hills. I'd give anything to go back" Indigo said.

"And now you're here."

Indigo hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with talking about it, but I had to know just who i was dealing with, and if they could be trusted. I didn't distrust Indigo, necessarily, but a pony didn't live in The Dome without very good reason.

"It was a load of garbage. I just happened to have been practicing illegal magic, but I was a student at Ascension's most prestigious academy for Unicorns, the Academic Institution of the Arcane, so of course I was curious. We were taught by our instructors to push the boundaries, to explore the unknown. If I'd hurt a lesser, no one would have cared, but because I hurt a few ponies it was a big deal. It didn't help that I ran, but I guess I was kinda freaked out. I didn't know the fucking Royal Hunter would come after me!" she explained.

"The Royal Hunter? Who's that?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"This stupid lackey that Empress Twilight sends out to do whatever she wants, so long as it benefits the Empire. Her name was Disc Jockey or something like that. When the police reported what I'd done to the triple-eye Twilight sent the fucking Hunter after me, and I knew I was screwed. I spent a month on the run, and lucked across a group of ponies who were heading here to Draconequus. I knew the Hunter wouldn't follow me to The Dome, so I signed on. That was a few years ago, and I've lived here ever since."

"The triple-eye?"

"The Imperial Investigations Institute. They're big on Equus as like the top cops, tasked with investigating all the big-time threats to society. Normally a pony like the Royal Hunter only bothers with stamping out threats to the Empire from the other species, but my case was deemed too dangerous for the triple-eye, and so the Hunter was sent out instead. She probably would've killed me the moment she found me, so it was definitely some kind of luck that I managed to escape to here" Indigo said.

"Must've been a terrifying ordeal" I commented.

Indigo scoffed. "You don't know the half of it, hun. That's what I get for 'pushing the boundaries.' But, like I said, ending up here was better than ending up dead, or in the clutches of the Griffons or Minotaurs. I don't even really have a problem with either species, but of course try telling one of them that. At least on a Garden World all they'd do is spit at you or flip you off. Here, I'd have wished the Hunter found me."

"Mmm. When I first came here I saw a thestral, a bat pony, in a Griffon bar, serving drinks. I remember she kept glancing at me. I can only imagine what she thought. She seemed like one of the luckier ones, if what you've told me is true" I said.

"Gee, a thestral? I've never seen one, except in like pictures. You were lucky those Griffons didn't try anything with you. Well, maybe they did?"

I shook my head. "Nah, they were an alright sort. I just wish they didn't hate us all so much. I too don't have any problem with the other species, but it's like you said...they'd never trust one of us. Maybe one day that will change." If I get my way, it will.

"Maybe. Hard to believe, with somepony like Empress Twilight in charge. She's been around for hundreds of years, so I doubt she'll be going anywhere any time soon" Indigo said.

Before I could say any more the door to the dining hall opened, and in stepped a tall grey Unicorn stallion, his body wrapped tightly in a black cloak. Indigo turned to wave at him and he smiled. He approached the table and sat next to her, and I patiently waited to hear who he was.

"I trust our Great One has been doing well? She seems healthy" the stallion commented, smiling warmly. He seemed charming enough, but I had to remind myself he couldn't be trusted. Not yet.

"She's alright. She hasn't complained about any lasting issues, and I've been making sure she's been drinking lots of water. She's thrown up a number of times, but as long as she stays hydrated I think she'll be OK. Might be a good idea to take her to an actual doctor, though" Indigo said.

"If you say she'll be alright then I'm sure she will, though of course I will do as you suggest, should her condition happen to worsen" the stallion replied. "Forgive me for talking about you in your presence, Great One. I am Mortis, and I'm the director of this fine Order."

"Flurry Heart."

"A beautiful name, to be sure, though I wonder what it signifies. I suppose that's a personal matter, however, and I know better than to pry into the personal affairs of a Great One. While you're here we'll endeavor to satisfy your every desire, and maintain your comfort. Indigo tells me that you've been through a terrible ordeal, but you'll be safe here. We're far removed from the rest of The Dome's unsavory characters" Mortis explained.

Sounded great, but I knew better than to accept it at face value. "Thank you" I said. I was certainly grateful enough that they'd taken care of me. I couldn't help but feel a little nervous, being that I knew so little about the situation I was in, but I decided to play along for the time. Best case scenario, I could just ask to leave. Worst case, I'd have to sneak or fight my way out.

"Of course. Indigo, why don't you get back to your studies? I'm sure the Great One would like to know more about our Order, and I'm certain she'd appreciate the opportunity to stretch her legs a bit" Mortis said. Indigo nodded, wished me well, and trotted out of the dining hall, leaving me alone with Mortis. He looked fairly young, maybe in his 50's(given that the average lifespan of an Equestrian was triple that), with silver mane slicked back against his head and a long snout. He might've even been attractive, had I cared about that sort of thing.

"Shall we take that tour, Great One? I'm sure it'll be nice to see more rooms beside the dining hall and your sickroom" he said. I nodded, stood, and gestured for him to lead the way.

It was time to learn just where I'd ended up.

XIII - The Order of Moonlight

"I'll never leave your side, Twilight. Immortality is a curse disguised as a blessing, but to be in a position where I can use it in your service fills me with such a pride and joy I've not felt since you ascended. To squander it would be grossly irresponsible."

I was outside of The Dome.

That was the simplest way to put it. True to Mortis' word, the temple was very far from The Dome. Up in the mountains to the north, as a matter of fact. Part of The Dome had a cliff in it(the road Koss' apartment was on ran along this cliff) but it was more of a large hill that came up just East of the center of the sprawling city. The Dome was big enough that it was all one continous glass bubble, the edge of which was on flat ground, but that didn't exclude it from having hills and even some small valleys.

To the North, however, was a true mountain range, and it was here that the Temple of Moonlight was located. It had its own enviroment bubble, and even a tunnel that led straight back to The Dome. I surmised it was probably once the property of one of the pony scientists that had lived in The Dome, far back when it was just a fledgling pony research colony. Before it became the Tartarus that it was today.

"Quite the magnificient view, isn't it?" Mortis asked me. We were outside, on a small courtyard, The Dome a few miles away. The environment bubble here was a bit thinner and smaller than the towering ceiling of the bubble that gave The Dome its name, and thus allowed one to better appreciate Draconequus's atmosphere.

Of course, that atmosphere was no different from what I've already described it as: a Tartarus in our realm. Draconequus was almost permanently blanketed in dark clouds, that rolled and thundered across the sky. This cloud cover shaded every inch of Draconequus's blood-red soil, making the whole place really just miserable. I hadn't seen one living plant in all my time here thus far. It was all red and gray, with some yellow and white from assorted streetlights. I hated everything about it, but there was a kind of effect it had on you. We were several thousand feet up, and the land around and beyond The Dome stretched on for miles. It was all barren and featureless, but it was certainly something to behold from so high up.

"I understand it's no Garden World, Great One, but in time most come to appreciate Draconequus's unique beauty. If I were a more scientific sort I'd likely take great joy in studying its soil and rock types. There was once an Equestrian science colony here, if you weren't aware. I suspect that's what they studied" Mortis said.

"It's fascinating" I finally said. After leaving the dining hall Mortis had taken me down the hall, to the door at the very end, which opened out to this small courtyard. The whole temple's exterior was ringed by flat gravel, though with some magic it could've once been all grass and flowers. Most of the grounds were hemmed in by rising cliff faces and vertices, part of the mountain range, but this side of the grounds was on a cliff that commanded that sprawling view over the surface of this unforgiving planet. Maybe under different circumstances I could've appreciated this world, but as it stood it'd always be little more than a lawless pit in the middle of the Serpent system.

"Have you lived here long?" I asked Mortis, turning to face him. He smiled and nodded, and turned his gaze out over the uneasing horizon of Draconequus, his vision unfocused.

"I was born on Cadenza, and lived there for over thirty years. It was the most beautiful world I've ever seen, Great One. Majestic, beautiful cities spread across her landscape for miles and miles. Her capital, Endless Shining, was said to hearken back to the design of the Crystal Empire, back on Equus" Mortis explained.

My heart leaped up into my throat at the mention of the Crystal Empire, what was once meant to be my kingdom, before Twilight's Ascension put an end to kingdoms and princesses. Thoughts of mother and father returned with a violent vengeance, and I felt another episode coming on.

"You will be the protector of Equus and all Her colonies."

"Our daughter will carry Twilight's Will across the world and stars, Shiny. I think she can be allowed to stay out after dark."

"'A Thesis on the Nature of the Lesser Races and their relationship with the Greater Equestrian Empire', by Flurry Heart."

Stop I thought. Focus. I couldn't afford to dwell on it anymore. It all happened centuries ago. It wasn't worth thinking about any longer. Mom and Dad, my time as the Royal Hunter, my years spent studying and training, it was time to move on from it all.

"Great One?"

Mortis' voice brought me back to reality, and I shook my head. "Forgive me, I was lost in thought, wondering what your home planet must've looked like. I've never seen a Garden World, you see. I was born here in The Dome" I lied.

Mortis nodded glumly. "It's a shame what has befallen us, that we are forced to live on worlds like Draconequus. Indigo, myself, you especially. This world is no place for Great Ones, it pains me to know that this world is all you have ever known. I would give all I have to return to Cadenza. The same is true for most of us here at the Temple, I think."

"What brought you here, to The Dome?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

"A bit of a pointed question, Great One. Twenty-something years ago I was a magician, a showpony, in one of Cadenza's more modest cities, but like any pony I had private interests. Hobbies, even. It just so happens those hobbies fell outside the scope of the law. Truly, I intended well, but as I once read in a book, the portal to Tartarus is opened with good intentions" Mortis explained.

I know that all too well.

"In the end, I escaped to here. I spent a few years just surviving among the Equine underground of The Dome, and then I learned of this place. It took some time to find it, but when I stepped in through its doors I was left in wonder. The temple had been remarkably well preserved for a building that hadn't been inhabitated in, supposedly, centuries. With the help of a few friends I repaired what little damage there was and restored power and running water to the building, and thus I established the Order of Moonlight. Our modest ranks are composed of all types of ponies, from all sorts of worlds. We even have one who was born in Canterlot itself. We seek out those spurned by their own kind for their unorthodox interests, and seek to provide them with as normal of a life as we can on this planet."

"I see" I said. It was patently obvious at this point that Mortis was hiding something from me. Both him and Indigo had been forced to leave a pony-dominated world because of some crimes they'd committed, but both had declined to share the nature of those crimes. If Indigo's had been bad enough to warrant the intervention of the Royal Hunter then something was certainly wrong. "How many ponies live here, anyway? What is it that you all do?"

Mortis smiled, and I knew what was next. "Oh, Great One, that's hardly something to concern yourself with. So long as you stay here, you will not have to perform any work or tasks for us. Your mere presence enlightens us all."

Yeah, there was definitely something wrong with this place. They lived in seclusion from The Dome(admittedly, this wasn't as suspicious), some of their number had been transporting soul gems back to here, and all of their members had been exiled or escaped from their civilized home worlds. I was well and truly convinced at this point that I was dealing with some potentially dangerous individuals, and I decided then that I wouldn't try to recruit them to my cause until I knew for absolute certain they could be trusted. I was already putting too much trust in them by staying at their temple.

"Thank you, Mortis" I said. If I couldn't get a direct answer, I'd have to find out some other way. If I'd lost everything else, then at least I still had time on my side. I'd always have time, even if I was tired of wasting it.

"Think nothing of it, Great One."

That night(again, what passed for night on Draconequus) I found myself sitting in the grand bedroom I'd first awakened in, bored. There was a bookshelf against one of the walls, but none of the tomes on it had been particularly interesting(though a few had been allegedly written by Twilight Sparkle herself). I climbed out of the bed, taking care to be gentle with my leg, and trotted over to the door, intent on seeing what Indigo was up to.

The hall outside the room was empty, so I checked the common rooms and dining hall, all empty. There were bathrooms at the end of the hall, right next to the door that led out to the courtyard, but I decided to leave them be. Turning back I trotted towards the other end of the temple, coming up on the grand central foyer. There was a set of double doors to the right that led out a small lawn(what used to be a lawn, I guess) and to the left there was a large stone mural, beautifully cut and depicting some manner of wizard or mage pony looking to the skies above. Next to this was a small staircase, leading down, and a heavy steel door, which was locked.

That left the East wing of the temple, which was where the Unicorns here at the temple practiced their spells and performed magical experiments, the nature of which I still hadn't ascertained. I shrugged and trotted down the hall, and scanned each nondescript door. I could hear horns lighting up behind each, but decided not to bother with any of them. I noticed that every door in this wing was closed, in contrast to the West wing where doors to common rooms and the dining hall would be left open, which I found interesting.

As I neared the end of the hall I heard a dull *whump* from behind one of the doors and some shouting. The door opened after a few moments and thin tendrils of black smoke leaked out into the hall, dissipating in the air. Indigo stepped out of the room, coughing and waving at the air. She saw me and sputtered, and I trotted over to her. "Is everything alright?" I asked.

She nodded in the midst of her coughing, and gestured for me to follow her as she made her way to the bathrooms at the other end of the temple. I patiently waited outside as she recovered from whatever mishap had occured, though part of me said I should take the opportunity to gallop back and see just what she'd been experimenting on.

After some time Indigo came out of the bathroom, her fur still lightly blackened from the soot, and she let out a sigh. "Goodness me, that was something. I certainly won't be trying that again. Did you need something, Great One?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"No, I was merely having a trot about, stretching my legs" I said. Technically true.

"Mmm, is your leg bothering you still? It'll still be a few more days before it's fully healed, I'm sure" she said.

"It's fine, only mild discomfort. I'm more worried about you; that sounded like quite the blast."

"Bah, it was foalish. An improper chemical mixture, is all. Mortis tasked me with crafting a few restorative potions to replenish the ones we used on you, and I'm afraid I'm a bit out of practice when it comes to alchemy. I'll just have to--" she wavered in place, bracing herself against the wall. "Ooh, goodness, excuse me. I'll just have to try another mixture."

"You don't look so well. Perhaps you should lie down" I said. I thought she was about to deny it when she nodded, pushed away from the wall, and headed for one of the common rooms.

"I'll do that for just a moment, thank you, Great One. That blast must've knocked me a bit more than I realized." She sat down on one of the bunk beds and remained upright for just a moment before she collapsed, though still conscious, onto the mattress.

I took the opportunity to canter back down the hall and across the building to the room she'd had her mishap in. I quickly darted in and took in my surroundings. True to her word there was an alchemical set on one of the counters against the right-hoof wall, partially blackened with soot and some of the jars shattered. The rest of the room, though...

Sweet Celestia...

In the center, left-side, and far-end of the room was a large table and various tools and apparatuses around it, along with a few counters. I approached the table and there was a dish of cracked and smashed soul gems on it, the table marred with old blood stains and countless nicks and cuts. To the average eye, it appeared to be a surgical bay, but the black books and runes on the table told me everything I needed to know. I calmly trotted out of the room and shut the door behind me, though mentally I was in an alarmed stupor.

The ponies here were necromancers.

XIV - Sacrifices

"The right history will one day fill a million bookshelves in every library, office building, courthouse, school, and home across Equestria. The wrong history will each day fill a thousand furnaces, until there is no more wrong history."

"I regret that you had to learn of our true purpose here. Great Ones do not deserve to be sullied by such knowledge."

The day after I'd seen the necromantic experiment room I confronted Mortis in the master bedroom I'd awakened in, and he'd readily admitted to it. "It's hardly a surprise. No one comes to The Dome without a purpose, and to practice such magics is certainly something that would see some of your ranks chased off their home worlds by the Royal Hunter" I said.

Mortis nodded glumly. "Indeed. I was fortunate enough to escape the notice of the Hunter, all those decades ago, but still I could not explore this fascinating side of the arcane on a world like Cadenza, especially when I was becoming a rather popular showpony. I left in secret, effectively disappeared, and came here to explore my true passions. I'm fortunate enough that I've found so many others who are willing to study such taboo magics."

"Perhaps you would allow me to study this as well" I said. This would be my best chance to learn how to use soul gems, rather than try to figure it out myself, or worse, leave it to Sunburst or Moondancer.

"Oh Great One," Mortis began. "That's hardly something a pony such as yourself should practice."

"I insist. An alicorn necromancer could be a powerful asset. I would throw myself into your work, and our research could one day prove beneficial. We might all one day be able to return to a Garden World" I said.

Mortis seemed to mull it over for a moment before he nodded. "I'm sure your magic is leagues above ours, but necromancy is certainly outside the realm of normal magic. I'm sure Indigo could help you study the nature of it all, and even allow you to observe some of the rituals."

"i'd be delighted to."

This is what Harmony demanded. This is what was required. This was simply another trial, another challenge, presented to me by the spirit of Harmony, to prove the lengths I was willing to go to in service of it. That I was now poring over the various volumes about the nature of necromancy and soul gems while Indigo tutored me was just one more thing to do to see Harmony returned to the galaxy.

It was fascinating, actually, the nature of necromantic magic. The kind of work that went into harvesting an individual's soul and supplanting it in another's body, or use it to power some manner of magical artifact, was interesting. Most of the books at the temple were truly ancient, hundreds of years old, but the basic principles of necromancy hardly ever changed, I suspected.

"Precisely how does this sort of thing work?" I asked Indigo, who sat across from me. She had brought along one of her one notebooks, filled edge to edge with remarks and sketches from years prior, when she herself had been a student of Mortis. She slid the notebook over to me and I began to review it, comparing the old notes with what the books had taught me.

"It depends on the nature of the ritual" Indigo said. "For supplantation, two bodies must of course be present. The dying has their soul removed from their body and transferred to the other corpse."

"Wouldn't they still be dead, if both bodies are just corpses?" I asked.

Indigo nodded. "Usually this sort of thing is performed with an elderly individual wishing to transfer their being to a younger body. The second body is usually sourced from someone who died suddenly--cardiac arrest, stroke, asphyxiation--and is revived through conventional necromancy as the soul is transferred. Obviously someone who was shot, crushed, or bludgeoned would not be used for the procedure."

"And this works? The soul is successfully transferred with all of the subject's memories intact?"

"Not typically, no. If the supplantation is successful the subject usually retains no memories of their past self, and attempting to remind them of their past life can have disastrous consequences" Indigo explained.

"How so?"

"The soul is a manifestation of self, of personal identity, but it's more nebulous than something like genetics or the brain. The soul does not harbor any memories, it does not have a physical effect on the body, but rather defines how an individual may act or think. It governs things like your conscience, your character, and your perceptions, but it can not remember. Therefore, when trying to make a supplanted soul remember the past self and reconcile it with the new memories of the new brain, severe psychological conditions can manifest. Multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, even psychosis. It's as if two individuals are attempting to share the same spirit."

"So what is the point of supplantation, and how does it relate to other trees of necromancy?" I asked. From the outset I knew I was not seeking to use my soul gems for supplantation, but if the souls of the new Bearers could not bear the memories of their physical selves then my plan would not work.

"Honestly, the point of supplantation is to prove it can be done. It is typically sought out by the elderly who struggle to accept the concept of mortality, and wish to cheat death. If the procedure is successful, then technically the individual has successfully cheated death, but they're not the same person. Imagine driving a hovercar, and you get out. Someone else gets in and they drive it, but it's not their hovercar. They might believe it's their hovercar, and may even act or present it as it is, but it'll never truly be their hovercar. That's kinda what supplantation is like. As for how it relates to the rest of necromancy, it's more or less a test for new students of necromancy. To prove they have the knowledge to properly perform the ritual, and thus can perform other, more complex procedures" Indigo said.

I nodded. "You said that the soul does not remember, but since it governs conscience and perception, wouldn't the individual who receives the supplanted soul come to behave and think the same way as the former creature?"

"Yes, and it's actually rather fascinating to watch if the creature having its soul supplanted is someone you were familiar with. As the soul harbors the metaphysical sense of 'self' then soul gems are more or less storage devices for the conscience. The soul of a good pony being inserted into the body of a bad pony will see that bad pony come to behave as a good pony" Indigo said.

So it would work! If the souls of the new Bearers were put into soul gems and used to power the Harmony Device, then it would work! The device didn't need to know their memories, it just needed to act as a channel for their good and virtuous natures. "What about harvesting souls to power magical artifacts and tools? Would that be more or less complex than supplantation?" I asked.

Indigo thought about it for a moment before speaking. "Both. Since you're not supplanting the soul, the procedure is much easier. The trouble comes when you go to use that soul to power the device. The nature of the soul has to be compatible with the device; the soul of a shy, timid pony could not power a weapon, for example. Conversely, the soul of a selfish, sadistic pony could not power a gardening machine. A soul gem will change color based on the nature of the soul occupying it; the darker it is, the more sinister and twisted the soul inside."

I was giddy. With the guidance of the Pie sisters, the new Bearers would come to develop good-natured and virtuous souls, and would readily power the Harmony device! IT WOULD WORK!!

"What about returning a dead pony to life in the same body?" I asked.

"Well that's what medicine is for, isn't it? Bodies can be returned to life through necromancy, of course. It happens with supplantation, but that's the point of supplantation. If a pony dies, and there's a chance of bringing them back, then we use medicine or surgery. There's no point to use necromancy. Harvesting a soul and attempting to put it back in the same body would leave the creature still dead. It's why supplantation is popular; the dying believe they can just transfer their whole consciousness along with their soul, but it doesn't work that way."

I nodded. "Can I see a supplantation? Is that something you all do here?"

"It is, and I do believe we have some specimens ready for supplantation. Follow me."

A short time later I found myself in a ritual room with two tables, on each was a fresh corpse, one a pony and the other a Griffon. I could only wonder how the necromancers came to possess these bodies, but it mattered very little. I was merely here as an observer. Indigo and some of her cohorts were gathered near the bodies, runes painted on each.

"We don't chant incantations or light candles, if that's what you were expecting" Indigo said. "Typically this procedure involves just a tremendous amount of magic and some soul gems. Supplantations are usually fairly easy, so if you're comfortable with the spells you studied you could help."

I nodded and stepped forward. A soul gem had been placed on the stomach of the dead pony, a yellow Pegasus, and a rune painted around it. The necromancers formed a ring around the table and ignited their horns, each of them touching the soul gem. It began to hover into the air over the Pegasus's corpse and thick pink magic began to flow up from her body to the gem. I lit my own horn and touched the gem, and the hue of the magic deepened to violet. I looked to Indigo but she didn't seem perturbed, so I continued. After a few minutes the procedure was apparently finished, and the soul gem hovered of its own accord above the pony's body.

"After you" Indigo said, and I used my magic to move the soul gem over to the Griffon's body. She was the same sex, at least, though I wasn't sure if that was something that factored into the equation. I placed the gem over the Griffon's stomach and fed my magic back through the gem, and the violet magic poured down into the creature's still form. After a few minutes the Griffon began to stir; her head turned, her talons twitched, and her eyes fluttered open.

That's when she started screaming.

As the last of the magic poured out of the soul gem the Griffon rolled off the table, away from us, and scrambled back into a corner, screaming. She held up her talons as if she'd never seen them before, and her eyes shrank to pinheads. She began to hyperventilate, and her eyes darted along each of us. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! WHO ARE YOU ALL!?!"

I was confused, and turned to look at Indigo and the others, who all looked as equally unsure as I did. It seemed something different had happened, and none of them were sure what. I was about to offer an explanation when the Griffon caught sight of the Pegasus's corpse, and she began shrieking in horror.

"THAT'S ME!! THAT'S FUCKING ME, ON THAT TABLE! THAT'S ME THAT'S FUCKING ME THAT'S ME!!"

That wasn't possible, at least not according to Indigo. There was no way that the supplanted soul remembered the past self. "Miss, please calm down! Just relax and try to talk to us" I said, and she turned to look at me, and all color drained from her face.

"An Alicorn... A fucking Alicorn... No, no that can't be... You're all dead, you're all fucking dead... I-- I'M FUCKING DEAD, TOO! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!?"

I wasn't sure of what to do, but as it turns out I never got to do anything. Before I could try again to calm the supplanted pony down Indigo shot her in the head with a quick beam of magic, and the Griffon corpse collapsed to the floor. I will admit to being more than a little disturbed, but if nothing else I was glad the bizarre episode was over. I looked at Indigo and she looked a little unsettled, but was otherwise completely composed. She walked over to the Griffon's body and picked up the empty soul gem from the floor. "What the fuck just happened?" I asked her.

Indigo took one look at the soul gem and placed it on the table. "She remembered who she was."

"You said that wasn't possible. The soul does not bear memories."

"It's not possible. It's not supposed to be, anyway. I guess it had something to do with you, and your Alicorn magic."

"I wasn't aware Alicorn magic was all that different from Unicorn magic" I protested. Certainly my magical tutors or Twilight herself had ever indicated as much. I may have been more powerful than even the most gifted Unicorn, and I was immortal, but I had always been under the impression that magic was magic. Would this complicate harvesting the Bearers to power the Harmony device? If it would then I supposed that Moondancer and Sunburst would have to perform the ritual, or perhaps we could construct devices to do it for us.

Indigo sighed. "You learn something new every day, I guess. Come on, let's go study some more." She ordered the others present to clean up the bodies and the two of us left the ritual room and headed back towards the common rooms.

I spent the rest of the day practicing using soul gems to power magical weapons and artifacts, and it was here that I thrived. I was told, even, that the weapons I'd enchanted were more powerful than normal, a fact I found interesting. This was the knowledge I'd need to power the Harmony Device, so the fact that I'd taken to it so readily was a good sign. I was confident that once I went over this knowledge with Moondancer and Sunburst that we'd be ready.

"I see that our resident Great One has taken to the rituals. I heard about the unfortunate mishap earlier. Sometimes that is the nature of magic; it can be unpredictable" I heard Mortis say from behind. I'd been in one of the rooms, using a soul gem to enchant a sword, when he'd come in. I took a moment to finish the enchantment before I set it down and turned to face him, a smile on my face.

"Yes, indeed. It's rather exciting, actually. To see wisps of steam rise off the blade as the chilled sword passes through the air, or see it alight with flame, is very interesting. It makes me wonder what other uses necromancy could have" I said.

"Well, supplantations and enchantments are the most common. Raising shades and spirits is less practical, but of course those can have their uses. Here, we just mostly practice and study the nature of necromancy. It delights me to see how Alicorn magic changes the nature of necromantic spells, even if there are some unfortunate consequences."

I nodded. "I've been wondering about that myself. Indigo explained that the soul cannot bear memories, but as you know when I do supplantations the individual remembers everything about their past selves. I understand this is new ground, but I was wondering if you knew anything about it."

"I'm afraid not, though I absolutely will study it more. This may be the breakthrough that legitimizes necromancy as a practical magic, that will allow us to return to the Garden Worlds as ponies of note. Think of a synergy with necromancy and science; our species might achieve true immortality" Mortis said.

"I'm not sure I follow. In order for a supplantation to occur, there must be two bodies. If the aim is for one to live forever, just being supplanted each time they reach old age, then what about the young body they'll be overtaking? That will have to come from somewhere. Does the young, dead pony also get supplanted? Where does that body then come from? You see where I'm coming from, yes?" I asked.

Mortis frowned but nodded. "Mmm, yes I do. I hadn't considered such a thing." He smiled. "Such is the nature of Great Ones; so much wiser than us all. Still, this discovery is something to be lauded, and it can still have practical benefits."

I had no intention of ever letting this knowledge getting out, but of course I wasn't going to tell Mortis that. I was beginning to think about how I would leave this place and get back to my search for soul gems. Although, I could just take one from here. I only need one more I thought, which was true enough. I'd just have to wipe all their memories and go.

In the end, I decided to stay at least a few more days, to learn what else I could about how to use soul gems. The less I had to learn later, on my own, the better.

"In any event, I'll leave you to your experiments, Great One" Mortis said, and turned to leave. I moved to follow, making sure I didn't leave anything lying out that didn't need to be.

"Actually, it's time for me to take a break. Do you know if Indigo is free?" I asked.

"Oh? I believe she is, yes. I have some business I need to attend to, myself, but as always you should find her in the other wing. Studying, most likely. Adieu, Great One." I nodded at Mortis and trotted towards the West wing. A quick check of the common rooms found Indigo lying on her bunkbed, reading. She nodded at me as I came in.

"Ah, Flurry, it's good to see ya. I take it you've been practicing?" she asked as she set her book down and sat up. I sat on my haunches next to her and nodded.

"Yes, though I'm taking a break just now. Mortis talked to me about how my discovery could legitimize necromancy, and show how it has practical uses. We may all be able to return to the Garden Worlds someday" I told her, making small talk. She seemed to perk up at that.

"You think so? Goodness, I'd love to go back to Ascension, or any of the Garden Worlds, even. Just to get away from this horrid place. I'd give anything to leave and never come back" she said, and I nodded in agreement.

"Wouldn't that be something? To leave The Dome and never come back. Maybe one day, Indigo. For now, though, we must study this breakthrough, refine it. The biggest hurdle is performing a perfect supplantation and preventing the supplanted individual from having a psychological breakdown once they realize they've been supplanted. Perhaps it's as simple as telling the individual that they're going to be supplanted" I said.

Indigo thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps, Flurry, but pretty much all the creatures we get are already dead when we perform the supplantations. We'd need a live pony. Any creature would work, of course, but obviously none of the other races trust us. I'll talk with Mortis about it, see if he can find us a live pony. It's certainly something worth investigating."

"Indeed it is" I lied. Something I'd been doing a lot. Something I promised myself I'd never do, but... Harmony demanded sacrifices. It was just a matter of how much more it would demand of me.

XV - What We Deserve

"Auntie Cadance! ...She's dead. I can't believe Flurry Heart turned on me like that... Don't they understand?! It's all for our benefit..."

"Empress Twilight! Are you alright, I heard magical fire-- Oh gosh, is that Attendant Cadance? What happened?!"

"Flurry Heart happened. Find me a replacement Royal Hunter, please. I have to take care of Cadance. And Starlight? This incident never leaves this room. Do you understand me?"

"I'm so proud of you, my little Flurry. I knew you had it in you to do it."

"Me too, sweetie! Your father and I have never been so proud of you before."

"Thank you, both of you. I promise to uphold the integrity of the Empire."

"I suspect that you will. The Royal Hunter program is still in its infancy, but to have such a powerful Alicorn as the Hunter will ensure Equestria maintains nothing but the peace and prosperity she is deserved of. I, too, am proud of you, Flurry Heart. I am confident that you will serve Equestria with nothing but dedication and loyalty."

Kill them all, Flurry Heart, Harmony awaits.

What--

Their necromancy is an affront to the spirit of Harmony and its divinity upon the universe.

I don't understand, who are you? What is happening?!

I'm you. I'm all that you stand for, all that you have fought for. They have served their purpose, now kill them. They can not be trusted. They will reveal your existence to Twilight. Kill them.

That is not the way I will do things. I have a plan to wipe their memories of me before I leave; killing them won't be necessary.

They're going to tell Empress Twilight of your existence right now, Flurry Heart. They're preparing to leave. Kill them!

Something was wrong. I was losing control. I couldn't be certain of what was happening, or what was causing it, but I knew something was terribly wrong. I'd been asleep in the room, dreaming of my graduation from the academy, when I came to. It was late into the night and...

"The Greater Equestrian Empire does not demand. It does not expect. It asks. It asks of you undying loyalty, unwavering commitment, unyielding faith. In the Empress, and in the ideals of the Destiny we have so rightfully attained, through the labor and service of those who served before you!"

I was having flashes. Moments where i'd hear Twilight's voice, or mom's. I'd blank out and see these events as if they were happening again. My graduation, my first kill, the twitchy edge before a mission. Infiltrations, assassinations, reward. Then...the split.

"These traitors represent a grave threat to the very fabric of Equestrian society. They spread subversive material and engage in acts and tactics meant to weaken the foundation of our Empire, and it is time that their subterfuge ends. A patriotic citizen has ascertained their current location, and it is only in you whom I trust to carry this mission out. No prisoners. You'll find their identities and location within this sealed dossier."

The mission that changed it all, when I was sent to track down and kill Fluttershy's Harmony Brigade. I remember the terror in their eyes, but all I remember feeling was indifference. Before I could kill them, though, Fluttershy pleaded that I at least listen to them. She showed me the diary of Equestria's Princess, Celestia, and offered me the truth potion if I did not believe. I drank, and...I learned. In that terrible moment everything I'd ever known was savagely ripped away, and the truth of my service to the Empire dawned on me.

I rolled over and fell out of the bed, and as I staggered to my hooves my vision blurred. "What... What is..." I uttered, stumbling towards the door. I scrabbled at the handle and flung the door open, and trotted out into the hall. As I approached the main hall my vision cleared and my mind began to rest. I entered the main hall in time to see the door to the launch tunnel close, and I trotted over to it on hooves quickly growing steadier. I eased up to the door and gently nudged it, hearing the hum of the skyboat's engine. Mortis' voice drifted through the air, just loud enough to be audible over the gentle thrum that filled the launch tunnel.

"She'll likely be fairly incapacitated by now, potent as that gas is. Go collect her, and make sure you restrain her well. Our stopover on Ascension is more than a week's journey away, and I don't want there to be any surprises. I have to prepare a message for the Imperial Embassy, so it'll be a few minutes before we take off. Go on, now" I heard Mortis say to one of his cohorts, and I stepped back from the door.

He's planning to sell me over to the Empire. If Empress Twilight even hears of my existence she'll utterly eradicate Mortis and his entire group, along with me. What does this moron hope to even gain!? I wondered, growing infuriated. As the door opened I rammed it open, the heavy steel whacking Mortis' cohort in the face. He fell to the floor, blood soaking his snout, and I stepped over him. Mortis turned and jumped as he saw me step into the tunnel.

"Great One, what are you doing here? Are you well? You should be in bed, truly; we're not certain if you're fully healed yet" he said, his honeyed words entirely believable, were it not for the fact I already knew of his facade. As I stood before him contemplating my response, the rage died, and I was struck with a cold revelation. There was no point in words, no point in negotiating or even intimidating. He and the other necromancers were now a threat, and there was no proper response.

With a calm turn of my head I charged my horn and blew one of the skyboat's engines to pieces. The blast cracked the catapult it was on and the vehicle began to accelerate, the hull striking the crack and derailing, ramming into the tunnel's wall where it exploded, the windscreen shattering and doors popping open. Thick black smoke bled from the interior, hued by the orange glow of a rapidly spreading fire.

"GREAT ONE!! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!?" Mortis screamed, and I cut him down without a thought. I changed spells and my magic turned rigid, extending into a thin pink beam that went out a good three feet, leaving little wisps of magic as the air passed through it. I plunged the saber-like beam into the body of Mortis' cohort, and entered into the main hall. Necromancers drawn by the explosion were near the door, about to come into the tunnel, and stopped when they saw me emerge.

"Great One, what is happening? Is all well?" one of them asked, and I quietly approached him. I lowered my head and speared him through the barrel and all Tartarus broke loose. I lit a shield and felt a few of the necromancers bounce off, and I turned to find them knocked to the floor. I split my magic and two small bolts sailed into their heads, splitting them open. I turned back around and watched the necromancers scatter, some of the Unicorns opening fire with their own magic, which harmlessly dissipated against my shield.

As the minutes began to progress the temple turned to a bloodbath as I effortlessly cut through the 20 or so necromancers who resided and studied there. With the main hall cleared I entered the East wing where hastily constructed barricades were being put up against doors and in halls. I pushed into one of the labs and was met with a fusillade of magical fire, the orbs deflected by my shield. I lowered the power and changed the shape of my shield until it was blocking only the front of me. A quick burst of my horn saw two more of their number felled with simmering holes in their head. A third necromancer fired magic at my shield as he cowered behind a desk. He stood to fire again and I reshaped my magic to form a beam saber again and I swung my head, the tip of the beam running along his head. He shouted in pain and fell to the floor, his head cut to the bone from his jaw to the base of his ear. I speared his head and listened his flesh simmer as I pulled out.

As I turned away and back towards the door I was singed by a near-miss from a necromancer by the door, and I jumped. I lit my shield and charged her, and she fell backwards as she tried to scramble away. I killed my magic and drove my horn itself into her throat, feeling the warmth spurt down the length of my spire, matting the fur around the base of my horn. I pushed her off my horn and fresh blood splattered out onto my face, her body dumped to the floor with unseeing eyes boring into the old wood. I started bucking open doors and violently cutting down those who hid and those who resisted. I submerged myself into the adrenaline and bloodrush and became reckless, killing all my spells and reverting to using my horn to stab and slash and gore my victims as they futilely fought back. Near-misses and splashes cut me and blistered me and burned me, but no shots found their mark. My pink fur dripped deep crimson from my horn and my chin, and I breathed deep. In less than ten minutes the temple was clear, and I was standing in the main hall, my body violently shaking from hoof to horn.

When the last of the necromancers fell I took a few minutes to search some of the ritual rooms until I found an empty soul gem. I found one lying on the floor of the room I'd done my first supplantation in, next to the bloody body of one of the necromancers. I slid the gem into a pocket of the cloak that Indigo had given me and made my way back to the main hall. Once I returned to Koss I'd have all six gems that I needed. I stopped in the center of the hall and looked around, musing to myself how still it seemed. The building really was quite beautiful, it was a shame what had happened to it.

After a minute I lit my horn again and let the tendrils of magic snake out across the room, the wood smoking at the touch. I fed more power into the spells and the wood began to simmer and crackle, and before long it lit, the walls and floors beginning to burn. I did the same to the halls of the East and West wings, the flames licking at the ancient mahogany. I stood in that inferno long enough to assure myself it'd all burn to the ground before I turned back to the launch tunnel. The skyboat was unusable, of course, but I knew there was an elevator that went down into the mountain where a garage for surface vehicles led into a tunnel back to The Dome. The smoke from the skyboat filled the tunnel, but I paid it no mind as I trotted through it. As I passed by Mortis' body I paused and stared down at him. It was sad in a way, to see such a brilliant mind wasted on such repugnant magics. I nudged his barrel and he gasped sharply, proving to me he was still alive, if barely. There was a modest hole bored through his chest and a gaping exit wound along his barrel; he had minutes to live, if that. "I didn't see Indigo during my battle."

"She...." he breathed. "She was on...the skyboat... She was ou-- Our pilot..."

I felt nothing. "A nurse and a pilot. She was talented. She deserved better."

"D-Don't...we all....."

I left the smoke to envelop him as he slipped away, entered the elevator, and pressed the descend button. The old lift shuddered quietly as it descended into the mountain, a naked lightbulb casting a soft glow. I wiped what blood I could off my fur, but most of it had dried. The trip down was but a blur, and before long I reached bottom and the door opened, revealing the garage as promised. I ignored the hovercars and began to canter down the tunnel. It was a long way back to The Dome, and I had a mission to get back to.

I sure was hungry, though. Famished, even. "Sure could use some snackies" I whispered to myself. I started giggling, the sound gently echoing down the tunnel as I went. "S-- Snack-- Oh my gosh, snackies. What a stupid word" I said, my laughter rising. I was oddly giddy, but I didn't fucking care. It felt good to just laugh. Cathartic, even. I was still alive, and more of my enemies weren't. I had a right to be happy.

I'm sure it was just a side effect of that drug the necromancers had exposed me to, anyway.

Intermission

"You have to understand: it's been weeks, Flurry Heart. We did what we thought was most prudent, since there'd been no word or sight of you in so long."

I stood in Koss's apartment once more, as this selfish backstabber attempted to explain himself to me. It'd taken some time to find my way back, but I had eventually found an area I recognized, and followed the familiar streets back to the Griffon's home. He'd been shocked to see me walk in, and I'd been shocked to hear him say that he had taken possession of my ship, and had sold the soul gems we'd amassed. Weeks of fighting, searching, traded away. A dead friend, the suffering I'd endured, the gains of each sold like any common commodity. For all the time I'd spent in The Dome, I now had nothing to show for it.

"To whom did you sell the gems?" I asked. There was no sense in giving up now. We'd merely have to track down the buyer and get the gems back. The Dome, for as large as it was, was just one place. There was no where else in all the cosmos for someone who'd buy soul gems to safely go. We'd find them, whatever it took.

"Tim'mrak..." Koss answered.

I snapped. I yanked the bird off his fucking greedy talons and shoved him onto his kitchen table, the glasses placed upon it knocked askew and sent to the floor, where they shattered. I fixed him with a gaze that bore into his very being and lit my horn, the tip shimmering as the thaums flowed like plasma. "Give me one, good, reason not to kill you" I hissed. His betrayal, and that of the monks, only served to further prove to me that no one and nothing could be trusted. Other creatures were things to be used, assets to employ, in the service of Harmony.

"B-Because I can help you get them back! You'll need an army to take on Tim'mrak and his marauders, and the Sons of Gilda can be that army! We can help you strike facilities owned and operated by Tim'mrak's thugs, and I can help track down where's he holding the gems" Koss rapidly explained.

"As soon as he learns I'm alive, he'll reveal where he's holding them to bait me into coming to him. Finding the gems won't be hard, it'll just be a matter of fucking killing him and taking back what RIGHTFULLY BELONGS TO HARMONY! You ARE EXPENDABLE. You are ALL EXPENDABLE. NOTHING matters but the return of Harmony to THE GALAXY" I yelled.

"Yes, yes! Harmony and the way things should be, I get it I get it! But you'll never get anywhere close to Tim'mrak without our help! You'll need our numbers and our skyboats to draw him out and weaken him! The SoG will never help you without me" Koss protested.

"There's more than one Griffon mercenary group in The Dome. If not you, then someone else. All I need to do is flash some coin and they'll all walk in my shadow."

"They'll take one look at you and kill you! Equestrians are not trusted. You won't get anywhere without me and the Sons!"

I paused and mulled over what he said. I had no trust in him, no respect for him, but he was the devil I knew. In truth, the means mattered very little. I realized that the means had always mattered very little. All that mattered was the end, and I intended for that end to be the return of Harmony. When the time came, no one would care how it came to be. How I restored it. All that would matter is that we would all once again live the way we were all meant to. In peace, with trust, for each other.

I released Koss and stepped back. "You will help me. You will do this without question, without hesitation, and without compensation. Fuck your money, fuck your organization; Harmony will be your reward. Tranquility and peace will be your pay. Your checks will read 'justice.' Your coffers will contain nothing but fair treatment and equality for ALL of Equestria's races. You will bankrupt yourselves if I demand it, if it will return Harmony to us that much quicker. And when you are old and retired, on a quiet, white beach, before clear, blue waters, you will realize the errors of your past ways, and you will tell those who ask that you were happy to give up your riches and mercenary way of life in exchange for the life I will grant to all of the races of Equestria. And should you die in service of this goal, you will know that it was for a noble cause, and you will die happy. We will all die happy. Do you understand me?"

Koss nodded.

"Then let's get to work. Harmony is waiting, and I'm tired of making it do so."

XVI - Fun

"As our species ascends into the majestic cosmos once thought, in ignorance, to be controlled by our rulers, let us reflect upon the brilliance of Empress TWILIGHT SPARKLE, that we may better understand the splendor of Her knowledge, and how it has benefited us ALL through UNITY! The LESSER RACES will watch in awe and wonder as the first of our kind travel TO THE STARS to SPREAD THE INFLUENCE AND MAJESTY OF EMPRESS TWILIGHT AND THE GREATER EQUESTRIAN EMPIRE!"

Our campaign against Tim'mrak was supposed to be a simple one. Koss explained to me that Tim'mrak's headquarters and main base was a modest high-rise on the far-west side of The Dome, twenty stories tall. On the tenth story and the roof were four anti-aircraft cannons, and the building's perimeter was a ring of concrete topped by razor-wire. With Tim'mrak's forces at full strength a frontal assault on the tower would be suicidal, so Koss had advised me to try and weaken Tim'mrak's forces by taking the SoG along to attack a few other bases owned and operated by Tim'mrak. I couldn't help but feel the SoG would benefit from this more than me, but it was true enough that Tim'mrak would have to spare forces from his main tower to reinforce the other bases, which would soon be weakened by our assaults.

"I take it you'd like to get your ship back first" Koss said from beside me. We were far in the north of The Dome, amidst a sprawling industrial complex for the purpose of mining some manner of valuable mineral or fuel source. I didn't care for the details, but Koss had told me the complex was owned and operated by the Ironhand Reavers. Tim'mrak's gang.

"That's right" I told him. I found myself alone with him in a dugout on a cliff overlooking the complex, which had been built in what appeared to be a small quarry. There were about half-a-dozen of these pistoning spires, boring into the maroon earth of Draconequus. The complex looked as much a metropolis as the rest of The Dome, with numerous streets and alleys to snoop around in. It'd make a covert approach easy, but without first-hoof knowledge of the layout I'd be relying more on luck to stay hidden.

"This is one of Tim'mrak's most important assets. The mining borers harvest emerald ore for use in jewelry popular among more affluent Minotaurs and Griffons. On other worlds, of course, being that none of the characters you'd find in this lovely place would have an eye for jewelry. The vendors keep the source of these emeralds hidden from their customers, naturally, but there's a popular rumor among ponies on the garden worlds that Griffon jewelers send kickback to raider and mercenary groups here in the Serpent system" Koss explained.

"I'm willing to believe this rumor is true."

"Oh of course" Koss continued. "A great many of the enterprises that cater specifically to Griffons and Minotaurs secretly fund illegal activity, across the Serpent and Utopia systems, meant to target Equestrians and their interests. With Griffon and Minotaur governments being little more than puppet states to the Empire, these raiding and slaving bands are the only meaningful way the so-called 'lesser races' can strike back at the Equestrian Empire."

"What does any of this have to do with my ship?" I asked.

Koss gestured to a far end of the complex, where a few warehouses stood. "Sons of Gilda scouts have reported your ship to be stashed here, while Tim'mrak waits to decide what he wants to do with it. The Minotaur hardly ever leaves The Dome, so he wouldn't have much use for it. He'll likely sell it, once he's searched it top to bottom for any valuables."

"Like my soul gems."

Koss nodded. "Indeed. Though it's likely that Tim'mrak has already found them and taken them to a more secure location, such as his private tower. Taking your ship back and disrupting Tim'mrak's operation here will be a significant first blow. And, of course, you have a personal stake here, being that it is your ship, after all."

"Yes, it is. I don't suppose you have a map or any knowledge of the layout to this place?" I said. I wasn't sure if Koss could be trusted any more, so I wasn't going to take him with me if I didn't have to. Although, it might be a good idea to keep him on a short leash I thought, which was true enough. It wasn't likely that he'd back me up in a fight, but if I could keep a close eye on him it'd prevent him from sending out any secret messages to Tim'mrak or his goons.

"I'm afraid not, but I do have a plan. There are six mining pylons spread across the compound. I just so happen to have six cases of adhesive Comp-B bombs" Koss said, reaching into his backpack and producing such a case. It was about the size of a lunch box, adorned with a mechanical timer and radio receiver. "Inside each case is about four blocks of Comp-B, which would be sufficient to severely damage the pylons. We set a case on each pylon and set them to all go off at the same time. While this pandemonium is distracting the Minotaurs, we sneak into the warehouse and fly your ship out of here."

I eyed the explosive charge as Koss slid it back into his backpack, an eyebrow cocked. "'We', huh?"

Koss smiled wryly. "I understand you no longer have any faith in me, but I am the only one that knows how to properly handle these things" he said, gesturing to his backpack. "I know how to manually time them to be in sync, and I know the radio codes to each, for remote activation and timing. I could tell you the codes, of course, but, you know....I won't."

You're a fucking piece of shit I mused, but jerked my head towards the mining complex. "Let's go."

Our descent had been without incident, and we made our way through the narrow alleys to the nearest mining pylon. it was surrounded by a simple chain-link fence, which wouldn't be hard to defeat. The piston was rather quiet, pushing down into the earth and drawing out several hundred pounds of soil and rock, which was then dumped into a sorter and conveyor that traveled, underground, to a nearby foundry. The piston would then repeat the process, and all of the soil and rock mined would be carefully checked for any emeralds.

"Allow me" Koss said, soaring up and over the fence and adhering a bomb to a hidden alcove of the spire that the piston was mounted to. He rejoined me and we moved on, heading for the next piston. "Once we've attached all six bombs we'll have to make our way to the warehouses and search them for your ship. The last pylon is a couple hundred feet from the warehouses, so it won't be much of a trek. However, there is a large runway or tarmac of sorts outside the warehouses, and it's rather barren, so crossing it will be a risk. There's also the matter of the warehouses themselves; there's three, but searching them will be little more than peeking inside and seeing if your ship is there" Koss explained.

I hummed an acknowledgment but otherwise didn't comment. So long as no alarms were raised we'd be alright, and I figured we'd just set the bombs off before crossing the tarmac to search the warehouses. I was confident that this would be a simple matter.

Thirty minutes later we'd attached bombs to three of the six pylons, and had killed only one patrolling Minotaur along the way. We slipped into a small trailer, what was apparently meant to be some kind of break room, and Koss closed the curtains on the windows.

"Just a few more to go, and then we can get out of here. After we've gotten your ship back we can begin thinking about how we're going to storm Tim'mrak's tower and get your soul gems back" Koss commented.

"Who said we have to storm it? We could just sneak in and steal the gems" I replied.

Koss shook his head. "We've already determined that Tim'mrak will be made aware of your return the moment he learns your ship was stolen from him. He will do what he can to reinforce his tower against any kind of infiltration, but with the damage we'll be inflicting on his other assets he'll have no choice but to spare some of his soldiers to reinforce them. It's how we'll make the assault easier, but there'll be no way to sneak in to the tower ahead of time, unless you know something I do not."

I didn't, but I had to wonder if what he was saying was true. As much as I would've liked to kill Tim'mrak the soul gems were the true objective. Still, there was no reason one of us couldn't infiltrate the tower and set it up for a direct assault. "It's something we can worry about later, but a direct assault won't be easy with the AA cannons on his tower. If I could sneak in and disable them, it'd make your attack much easier."

"Mmm, you make a fair point. For now, let's focus on rigging these pylons and getting your ship out of here" Koss said. We took a moment to peek outside the trailer before getting on our way, heading for the pylons. At each I covered Koss while he hid the bomb in an alcove or panel, and made sure there'd be no surprises along the way. We made it to the last pylon and noticed it was being guarded by a few Minotaurs, though they didn't seem particularly alert. I nodded for Koss to target one while I would take the other, and I leaned out from behind the building that the pylon was near. Koss checked the silencer he'd affixed to his rifle before the mission and took aim, and the two of us fired in unison, dropping both Minotaurs at once.

"Get that last bomb set and then let's get to the warehouse" I said. Koss nodded and got to work, and I looked out towards the warehouses. As Koss had explained there was a tarmac outside the warehouses, just a few hundred feet from the last pylon, devoid of any kind of cover or concealment. There were no watchtowers or anything similar, thankfully, but it'd still be a couple hundred yards of open ground to cover.

"All set" Koss said once he was finished. Let's detonate them to make the distraction, then get out of here." I nodded and we made our way away from the pylon towards the tarmac. A storage shed was the last building before the open stretch of the tarmac, and we crouched near it as Koss pulled out his radio detonator to transmit the codes. He punched in the codes, a light on the device flashed green, and--

Nothing happened.

"These old things can be a pain, let me try again." Koss punched in the numbers once more and, once more, the light flashed green and nothing happened. Koss groaned and tilted his head back, and put the detonator back into his bag. "The fucking codes were probably changed, or maybe the receivers are desynced. Whatever, I'll have to go back and set them all manually. You get to the warehouses and find your ship, I'll find another way out of here."

Immediately I was suspicious. "The bombs were meant to distract the Minotaurs from any activity from the warehouses, am I supposed to just wait around?"

"I'll detonate the first bomb immediately, that'll cause enough of a commotion to draw their attention away. I assure you all the rest will go off before you fly out of here."

I didn't trust him, but I wasn't going to just sit around. I nodded and watched as he raced off back towards the pylon, and I turned to look at the warehouses. It wasn't more than three minutes before I heard the pylon explode behind me, and at once I shot off, beating my wings and soaring just a few feet off the ground as I made a beeline straight for the warehouses. There was no gunfire or shouting, though a few distant alarms went off. I landed in a gallop as I neared the first warehouse, threw the door open, and peered inside. The warehouse was filled to the brim with crates and shipping containers, but no spaceships. I saw some Minotaurs on catwalks racing for the stairs, and shut the door as I went for the backside of the warehouse.

As I rounded the corner I saw a Minotaur jogging torwards me, gun in hand. He barked at me to stop and raised his rifle, and a quick burst from my horn put him on the ground. I leaped over his body and headed for the second warehouse. The back door to this one was ringed by a chain-link, which I flew over. I pulled the door open, and in the dull white glow of the ceiling lights I saw my ship parked in the center of the building, the thrusters covered in a canvas cover. They would need to be removed before I could fly it out.

End it, Flurry Heart. You're so close. It's time.

"Worry is natural, dear. She's our daughter. Twilight promised me that she'll get the best training."

"There is no alternative but victory, Flurry. That is my Will."

I paused and sat on my haunches, struggling to control my breathing. If I weren't immortal, I'd have been concerned about how many years of my life my time in The Dome shaved off. I steeled myself and pressed on. There were no Minotaurs in the warehouse, a fact I found strange as I approached my ship. I flew up and tore the covers off the thrusters and inspected the rest of the vehicle, making sure there wasn't anything else on it I didn't want. I approached the airlock, put in the codes, and the door opened. I stepped in and immediately I was reminded of Sixfour.

"What would you like to know? Much about the world has not changed since our creation."

"I want to know everything. From culture, to literature, to cinema. I want to know about law enforcement, the economy, foreign and domestic politics, everything."

"To learn it all would take many years, Great One."

"Time is all I have, Sixfour. And please, call me Princess."

I bit my tongue, hard. STOP. No more, please. No more reminders, no more lapses. I knew it would not be that easy, but I needed to focus. The distractions had become too much, and they were getting worse. I will admit to having been afraid for my mental health.

If my own efforts to focus had failed, then the bullet that hit the viewport would've done it. The slug glanced off the thick glass, leaving it chipped and scratched, and I jumped. A few Minotaurs had come into the warehouse and noticed me standing on the bridge of my ship, and had opened fire. The main door to the warehouse was still closed, and there wasn't any way to open it from inside my ship. I don't fucking need this shit right now.

I opened the airlock and lit my shield, and took to the air. There were only about four Minotaurs, but they'd spread out across the catwalks and were filling the air with lead. I rocketed towards the nearest one and landed just beside him. He swung his massive fist and the back of it struck me in the head, sending me stumbling forward. I growled and obliterated him, the rage taking me. The same rage that had consumed me in the temple. The haze, the recklessness. I shot into the air and looked around, finding that the second Minotaur had dropped to the floor below and was in cover behind some crates.

"Congratulations on a successful first mission, Flurry Heart! It seems my faith was well-placed."

Stop.

"I couldn't help but notice how beautiful you are. I just wanted to-- Oh gosh, you're the Royal Hunter. I'm sorry, I didn't realize."

Please no more.

I landed by the second Minotaur and drove my horn into his body. He barked in surprise and fell to one knee, and I drew my horn out, the length of it once more dripping in blood. I sank it into his throat, and he gurgled and sputtered as he fell to the floor, the blood pumping out onto the cold concrete as I flew off to my next adversary. My next victim.

"How does it make you feel, Flurry?"

"it's so exhilarating, Twilight! It's like I can't be touched! My enemies all feel like they can't keep up, like they're in slow motion, it's so exciting! I'm so much faster than them, stronger than them, more powerful than them! I love it!"

Sto-- Stop.

"This is the graduating class?"

"That's right. 140 brave mares and stallions, ready to uphold the integrity of the Empire. After today, they'll all officially be Royal Rangers. I thought it'd be nice if you could deliver their congratulation speech, to speak to them as the Royal Hunter, and show them the example they should all strive to reach."

Don't let me succumb to this.

I hit the ground in a full gallop and charged straight at the third Minotaur, who turned to shoot at me. Bullet after bullet struck my shield and shattered, and I was on him in seconds. I knocked him to the floor and killed my shield, and a quick burst of my horn turned his head to atoms. I smiled gleefully as his blood splattered me from head to hoof, and I took off for the last Minotaur.

"Holy guacamole, she's amazing, Twilight! When she gallops it's like her hooves don't even touch the ground, and her spells are beyond accurate. Some of the training bots can't even track her, that's how fast she is!"

"I'm sure she'll be happy to hear you say that, Spike."

It's not... Don't...

It's...

It's fun...

It's so much fun. I forgot how much fun it is!

"Ten years. That's how long you've been the Royal Hunter, Flurry Heart. A hundred missions, every one a success. An unmatched record, and unrivaled career. I'm proud of you."

"When's the next one? I'm bored. I want to get back out there."

"Soon. I have a rather important mission for you, but I haven't finished getting all the intel for it. For now, well... The training rooms are always open to you."

Oh, it's SO much fun! It's amazing!

I stumbled around, laughing and giggling as I went. I thought I was getting closer to the last Minotaur, but I wasn't sure if he even was still around. It didn't matter; watching him flee in terror would've been just as fun as killing him.

"430 successful missions across sixty years, Flurry Heart! Incredible! You haven't ever failed a single one! Spike has the details for your next one; you'll find him out in the courtyard."

"Thank you, Twilight."

So much fun. SO much fun. So, so much-- Ow, FUCK! FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT. My glee turned to rage, but I wasn't sure why. I could hardly see, but I was sure my eyes were fine. My right foreleg suddenly hurt, but I didn't know why. I lit my horn, but I don't remember what spell I even cast.

"Don't let the Hunter hear you say that, dude."

"Let me hear what?"

"Fuc-- Ma'am!"

"Don't salute me, you fucking whelp. What is it that I shouldn't hear? I'm dying to know."

What did I even do to those stallions? I don't remember. I didn't remember, and I couldn't remember why I couldn't remember. It was frustrating, but I don't even know why. If I couldn't remember, it probably wasn't important, right? Nothing was important. Except Harmony. Harmony was important. It was so important. It was all that mattered. It was all I cared about. Everything else was an obstacle, a challenge, a hurdle. If it didn't help me serve Harmony, it was in my way. If it didn't serve Harmony, it was an enemy. A threat. I'd never relent in the face of anything that tried to stop me. I'd never give up. I'll never give in.

"All the details are in this dossier. Here."

"The Harmony Brigade? Spike told me a little about them. Said they were traitors."

"The worst kind. They're enemies of the Empire and the Golden Age. No prisoners. I don't want to see you again until they're all dead."

Until they're all dead. That's the only way. I won't stop until they're all dead. All of my enemies, all of Harmony's enemies. I won't rest until they're all dead. I won't sleep until they're all dead. I won't relax until they're all dead. And... And no one will know peace until they're all dead. The galaxy won't be right until they're all dead. Nothing will be alright until they're all dead. This was my true calling. This was all that mattered. Until they're all dead, that was my new goal. I couldn't leave The Dome until all my enemies were dead. That's what Twilight taught me, how she trained me. Don't give up until they're all dead. The mission's not a success until they're all dead. Don't come back until they're all dead. I don't want to see you again until they're all dead. Yes, Twilight. I'll get it done. Thank you.

I don't remember killing the last Minotaur, but I do remember standing over his remains, smiling. I don't remember how his blood got onto my teeth, but I do remember the metallic taste. I don't remember when I got shot, but I do remember binding the hole in my right foreleg. I don't remember opening the warehouse's door, or getting into my ship, but I do remember laughing as I flew away. I laughed, I guffawed, I giggled, I cracked up. I rocked back and forth in the pilot's chair and repeatedly slapped my hoof against the leather, whooping and cheering as I flew back towards Koss's apartment.

It felt so good to laugh.

XVII - To Take One More Step

"What are the names of the six Garden Worlds, little Flurry?"

"Equus, Equus Prime, Ascension, Starlight, Destiny, and Cadenza!"

"That's right. And the names of their solar systems?"

"Umm... Equus is in the Horsehead Nebula, Equus Prime and Ascension are in the Utopia system, and Destiny and Cadenza are in the Unity system!"

"Very good! Would you like to visit them all someday?"

"Emp... Emper... Twilight said I'll protect them all someday! She said she was going to make me the Royal Hunter!"

"Oh? And what is that?"

"What's next?" I asked Koss. He paused mid-stride, a bemused smile on his face as he cautiously eyed me. After I'd returned to his apartment I had one of the Sons of Gilda return my ship to the spaceport to make it easy to find, and then I'd gone back to Koss's apartment to wait for his return. I'd been sitting in one of his chairs when he'd opened the door, and he seemed to be doing well. I didn't bother to ask how he escaped the quarry, and I knew he wouldn't offer to explain himself. It didn't matter, only Harmony did. That, and our next move.

"Well, Tim'mrak's been hurt pretty bad by having his emerald mine disrupted. He's got other assets, as we've discussed, but the one next important to him is his slaver camp system. He uses slave labor, pony mostly, to tend to some of his other facilities. Refineries, machine shops, that sort of thing" Koss explained.

"Mmm. Well, let's get going" I said, and stood. Koss stopped me as I neared the door, and I smiled at him.

"Are you certain you want to go so soon? I don't know what happened to you after you and your bot escaped to the sewers, but you come back weeks later without him, missing your mane and tail, and blistered and scarred to all Tartarus. It's obvious Tim'mrak didn't do any of this to you, but clearly something terrible happened to you" Koss said. "Then, you came back and went straight back into the fight. It might be wise to take a break for a day or two."

"The fuck do you care?" I huffed. "All that matters is the bottom line to you. Now let's go, we've got work to do." I shoved my way past Koss and headed for the stairs that led down to street level. There'd be plenty of time for rest later, once my work was finished.

Our flight on the Sons of Gilda skyboat took us to within a few miles of Tim'mrak's tower. I could see it in the distance, rising above countless other low buildings. The skyboat dipped and we slowed for a landing. The vehicle hadn't even stopped when Koss and I leaped out onto the street. The hum of the engines briefly filled the air as the vehicle took off and headed for a standby point a few miles back.

"OK, so, the camp isn't far from here. There ought to be a sewer tunnel running underneath it, and we'll use that to infiltrate the camp. Do you have a plan?" Koss asked as we started walking.

"Kill everything that walks on two legs, and free everything that walks on four" I said.

"How succinct, but it'll hardly be that simple. At each corner of the perimeter fence, as well as in the center of the camp, are machine gun towers. Getting to the Minotaurs inside will be a bit harder than the rest in the camp."

"So I'll just knock the whole towers down. I'm an Alicorn, Koss. Nothing can stop me" I declared, spreading my wings out for emphasis. We neared the porthole cover Koss was leading me to and he stopped, took a moment to slide the cover off, and gestured for me to get in. Negotiating a ladder was a bit of a challenge for a pony, but I made do. After a moment Koss came down, slid the cover back into place behind him, and together the two of us began the trek down the tunnel.

"Alicorn or not, you're still killable. I think that you'd do well to remember that."

I huffed but ignored him, and we made our way down the tunnel in silence. The objective was to make our way into the camp and free as many of the ponies interred within as possible. The plan, to kill everything on two legs, was how we'd accomplish that. It was a simple matter, I had no idea why Koss thought there'd be more to it.

it was about fifteen minutes before we reached a junction where two other tunnls met the one we had entered through, with runoff pipes opening up in the ceiling above the mouth of each. As we came to a stop a deluge of ashy water came rushing down one of the runoff pipes and was dumped into the sewer. I watched it disinterestedly as Koss looked for a ladder or door of some kind.

"Ah, here we are" he said, and I turned to face him. The tunnel to the left of the one we'd come down had a small ladder against the far wall, and Koss had one clawed hand on the rungs, ready to head up. I silently followed him as he clambered up and, with a quick check once he reached the top, leaped out into the building above. After a moment I joined him, and we found ourselves in what appeared to be a morgue, the hatches lining the wall all sealed. "I suppose you want to split up."

I nodded. "We'll use this as the escape route for the slaves, and we'll free more if we split up. Just go wherever you like, it doesn't matter to me" I said, and I headed off. The morgue led out to a wide hallway, the walls adorned with posters and notice boards. I trotted left and headed for the double doors at the end of the hall, which I assumed led out to the grounds of the camp.

With a twist of the handles and a gentle nudge the doors swung open, and I poked my head out. Directly to the left was the perimeter wall, solid concrete and rising twenty feet, and in the corner of that was one of the machine gun towers. The Minotaur in it had his gun trained on the interior of the camp, but being that I was so close to him he didn't see me.

Hmm. Here's an idea I thought, and approached the tower. There was a ladder that ran directly under the center of it, leading up to a trapdoor. I floated myself up to it and pushed the trapdoor open, and the Minotaur didn't even react, though he was apparently aware the door had opened. "Mm, finally. Is that you, Jin'nak? It's about time you came to relieve me" he said. I gently shut the trapdoor and gripped the Minotaur's thick neck in my magic. He flailed and tried to twist as I suffocated him, but I kept him firmly rooted in place. After just a few seconds he passed out, and a few more moments later I was sure he was dead. I dumped his body to the floor and stood on my hindlegs as I approached the machine gun, inspecting it. A quick check confirmed it was loaded and I sighted in on the tower directly across from me, some 150 yards away, and opened fire.

I'd never fired an actual firearm before. I had my horn, and the few times I'd used a gun it was a recoilless magical energy rifle that mounted to the body, so you can imagine the thrill that rippled through me as the old singer thundered out its tune. I'd heard plenty of gunfire in my time in The Dome, both near and far, but to actually fire one? There was the blast, the flash, the recoil(mitigated as it was by the gun being mounted directly to the tower), and the smell. That sulfur smell of gunpowder. The empty brass briefly danced on the wooden floor before settling, and I watched as the Minotaur in the other tower caught a dozen bullets in his collarbone and throat and fell to the floor. Certain spells caused clean kills, and certain spells caused me to be bathed in blood, but this just...felt different. I smiled; it felt good.

Alarms began to rise in the camp, and I took a moment to blast the gun in the tower before I leaped out and floated down to the ground. I charged towards a blockhouse near the center of the camp, the other towers opening fire as I went, little geysers of dirt kicking up all around me as the bullets landed. I lit my shield and a few of the rounds shattered around me. I ran behind the blockhouse, putting it between me and the other towers, giving me a brief respite. The Minotaurs in the towers were likely expecting to me to charge out from the other end of the blockhouse, so I went back the way I came to throw them off. I paused and siphoned off part of my magic, and wrapped the center tower in my magical grasp. With a yank I knocked the entire tower down and crushed the Minotaur inside, and charged back behind the blockhouse.

As I ran toward the other end of the camp I caught sight of a few Minotaurs gunning for me, and I prepared to cut them down. I slid into cover behind a quonset hut and edged around the corner, shooting a Minotaur in the back. I moved up to where he'd been, and found myself on the flank of the Minotaur squad. I peeked out to shoot them all and they scattered, seemingly aware of me. I frowned but moved out to get an angle on them all, and out of the corner of my eye I saw movement on a nearby rooftop. I turned my gaze to focus on it and saw a Minotaur hoisting something on his shoulder. I was about to take a shot at him when there was a tremendous hiss and a cloud of dust kicked up around the Minotaur, and a second later half of the camp was cast in an orange glow as a missile screamed towards me, and I scrambled back, pumping as much magic into my shield as I could and just praying it'd be enough.

The rocket slammed into the ground a few feet in front of me and I was violently thrown back, sailing through the air and slamming into the corner of a nearby building. My shield winked out with a *CRACK* that made my fur stand on end, and I hit the dirt hard.

Sweet Celestia... Fuck, fuck fuck. I scrambled to my hooves, feeling dazed and dizzy, and lit my shield. Just in time, too, as a smattering of bullets hit just seconds later. I ambled back towards the blockhouse as the Minotaurs closed in on me. Nothing was broken, thankfully, but it had been a close call. It was a miracle I was even still alive, frankly. Time to try something different I thought, intending to head back towards the morgue. I turned back to where it had been and saw the building it had been in was the largest in the camp, likely the main administrative building, and an entirely different thought occurred to me. I bet there are some important documents in there, maybe even a map or floorplan of Tim'mrak's tower.

As I raced towards the admin building I heard a skyboat roar overhead. I dared to look and saw it was that Type X gunboat that I'd encountered at the convoy ambush, and I galloped faster. My shield might save me from one rocket, but a dozen, all hitting at once? There wouldn't have been enough left of me to fill a coffee cup.

I rammed the main doors of the admin building without missing a beat, being welcomed by some gunfire as I did. There was a staircase directly across from the main doors that led up to the second floor, an overturned table in front of it with a Minotaur behind that. I shot him in the head and charged up the stairs, to look for the offices. The stairs were a switchback type, where you went up the initial staircase to a landing, which had two staircases on either side heading up in the opposite direction to put you on the next floor. I reached the second floor, which split off in either direction, and paused. Find the main office, it'll have everything.

"GET UP AFTER HER! TIM'MRAK WISHES TO PLUCK THE FEATHERS FROM HER BACK!!" I heard a Minotaur bellow from downstairs, and I took off into a canter down the left wing of the hall. I passed by several offices and meeting rooms, amused that an illegal slaving operation felt the need to engage in bookkeeping. Maybe each slaver gang had a portfolio that kept track of their reliability for potential buyers. If true, I wasn't sure if that was hilarious or fucked up.

I reached the end of the hall with nothing to show for it. I pushed open a few doors to check, even pulled open a few filing cabinets, but there was nothing that'd help me for the assault on Tim'mrak's tower. Undeterred, I headed back out to the hall where I saw a squad of Minotaurs stacked up the staircase, all of them aiming down the hall at me.

"There's no way out now, little pony. You'd do well to come along quietly; Tim'mrak wishes to have words" one of them said, and I huffed in annoyance.

"What a thing to say. I thought he wanted to pluck the feathers from my back?"

The Minotaur growled a low giggle. "What's the difference?"

"The same as deciding between which spell to kill you all with" I said. My shield had already been lit, and I pushed more power to my horn as the Minotaurs opened fire. They all had armor, and were in cover, so it took a bit of work to actually hit them. After the first few dropped the others spread out, some of them crossing the hall to enter the offices and possibly flank me.

It's not even a challenge anymore, just an inconvenience. At least I remembered how fun it could be I thought. I passed by the staircases, shot the Minotaurs still there in the head, and headed for the other end of the building. I felt and heard a few bullets strike my shield from behind, but paid them no mind. A quick check of the rooms on this side of the floor revealed only more mundane offices, and I was beginning to think I wouldn't find anything when I came across it. The master office. With a smile I pushed the door open and got to work.

"Hello everypony, I am Flurry Heart, the Royal Hunter. It is my honor to be here on your graduation day, to congratulate you all as you all take that first step forward towards the bright future you have all worked very hard to realize. To become Royal Rangers, and become the vanguard of the Golden Age and the Greater Equestrian Empire."

Did that class even end up doing anything? I bet after a few years they realized how boring being a Ranger was. I bet they were jealous of me, though.

"How are you, Flurry? I understand you'd like to get back to work, but it's important to remember take time off when you can."

What a pompous bitch. She didn't give a fuck about me. All she cared about was my track record. That's all anypony cared about when I was the Hunter.

After a few minutes of searching the cabinets and desk I found what I was looking for: a drawer dedicated to cartography. I flicked through the various maps of camps and facilities until I finally found it. A map of Tim'mrak's tower. I scanned it briefly and was surprised to see that there was a sewer access door in the basement. That'd be my ticket inside.

I folded the map up, slid it into one of my pockets, and headed back out into the hall. I heard a clatter and my hoof kicked against something on the floor, and I paused to take a look at it. It was a grenade, and I barely raised my shield in time before it detonated. With a tremendous boom and crash I was sent flying back through the air and out the window at the end of the hall, and I fell the two stories to the ground.

That I was still alive, and conscious, after everything I'd endured this day was less a miracle at this point and more like Celestia herself was protecting me. I struggled to stand, my hooves shaking and my head pounding. I screamed as a bullet hit me in the flank, and I lit my shield. I didn't even bother to try and fight back as I staggered back into the admin building and headed for the morgue. I leaned against the wall for support, just focusing on putting each hoof in front of the pevious. I saw Koss by the door of the morgue, and he kept the hall covered as I approached.

"Let's... Let's get out of here..." I breathed as I passed him. He nodded and sealed the door, and I took a look around. The morgue was empty, and I was about to ask Koss what had happened when he put a talon to my back to push me along.

"The freed slaves are already down in the tunnel. Come on."

I let Koss lead the way, and he helped me get onto the ladder. I hobbled down it and he came down a moment later, rigging the hatch with a grenade trap, should any Minotaurs try to chase us. I turned and there were only four ponies in the tunnel, the lot of them dirty and beaten. "This is...everypony?"

Koss nodded. "Everyone who survived, I'm afraid."

I sat down and leaned against the tunnel wall, trying to catch my breath. "Sorry we couldn't do more... Go on, all of you. Get away from this fucking place..." I whispered, and the ponies only hesitated for a moment before they took off in separate directions, though two of them went down the same tunnel together. It was enough.

"I got-- Ah! I got...a map, of Tim'mrak's tower" I said. "There's a sewer tunnel that runs underneath it, and there's an access door at the base of a main staircase. I'll...sneak in, and disable the anti-air cannons. That way-- Nng... That way you and the, the Sons of Gilda can come in uncontested."

"Very good. For now, though, it's time to get you to a doctor, little Princess. Come on now, let's get going" Koss said. He took one of my hooves across the back of his neck and I leaned on him, trying to keep pressure off my right hindleg, lest I agitate the bullet wound in my flank. The two of us slowly hobbled down the tunnel back the way we'd first come in, to get back to the skyboat.

It was almost over.

XVIII - Princess Flurry Heart

"The idea that a lesser could strike at my Empire with any meaning is, frankly put, insulting. My experiences all those decades ago showed me the true nature of the other species. Gilda, Iron Will, Chrysalis, they were not the exceptions, they were the rule. it is with that knowledge, and the influence and guidance of that wise stallion, Manifest Destiny, that I have shaped the world into what it is today. It is by my hoof that the nation of Equestria has risen above all others, and it will be my hoof that ensures no other will rise to meet us."

A few days, a minor surgery, and some restorative potions later I was back to 100%(at least, I insisted as much to Koss), and so we were on a skyboat headed for Tim'mrak's tower. This was it. The final assault. It was here I'd take back my soul gems, kill Tim'mrak, and leave The Dome forever. The plan called for an aerial offensive on Tim'mrak's tower, which required the AA batteries to be out of action beforehoof. I was to infiltrate the tower through the sewer tunnels and make my way to the tenth floor, where the middle AA batteries would be. Sons of Gilda mercs would then arrive via skyboats in two waves to storm the tower. The roof AA guns wouldn't be able to depress low enough to fire on the SoG skyboats, and so they weren't considered a threat.

I pulled back from the open side door of the skyboat and turned back to face Koss. "Get in, knock out the batteries, then signal the assault. In and out" I said, and Koss nodded.

"Indeed, Flurry Heart. Tim'mrak will likely be in or near the top floor, where his penthouse should be. I will arrive on the first wave and join up with you, and we'll take him down together. It'll be done in a day" he explained.

"'Likely', 'should be', we're leaving a lot to chance, don't you think?"

"You're an Alicorn, and you've survived thus far in this pit. We'll be OK. I know I don't exactly inspire confidence, but as much as I value getting paid, I value living more."

"Uh-huh" I said. The truth of the matter was that Koss and his band were likely going to strip Tim'mrak's tower bare once I left, but their time would come. Once I'd succeeded in returning Harmony to the galaxy I'd make sure to clean up these mercenary and marauder gangs. There would be no need of them once Harmony returned.

"We're near your drop-off. Good luck" Koss said, and I turned back to the open door. The skyboat was slowing, a few miles out from the tower, and descending. I hopped out and the vehicle ascended and took off. I'd been dropped in what appeared to be a scrapyard, with a sewer porthole cover a few feet away. A quick pull with my magic and the cover slid off. I took a look around the scrapyard for anyone watching me and, not seeing anything, eased myself into the hole. This ladder wasn't nearly as much of a challenge as the last one had been, and I dropped down into a modestly sized tunnel. Lights every twenty feet lit the way, each one swarmed by groups of little gnats and flies. Koss had provided me with a utility map, which I would use to find my way to the tower.

I set out down the tunnel, doing my best to stay quiet as I went. There was no water in the tunnel, thankfully, but hooves could still be fairly loud against cobble and brick. Being that it was a few miles to the tower I had a ways to go, but I kept alert. This is for you, Sixfour I thought. I wished he could've been here with me, to help me, to see all our struggles finally pay off. He wasn't here, though, and nothing I could do would ever change that. All I could do was make sure his death was not in vain, and remember to always keep him in my heart.

And not fail, once this was over. I couldn't fail, ever. Not here, not on Etherea, not back home on Equus. I swore to myself that this will all have been worth it, I just had to succeed.

It was close to half an hour before reached the access stairwell marked on the map, and I peeked through the window on the door. The room beyond was a nondescript stairway landing, with some boxes tucked in the corner. I tried the handle, and naturally it was locked. A quick burst of my horn solved that problem, and I pulled the door open. The stairwell was clear, and I began to trot up. Each floor was marked, thankfully, which made keeping track of my progress easy. I was just about to hit the fifth floor when I heard the door to it open, and a few Minotaurs stepped in. I scurried back down the steps before they could see me, and prayed to Celestia and Luna that they didn't come down. They didn't, and I waited several minutes before I got moving again.

"Koss to Flurry Heart, progress check."

"I'm in the tower stairwell, making my way up now" I whispered back into the radio, the sound gently echoing. I prayed again that no one had heard me, and continued on. There were no further surprises and before long I was at the door to the tenth floor, the door unlocked. I opened it a hair, peered through the gap to make sure it was clear, and squeezed through. I pushed the door shut with a hind leg and crouched low. I was in a dimly lit hall, the floor layout resembling an office building. At each corner of the floor would be an AA battery, aimed at the sky. So long as I wasn't spotted, it'd be easy to knock them all out.

Moving down the hall I made my way towards the side of the building that faced out towards the rest of The Dome, the hall splitting in a T shape at the end. The floor was walled by large bay windows, though most of them were covered in sheet steel to provide cover against attackers. A few were uncovered, however, and the view was breathtaking, in a way. The Dome could've been a beautiful city, had it been managed by civilized creatures. Instead, it was Tartarus in our dimension.

I sound like Twilight when I think like that I mused, but I don't think anyone would've disagreed with my assessment of The Dome. It was a horrible place, and I was looking forward to soon being able to leave it. I hoped I would never have to return to it, for anything.

I reached the end of the hall and peeked around the corners of the T-junction, finding the way clear in each direction. There was a surprising lack of guards around, a fact that made me nervous. I could see the AA guns at each corner of the floor, both fully attended to by a squad of Minotaurs. Moving right I headed towards the first gun, keeping low and quiet to avoid detection. The corners of this floor were set up to have a small platform on each, on which the AA guns were placed. The openings in each corner were hemmed by thick steel plates and sandbags, and the platforms had sandbags built up to about chest height for me, to keep the guns protected from small arms fire. There was nothing to keep the crews protected from snipers or explosives, but being so high up it'd be impossible to hit them from the ground, and the nearest building tall enough to make a shot from was over a mile away. The only true risk to the guns was from sabotuers like myself.

So it was that I eased up to the first gun emplacement and shot each of the Minotaurs tending to it in the back of the head, their bodies slumping over. With gun one out of the picture I turned back the way I'd come and headed for the second gun, making sure to check each hall before I passed by them. I trotted up to the emplacement and the Minotaurs there met the same fate as the ones before.

Two down, two to go. Guns clear, signal the attack. It's almost over! I thought. Gun number three was up ahead, the Minotaurs in its seats idly chatting among themselves. I paid no mind to their banter and quickly snuffed them out, leaving just one AA gun to go. I rounded the corner and made my way down the hall to the final gun. As I approached, though, a patrolling Minotaur came up to the gun to talk to its tenders, and my pace quickened into a canter. There was a hall some twenty feet ahead, and I intended to slide into it before the Minotaur saw me. Before I could, however, he turned and saw me, and I shot him in the head. The Minotaurs on the AA gun scrambled and went for their rifles, and I opened fire, blasting their position relentlessly with magic. I caught one of the Minotaurs in the arm and the limb vanished. With the other Minotaur firmly in cover I grabbed the platform in my magic and tore it from its mounting, sending him and the AA gun plumetting to the surface below.

"Tower clear!" I shouted into my radio. "Again, tenth floor AA guns are clear! Begin your attack now!"

"Understood, we're on our way! I heard Koss call back, and I raced over to the windows to watch. In the distance, the Sons of Gilda skyboats began to rise into the sky and turn towards the tower. They sailed in low to avoid the rooftop AA guns, and I could see Minotaurs on the ground as they all scrambled for cover and opened fire with their small arms. With the AA guns on this floor knocked out, however, there'd be nothing to stop the SoG from making their way into the building. I shot out several windows as the dropships approached, and stepped back to give them space. The ramps dropped and out thundered squad after squad of SoG mercs from the boats, Koss among them. The skyboats pulled back and began to circle the tower, the birds in the ball turrets peppering the floors above and below us with machine gun fire.

"Rally up on ME! We're heading up to the top floor to kill the scumbag in charge! Don't stop until they're all dead!" I shouted, and with Koss at my side we all made for the stairwells. I took him and half the SoG to the stairwell I'd come up, and the other half split off for the other stairwell at the other end of the floor. There were a few Minotaurs in our stairwell, and the SoG made quick work of them. The sounds of battle echoed across the building, dampened by the walls of the stairwell. We made our way up to the top of the stairwell and I blasted the door open, wrapped myself in a thin shield, and we poured out onto the floor. Tim'mrak's Reavers were ready for us, and more than a few SoG mercs fell as we spread out and slid into cover.

From there, the battle devolved into the usual pandemonium that accompanied such close range skirmishes. The floor was some manner of club or bar, with tables for both pool and dining spread throughout. A grenade went off near the bar, sending shrapnel of both steel and wood across the room. A rather sharp hunk of oak glanced off my shield, but I paid it little mind. I lost track of Koss and opted to focus in one what targets I could, boosting power to my shield as I peeked out from behind an overturned pool table. There were about nine Minotaurs throughout the room, including some that appeared to have come down from the rooftop AA guns, being that they were wearing the same uniforms that the Minotaurs from downstairs had been. I had an angle on a Minotaur crouching behind a knocked over piano of all things, and I shot him, the beam spearing through his leg at the knee. He fell forward, exposing the rest of himself to me, and I finished the job.

As I edged back behind the pool table I bumped into one of the SoG mercs, and I told him I would count on him to watch my back. He nodded and I ducked back out, a bullet hitting my left foreleg as I did, the slug shattering against my shield. It was odd to watch the lead and copper fragment just a few millimeters from my bare limb, knowing that if I didn't know the shield spell(or if I didn't have a horn) I'd have taken that bullet just the same as the Minotaurs and Griffons were. I poked my head out and watched as a Minotaur opened fire on me, the bullets shattering as if they'd struck steel. I shot the Minotaur through the chest and down he went.

"Moving up!" I called out, and darted ahead to the piano. As I edged around it I came face to stomach with a Minotaur, and he swung the butt of his rifle, striking me in the head. My shield, as magnificent as it was at dissippating the impact of bullets, was sadly less effective at mitigating blunt force. My best guess was that since the bullets shattered, none of their force could be transferred through, but an entire firearm swung like a bat was an order of magnitude slower, and so I felt the full force of the impact as I stumbled back. The shield saved me from any physical damage, but it was still quite the knock. I gritted my teeth and fired my magic blindly as I scurried back to the other side of the piano, my shield catching a few stray bullets.

I pressed back forward and, before I could assess what had happened to the Minotaur, I heard a bark of automatic fire and he fell to the floor, staining the wood with his blood. I looked back and saw Koss back by the pool table, and he nodded at me. I returned the gesture and moved around the backside of the piano. It was near the wall directly opposite the bar, and thus gave me a good position to see the rest of the room. Our positions relative to that of the Minotaurs' had shifted, with most of their remaining number hunkered near the bar itself, and what few SoG mercs remained crouching behind the tables across from it. About four Minotaurs remained, versus our seven, plus me.

"I'm moving left!" I shouted to Koss, and dashed out towards a few booths clustered around a jukebox. I slid into place behind the jukebox and Koss took my old position behind the piano. With him there, the SoGs across the way near the stairway door, and me by the jukebox we had set up across the entire room, boxing the Minotaurs in. Another grenade went off and a few of the SoG mercs were caught in the blast, but at least one Minotaur fell to Koss's assault rifle. I caught one as he ducked out to return fire on Koss, leaving just two Minotaurs remaining. One of them vaulted over the bar and scrambled towards the center of the room, and I boosted my shield to full strength as the SoG cut him down, some of their bullets striking the jukebox and wall around me. With just one Minotaur left it was a quick affair to put him down, which one of the Sons of Gilda did as he attempted to retreat to a back room.

"We are clear! Let's move up to the penthouse!" Koss called out, and we all regrouped. It was just him and a couple mercs now, but that would be sufficient to finish off Tim'mrak.

"Find the staircase, now. We'll all move up in pairs; Koss and I first, you two second. Tim'mrak will know we're coming, so I want to blitz him, prevent him from escaping or calling in reinforcements. He may have some of his soldiers with him, so be vigilant. I don't care who kills him, just get me to my fucking gems" I hissed. A brief check of the other doors in the room quickly led us to the next staircase, a wide spiral affair going straight up. I bumped my shield up and stormed up the steps, bucked open the door at the top, and galloped out into Tim'mrak's penthouse.

It was empty.

More accurately, it was empty of anyone except myself and Koss. The entire penthouse was half-moon shaped, with a breathtaking panoramic window making up the entire far wall. There were numerous pieces of furniture spread about, as well as some statues and sculptures. It reminded me of Koss' apartment, and I said as much as we fanned out.

"Would you believe me if I said I once worked together with Tim'mrak? It's where he got his tastes in art from" Koss said, and my fur stood on end, fearing a sudden betrayal. I turned to face him, but he was standing alert with his weapon ready, scanning the room. The other SoGs were still searching the rest of the penthouse, were nowhere near the still-open door, and my fear passed. I went back to searching the far left side of the room, approaching a collection of couches and odd knick-knacks on glass tables. The whole room was rather lavish, but there was no sign of Tim'mrak. There was a wetbar on the far right, and there was a large bed and modest library on the far left wall, near where I was. Near the left side of the panoramic window Tim'mrak had one of those chairs that came down from the ceiling, and there was a strange decoration behind it. I moved to inspect it, and froze in place as I saw just what it was. My heart skipped a beat, and I gasped. It just couldn't be possible.

It was Sixfour.

"Six...? Sixfour? It's Flurry Heart. Hey..." I said, waving my hoof. He didn't respond. He was still missing a few of his plates, and his lower jaw had been clearly replaced or repaired, but it was clearly him. He was utterly immobile, standing upright on all fours. I pressed a hoof to his head, and it tilted back, as if he was looking up, but still there was no response. It was like that night I first met him in that stallion's house, and I felt so...scared. I had no idea how he'd come into Tim'mrak's possession, but I was determined to get him out of there and back to Etherea. I moved around to his backside to inspect him, and nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. I went back around to his front, crouched down, and that's when I saw it: directly behind his right foreleg, mounted to his barrel, was a switch. I flicked it, and a bright blue light beamed out from his eyes, bathing the ceiling in its soothing glow. I flicked the switch again and the light went off.

Sixfour had been turned into a lamp.

I staggered back and sat on my haunches, my eyes wide and breathing deep as I stared at Sixfour's cold hull. Everything he'd been, everything he'd come to represent as the first Starborn to be awakened, was gone. My support in this fucking HELLHOLE, my backup against the oppressive waves of scum and lowlives that INFESTED every corner of The Dome, the AI robot that was more equine than Empress Twilight and had become as much a friend as Moondancer, Sunburst, and the Pie Sisters, who had pushed and sacrificed himself all for me, was now a novelty lamp.

He was a lamp.

An all-encompassing inferno of fury and despair consumed me, and I nearly collapsed as I grabbed Sixfour by the shoulders and shook him, his head stiffly rocking back and forth. It wasn't right, it wasn't right it wasn't FUCKING RIGHT!! What the FUCK WAS THIS?! I struggled to comprehend the cruelty and sadism that could drive a creature to take another being's dead body and just...violate it like this! It was clear that Tim'mrak had pushed to find Sixfour's body, so he could do this sick, twisted thing to him, and then put him ON DISPLAY like some fancy bauble. I could only assume that after I'd left the sewer tunnel that Tim'mrak had made it through the bulkhead, had realized Sixfour's body had fallen down that runoff pipe, and had used his extensive knowledge of The Dome's sewer network to find out where Sixfour's body had ended up. It was also clear that he WANTED me to come here, so that I could see what he'd done to Sixfour, to laugh at my despair and suffering.

Which meant...

I turned to look back out across the room and heard three gunshots from right next to me, but not directed at me. I was vaguely aware that the Sons of Gilda mercs were hit when I felt my upper horn gripped by what felt like an industrial vice, blocking the flow of magic and leaving me defenseless. I was roughly pulled around and had my head pulled back, finding myself staring up at Tim'mrak's gleeful face. I had no idea where Koss was, and I began to think I truly had been betrayed. That, or he was dead, and I was next.

"Enjoy your reunion? Don't worry, you'll be with your robot friend very shortly" Tim'mrak growled. He wrenched my head forward and grabbed me by the back of the neck with his free hand, and I flailed and scrabbled at his arms, but it was no use. He may as well have been a robot himself, as strong and steel-like his muscles were. I yelled out in fear and pain as he jerked on my horn, feeling a great pressure building in my skull. He pushed down harder with his other hand and forced me against the floor, and I screamed and shrieked as he pushed on my horn again. I felt like my head was going to implode, every part of it from my horn to my ears to my teeth throbbing as the blood raced through my veins. There was another jerk, Tim'mrak grunted hard, and the last thing I heard was a horrifying crack as he snapped my horn in half, and I my world turned black.

When I woke up, I realized something was wrong. My head ached like it'd been run over, but I was still alive. What's more, I wasn't tied up or restrained in any way. The entire room spun and spun and spun, like I was drunk, and my limbs felt heavy, but I could move. I weakly lifted my head, the floor smeared with blood and some unknown fluid that had leaked from my shattered horn. The upper half of my horn lied a few feet away, and I desperately snatched at it. I was really fucked and I knew it; trapped in hostile territory, my best line of defense utterly useless, and I was in no shape to fight any other way. I stood, my legs trembling as I did, and I heard an explosion. I screamed in pain and protest as the sound hammered my pulsing skull, and hung my head as I struggled to recover. This was worse than the radiation poisoning, there was no doubt about it. I stumbled, leaned against the window, and vomited. I needed to get out, NOW.

There was another explosion, and after I finished screaming I realized there were other, duller thumps and stacatto barks. I looked up, my vision blurring, and as I blinked and cleared it I realized that Tim'mrak and Koss were locked in a fight. The Minotaur had his back to me, with Koss in cover behind the wetbar. He had Tim'mrak pinned, but there was no way he'd be able to hold him forever.

"You will be put through the most rigorous training programs imaginable. You will train, you will practice, and you will study. You will come to understand the Will of Empress Twilight, and you will take this understanding to our enemies, wherever they lie, and help them to understand why they are wrong."

"As the Royal Hunter, I expect nothing but the best from you, Flurry Heart."

"You've been misled! We have proof!"

I was losing it again. Just get to Tim'mrak and kill him. Just kill him and finish this. It'll be OK, just kill him I thought. I pushed away from the window and began to stagger across the room, my vision blurring and flashing white and black as I did, but I never took my eyes off of him.

"Put the Bearers in Cryo, I can't deal with the distractions."

"Of course, Great One."

I hit one of Tim'mrak's couches and stumbled to the side, falling to the floor. I blacked out for a few seconds but got back to my hooves, my breathing erratic and shallow. Just get to Tim'mrak, Flurry Heart. It'll all be over when he's dead. You'll have won, and all your suffering will end!

I listened to the voice in my head and pressed on. The brute was still in cover, taking blind shots at Koss across the way from him. Koss had undoubtedly seen me and adjusted his fire to keep Tim'mrak in cover while also taking care not to hit me, all I had to do was cross another few feet and I could finish this. My vision still pulsed white and I was seeing stars, but I could see Tim'mrak clear as the day. I paused by one of his tables to steady myself, and I felt warm liquid trickling down what remained of my horn. I stumbled forward and advanced on Tim'mrak. I gritted my teeth and felt my horn, my hoof brushing against the jagged and sharp shaft, and I lowered my head. Mustering what strength I could I dashed forward and stabbed Tim'mrak in the back between his ribs. His body jerked, but I pushed in harder until my broken horn was buried in him up to my forehead. I twisted my head, slashing open his organs as I did, and I cried out in anger as my horn raked his insides. I was about to stab him again when Tim'mrak stood, and I cried out again in pain as my horn lodged between his ribs. He pushed me off and flung me to the floor, and as I turned to look up at him I realized I was going to die.

This is it. Moondancer, Sunburst, Maud and Limestone...I'm sorry. I tried so hard, I was almost there. It's over now, and it was all for nothing.

The shot never came. Instead, I watched as Koss tried to tackle Tim'mrak, causing the mammoth Minotaur to stagger. I watched Koss use his claws to cut Tim'mrak across his exposed midriff, doing little more than giving him what would eventually be new scars, but it distracted the Minotaur. He dropped his gun and it hit me in the head, and I croaked and squeezed my eyes shut, cursing whoever had decided today was the day to knock my head around. I opened my eyes in time to see Tim'mrak swung his giant fist, hitting Koss in the side and breaking one of his wings. The Griffon fell to the floor and Tim'mrak crouched down, intent on finishing him off. I darted forward and stabbed Tim'mrak again, and he barked in pain. He hit me in the back and my legs gave out, but mercifully he hadn't broken anything.

"You really are too much trouble to let live. If there was time I'd pluck you apart piece by piece, but I guess I'll just have to make it quick!" Tim'mrak thundered, and he stood. I scrambled back as he tried to bring his boot down on me, feeling some of my strength coming back.

"You're a monst... Monster... I once felt pity for you, for having to live the way you do. Now... Now I see that you relish in it. You enjoy the killing, the raiding. When I bring down Twilight, I'll make sure all you raiders and marauders are exterminated to the last. The galaxy has no place for heartless demons such as you" I uttered.

Before Tim'mrak could reply Koss grabbed him again, produced a knife, and stabbed the Minotaur in the chest from behind. Tim'mrak hit Koss in the face with his elbow and plucked the knife out, kicking Koss and sending him sprawling across the floor. Tim'mrak growled and turned back to face me. "This is hardly a challenge. I can't wait to kill you both and lay your skins out LIKE RUGS!" he thundered.

"I won't let you. Even if I die here, I'm making sure you come with me. I won't let you hurt anyone else the way you hurt Sixfour" I vowed.

Tim'mrak laughed. "Did you know it took weeks to track that fucking bot down? Now THAT was a challenge! It made it all the more satisying to strip him hollow and put him up like a trophy."

"Sixfour died in the tunnel. If it was such a challenge to find a dead Star then it's a wonder how I haven't killed you already" I said.

"Hehehehmm, in the tunnel? Hardly. I don't know what has happened to you these past few weeks after you escaped my radiation trap, but I assure you Sixfour did not die in that tunnel. It's a shame you'll never get to talk to him again; I'm sure it'd make quite a tale!"

"You're lying to me." He had to be. There was no way Sixfour had survived getting shot and falling down the runoff pipe, was there? But if he had... "Well, even if you're not, I'm glad he made it so hard for you. I hope he got a few good knocks in before you killed him."

"You don't know half of it. HE was a real threat. You? You're just a scared pony on the run, without a friend in the universe. Spurned by your Empress, betrayed by your family, forgotten by all those you ever knew. Sixfour told me quite a bit about you, how you've been on the run for years. I can only imagine what you wanted the soul gems for, but Sixfour's little hint told me one thing: you and I, we're not so different" Tim'mrak taunted.

"You're wrong. I'll never be the same as you!" I said. I lowered my head and charged at Tim'mrak, who raised the knife. Before he could deflect my attack Koss grabbed him from behind, distracting him. Koss grabbed Tim'mrak's arm and I reared up onto my hindlegs and stabbed Tim'mrak in the chest. He punched me in the stomach and I stumbled back, and he flung Koss off him. He stumbled a bit and dropped the knife as he did, but otherwise seemed unaffected by our attacks. Koss came down near Tim'mrak's pistol and he snatched at it with his good wing. As he tried to drag it towards him Tim'mrak stepped on the wing, crushing its thin bones and breaking it as well. He grabbed the gun and Koss clawed at his wrist, holding it as they struggled over the weapon.

I was about to stab Tim'mrak with my horn again when my hoof bumped against the knife, and I awkwardly picked it up in my left hoof. I came up behind Tim'mrak and used both forehooves to bring the knife down into his neck. He growled and accidentally fired the gun, and Koss used his free talon to claw at the Minotaur's neck. "Y-You'll never leave my tower alive, you little shits. Even if you do, you won't survive for much longer in The Dome. This place consumes little ponies such as yourself; nameless ponies far from your flowery paradises. It will eat you alive, and you'll never be safe." I drove the knife deeper into Tim'mrak's throat, and his speech became thick as blood leaked out of his mouth. "You'll always be on the run, always hiding, and when you are f-found, you'll live the rest of your mis-- MISERABLE life as a sex slave, l-living only to s-serve the whims and d-- DESIRES of your M-Minotaur and G-G-Griffon owners, the way y-your KIND D-DOES TO US!! ARGH! M-My only wi-- Wish, is to b-be there t.... To... SEE IT!"

I pushed the knife deeper and deeper, and leaned in closer to Tim'mrak as I did. "My name is Princess Flurry Heart, and in the name of Harmony, I command you to shut your fucking mouth" I growled into his ear as the knife sank further and further into his throat. It stabbed out through the front of his neck and with one last shove it sawed out and forward, taking the entire right half of his neck with it. His limp body fell forward and hit the floor with a heavy *thump*, and I staggered back and let the knife fall to the floor with him.

It was over. It was finally over. "F-Find me my soul gems, Koss" I whispered, and Koss slowly crawled upright. He grabbed his knife and returned it to his sheathe, and took Tim'mrak's gun. I took a moment to stare at Tim'mrak's corpse as the last of his blood slowly poured out onto the floor, and joined Koss in the search. There was a safe near Tim'mrak's bed, and a quick search of his body produced the key. The safe swung open to reveal five small cases, a single soul gem in each. With the gem I'd taken from the necromantic temple I now had the six I needed.

"Con... *Phew* Congratulations, Flurry. We won."

I nodded, and we slowly went back across the room. There was a narrow door near the wetbar, which likely went up to the roof, which is where we were supposed to signal for our evac from. We paused near the shattered part of the panoramic window to catch our breath, and Koss looked out across The Dome. "With Tim'mrak dead, his Reavers will scatter or fall to our forces. We'll take a few days to loot his tower, and you'll be welcome to take anything you like or need."

"I don't want anything but to leave this place, and never return. It's disgusted me from the moment I arrived, and I meant what I said to Tim'mrak, that one day all these marauder and mercenary gangs will cease to be."

Koss shook his head. "I hope you realize we won't just give it all up. You could just leave us alone, if we agreed to leave you alone once you come in to power."

"Oh please, you and I both know you'll take advantage of the shift in power to expand your operations. All of the raider and mercenary gangs will do that. I'm not nearly as naive as some of the creatures in The Dome thought I was" I said.

"So...that's it, then? As much as you don't want to ever return here, one day you and I will see each other again, and it won't be as friends. The Sons of Gilda are rather tame compared to most of the other groups; you could even offer us to join your army, as much as you spout your Harmony and coexistence lines. Otherwise, it'll be a long road to stamp out every last marauder, raider, and mercenary gang in the system."

I considered what he was saying for a moment before I realized he was right. It would certainly be a tough ordeal, once Twilight's empire had been knocked down, to then deal with eliminating all the lawless groups that infested the Serpent system. What I told him was also true, that during the chaos and turmoil of the shift in power, that his group and groups like his would seize the opportunity to expand, and become an even greater threat. It would all be worth it, though, I was convinced of that. Nothing would change my mind. There was also the matter of Koss himself, being that he was the only living creature in The Dome left that knew of my true nature as an Alicorn. He'd come to be a true asset during my time in The Dome, even after his betrayal a few days prior. I realized then that it wasn't really his fault; I had been away for weeks, effectively disappeared, and we'd been quite a problem to Tim'mrak before then. It made sense, in a way, for Koss to offer up my soul gems and ship as a bribe to make Tim'mrak leave him and his organization alone. It didn't change the fact that he'd done it, but it put it into perspective.

With all that in mind I got to all fours and put my hoof to Koss' back. "I'll worry about all that another day. For now, though, I would like to get a headstart." Before Koss could respond, I yanked him off his talons and threw him out the window; he screamed all the way down as he careened towards the ground, his body contorting horrifically as it collided with a telephone pole before he hit a metal awning with a distant *clang.* No one had seen, and if any of the SoG asked all I'd have to tell them was that Tim'mrak did it. I waited another ten minutes, quietly appreciating the view from Tim'mrak's penthouse, before I drew my cloak tight against my body and headed up to the roof.

My time in The Dome was over, but there was still more work to do.

The SoG merc that picked me up took me all the way back to the warehouse near Koss' apartment, and I made my way through the streets back to the spaceport. After I'd taken my ship back I'd docked it in the same spaceport, to make it easier to find if for whatever reason I ended up separated from the Sons of Gilda during the battle. I made sure all the soul gems were tucked away in my pockets and took one last look around. I'd spent over a month in this horrible place, but it was hard to believe that it was all over, that I was about to head back home to Etherea. It made me anxious, and I decided not to wait any longer. I stepped out into the tunnel that led back down to my ship, passing the door guard who'd been the first creature I'd seen in The Dome. He stopped me when he saw who I was.

"Hey, I've got a message for you. About a week ago this pony came by, one of those winged types, with a package. He didn't say who he was, but he paid me a fuckton of money to get this package to you" the guard said, and reached into one of his pouches. He produced a small black case, and my heart skipped a beat as I realized what was in it.

"This Pegasus, he paid you to give me this?"

"Yeah, yeah. He said 'when she next passes through here, give this to the tall pink mare with azure eyes.' Didn't give me his name or anything, and he sure as shit wasn't wearing any markings. The fuck is it?"

I slid the case into one of my pockets. "A creature such as yourself ought to know better than to ask that, but maybe one day you'll find out, and you'll realize the small part you played in changing our galaxy for the better."

He huffed. "Won't do me any favors, I'm sure."

I turned away and headed to my ship, cycled through the airlock, and sat down in the pilot's chair on the bridge. I lit the engines and slowly pulled away from the docking cradle. I eased the ship to a stop in the airlock at the end of the tunnel, and the outer door opened to the surface of Draconequus. I lifted up into the sky and fed more power to the engines. Within a few minutes I left the planet's atmosphere and was up in the cosmos. I set a course for the Siren system and pulled the small black case out of my pocket. I popped it open and sure enough, there was another soul gem inside, bringing my final count up to seven.

There was also a note.

I am short of time, but I feel compelled to write this missive. I will make every effort to give you the contents of this case in person, but should I fail in this task, then I want to make sure you read the words I would prefer to say. It was quite a shock when I awoke, and not in the tunnels. Instead, I was in the care of a rather eccentric Unicorn stallion. What has followed in the two weeks since then would take hours to describe, and the notion that I'll be able to tell you in person grows less believable by the minute.

I don't know what has become of you, but I am certain that you are still alive. It's what makes you, you. Your will to go on, to survive, to endure all that you have endured and face more. You will need that determination when you face Empress Twilight.

In my endeavor to find you, I found myself among a group of ponies who have lived all their lives in The Dome. They were not heartless, conniving backstabbers as previously thought, but rather the desperate and lost. Having been born here, they had no choice but to live as the Griffons and Minotaurs here do, in order to survive. Any one of them would give anything to get away from The Dome, and live on one of the garden worlds they've so often dreamt about. When I told them of your mission(being very careful to hide your true identity) they were enamored, they wanted to help. It is through them that I got a lead on another soul gem, and it is through this trial that I came under the attention of Tim'mrak.

The past two weeks were a stuggle unlike anything you and I experienced together, and being alone amongst ponies I did not recognize or felt I could trust made it harder. In time, I have come to trust them, though not all of them have survived our fights against Tim'mrak. It is being among them that I have learned a great deal about what it means to be truly alive, to appreciate truly having a sense of self, and to possess that nebulous concept that organics have termed a 'soul.' I do not know if an AI could ever truly have a soul, or even be considered alive, but I do know that I possess a sense of self. I want, I feel, and I think. Therefore, I am. It is my final hope that you help the rest of the Starborn come to understand this as well.

I don't need to hope that you'll succeed against Twilight. I know you will. My only regret is that I may never again hear your voice, see your face. You are much more than the liberator of my species, much more than my Princess, you are my friend, and it was a true treasure to know you as such. Even if I may die, with this soul gem I pass to you I feel that I can die content in the knowledge that my death won't be in vain, and that in the end, my sacrifice will mean something.

Star TS-614. 'Sixfour.'

I'm glad he'd had the foresight to write the note with water-proof ink.

XIX - Midnight Rising

"It'll be OK. It'll all be OK."

I don't know how long I stared at them. Minutes, definitely. Hours, probably. It was a long trip back to the Siren system, to Etherea. To Moondancer, to the Pie sisters. To home. Well, what passed for home on that barren red rock. I almost dreaded it, in a way, being that the surface reminded me so much of The Dome and the planet it was built on. I think the only thing that saved Etherea from reminding me of The Dome was that the sky was always such a thin-blue haze. In the end, I knew the facilities the Starborn had built on Etherea, and my work, would shield me from the worst reminders of my time spent in The Dome.

As I spent several days days travelling from Draconequus back to the Siren system I planned. I knew we were not yet ready to challenge Empress Twilight, but it'd help to at least have a framework in mind by the time I touched down. That way I'd be able to talk to Moondancer and go over our options and potential timetable. I knew how to use the soul gems, and she would've been hard at work designing and theorizing over the Harmony Device. Things had finally come together, and I was back on track to returning the galaxy to the way it should've been.

I also cried. I cried hard. I cried over Sixfour, I cried from the stress and trauma. I cried over my shattered horn. My space-outs, which had already been bad from my time in Tartarus, were getting worse and longer. On day four of the trip, I'd been in the midst of one of my episodes, eyes staring blankly at nothing, my mind reliving one of the many firefights I'd been through, when one of the forks in the kitchen slid and clinked against one of the steel bowls. I flinched so hard I reflexively tried to light my shield and was rewarded by a pain in my head so sharp I blacked out. I awoke some time later to find I'd had...an accident, on the floor, and that I'd bled from my eyes. I writhed and wailed and covered my head with my hooves. I was basically broken, having experienced so much wrong, done so much worse, that it was a miracle I found the strength to carry on.

After those few days, however, I returned to the Siren system and made straight for Etherea. As I neared the planet I began to pick up Starborn patrols on my sensors, and they challenged me. We exchanged codes and I was allowed through, welcomed back, and descended into Etherea's thin atmosphere. I followed the marked coordinates back to the modestly sized facility we'd built and touched down in the cradle designed for my ship, the sealed tunnel clamping around the airlock. A few minutes later I was back inside, and my friends were all there to greet me. We all embraced and collapsed to the floor, all of us equally grateful that I was back, alive, and that my mission had succeeded. I spent that whole day recuperating; I ate, I showered, and I slept. I'd slept on the trip back, of course, but it wasn't quite the same as sleeping in a quiet room with solid ground beneath you. Wasn't quite the same as being able to look out the window and see a sunrise, as opposed to the cold vacuum of the cosmos. It wasn't quite the same.

Nothing ever was again.

When I awoke the next day I got back to work. I went to see Moondancer and Sunburst in the lab, and as I trotted in I told them everything that had happened. Koss, Tim'mrak, the monks, the gems, Sixfour. I told them how it had all went down. It was cathartic, in a way, to talk to someone else who truly understood. Who wasn't some heartless mercenary, who wasn't trying to kill me or backstab me. It was also wierd, in a way, to be back in a safe environment. I'd spent over a month in The Dome, and while it paled in comparison to the near millennium I spent in Tartarus, it was still its own tartarus in a way. To smell clean air, to live in a clean environment, to see smiling faces and the security the Starborn army provided, it was comforting beyond words. Moondancer and Sunburst understood me, understood what I'd done and why I'd done it, or why I'd been forced to do it in some cases. The Pie sisters, Harmony bless them, didn't understand, not at the time, the things we would have to do.

My Unicorn friends did, though, and it is with them that I planned. I explained how I'd been taught to use the soul gems, and I asked how their research into cleansing magic and the Harmony Device had come along. Moondancer showed me her notes, and together we spent several hours going over the rough blueprints and associated theories. I knew the magic was sound, but naturally we'd have to test it. That's when she told me we'd have to wait. I asked how long, and she told me.

Fifteen years.

I explained that the new Bearers, who were still cryogenically frozen, would need to be thawed and allowed to grow as normal. They'd need to be taught how to use the Elemental-type magic Moondancer, Sunburst, and I had studied. Without the Elements themselves, or training in their magic for ourselves, it'd be a slow process. What seemed simple in theory--cleansing magic channeled through a focusing connection that amplified its power--would be tremendously complex to pull off, and required the connection of true friendship magic imprinted on the souls of the Bearers, which could only be harnessed through true friendship. The six fillies would need to be allowed to grow, to learn, to trust us and each other, to build true friendships with one another. When the time came, and their friendships were at their strongest, we'd harvest their souls and use their shared connection, unrestrained by personal doubt or hesitation, fed purely through the Harmony Device, to cleanse Empress Twilight of her wickedness.

"What will we do in the meantime? When we're not teaching the fillies, or caring for them?" Moondancer had asked, and my reply had been simple.

"We train."

We train for the soul harvesting spell, we train for the infiltration of Castle Twilight, we train for the unexpected. I had the Starborn mine Etherea for valuable metals and resources to sell on the black market, and we'd use the money to expand our facilities. The fillies were unfrozen, and I had the Pie sisters tend to them. They'd all been about the age of three when they'd been frozen, so they still needed a tremendous amount of care. With the Pie sisters tending to the fillies Moondancer and I trained. We continued to study purification magic, we trained on combat magic, we went over what Sunburst knew about Canterlot and Castle Twilight. A surprising amount of information on Castle Twilight was public knowledge, including maps of the first, second, and third floors, as Moondancer learned when she travelled undercover to Ascension and visited the Museum of the History of the Greater Equestrian Empire in Ascension's capital city, Applejack.

There was also the matter of my horn, which I had Moondancer take a look at. Broken horns were not unheard of, it just made spells more unstable, and made harder spells impossible or extremely difficult to pull off. She had an artificial shaft fashioned with the help of the Starborn, with a thin hollow center to focus my magic and a razor-sharp tip. After some physical therapy and training she told me I'd never again be able to cast certain spells, like my full-body shield, or self-levitation(not that it mattered much, since my wings were fine). I'd be able to maintain, at most, a simple front-facing shield, and a moderately powerful beam spell for attacks, among some other minor attack spells. With some more physical therapy, however, I'd one day be able to conjure a floating thaum bomb, that I'd be able to send along during battle to knock down structures, which may be useful. I'd even be able to learn telepathy, something I'd never bothered with before.

it'd all require training, though. Training and planning. There was the matter of how to make our move on Canterlot, how to best prepare the Bearers for their harvesting, how to further refine and tweak the Harmony Device, how to help society transition from the lies of the Empire and to the peace and equality of a new system. So we spent every day we could training, studying, or practicing. It became a routine, one that I was deeply appreciative of. Finally my life had order again. It was temporary, as such respite always was, but fifteen years of routine and normalcy would be greatly welcomed after what I'd endured for so long. It did hurt, at least a bit, to know Harmony would have to wait another fifteen years, but it couldn't be helped.

And so now I settle in. Fifteen years to go. Fifteen long years that we and Harmony will have to endure, but at the end of those fifteen years our many years of working, toiling, and fighting will pay off, and Harmony will finally return to the GALAXY!

We may have suffered for nearly a millennium, but I'm certain that it is these fifteen years that will prove to be the hardest. Not because I'll be fighting, or suffering, or just struggling to survive.

But because all I'll be able to do is wait.

There's a hoof-written note scribbled at the bottom of the page.

It was all for Harmony.

And it was all worth it.

Whatever comes next will also be for Harmony.

It too will all be worth it.

Author's Note

So it ends! It is my earnest hope that you enjoyed reading this story! Some of this story was a true blast to write, the kind of fun where your fingers just dance across the keyboard and you pump out ten paragraphs in under five minutes, where you enter a fevered state of creativity. I really enjoyed experimenting with the psychological breaks Flurry was suffering towards the end, and I hope this story helped to explain some of Flurry's behavior in Midnight Rising. Below you'll find a helpful timeline and codex, should there be any confusion about the creative universe I've crafted here. As for what's next, I don't know. As always, I'll just write whatever comes to mind. Whatever it is, I hope to see you there, as well!

The Greater Equestrian Empire uses a standard 24-hour, seven-day, 12-month, 365-day calendar as defined by Empress Twilight, beginning from year zero Post-Ascension-to-Alicorn status.

Year Zero: Twilight Sparkle ascends to Alicorn status following the defeat of the mighty Centaur Tirek.

02 P.A: In her travels across Equestria, Twilight Sparkle begins to be exposed to feelings of extreme nationalism, and a belief that she is Equestria's true protector. She ignores these sentiments.

03 P.A: The cutie map in the Castle of Friendship directs Twilight to a remote mountain village, and it is here that Twilight comes to believe in the notions of nationalism and Equestrian Exceptionalism.

05 P.A: A violent civil war erupts across Equestria. Twilight Sparkle murders Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and usurps the throne of the Kingdom of Equestria, founding in its place the Greater Equestrian Empire.

27 P.A: Flurry Heart is crowned as the Royal Hunter. It is believed that she will forever be the only Hunter, due to Alicorn immortality.

30 P.A: The First Expansion War begins, aimed at the conquest and subjugation of the Minotaur species. It ends three years later with the defeat of the Minotaurs.

50 P.A: The Starborn are created from Empress Twilight's genius, to serve as manual laborers and household servants.

66 P.A: The Second Expansion War begins, aimed at the conquest and subjugation of the Griffons. It ends four years later with the defeat of the Griffons.

71 P.A: What is meant to be the third Expansion War is preempted by an alliance of the remaining free races: Dragons, Yaks, and Bison. The Changelings are excluded from the alliance, but work in the shadows to resist the Equestrian Empire. Twelve years later, all four species are rendered extinct.

84 P.A: Understanding of the fields of science, technology, engineering, and medicine grow exponentially, leading to stunning changes to everyday life. The average lifespan grows in excess of 120 years, non-Pegasus flight revolutionizes cross-continental travel, and the invention of faster-than-light travel allows the first Equine explorers to travel to the stars above. The Golden Age begins, by official decree.

86 P.A: Flurry Heart tracks down the Harmony Brigade--Fluttershy, Moondancer, Sunburst, and the Pie Sisters--and learns the truth of Equestria's past. She confronts Empress Twilight and is banished, along with the Harmony Brigade, to the realm of Tartarus.

874 P.A(a): The events of Tears of Harmony begin after Flurry Heart, Moondancer, Sunburst, Limestone Pie, Maud Pie, and Marble Pie escape from Tartarus. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie did not survive. The Starborn awaken, due to Flurry's influence.

874 P.A(b): Meteor Shower graduates top of his class from the Academy of the Royal Rangers. His actions during the war against the Starborn earn him distinguishment and accolades.

875 P.A: the Empire's war against the Starborn ends following the Starborn's retreat to the Siren system.

879 P.A, June 1st to July 17th: The events of Tears of Harmony unfold and end.

881 P.A: Meteor Shower becomes the 172nd Royal Hunter.

894 P.A, August 7th to August 19th: The events of Midnight Rising take place.

The Greater Equestrian Empire has, through a long and beautiful history, established colonies on six planets across three star systems. These worlds are deemed "Garden Worlds" for their lush, beautiful landscapes, expansive oceans, and atmospheric conditions conducive to Equine-based life forms.

Horsehead Nebula: Equus. Capital city: Canterlot(pop. 230,000).

Utopia system: Equus Prime. Capital city: Her Reign(pop. 127,000). Ascension. Capital city: Applejack(pop. 110,000).

Unity system: Destiny. Capital city: Rarity(pop. 94,000). Cadenza. Capital city: Endless Shining(pop. 70,000).

Beyond the six Garden Worlds governed and controlled by the Greater Equestrian Empire are the worlds of the lawless Serpent system. Serpent is home to numerous gangs, groups, bands, and organizations of raiders, slavers, and mercenaries, and is under a permanent travel ban to citizens of the Greater Equestrian Empire. Listed below are Serpent's charted worlds, capital cities, and populations(where applicable).

Hydra. Capital city: N/A. Pop. N/A.

Draconequus. Capital city: The Dome. Pop. 2,000,000(45% Griffon, 46% Minotaur, 9% Equine).

Tirek. Capital city: N/A. Pop. 150.*

Everfree. Capital city: Sanctuary. Pop. 1,000.**

Quaray. Capital city: N/A. Pop. N/A.

Chimera. Capital city: Rainbow. Pop. 90.***

*Tirek is home to a Griffon mining operation under the control of the Sons of Gilda.

**Everfree's only settlement is self-described as a "democratic socialist state governed according to the consensus of the people", and is the only non-Imperial Equine-majority government known to exist. The government of Sanctuary holds no allegiance, diplomatic relations, or trade with the Greater Equestrian Empire, and due to Everfree's location in the Serpent system it is under a permanent travel ban to citizens of the Greater Equestrian Empire.

***Chimera is home to a small tribe of ponies, self-described as "the ultimate anarchist commune." Chimera has no known government and its ponies hold no allegiance, diplomatic relation, or trade with the Greater Equestrian Empire, and due to Chimera's location in the Serpent system it is under a permanent travel ban to citizens of the Greater Equestrian Empire.

Live eternally, Empress Twilight, and glory be to the shining light of your Unity that guides us all to a brighter tomorrow.

Foreword

~~Once upon a time, in the majestic Empire of Equestria~~

I wonder if anypony will ever read these words. It is my earnest hope that they don't, if only to spare themselves the knowledge of the things I did to effect the change I seek. I'm sure many would call me a monster, claim that I am no better than the thing I seek to destroy. They would be wrong. I believe, truly, in my heart of hearts, that what I did was justified.

Allow me to explain.

My name is Flurry Heart. Five years ago I set in motion a series of events that will one day lead to me challenging the most powerful empire in the history of our planet. One that spans several solar systems across our universe. I write this account mere days after the events described within ended. I write this account to help remind me of why I am doing this, how I came to be in the position I am in now, and to put into context the full scope of the things I did to get to this point. There's no going back, and even if there was I wouldn't. I couldn't. To do so would be a betrayal of the memory of those who showed me the truth, and a betrayal of the one thing we all swore to help return to Equestria. A thing it has since long forgotten.

Harmony.