Scootaloo looks to Sweetie belle who sits at the back of the barn, Scootaloo returns he sight to the house of the Apple family. Celestia is inside with the other apples but at the entrence of the barn about four feet from Scootaloo stand two guards. Once Scootaloo sees Pinkie pie roll up to the houses door with her party cannon and enter Scootaloo nods to Sweetie who starts to charge a spell as Scootaloo sneaks back to her but once she is at the back Sombra changes their dresses in to the dark clad armor Sweetie earlier wore and each had a weapon to suit them.

Sweetie had her Claymore and Scootaloo got a weapon resembling a blunder buster but instead of a ball of lead it shot a condensed blast of dark aura, Most times it will leave its foes paralyzed for a short time.

"Ready?" Scootaloo nods to Sweetie and once they heard the boom of the cannon Sweetie let the spell fire which blew a hole in the barn. The now mature looking Apple bloom smiled at them then narrowed her eyes.

"What took you two so long?"

"Who is back there?" Scootaloo quietly gestures for Apple bloom to be quiet then readied her gun for the two guards to come around the corner. Come around they did and before they could say a word a thump comes from her gun causing then to collapse then she pulled their blades out of their own sheath and slit their throats.

"If you are done with them Scootaloo we should be heading off."

"Burn the bodies before you leave." The three look at each other with a grin before they comply with the order but they don't just burn them, they want to make a statement to the princess.

With the bodies in the barn Sweetie belle lights a few bundles of hay on fire as they leave to make their get away to the Everfree Forest, Apple bloom too is suited up in the dark armor now. Her weapon is a hook and blade that extend from the armor she wares if the dagger she has tied to her flank fails her.

The mares in dark armor do not slow unless they require directions from their king and before the sun falls over the horizon they have found the ruins of the Castle. The mares take this moment to rest but with how much Sombra has modified them over the last wile they hardly need such a thing.

"Very good girls, I am proud of all three of you for this went better than thought."

"Thank you sir." All three say in unison, and they bow to him but he quickly looks around with a sincere smile at how it has held up over these years.

"We will need the carpet out of the way and Sweetie you will need to draw the ritual runes on the floor with chalk as you remembered."

"Yes sir."

"Apple bloom go find black candles for the ritual." Apple bloom nods then hurries away wile Sweetie belle gets to work on the ritual runes and drawings.

"Scootaloo we need eyes out on the situation until the ritual is ready."

"I will be moving like the shadows themselves sir." He smiles then the Pegasus takes off to do as she is required.

"With no Crystal heart at easy access we will need to go an alternate route to get to our goal." Sombra says as he walks past Sweetie belle and she only nods to this as she draws the ritual.

***

"Princess Celestia?" the princess stands before the flaming barn with only minor glimpses in too the two ponies that wear scorched royal guard armor but there is no sign of Apple bloom inside.

"This was a planned maneuver."

"Who would do this?" Apple jack comes to stand beside the princess with her hat being held by Big mac.

"I do not want to accuse any pony but it might be the other crusaders."

"But... princess Scootaloo is acting normal and Sweetie is in Canterlot with Rarity." the princess takes these facts in then gives Apple jack a nod, with a sigh she shakes the idea from her head.

"Yes my apologizes, But there are other forces at work. The fact Pinkie pie got sent as a detraction for the back of the barn to be blown open shows this." The princess has a point but Apple jack could not for the life of her understand why some pony was helping her sister escape.

"Princess Celestia!" A Royal guard yells out as he fly's to the princess but the look he had was grave to say the least.

"Princess there has been a murder in Canterlot along with a reported missing filly."

"What?" the princess could feel her heart sink but Apple jack froze in place as if those words meant the world was about to end.

"There was a librarian murdered we know it was due to a blade but we have no leads and the missing filly was supposed to be there said by the fillies sister. The filly is named Sweetie belle." In one foul swoop Apple jack had her entire world collapse around her, the cutie mark crusaders were all working together on this and when had the never worked together. Apple jack for the first time in a long time sobbed, she cried her heart out. What lurked in the shadows though was the mare who not that long ago was a filly and she heard all she needed to know.

Author's Note

This has begun to get to a nice point in the story.