Author's Note

IMPORTANT NOTE: I have made a huge, important addition to the prologue. It explains a lot of the information you'll need to know for the rest of this story. So please read that so you don't get confused further into the story.

Chapter Two - Battle Scars

Luna, flanked by Greystone, came to a halt upon reaching the large, arched front doors made of dark wood. What had once been known as The Castle of The Two Sisters, now served as the home of a powerful organisation, one infamous across Equestria. The Chariot.

“Now,” she muttered, “I wonder why they summoned me?” Using her magic to conjure a parchment in front of her eyes, she decided to look over the letter again. It had arrived earlier that morning - by a pegasus mail-carrier - and had commanded a last-minute meeting.

This was hardly a surprise, considering that particular organisation’s area of work. The Chariot had been created exactly fourteen years ago, in the wake of Luna’s rise to the throne as Equestria’s sole ruler.

The group’s duty had remained the same since its beginning. To assist the ruling class in disposing of any and all supernatural threats to the citizens of Equestria. But the organisation had always tended to go to extreme measures to accomplish this...not that she entirely blamed them.

Suddenly the doors swung open.

Entering the castle without hesitation, Luna was met with an unnatural quiet. The main hallway was empty, the only sounds the click of her and Greystone’s hooves on the floor and the loud creak as the doors closed behind them.

“I told everypony to give us some privacy...and for once they actually completely listened to me. It’s a miracle.”

The princess halted, Greystone taking his place to her right, remaining silent and watchful.

Lua smiled at the mare standing in the centre of the room. Over the years, the pegasus had only grown taller and stronger, with a well-toned figure and long legs, along with a slightly longer muzzle and more defined cheekbones.

The princess nodded her head politely, “Rainbow Dash,” she greeted. “I’m glad to see you’re still in good health.”

She let out a small snort, then grinned. “Eh, it’s fifty fifty really.”

Luna’s smile wavered at the comment. Part of the pegasus’s multicolored mane had been grown out and was now draped over her left eye.
Catching her lingering stare, Rainbow smirked. “Ya know, it’s not that bad. I can still see out of one, at least.” She chuckled lifting up part of her bangs revealing horrific scarring and damage that had caused it to go blind “Plus, it’s pretty awesome to uncover my eye and make ponies puke.”

Luna managed a weak smile. She admired how Rainbow always made light of her injury, especially considering how it came to be. While Luna had just lost her sister, Rainbow had been almost killed by somepony she considered a friend. Sometimes it made her wonder how the little pony had the strength to keep on living.

Rainbow Dash frowned as the princess remained silent, waving a hoof in front of her face. “Um...Princess Luna? You okay?”

The alicorn blinked, “Yes. Forgive me, I didn’t mean to be rude and appear disinterested.”

The pegasus smirked, “No problem.”

Luna sighed, clenching her jaw. “I suggest we move on to the reason you sent that letter. You said you wished to discuss something about Nightmare.”

Rainbow’s playful demeanor vanished, her expression turning cold and stern. “The Chariot received word that she was let out of the castle without supervision last night, to confront the changeling attack.”

Luna frowned at the accusing tone. “She does not need supervision after fourteen years under my command. She is no danger to the public.”

Rainbow snorted, her nostrils flaring. “Do I have to remind you about what she did to Twilight?”

Luna’s voice was gentler, her gaze soft with sympathy. “Rainbow... “

She sighed, her shoulders slumping as she cast her gaze to the ground shamefully. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I just…” she met Luna’s eyes, for a moment her gaze was soft before steeling itself up, “I saw how Twilight suffered after she got bitten. I don’t want anypony else to have to go through that.”

The princess placed a comforting hoof on the mare’s shoulder. “I know.”

Shoving the alicorn’s hoof away, Rainbow met her eyes once more. “Look, you just need to watch out for how much freedom you give that thing. I think you can agree that we all have a hard enough time dealing with these changelings suddenly coming out of nowhere…” she placed a hoof on her head. “Where did those things even come from?”

Luna raised her chin, “I will try and get into contact with Thorax and see if he knows what’s going on.”

Rainbow shrugged, “I mean, I don’t mind killing them. It’s my job, after all. It protects other ponies.” She puffed out her chest with pride, “Plus, if I do say so myself, Chariot is more than capable.”

Luna rolled her eyes with a smile. As her eyes flicked to the glowing bayonet strapped to the pegasus’s side, she smirked. Not only was the mare’s inflated confidence endearing...but it was more than justified when it came to disposing of threats.

With the help of its unicorn members, The Chariot had created specialized weapons designed to kill or trap changelings, bat-ponies or similar creatures. These weapons were mostly blade-based, consisting of swords, daggers, spears and bayonets.

Suddenly, a bone-chilling cackle filled the room as inky blue smoke snaked its way through a nearby window. The smoke swiftly took form, becoming a tall alicorn with glowing eyes and a twisted grin.

The creature fixed its gaze on Rainbow. “Even after all these years,” she purred, “It seems you are still as self-righteous as ever. Truly, some things never change.”

Rainbow scowled, unclasping her bayonet and holding it with her right wing. “What are you doing here?”

Nightmare blinked. “Wherever my Mistress is, I will be near. As her servant, it is what is expected of me.”

Rainbow was barely listening, her eyes burning with fury. “This place isn’t welcome to you,” she snarled. “I still remember what you did, monster! It’s because of you that all of this happened in the first place! If I killed you, I would be doing all of Equestria a favor!”

Luna looked between the pegasus and her servant. “Nightmare,” she hissed. “Do not provoke her. This is a peaceful meeting.”

Nightmare chuckled, ignoring her orders as a dark aura surrounding her horn. “Neither one of us could ever back down in front of an enemy! Show me what you’ve got!”

Rainbow rushed forward, letting out a yell of pure rage. She saw a bolt of lightning racing towards her and flexed her wing, her glowing bayonet not only shielding her from the attack, but seeming to absorb it completely.

She leapt up from the floor, bringing her weapon down on the creature’s foreleg as she landed. The limb was cleanly severed, blood pouring out like a waterfall of red ink. Rainbow stepped back, splatterings of blood on her face.

Suddenly the dismembered foreleg became thick blue smoke, floating up and re-attaching itself to Nightmare’s body. The smoke shifted and changed, quickly becoming the limb once again.

Rainbow only narrowed her eyes. “Impressive,” she growled. After a pause, she added. “You’re lucky that the princess wanted a peaceful meeting. If it was just the two of us...I’d just keep killing you until you stayed down.”

Greystone cleared his throat, glaring in warning at the pegasus. “If we could continue this without any further bloodshed, Miss Dash, that would be lovely.”

Luna turned to the butler, giving a small, grateful smile. He was always the voice of reason in these sorts of things. Plus, nopony she had met ever dared to disagree with him.

Still in a high of excitement from her small battle, Rainbow turned her attention to him. She grinned challengingly. “Fight me and we’ll see what happens from there.” When only silence followed, she looked at each of the three in turn. “What?”

Greystone smirked, adjusting his monocle. “To be quite blunt,” he said in a low, threatening tone, “Unless you want me to rid you of both of your wings, I suggest you never say that again.”

The pegasus winced. She heard stories of ponies getting their wings or sometimes even their horns cut off, and could only imagine how agonizing it would be. Repressing a shudder, she wiped the few streaks of blood from her face and turned to Luna. “Um...is there anything else you wanted to talk about?”

Luna hesitated, a pained look crossing her features. “Well...yes. It’s about the changelings that attacked the Ponyville Hospital.”

“I’m listening.”

Nightmare spoke up. “I found a shard of crystal with one of the beasts. I could recognize it anywhere. It seems The Dark King is coming back.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened, her pupils shrinking and mouth hanging open. “Wh-What?”

Fighting to keep her own fear from showing, Luna nodded slowly. “I’m afraid it seems that way...and since a changeling was in possession of this crystal, I can only assume Queen Chrysalis is involved in this as well.”

Rainbow shook her head rapidly, swallowing back her rising dread and keeping a stern expression. “Then we’ll have to fight.”

Luna matched her expression. “It seems we’re on the same page.” She cleared her throat, “Tomorrow, I will hold a meeting with all ponies of importance to discuss what is to be done. Obviously this tyrant has plans...and he is a fool if he thinks he can carry them out without opposition.”

Firmly shaking the princess’s hoof, Rainbow nodded. A confident grin spread across her mouth. “Equestria won’t go down without a fight.”

Luna smiled, her own confidence shining in her eyes. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”