Entropy

Chapters

Ready
Court
Investigation
Ashes
Escalation
Fly
Backtracking
Blight
Familiars
Underway
Aerial Assault
Meanwhile, In Canterlot
Cavern of Fire
The Beginning
Of the End
Of the Night
Into Darkness
Flawed
Return
Offer
Abdication
The End?
Appointment

Ready

“Princess Sunset Shimmer!” the door attendant cried as I entered. “And Duchess Sunshine Shimmer!”

I can’t believe they still call me a duchess, Sunshine thought to me. It’s not like I’m in control of a Duchy.

It’s more an honorary title, remember? I said as we walked the distance to the dias where Celestia and Luna sat. I frowned. Is it just me, or do their manes look a little limp?

“Princess Twilight Sparkle!” came the next announcement.

“Feel better?” I whispered as she caught up with me.

“Yeah,” she whispered back. “Sorry about all that last night.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I returned.

“Welcome, Sunset, Twilight,” Celestia said. I frowned as I realized that her voice sounded tired, but not the kind of tired that came from a lack of sleep. “I’m so glad you could made it.”

“Well, you sent it via official channels,” I said. “Couldn’t really ignore it.”

Celestia chuckled, then drew herself up slightly.

“You’re wondering why we are stepping aside,” she said. “Don’t worry, it’s not a permanent abdication, it is merely something we must do.”

“Every fifteen hundred years we must renew our bond with the sun and the moon,” Luna said. She sounded just as tired. “We are past due for our ritual due to recent events, and as such, our powers wane.”

“We cannot, however, leave the thrones vacant even for such a short period as the week it will take,” Celestia continued. “The citizens of Equestria must have someone to look to for reassurance.”

“And that’s us,” Twilight said, looking at me.

“So why did I get chosen to take over the Day?” I asked quietly.

“It is not mere chance your cutie mark is a dual sun, Sunset,” Celestia said. “You gained it recreating my duty in minature, do you recall?”

I nodded. It was a silly little thing I had done as a surprise when she visited the school prior to my being chosen as a personal student.

“Any your talents, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said. “Will aid you in your Dreamwalking.”

“D-dr-dreamwalking?” Twilight stammered.

Luna nodded. “The dreams of Equestria must be warded in my absense.”

“How long will this ritual take?” Sunshine asked.

“The actual ritual will only take two days and two nights,” Celestia told us. “But the travel to the shrine and the preparations will take a total of a week.”

“So what are we expected to do?” I asked, a little afraid of the answer.

“You will be taking over the rising of the sun and moon in our absence,” Celestia said, sitting down. “If you wish, we can cancel the daily court meetings until our return so as to limit your duties. Grasping the finesse to control the heavens may tax you at first.”

“Though Twilight has some prior experience with it,” Luna said. “If a bit unrefined.”

I looked at Twilight.

“It was during the Tirek incident,” she stammered nervously. “And I had the power of four Alicorns then! Can I really do it with just my own?”

“We will transfer to each of you some of our power to ease the passing just after we make the announcement at the conclusion of today’s court.”

“Speaking of,” I asked. “Are we supposed to run things alone, or can we have aides?”

“If you choose to hold court, you will of course be allowed to choose someone to assist you, yes,” Luna said.

“We will let you discuss this, of course,” Celestia said.

“Are you ok?” Twilight asked.

Celestia nodded. “It is just that we have waited too long to renew the connection, and it drains our energy daily,” she said. “You may have noticed my declining lack of effectiveness in recent years, particularly during the incident with the Crystal Heart or when Chrysalis captured us all.”

I blinked. I may not have been as star struck as Twilight was, and I was shocked that she was admitting to a waning of power to us. And if I was shocked, Twilight was stunned into petrification.

“So your power is only as strong as the connection to your respective charges,” Sunshine said. “And I assume your life-forces are as well.”

“Indeed,” Luna said. “As long as the sun and moon sail the skies, we will continue on.”

“Hence the need to renew your connection,” my wife continued. “To maintain your own lives.”

I saw the acknowledgement in the eyes of my mentor.

“I’ll do it,” I said softly.

Everyone’s head turned to me.

“But only for a week,” I said. “Seven days and I’m back to just a plain old pony. And don’t count on me not to speed the days up.”

Celestia smiled at me. “One week,” she agreed.

“Starlight would be a great aide,” Sunshine said. “She’s worked alongside you for years now, she knows how you think.”

Twilight nodded. “I agree, but she would be invaluable to Sunset as well,” she glanced at me. “They’re just as good friends as they are with me, and Starlight would be able to catch her up on recent changes that she might not know about.”

“Then who were you thinking of tapping to be your aide if I take Starlight?” I asked. “Trixie?”

“I was thinking Moondancer,” she said. “Night court is fairly standard things that couldn’t make it on the docket for Day court for various reasons. If anypony is as precise as I am about details, it’s Moondancer.”

An image of a girl rose up in my minds eye, the haze surrounding it making it obvious that I was seeing one of Sunshine’s memories.

“Are we talking about the shy girl that more or less emulated you when you were younger?” she asked. “And is probably even more bookish than we are?”

“Yes,” Twilight said, a grin spreading. “I patched up our relationship a while before you first returned, and we’ve kept up with each other.”

“I’m having difficulty imagining a pony more bookish than Twilight,” I said.

The doors at the other side of the small conference room opened as they admitted both Celestia and Luna. They moved over and sat down, their increasing fatigue obvious to me.

“Go ahead,” I said. “You made the announcements, there’s no reason to hold a formal transfer of power. Go ahead and do what you have to do.”

Twilight stepped forward and took a spot next to me. “We’re ready.”

Court

I slowly sank into the cushioned seat of the Solar Throne, looking to the side at the empty Lunar Throne, wishing for a moment that Twilight - either of them - could be here with me.

I felt a hoof on my shoulder and turned to look at Starlight.

“It’s ok,” she said. “We don’t have to hold formal court today, we could just read petitions.”

I shook my head, feeling the throbbing in the back from having raised the sun for the first time. “No, it’s ok,” I said. “I promised some of the courtiers a short session and I can’t back out now. No matter how much I wish I could.”

She nodded and lifted up a small clipboard. “Ok then,” she said. “But remember you said that, and no banishing anypony to the moon.”

I finally laughed and cracked a smile.

“No promises if Blueblood pokes his head in, regardless if he’s Celestia’s nephew.”

She snorted as she signaled the guards to open the doors. “Rarity might find that arrangement quite agreeable,” she snickered.

And true to my luck at times, he was the first one to enter.

“I must protest!” he shouted as he and his entourage approached the throne. “As part of the bloodline of the Princess, I should have been the one to assume the seat of Canterlot.”

I shot a look at Starlight, feeling my wings twitch in annoyance.

“And further, why should some rootless vagabond gain such preferential treatment from our beloved Celestia over her own kin?”

I surged from my seat, wings flaring out as I shunted some mana to my horn just to set it glowing for an instant, it’s reddish glare throwing my face into sharp relief despite the well-lit hall.

“Do you dare question the judgement of the Princess of the Sun?” I roared, just keeping from using the Royal Voice. I stalked forward to the top step of the dias.

“You, who profess to be of royal lineage to Celestia herself, would dare besmirtch her state of mind in choosing someone who was not only one of her personal students but a sister Alicorn?” I glared down at the Unicorn. “Well?”

For his part, he did back away slightly and his cronies cowered behind him.

Starlight spoke up in the silence. “You promised you wouldn’t banish anyone to the moon today,” she said in a voice that spoke of strained patience, though I could see the glint of humor in her eyes. I heard a whimper come from one of the impertinent Prince’s sycophants.

“I believe my exact words were ‘Attempt’,” I said, giving her a glare, winking with the eye shielded from my audience’s view. As I swiveled my head back to face Blueblood, I gave a sign of reigning in my temper and pulled my wings in.

“Was impugning your aunt’s judgement the only reason you thundered into this hall like a stampeding herd of cattle,” I asked. “Or did you have a legitimate request to lay before the Crown?”

Truth be told, I tuned most of it out. It was all a bunch of self-aggrandized requests for re-writes for the tax codes and other things that went over my head. I was so far out of touch with Equestrian politics that I was glad Starlight had agreed to be my aide.

As he launched into another speech, I raised a hoof.

“One paragraph or less, Blueblood,” I said. “I do have other petitioners to hear today.”

He blustered for a moment. “There are rumors of an uprising in some of the poorer districts,” he said. “Do you intend to deal with them?”

I tilted my head. “Uprising?” I asked. “In Canterlot, of all places?”

The young prince nodded. “I assume you know of it, since you are privvy to my aunt’s reports,” he said, a snide tone slipping in.

I glanced at Starlight, and she flipped through the various reports we had been given upon reporting to the throne. She shook her head.

“We have not been informed of any such matter,” I said. “But I will dispatch a few guards to seek information regarding it and offer to hear any requests of those in charge.”

I had a momentary flashback to Cadence saying those same words just over a year ago to an coldly placid Sorla. I hoped for a moment that it wasn’t a premonition.

“Sunset Shimmer,” he broke into my thoughts. “If I may…”

“You may not,” I said, charging my glare with every ounce of remembered spite and hate from my early days at CHS. “And if you deign to return to this hall again, you would do well to remember my title and authority.”

With a mixed look of anger and fear, he turned and left, his flunkies following with fearful glances behind.

As soon as the doors closed, I slumped back into the throne. One of the guards stepped up and stood at attention before me.

“Sergeant-Major,” I said. “Find out anything you can about these ‘uprisings’, if you can. I hope to Celestia that he was blowing things out of proportion, but better safe than sorry.”

The Pegasus guard snapped a salute and took off, a second guard taking his place.

I looked at Starlight. “Who’s next?”

She checked her list. “A representative from the Farmer’s guild about a grant for testing a new breed of apples,” she said.

I sat up, already feeling the weight of my wings and tiara growing heavier.

“Send them in.”

I stood on the balcony in the Tower of Duty, watching the sun approach the lowest point in the sky. I felt a presence coming up behind me and turned to see Twilight, her own crown perched on her head.

“Long day?” she asked.

“Very first petitioner was Blueblood,” I said.

“Ouch,” the lavender Alicorn whispered. “He still here?”

“For now,” I said with a quirk of my lips. “The rest of the day was pretty simple, hearing requests for funding on a few projects, some that sounded viable. The rest I asked for more information before I could make a ruling.”

“Sounds simple,” she replied, ruffling her wings. “Ready?”

I nodded, closing my eyes, and I reached inside for the bright connection that throbbed inside. I felt it draw taut, and I slowly eased the sun beyond the horizon, feeling a similar thrum as Twilight raised the moon a moment later.

I released my grip and panted for a moment. “That’s harder than I thought it would be,” I said.

“Tell me about it,” she said. “Imagine having to do both for a thousand years.”

“I have new respect for them both,” I said, giving my mane a toss. “Are you going to be ok with doing court tonight?”

“I’m a little more used to it than you are,” she said. “And there are fewer petitioners at night. I think some people are still slightly afraid of Luna or the Night Guard. Maybe both.”

“I don't know,” I said as we descended the stairs. “I was talking to one of the reservists last night. He seemed a good sort, though not exactly fierce as far as Thestrals go.”

“You talking about the one that makes the excellent coffee?”

“Yeah,” I answered. “Don’t think I’ve ever had a better cup.”

Silence returned for a second. “Have you heard anything about an uprising?” I asked, nodding to a pair of Thestrals that flanked the door.

The Princess of Friendship shook her head. “Nothing outside of what you’ve heard,” she responded. “I even sent letters to my friends who still live here and none of them have heard of anything either.”

I was about to respond when a member of the Day Guard trotted up, bearing a rolled scroll in his aura.

“Your majesties,” he said, giving a quick salute. “We just received word from the scouts sent out earlier. In one of the lower districts, a small riot broke out.”

“What?” I demanded. “A riot?”

“What was the cause?” Twilight asked immediately.

“We’re still investigating,” he said. “But this was found at the scene.”

I took the scroll from him and unrolled it. It bore a single word, scrawled in scarlet ink.

ENTROPY

I gave it to Twilight to look at, and she turned to one of the Thestrals.

“Cancel Night Court,” she said. “And send additional guards to help with the investigation.”

As the Thestrals saluted, I turned to the Day Gaurd.

“Go find Starlight and Moondancer and tell them to meet us in my office,” I ordered.

As one, Twilight and I headed for the office wing, and I fought the urge to take flight.

Something about this felt wrong, and the timing was too convenient to be a coincidence.

Investigation

“It’s not good news,” Moondancer said, laying another report on the table in my office. Celestia has offered to let me use hers, but I declined. I remembered it being the place where I had learned so many things and didn’t want to take it over. It wasn’t my domain.

“Since when has rioting been good?” Starlight asked as she skimmed another one. “Random damage done in a mostly unoccupied spot in a magical darkness spell doesn’t scream ‘terrorist’ to me.”

“It isn’t to drive fear into anypony,” I said. “It’s a message. There were four guards in that square when the damage occurred and they neither saw nor heard anything. They’re saying we can’t stop them.”

“But who are they?” Twilight asked. “Outside of a single word, they’ve left no demands, no manifesto, nothing!”

“Maybe the word itself is the message?” Moondancer offered.

Twilight furrowed her brow. “It’s the measurement of change from order to disorder and usually applies to things like mana dynamic shifts.”

“To us, perhaps,” I offered. “But if you look at it from a laypony’s persepective, it means the eventual destruction of everything.”

Sunshine leaned forward. “And all these reports only date back two or three weeks,” she said. “About the time the princesses starting cutting court short and canceling a few appearances. I hardly think that is a coincidence.”

“Celestia once told me that she wasn’t infallible,” Starlight said. “And that most ponies see her as such. So maybe it’s just panic from thinking that the Two Sisters are ailing?”

Moondancer shook her head in disagreement.

“This is too organized to be mass panic,” she huffed as she spread out a map. “For the darkness to be so absolute, they’d need a couple Unicorns or Thestrals to create it. Then they’d also need to blanket the area in silence spells and somehow do the damage and get out again in mere moments. That takes serious logistical thinking and a panicked populace doesn’t do that.”

“So what do we do?” I asked.

The sweatered mare tapped the map where she'd placed circles in a few points, all in the poorer sections of Canterlot. If poor was even a proper word. Non-noble section would be more accurate.

“There’s a sequential pattern to these incidents,” she said. “If they stay true to form, this neighborhood will be the next hit.”

I paled and Sunshine gasped.

“What? What is it?” Twilight asked, her wings ruffling.

“That’s where our house is,” I whispered.

I stared out the window of what had once been my room as a filly. I could see the street below, the cobbled road stretching out in both directions, one leading to the castle and the other to the shopping district. I could see the milling members of the guard outside, some trying to be inconspicuous by not wearing their uniforms.

They’re posture gave them away, though.

“The square is secured, your Highness,” a guard informed me.

“Thank you,” I said. “You’re dismissed. And take the other two with you.”

“But ma’am,” he protested. “What about your protection?”

I turned and spread my wings slightly, my horn glowing softly.

“They’d be a fool to cross me,” I whispered.

The guard frowned. “It is still our duty,” he said in a tone that said he wanted me to relent but he also didn’t want to outright refuse an order from one of the Princesses of the realm.

I sighed, the tiara on my brow even heavier, it seemed.

“Make sure that side alleys are in view as well, and try not to get underhoof while doing your job,” I said with a smile.

Heading downstairs, I found Sunshine arguing with Twilight.

“I am perfectly capable of helping with this investigation, Twilight,” she huffed. “My condition has no bearing on my ability to use magic or deductive reasoning!”

The lavender Alicorn shifted on her hooves, nervous but not backing down.

“No, but if things get dicey here you can’t escape as easily,” she countered. “You haven’t perfected teleportation yet and your wings aren’t permanent fixtures. If you get hurt and something happened to you or your foal...”

“That’s not going to happen,” I said, stepping up and laying a wing on both Sparkles. “She’s going to stay well back if fighting breaks out where she can get a good look at the scene and those two,” I pointed at the guard that had been following me all day. “Are going to be responsible for her safety.”

I turned to them and gave them a cold smile.

“Aren’t you, gentlecolts?” I asked.

They nodded quickly, one shivering slightly at the look.

“Sunny,” my wife started.

Give me this, I told her. Your magic has been erratic since you’ve been pregnant. I don’t want to risk it, especially with how far we had to go for this. Please, for me?

Her face fell for a moment, and I regretted making her think again of the difficulties we had faced trying to conceive. I hated making her relive that painful moment when she had been told she couldn’t bear young naturally.

“Fine,” she said, a hint of sadness plying through the bond. “Only for you, though.”

Twilight gave her a soft smile. “If it means anything,” she offered. “If it were Shy in your place, I’d be saying the same thing.”

Sunshine smiled faintly. “I’m sure,” she said with a giggle.

One of the guards suddenly went stiff.

“Is that smoke?” he asked, sniffing.

He had barely finished speaking when a window shattered and a torch was sailing into the room. I caught it with my magic and snuffed it out, but as I did I caught the smell of smoke and ash.

“Everypony out!” Twilight shouted, immediately throwing a wing over Sunshine and teleporting out. I followed suit with one of the guards and wound up in a blackness that was so absolute I couldn’t even see my own hoof in front of me. I called for a report, but my voice refused to sound in the air.

Sunny? came the worried call.

I’m fine, I sent. Are you ok?

Before I got her response, the darkness and unworldly silence lifted. I saw all the guards start to rush about, looking for anything out of place.

And slowly, the sound of fire reached my ears, and I turned to see my childhood home in flames, ponies rushing up with buckets while Pegasi shoved rainclouds in place overhead.

But I could only see one thing, scrawled in letters of flame on the side of my home.

Entropy

My anger was so strong that paving stones cracked beneath my racing hooves as I ran forward and leapt into the air, slamming an airtight seal around my home, smothering the fire, but not before the roof gave in and collapsed.

I landed, fury wafting off of me and Sunshine walked over, staring at the house in shock. She shoved her head against my side and cried softly.

I caught Twilights eye from across my yard, the steel in my gaze making her flinch as she approached.

“No more court until this is settled, Twilight,” I said. “I don’t care who they are, they just tried to burn down my home.”

And the lavender pony nodded in agreement. I could see the emotion behind her facade of calm.

She was just as mad as I was.

Ashes

I walked slowly through the ashes, my hooves already stained. While any number of repair spells could restore the roof and undo the burns, i doubted that it would reverse all the damage. The smell of smoke would linger for some time, and anything destroyed by the fire not part of the house would be lost for good. It fell to Sunshine and I to take stock of any such items that might exist.

I opened what was left of the door to our room, the charred portal breaking free from the hinges. I closed my eyes and let it settle to the floor. I stepped through and looked at the damage. The bed was destroyed, a scorched beam laying across it. I looked around the room, taking in the burned and scorched furniture and noted that somehow the picture of my sisters and I was untouched by the flame, a light coating of soot the only touch from the fire.

I pulled the picture to me, turning and seeing Sunshine standing behind me, the tracks of tears still fresh on her face, her azure coat stained with ash along her legs. She had a look of sadness and seeing the picture in my magic grip made her smile a little.

“Anything else left?” she asked.

“We’re going to need a new bed and dresser,” I said wryly. “But it looks like the damage here isn’t horribly irrevocable.” I walked up and nuzzled her. “Anything bad downstairs?”

She shook her head. “Mostly smoke damage and soot,” she whispered into my barrel. “The fire didn’t have time to spread down here between the water and the vacuum seal you used. It could have been much worse. We’re lucky.”

I shook my head. “We shouldn’t have been,” I whispered, feeling my anger flare a little. “The other sites were just broken windows or overturned stands. This is the first time they turned to arson. And I’m not sure if it is coincidence that they chose our home deliberately or not when any number of other homes stood just as close by.”

“I don't like the connotation,” my wife muttered. “If they know where your home is, then they know a lot about you and I.”

“I know,” I replied as I slid a wing over her. “I’ve already sent a contingent to keep an eye on Glory and Dew, but they live far enough into the Castle district to be protected from these for now.”

Twilight came up, gingerly stepping around the debris. A rolled up scroll hung in her magic.

“This was just delivered to the castle,” she said, her voice grim.

I took the scroll and opened it, my eyes going hard as I read the words.

To the false rulers of Equestria,

From the time of the foundings of the world, there have been forces higher than the common pony. Harmony, The Sun, The Moon, Discord, Serendiptiy, and Entropy, each given their time and place.

Serendipity has weakened, Discord lost, and now the Sun and Moon are ailing. The time of Entropy is upon us all.

This is the end of times, and we will facilitate it such that will be done to the will of Entropy.

Children of the Void.

“Well,” I gritted. “At least we now have a name to go with the acts. What do we know about this group?”

Twilight shook her head. “Nothing,” my fellow princess responded. “There isn’t anything I’ve ever heard with that name associated. I’ve got Moondancer and Starlight combing the archives.” She looked around. “How bad is the damage?”

Sunshine shook her head. “Not overly bad,” she gasped. “Nothing lost that can’t be easily replaced or particularly significant.” She shivered. “I still don’t like that this happened.”

The Princess of Friendship nodded. “I understand,” she said with a sympathetic smile. “I felt the same shortly after the Golden Oaks was destroyed. I understand the sorrow,” she looked from my wife to me. “And the anger. Better than you might realize.”

I nodded. “I’ve seen the devastated part of the landscape where you threw down with Tirek,” I told her. “I doubt I’d be that bad. I don’t have the power of four Alicorns contained inside.”

“No,” she said. “But you did go after Neighlin during the war.” She bit her lip as she realized what she had implied.

I flinched, the memory of the fire, the smell, and the screams rising back into my mind. I shut my eyes.

Sunshine put her head under my chin, her cheek pressed against my chest. “It’s ok,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry, Sunset,” Twilight said hurriedly. “I know it was a special situation, and that you would never deliberately do anything like that and…”

I snapped my head up. “Deliberately…” I whispered, a thought slipping through my mind and I locked eyes with hers. “That’s it.” I headed for the stairs.

“What is it?” Sunshine asked as she came up alongside.

“We need information, and there’s only one mare that could provide it.”

“You want what?” Starlight asked.

“The name of her family,” I repeated. “Neighlin has to have surviving relatives. They may know something about this group and why my home was attacked personally. With fire, the same way I killed Neighlin.”

“Sunset,” the mare stuttered. “This isn’t like finding a specific book, this is searching for a family that may not want to be found.”

“I know,” I said. “But I have a feeling that they may know something about this.” I looked her in the eyes. “Please, do what you can. You have the resources of the Court, you know.”

Starlight sighed. “I’ll see what I can do. Are you and Sunshine ok?”

I nodded. “Thankfully,” I said. “We were able to get out before anything serious happened. No significant loses, but we’ll have to replace a lot of furniture.”

Starlight nodded, then turned to leave.

“For what it’s worth,” she tossed over her shoulder. “I hope your wrong.”

“So do I, Starlight,” I said.

“So do I.”

Escalation

I was sitting down to a pot of tea with Sunshine when Twilight burst through the doors of my chambers, a look of pain on her face.

“Sunset,” she whispered. “I just got a letter from Mayor Mare. There’s been attacks in Ponyville, Rarity’s boutique and Sugarcube Corner were vandalized. They also beat a handful of citizens.”

“What?” I surged to my feet. “Are they ok?”

“Bruises, cuts, and scrapes, mostly,” she said, the panicked look in her eye showing her concern. “Rarity and Pinkie were at Sweet Apple Acres at the time and the Cakes are in Baltimare for a conference, so nopony was hurt in the vandalism. But residents are worried, and it apparently occurred at the same time as the attack on your home.”

“This is insane,” I said, striding to the door to ask the guard there to assign a small contingent to Ponyville when the guard pushed the door open.

“Your Highness,” he spoke nervously. “Your sister is here to see you.”

I blinked in surprise as Glory walked in, her normally neat appearance missing and bits of soot staining her hooves. Her eyes were red.

“Glory,” I stuttered as my sister walked up to me and buried her face in my coat, her nose just brushing the edge of my wing.

“My house, Sunny,” she whimpered. “Somepony burned my house.”

Anger kindled again as I reached out with my wings and folded my sister in my embrace.

“Get word to Cadence,” I whispered as Glory broke down. “And to your parents too, Twilight. This is getting to be trying and I want to know who to go after.”

Twilight nodded, turning to leave. “I’ll have Spike send letters immediately,” she told me, her face showing that she wasn’t sure what to think. “Should we send one to your sister Dew as well?”

I shook my head. “I’m going there myself,” I gritted. I looked at the guard who was still standing in the doorway. “Assign her some quarters, please, and post a guard nearby.”

Glory clutched at my coat, and I gently helped her to her hooves.

“Glory,” I whispered to her, touching my horn to hers and channelling some calm into her. “Go with the sergeant here and get some rest. We’ll see what we can get done. It’ll be all right.”

Watching my sister walk mechanically away hurt more than I could say. As I went to the window, Sunshine looked at me.

“Glory’s house isn’t in any of the districts that would have been targeted,” she said firmly. “Nor was Ponyville.”

I paused for a second. “I know,” I replied.

She stood. “I’ll work with Moondancer to see if we missed anything.”

I took a step over to her and nuzzled her for a moment. As I stepped away, she whispered to me.

“Come back to me.”

I gave her a warm smile. “Always.”

But as I winged my way towards the home Dawning Dew and Crystal Hue lived, I felt a sense of fear bubble up inside as I gazed down at Canterlot.

And saw the fires springing up around the city.

I alighted up the street from my sisters house, trotting quickly. The neighborhood was quiet, and I saw no damage. I knocked on the door and Hue opened the door.

“Sunset,” he said, confused. “What’s the matter?”

“Are you all OK?” I asked, slipping inside as he stepped aside.

“Yes, of course,” he said, frowning. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

“There are small riots breaking out around the city,” I said. “Glory just lost her house and the home I had was burned as well. I want you three to come to the castle for safety.”

Hue shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around the information I was sharing. “But, why?” he asked. “We’re nowhere near Glory’s or the old home. We should be safe here.”

I shook my head and stomped a hoof. “It’s not about locations,” I snapped. “Whoever these ponies are, they’re targeting specific places and so far, they’ve attacked not just me and my sister, but my friends in another town entirely. Now I want you, my sister, and my niece someplace safe before they decide to attack you as well!”

“Hue,” I heard Dew’s voice come from the side. “She’s not going to back down.”

I looked over at my sister, unspoken words traveling between us.

Hue sighed and lowered his head. He met my eyes.

“Are you certain?” he asked me.

“No,” I admitted. “But I’d rather be proven wrong than help another family member have to sift through ash.”

The painter nodded. “We’ll get packed,” he said, moving towards the bedroom.

I walked into the castle wearily. I had kept my sister and her family under an invisibility spell as we made our way to the castle, but spells like that weren’t exactly my strength. As I handed them off to a steward to get them settled, I saw Twilight standing nearby.

“More bad news?” I asked, dragging my hooves forward.

“Cadence has had a few minor fights break out following the Princesses stepping down,” she replied. “But nothing approaching the level of difficulty we’re having here. Mom and Dad are staying in the East Wing. They had a break in a few weeks ago.”

I glanced at her. “Anything taken?”

She shook her head. “Not that they could see,” she answered.

“Why would anypony break in without taking anything?” I asked.

I never got an answer as an explosion rocked the foyer of the castle, making Twilight and I stumble. As I got my bearings, I saw guards rushing to the gates, a huge sphere of darkness enveloping where the entrance courtyard was.

I threw up a shield as I saw several arc-shaped bolts of energy slice through the air, one glancing against a guards’ armor freezing him in place. Several others struck guards full brunt, being rooted in place with a strange whitish aura. The ones that passed through crashed into the kinetic barrier I had raised and gave off minor explosions, the shockwaves ruffling my mane.

“Sunset!” I heard Twilight shout, her coming up to my side, wings flared and horn blazing as another fusillade of the strange energy bolts arced in towards us.

As they crashed against the shield Twilight held, I shoved mine forward, slamming through the edge of the black void. I heard loud shouts of surprise and I felt a backlash sear through my horn, making me grimace in discomfort.

“You ok?” the Princess of Friendship asked.

“Magical shielding,” I gasped, shaking my head to clear the fog. “That’s high tier magic their packing.”

“Got it,” she said, her horn taking on a strange blue-silver light and my shield flickered. She was spreading an anti-magic field, and I saw the edge of her field hit the darkness, the two effects flaring and flickering in arcane light. I leaped into the air, grunting slightly as I had to propel myself purely with my wing muscles until I was above her field. I focused on a spell that I hadn’t used since my time as Celestia’s student, my mana slipping forward and entering the encroaching darkness. I shut my eyes and breathed out slowly, and when I opened them again, I saw faint outlines surrounding everypony; the guards shimmering with silver-white, Twilight ablaze with bright magenta.

And inside the darkness I saw ponies whose auras appeared as blood-red whirpools. They fixed their gaze on me as one, and an eerie screech burst from their mouths, the sound rending at my ears.

And as soon as it started, it ended, the inky zone of darkness vanishing, leaving guards ponies frozen in place and broken masonry scattered around.

And a giant scorched portion of the grounds that I’m sure I knew what it said.

I slammed a hoof down, the flagstone cracking from the strength I was still getting used to even now.

“This has gone far enough,” I said as medics came forward and began to treat the stasis-locked guards. “By attacking the castle, they just committed treason.”

Twilight ruffled her wings as she walked over to me. “We don’t know who they are yet, Sunset,” she reminded me.

“Yet,” I said, turning and stalking off. The lavender Alicorn hurried to catch up with me, frowning as I turned away from the living quarters and headed towards the Tower of Duty.

“Why are we here?” she asked me as I opened a door leading downwards.

“Because we need to be ready,” I said as I descended the stairs. “And I don’t do subtle very well.”

“I’ve noticed,” Twilight remarked.

I halted before the door at the base of the stairs. “I’ve only seen this room opened once before, when the mirror was stored within,” I said. I felt a cold shiver run up my spine. “Before we open it again, I need to ask you for a favor.”

“What?”

“I have a problem with containing my temper when it comes to my friends being hurt or in danger,” I admitted slowly. “And anger in general has always been quick to flow in me. If I do find those responsible for burning my home, my sister’s home, and damaging the homes and businesses of our friends, I need someone to help balance me.” I looked into her eyes, a dimly remembered scream and orange fire flashing in my mind’s eye. “To keep me from doing certain things again.”

She looked at my face, and after a moment, she nodded.

“Agreed,” she whispered.

I turned and opened the doors, revealing a room slightly smaller than the Map room in Twilight’s castle, several racks with artifacts of all sorts resting within. I saw several weapons, including the double-bitted axe Luna had wielded in the war in the Crystal Empire resting alongside a golden broadsword and a series of curved knives and a mace of glittering crystal.

I walked up to a pair of armored bardings of a silvery gold metal, their design clearly made with an Alicorn’s physique in mind, a hole in the helm for the horns and jointed armor around where the wings would rest. Sigils and runes were carved along the riveted joints and the crest of the helms.

I could feel the magic pulsing inside them, and doubt crept into my mind. Was I ready to commit to this, or was anger clouding my judgement?

I looked at the barding, and the images of Glory crying and Sunshine sifting ash, looking for surviving possessions from the wreckage of our home.

I reached out and rested a hoof against the metal.

“Celestia forgive me,” I whispered.

Fly

The door to the house was already hanging in splinters when I alighted at the home Starlight had managed to track down. I walked in slowly, a shield spell held tightly, ready to be released at the slightest hint of danger. A smell started to make it’s way to my nose, a smell I recognized from my time on the streets and in the halfway house.

Rotting flesh.

I moved further into the house, trying to ignore the smell and came to a staircase. There were trails of blood on the lowermost steps, but none going any further up. I followed the trail to a nearby room where a larger splash showed where the injury occurred. On a table I saw a picture showing four Unicorns, a pair of proud parents and two children, a colt and a filly. The filly was a younger and much happier - and more sane - Neighlin. The fire and flames flickered in my mind’s eye again, both the ones that had consumed her body and the ones that had flared to life in my home.

I sighed and continued my sweep of the house. Upstairs in what looked to be a study I found two older Unicorns, the father and mother from the picture. Their eyes were locked open in terror, their tongues swollen and purple. They looked as though they had died gasping for air. I felt anger flare as I looked at them. Nopony deserved to die like that and then be left like garbage.

I searched the rest of the house, but found no other signs of the colt from the picture or any hidden surprises. As I went back down the stairs, I looked at the blood on the steps. It ended abruptly, as though the wound had closed up suddenly or…

I lit my horn and trained a detection spell at the termination of the trail. There was a faint magic trace there, but not like any magic I had ever felt before. It felt sick, as though it was filled with illness. I had never felt anything like that before, not even from Acerak or Discord.

I stepped out of the house and headed back towards the palace. As I flew I looked down on the city of my birth and youth, seeing the damage the fires of the night had caused in the dawn hours. In my haste to find answers and prepare, I had almost forgotten to raise the sun, but seeing the gutted and blacked husks of homes made me wish I hadn’t.

My fellow ponies were being hurt, and I was no closer to finding an answer as to who.

As I landed, a guard stepped forward and saluted. “Did you find what you were looking for, Your Majesty?”

I shook my head. “No,” I replied, returning the salute so he could stand to his ease. “But send a burial detail to the address. There are two Unicorns there that should be put to a proper rest.”

He nodded and trotted off. I sighed. Only three days into the job and already I was used to giving orders with the expectations of being listened to. I headed for my study, pausing to look at the work going on to repair the damage to the main gate. I knew from experience that the palace had automatic repair spells laid on almost every stone and board, but the damage that had rocked it the night before had resisted the magic, crackling with orange light whenever the castle staff tried to activate the spells. Twilight had finally arranged for stonemasons to come handle the repairs.

Sunshine rased her head sleepily as I entered the study. Her face showed that she was fighting down the urge to race to the bathroom and empty her stomach in protest. I felt a flash of sympathy for her. Morning sickness had hit her harder than we had thought it would.

“Did you find anything?” Moondancer asked from the side, her glasses settling on her face as she sat up from the couch she had laid out on.

“Nothing I hoped to find,” I returned, pulling my crown off with my magic and setting it to the side. My shoes and chain of office followed soon after. Finally divested of the regalia, I slumped into the pile of pillows and cushions strewn about and laid my head along Sunshine’s barrel in fatigue. “Every lead ends in a burned out home or a strange magic residue.”

“Would Twilight be able to recognize it?” my wife asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” I replied, eyes closing. “I’m probably just as well versed as she is on mantic traces.”

“We won’t know unless she takes a look herself,” Moondancer pointed out.

“I know,” I murmured. I was starting to fall asleep to the sound of Sunshine’s heartbeat. “Can you ask her when she wakes up?”

I heard hooves shuffle across the floor. “Of course, Your Majesty,” Moondancer’s voice carried softly. “Sleep well.”

“Dun call me tha,” I slurred, but the rest of the protest never made it out of my mouth as I fell over the precipice to sleep.

A fire burned ahead of me. Shadowy forms moved back and forth, shrouded by the backglare of the flames. Or were they made of shadow? I couldn’t tell.

“False Ruler,” a voice said, causing me to wheel around, horn lighting with an angry red glare. “You cannot stop the march of entropy. I will not be swayed.”

“Show your face,” I snarled. “Stop hurting all these innocent lives and face me directly!”

“No," the disembodied voice replied. “Your time is not yet here.”

“You will face me now!” I shouted, spreading my wings. “Armis…”

Before I could complete the phrase, a blast of air slammed into me, knocking the wind from my lungs and dazing me.

I surged to my hooves, horn flaring up and wings flying open with a shout of anger as I was shoved forcefully into a waking state. Sunshine twisted beneath me, eyes wide in concern at my angry state.

“Sunny!” she called, reaching up with a forelimb to touch my side.

I stood there, taking shuddering breaths. As my fear and anger subsided, I laid down and draped my head back over my love’s side.

“You ok?” she asked softly, shifting so she could stoke my mane.

“No, I’m not,” I said, closing my eyes for a moment. “Homes being burnt, everypony looking to me, trying to run this nation even for a week…It’s more than I ever wanted. I just want to go back to our condo and never look back sometimes.”

“You can’t,” Sunshine admonished. “You’re an Equestrian princess and you have your responsibilities.”

“And how many times have I been called to exercise them in the realm I was tasked to defend?” I returned wearily, raising my head again. “Twice now I’ve been called into service in Equestria, and the only time things in our world were threatened, we were powerless thanks to the Conjunction. There are times I think we should just move here and be done with it.”

“What about our friends?” she whispered. “And my family?”

“I’m not saying we shut the portal for good,” I said, leaning over and nuzzling her. “I’m just tied of never getting more than a few days of peace to enjoy with my wife at home, where we belong.”

A giggling laugh rose from outside the window. My office overlooked one of the garden courtyards, and as I rose to go look, I saw my sister playing with Ebony as Hue laid out some food for an impromptu picnic. My eyes immediately spotted the guards standing inconspicously around the door, protecting Dew’s family on my orders.

“Not long and we’ll be doing the same,” Sunshine said as she came up next to me.

“Nine or more months is not a short time, Twi,” I said softly.

“No," she said as she leaned into me.

“I’m sure it will fly on by.”

Backtracking

The shoes slipped easily onto my hooves. I barely even felt their weight now, and that troubled me. As the chain of office slid into place, Sunshine came over and nuzzled me.

“Come back, you hear me?” she whispered into my neck.

Nuzzling her back, I nipped her ear. Pulling back, I smiled at her reassuringly.

“I’ll come back carrying my shield, Twilight,” I whispered back. As I left the room, I found Starlight taking pace alongside me.

“You'll watch after her, right?” I asked.

The Unicorn nodded. “Moondancer and I both, as often as we can.”

I sighed. “I don’t like this,” I said. “Every lead we’ve turned up has ended in ash or death. I wish Celestia or Luna were around for advice.”

“I know the feeling,” Starlight agreed. “But they’re likely starting their ritual now. And you saw them before they left, can you honestly say you want them here in that state?”

“No,” I conceded as we entered the throne room. Twilight and Moondancer were already on the dias, conversing softly. I shook my mane out a little, feeling my tiara keeping the hairs from moving too far.

“Good morning,” I said. “I’m sorry for keeping you up this long.”

“It’s fine,” Twilight said. “I took a nap halfway through, most of the dreams were peaceful enough and I set a contingency spell to wake me if I were needed.”

“So, what are we doing?” Moondancer asked.

“So far, we’ve been reactionary,” I said. “And they love taunting us. Did you find anything on the mantic trace, Twilight?”

The lavender alicorn shook her head. “Nothing solid,” she said. It’s got some strange overtones to it, like it’s borrowing magic instead of using their own. But the decay is far too fast.”

“That's what I thought,” I sighed. “It felt sick, ill. Not even the wild magic of the Everfree felt like that.”

“So what do we do?” Moondancer asked.

“You stay here with Starlight to take care of petitions,” I said, looking at Twilight.

She nodded. “We’re going to make a quick patrol of the city, looking for this mantric signature.”

She nodded and we turned to leave. I noticed that she wasn’t wearing her regalia beyond the chain of office, the medallion gently bumping against her chest.

“Twilight,” I asked softly. “Does it ever bother you?”

“I’m sorry?”

I sighed. “Does the yoke of duty ever bother you?” I floated my tiara into my sight, looking at the simple lines of the silver headpiece. “Have you ever wished that you could go back to the days before the wings, before the duties? I know you and Fluttershy have been trying to settle into some sort of regularity in your lives.”

She turned bright red. “H-how did you know about us?” she asked. “We’ve barely told the rest of the girls.”

I smiled at her. “I’m not dense, Twilight,” I told her. “She shows up more than the other girls, almost every night we’ve been in those chairs. She leaves not long after you lower the moon, and you always seem to have a little silly grin on your face when she’s been here or she gets mentioned. I'd be surprised if most of the girls haven’t figured it out already…well, all but Dash.”

She opened her mouth but closed it again without saying anything. She sighed.

“Sometimes,” she said softly. “But I think that just by being chosen as the Element of Magic stripped that chance from me.” She glanced at me. “Having doubts?”

“More like fears,” I admitted. “Sunshine is pregnant and that’s enough of a strain on her. Now we’re facing something that delights in causing pain to innocents all around. I’m scared something’s going to happen to her, or to the baby. She still has dreams about her time in Acerak’s clutches and she only recovered from being told she couldn’t conceive because of the research you and Starlight did. If she lost me or the child, she’d be devastated.”

“So why did you ask about if I had regrets?”

“Because, it seems like ever since I was given these wings,” I whispered. “I’ve been drawn into one conflict after another. I just want to settle down and raise a family. It seems like Harmony itself is trying to keep me from doing that.”

Twilight turned a sympathetic look on me. “If you want to spend some time with…”

I shook my head. “I’d rather settle this and then go spend time with her,” I bit out. “I’ve had it up to here with whatever these Children of the Void are.”

We came to the balcony outside, the sun settling into its midday positioning. Twilight took to the air, and I followed, hovering for a moment to gaze towards the window where my quarters were, seeing an azure face looking back, a hoof pressed to the glass.

I raised a hoof as I turned and followed the other princess. But as I did, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread settle in my stomach.

It was almost like I would never see her again.

Blight

As we glided over the city, my heart felt sick as I gazed downwards. Charred husks, swaths of destruction in spots. And through the entirety of it all, a detached part of my mind still marveled at how good my eyesight was, being able to pick details out from as high as I was flying. A part of Pegasi magic I had never considered. Just as the added endurance from the Earth pony magic bled into all aspects of my being now.

But I couldn’t stay detached forever. I reached inside and brought up the spell I had used the other night to bear again, silver-white aura’s springing to life around everypony below us. I tried to block Twilight’s bright magenta glow from my sight by flying slightly ahead of her.

“See anything yet?” I heard her ask over the sound of the wind in my ears.

I shook my head while keeping my sight pointed mostly down. So much silver light was below us as ponies went about their days as though chaos wasn’t reigning in the streets at night. I had briefly weighed the option of seeing if Discord knew anything, but he was nowhere to be found right now.

Just when a Draconequus would have been useful, too.

The silver mist of auras below glimmered like water in the afternoon sun, and I began to shift my wing angle to bank slightly when a flash of red caught my eye. I froze, hovering with Twilight pulling up short just beside me. I fixed the spot in my eyesight, squinting slightly to focus. So much silver, the tiny freckle of red was both easy to spot and hard to track, it passed through such thick groups as though it was mist. Then the red joined another glimmer of crimson, then two more, slowly growing into an angry red blob that made my eyes ache with the glow.

I shut my spell down, eyes closing briefly before I turned to my fellow princess.

“They’re gathering in the Square of the Moon,” I told Twilight as I tucked my wings in for a dive.

“They wouldn’t dare,” I heard Twilight gasp before the sound of speeding wind tore her voice from my awareness.

And moments before I reached the square, the entirety of the area vanished, blotted out by a dome of shadow. I slammed to the ground, wings flared and I threw up a kinetic shield in time for a trio of those strange arc shaped magic bolts to slam against it.

So, you can see through this, I grimly thought, the teal sheen of my horn’s aura tinging red. I combined the aura spell I had been using moments ago with a light spell and thrust upwards with my horn as though spearing someone with it’s blunted tip.

The magic sheared out, blasting away a small portion of the inky black, giving Twilight a spot to land in near me. I saw the swirling red in front of me and I shifted the path of my spell forward, sealing the dome again, a tunnel spreading before me, the base of Luna’s statue revealed.

And one of the things clinging to it’s smooth rock face. Twilight gasped audibly and I took an involuntary step back.

It was a pony by only the most vague of definitions. Its body was pockmarked with bits of pulsing red flesh, pustules dotted the regular flesh. It had one batwing and one wing-like appendage lacking anything that should have helped to bear it aloft. Veins stood out starkly against it’s pallid coat, but those were not what caused us shock.

In place of a muzzle, it had a writhing mass of tentacle-like things below one large red eye with no visible iris or pupil. Upon seeing that we could see it, the tentacles spread, revealing a beak-like protuberance that spread open and gave a harsh shriek. It rushed us as an answering shriek rose all around us.

“Luna’s Moon!” I swore as I doubled up on my shield, catching it on the exterior. It clung like a spider, scrabbling for an opening as though the fact it was hanging in mid-air was no worry for it. “What in Equestria is it?”

I didn’t hear anything beyond the shrieking, and when I turned, I saw Twilight just staring. “Twilight!”

“I’m sorry, Sunset,” she said. “I’m terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought right now.”

I felt a feedback surge in my horn and turned my attention back to my opponent, and took a step back as I saw it force a tentacle through a hole in my shield. I felt it start to shake, and the strain was starting to give me a mild headache. I shut down my aura and light spells, focusing on the shield, trying to seal the breach before it was split wider.

“Twilight,” I grunted. “Little help?”

I felt her magic start spreading along side mine, easing the pressure in my head. I took a deep breath and shifted my shield’s shape, capturing the creature in it, meeting it’s baleful red eye. It gazed at me in impotent hate, tentacles flailing against my shield.

“Well,” I gritted through the effort. “Now maybe we’ll get to the bottom of…”

The creature froze, it’s limbs going stiff as a keening wail flew from it. I pinned my ears back against my head at the noise, seeing Twilight do the same.

That’s when the creature exploded into a mist of red-black fluid, splattering the inner surface of the caging sphere it had been trapped in. I released the sphere with a growl, the liquified remains splattering onto the stone as the shadow spell lifted.

I looked around and tried to control my breathing. No damage had been done, so we managed to avert one event, but we gained next to nothing regarding who we were facing. We had a face to put to the aggressors, but I had no knowledge of what the nightmarish creature had been.

Looking at Twilight, though, I had a feeling she did. The mere sight of it had terrified her into inaction for a few moments, and she had faced off against some of the worst threats Equestria had ever seen.

“What the ever-loving buck was that thing, Twilight?” I asked, fluffing my wings to settle some of the feathers more comfortably.

“An elder blight,” she whispered, her ears twisting to and fro as though keeping track of any possible attack. Her nervous, on edge manner made my coat stand on end. Despite years of time with human mannerisms, I had to fight the urge to turn, ears alert for any sound.

“A what?”

She looked at me, her eyes so wide her pupils looked tiny.

“It’s bad, very bad,” she said. “They shouldn’t be in the world at all.”

Familiars

Wind whistled in my ears as I raced after Twilight. She had made like an arrow back towards he castle but banked sharply as we approached. I saw a tower with a large observatory window and several telescopes on the balcony. As we approached, I saw the interior packed with bookshelves, and Twilight made for it like it was the only place of safety in the city.

I landed behind her as she teleported past the locked doors and started ripping books off the shelves, pages flipping in a frenzy and being tossed to the side. Copying her teleport, I raised my question again.

“What do you mean, it’s not supposed to exist?”

She didn’t respond, books being tossed aside like they were nothing. Her eyes were wide, roving over each page as she frantically searched for whatever she needed. I recognized the look from when my wife would awaken from one of the nightmares she still had of her time in captivity or the battles in the Crystal Empire.

She was reaching for something to reassure her. As another book went flying past my head, I reached out and grabbed her face with my wingtips.

“Twilight!” I shouted, her face suddenly registering my presence. “What in Harmony’s Name was that thing? All you said was that it shouldn’t exist.”

“They shouldn’t,” she babbled, another book flying over to her. “They were supposedly destroyed millennia ago in the times before the founding of Equestria, before the Windigoes even descended.” Pages flipped rapidly between us.

“Twilight, calm down,” I soothed. “You’re not making a lot of sense. I don’t have the same vast repository of esoterica that you do.”

She turned the book around to face me and I saw a rough depiction of what we had just faced.

“Elder Blights,” she said. “Eldritch abominations created by dark arts lost to the mists of time. And if all the creatures doing these attacks are Blights, then we have a harder task ahead of us than we thought.”

I skimmed the page before me, the lore making me feel a little uneasy. “Twilight,” I said gently. “This says that they don’t act of their own volition. They have a handler, and it would have to be somepony we can trace.”

“But this is magic that isn’t even known anymore!” she shouted, her pupils still constricted in panic. “At least with Sorla, there were still texts she could locate. This is thousands of years old, older than the Diarchs, older than Equestria! I don’t know how to combat something like this!”

Like you have so many others, a soft voice sang, causing us to look around. I spied a glow deeper in the conjury, within a stairwell. It was growing brighter as it moved towards us. Spreading my wings and sliding into a crouch, I began to pull mana into my horn, setting the appendage aglow with red light.

“Who’s there?” I growled. The glow grew brighter, tinged with orange and red hues. I set my hooves, ready to dive to the side and attack when a winged form burst through the entryway, wings and tail aflame and eyes flashing with intelligence.

The phoenix alighted on the back of one of the chairs, eyes boring into mine before dipping slightly in a bow.

Princess Twilight, Princess Sunset, her voice said again, gentle in it’s tones. I have been dispatched by my mistress to counsel you. She tilted her head slightly. Though I must say, it is difficult to focus when one is directing magic at me.

I blinked, releasing the mana and standing up again. “Your mistress?” I repeated dumbly.

“Celestia,” Twlight cried out happily. “Is that you, Philomena?”

You know another phoenix with unlimited access to the castle and school grounds? the song-like voice returned. Though I’m surprised you haven’t summoned a phoenix of your own, honestly. We are linked to the solar and lunar rulers, no matter how short a time they have held the titles.

The left turns were coming too fast for me and I rubbed my temples. “So, what, we get pet firebirds?” I groused.

Familiars would be a more accurate term, Philomena responded, tucking her head under her left wing and nipping at a fiery feather. Though not all that you could call are flarewings, like I am. You could just as easily summon nightwings or shockwing, depending on your personal preferences.. Her eyes focused on me. Though I expect you would likely call one of my kin, honestly. Your temper is so much like Celestia’s was millennia ago.

I frowned. “How are you speaking?”

Twilight cleared her throat. “I think our link to the sun and moon allows similar links to Philomena,” She fluttered her wings, apparently calm again. “Which explains why even Fluttershy couldn’t understand her the last time we crossed paths.”

Well, that's mostly true, the phoenix said, ducking her head slightly. But sometimes Tenders are too good to resist teasing. Please pass my apologies to her at your next opportunity, Princess.

“You said to counsel us,” the lavender Alicorn spoke. “What do you know of the situation?”

My mistress sensed the return of the sixth immortal shortly before falling the ritual trance, Philomena responded solemnly. I am tasked with guiding you to the cavern where they rest. Along the way, my kin will flock along, along with the Princess of Love.

“Cadence?” Twilight asked, surprised.

“Why would she be coming?” I inquired.

Because the application of all routes of Serendipity must be present to dispel the dread seeping into the world, Philomena looked into my eyes, then Twilight’s. Compassion, Love, and Friendship. Sun, Moon, and Sky. Mind, Body, and Heart.

I felt a pang in the back of my mind, and a weight settled in my chest. I closed my eyes as runes engraved into metal passed behind the lids.

“Is it the only way?” I whispered. I felt Twilight slide a hoof along my shoulders.

It is if you wish to keep your mate and offspring safe, the voice of the phoenix responded. I have already tasked several phoenixes to ward the palace, but even our light can only push back so much darkness.

Opening my eyes, I looked at the fiery bird before us.

“Can I at least see her before we go?” I asked.

The bird nodded. Yes, she said softly in my mind. But be mindful, the winds are against us in this flight.

Underway

I looked in and smiled at Sunshine as she slept, her mane mussed and the blankets tucked up tightly around her. I walked over softly and leaned in to kiss her forehead just below her horn.

“I love you,” I whispered, feeling a sting in my chest as I turned away. I had reached the door when I heard a voice call softly.

“Sunny,”

I closed my eyes. “Go back to sleep, Twilight.”

I heard the blankets rustle. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

“We’ve got a lead,” I said. “I have to leave pretty soon. I’ve got some protectors set up here to keep everypony safe that they can, but they can’t do much against what we’ve learned.

A memory of the Blight flickered to my mind and I barely kept it from trickling into the bond. She didn’t need to see that.

I felt a tingle of magic brush through my mane, so similar to the sensation of fingers.

I turned and saw her looking at me with a worried expression. She sat up slightly and smiled sadly.

“Be careful? For both of us?”

I smiled and nodded.

“Always,” I said. “You get some rest, and I’ll be back before you know it.”

She laid her head down and gave me a smirk. “Liar,” she teased. “You’d better come back. I’m not raising this kid on my own.”

I trotted back over and rubbed noses with her. “I aim to meet this kid, you know,” I whispered to her. “And Twilight and Cadence are going to be with me. They should keep me out of trouble.”

She nuzzled my cheek and sighed. “They’d better,” she whispered. “I’d hate to have to kill you.”

I laughed and kissed her. “Sleep, silly.” I turned then looked at her again. “I love you.”

“I love you,” she replied.

I lingered for a moment, but when I heard a rustle of wings, I looked out the doors to the balcony and saw Philomena sitting there with Twilight. The Alicorn had a heavy torc around her neck and held a second one in her magic.

I trotted out to meet them, closing the doors behind me.

“Ready?” I asked, taking the torc from the other pony and settling it around my neck.

“Ready,” Twilight responded, wings fluffing.

We should leave soon, Philomena said in my mind. You should still have to raise and lower the sun and moon on the journey, so the more progress we make now is that much less tomorrow.

I looked at Twilight. “Do you still have the Dream contingency spell set up?” I asked.

She nodded. “We still have our duties,” she said. “Even if Moondancer and Starlight are going to be hearing the petitions while we’re out.”

I smirked. "I feel sorry for them,” I chuckled as I spread my wings. I stepped to the railing and set a hoof on it, but then looked back, seeing Sunshine staring at me. I hesitated and stepped down.

I love you, I heard. Come back to me.

I nodded at her, then glanced up. Two birds sat above the bay doors, one bright red and one electric silver. Heard a rustle of wings as a third came in to roost, as dark as a midnight sky.

I took a deep breath and took off, not looking back as we flew.

I was worried if I did, I’d lose my nerve.

Cadence met up with us around three hours into our flight, a similar torc to ours around her neck.

“Fancy meeting you here,” she teased as she came alongside us.

“Hey, Cadence,” I said, smiling at her. “Wish we could see each other under normal circumstances once in a while though.”

She smiled grimly. “Agreed,” she responded. “But such is the fate of rulers, sometimes.”

And that was when I heard a sound that I couldn’t identify and started looking around. Behind us, a dark cloud was gaining on us quickly.

“What?”

Calm, Sunset Shimmer, came the calm voice of the phoenix in front of us.

The cloud came closer and I realized the sound was that of dozens of sets of wings.

It is merely my kin.

And the flock of phoneix gathered around us, warm reds, cool silvers, arctic blues, and dark ebony speckled with argent highlights. I looked in awe as the swirled around us, some obviously playful, others grim. Most were of the same age as Philomena, but I saw a few that looked to have been recently regenerated and some were already beginning to molt.

“This is amazing,” Twilight breathed. “I never knew there were so many varieties of phoenix!”

“I knew of two,” Cadence whispered. “But I didn’t know of the other two.”

The cloud of avians continued to swirl around us as the land flew by under us. I could see the city of Fillydelphia below us, and I glanced at the sky.

“We’ll have to land soon to lower the sun,” Twilight called out to the rest of the group. “It’s getting late in the day.”

“And to rest our wings,” Cadence said. “It’s a long flight from the Empire to here.”

I frowned. “We can make it a few hours more,” I said. I didn’t want to delay. The sooner we made it to our destination, the sooner we could head back.

“Sunset,” Twilight said. “We’ver been flying for almost four hours straight. We can at least grab a short rest on a cloud.”

I glanced behind us, to where Canterlot lay. I couldn’t even make out the mountain it rested upon now, distance and clouds hiding it from my view. Even the sensation I always had of the bond with my wife was growing tenuous.

I closed my eyes and sighed.

“Another hour,” I said. “And then we’ll stop for the night.”

We will take the watches so you can reserve your strength, I heard a voice say, lighter and younger than Philomena’s. That will be our part in this endeavor.

I glanced to the side and saw a small phoenix next to me, keeping pace. She had yellow undertones to her red, making her appear more orange, and the feathers on her head looked like she had bedhead, matted and sticking out in several directions.

“Do you have a name?” I asked.

The phoenix looked at me with what I thought to be a smile crinkling her eyes.

Thea, she said.

Aerial Assault