Author's Note

Woo! Done!

Thanks to Coyote de La Mancha for some of the ideas in this chapter!

Bergemann's Plan

Joey drew a harsh breath as he emerged into the dry air of the Dragonlands. He knew he had apparated successfully upon looking at the familiar stone arena that rose to his left.

The clouds were dark and gloomy here, too - it was a little more eerie here, however, since there was an extreme lack of water. Lord Valkaris wasn't playing around when he stationed reapers all over the world. Joey had to give it to him - it was a smart move.

"So, just go in guns-a-blazing?" Naiose asked jokingly, brandishing his wand.

"Yeah, no," Joey deadpanned. "It's time to get serious - I know it's a relief to feel happy again, but this will probably be the most dangerous thing we've attempted so far. So please... take it seriously."

"Alright, alright," Naiose said, sounding slightly grumpy. "It was only a joke."

"Don't worry about it," Joey replied. "Let's just focus on the task at hand. Reckon we should go up? I mean, we kind of are standing out in the open."

The other two nodded in agreement, and they ran to the side of the large stone arena-thingy. Joey motioned for Naiose and Jo-Ann to start climbing while he kept lookout. They began their progress, slowly moving up the side of the rock. Joey gazed around in all directions, especially up.

So far, so good. There was no one to be seen.

As soon as Jo-Ann and Naiose had reached the top, Joey began his ascent. The climb wasn't very hard; there were large punctures in the rock that served as excellent hand and foot holes. He wasn't the strongest, and soon became tired, but pressed on, focusing on placing one hand in front of the other, one at a time. Before long, he had made it to the top. When his head emerged over the upper ledge, he blinked a couple times, thrown off by the sudden end to his climb.

"You recognize this place, Joey?" Jo-Ann asked quietly.

"Er - a little?" Joey replied.

"This is where we hid before attacking the gateway," she replied. "Remember?"

Joey felt a sudden, strong urge to start decimating every single rock in sight. "Yeah," he said in a gravelly tone. His girlfriend seemed to see his mood and did not press any further.

The three friends cautiously made their way to a small gap between two boulders that led into the central arena. Placing his hand on a stone, he looked through the gap, trying to keep as much of himself hidden from view as he could. He expected to see a multitude of dragons and Maulers there, but instead was immensely surprised.

The large clearing beyond was empty except for a small group of creatures standing in a circle in the center. There was only five of them - two Maulers and three dragons. Joey couldn't help but smile when his eyes found the dragon that seemed to be the center of attention in the group.

From what Joey could see from his vantage point, the dragon was slightly shorter than the others with bright red scales. He had a yellow frill on the top of his head, and his wings were jagged and torn-looking on the edges. His teeth stuck out from his jaw in crude places, and his thick, black eyebrows overshadowed a pair of large, sinister yellow eyes.

He was clutching a staff that appeared to be crudely hewn from crystal - crystal claw-shaped (appendages?) were at the tip, holding a fiery red gem that glowed with power. This was obviously a Horcrux, for there was a small, green light swirling around inside the red gem.

"The Dragon Lord's Staff," Joey muttered. "There aren't many of them, either. Should we just do what Naiose said, then? Go in guns-a-blazing?"

Jo-Ann bit her lip as she too peered out at the sight. After a short while, she withdrew from the gap and wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't know - what if the staff is really powerful? How skilled are the Maulers?"

"Good point," Joey said sheepishly, returning his gaze to his friends. He secretly wished he had thought of that. "What if we pick them off one by one until we get found?"

"How do you suggest we do that?" Jo-Ann asked incredulously. "That's almost no better than the first option."

Joey shrugged. "Better than nothing, unless you have a better idea. What do you think, Naiose? Naiose?" He looked every which way, but could not see his friend. He shot an alarmed look at Jo-Ann, feeling a dreadful burning feeling in his stomach.

"Jo-Ann - did you see him go? What just happened? Where is he?" Joey asked in a frightened tone.

"I-I don't know!" Jo-Ann cried in an equally distressed voice. The two began frantically searching the area, but they found no sign of their friend. He had just simply... disappeared.

"Dragon Lord Garble!" rang a reedy, growling voice, making Jo-Ann and Joey jump. "Look what I got 'ere!"

Or maybe Naiose hadn't disappeared...

Joey ran back to the gap where he could see what was going on on the other side of the boulder. In the center of the arena-thing, a new dragon, purple in color, was dragging a frantically struggling Naiose towards the group. The whole place was silent as the purple dragon threw Naiose to the ground at the feet of 'Garble', the supposed Dragon Lord. Joey and Jo-Ann watched in horror as the two Maulers bent in to get a closer look. One of them pointed his wand at Naiose and said, "Incarcerous." Black cords shot out of his wand and bound Naiose tightly on the spot.

One of them drew in a sharp intake of breath. "Is that -?"

"Blimey... it is," muttered the other, taking a step back.

"Who is it? Tell me!" Garble snapped. The Mauler closest to them sneered at the dragon.

"You may be Dragon Lord, Gurgle," the Mauler said in an amused voice. "But you must remember that your authority comes from the one we report to."

Garble opened his mouth, but whatever he had wanted to say had apparently died in his mouth. The Mauler who had spoken payed him no heed, however, and returned his attention to a terrified Naiose.

"Well, well, well... how do you do, Nayosi -"

"It's Naiose," murmured the other Mauler. "Honestly, you never pay attention, do you, Halbert? We're looking at one of the most wanted people in the world and you botch his name."

"Shut up, Gallagher!" Halbert snarled. "Do you realize who this is?"

"Of course I do," said Gallagher indignantly. "It's Naiose Wilson the one who's known to - known to..."

Realization seemed to hit both of the Maulers as they turned to look at Naiose, their expressions showing extreme excitement.

"... Accompany Joey Steffen," they both recited at the exact same time, looking ecstatic. The Mauler named Halbert turned to face the purple dragon so fast that it flinched.

"You!" he said, making it jump to attention. He considered its odd behavior for a moment, then shook his head. Recomposing himself, he demanded, "Where did you find him?"

"Over there, sir Halbert sir!" the purple dragon chanted, pointing directly at Joey and Jo-Ann's hiding spot. "There were more of them too! Sir!" Joey felt a terrible pang of fear rush down his spine as he watched the dragon grinning like mad.

"Show us!" Gallagher said excitedly, and the purple dragon began to run directly at them.

"Guns-a-blazing?" Joey asked nervously.

"Guns-a-blazing," Jo-Ann confirmed in a shaky voice.

As soon as the purple dragon's face emerged over the top of the boulder, Joey pointed his wand and yelled, "Stupefy!" The dragon toppled out of sight and hit the ground on the other side with a loud whump.

"They're here! They're right here!" rang the excited voice of Halbert as the sound of hurrying footsteps drew nearer. "Wand out, Gallagher! Be ready for - argh!!"

Before Halbert could finish his sentence, Jo-Ann lunged out and shot a spell right through the gap, hitting Halbert right in the chest. A bunch of odd red spots started to pop up all over his face and arms, and he keeled over, scratching himself furiously.

"Subigo!" bellowed Gallagher, pointing his wand at Jo-Ann's now fully visible figure. Before she could do anything else, she was sent flying backwards, landing hard on her back. Her wand clattered away across the rocky ground.

Joey sent a spell directly as Gallagher, who had to dive out of the way to avoid it. As he did, however, he retaliated with another sent straight back. Joey hit the deck, feeling the blazing heat of the spell as it missed his head by inches. Getting to his feet, Gallagher roared "Excruciate!"

Fortunately for Joey, the curse missed his left ear by a pinkie's width. He scrambled to his feet in just enough time to block Gallagher's next attack.

The repeated misses seemed to have made Gallagher even angrier. He started fighting with even more ferocity, blasting away at Joey's slowly weakening defenses. After doing this for a couple minutes, he gave an enraged roar, reared up, and sent a white hot beam of energy at Joey's chest.

Joey managed to send a beam of his own back. He grit his teeth as the beams collided, pushing against one another. He willed his side to move closer to his - and his resolve proved to be better than his opponent's. His beam became a cord made of pure energy, winding itself around Gallagher's beam, then slowly looped up his arm. The Mauler's eyes lit up with realization as the cords tightened into a death grip around his arm.

With a massive amount of effort, Joey raised up his wand. The cords followed his movement, and Gallagher was lifted off the ground several feet into the air. He then brought his wand back down, and the cords followed once more. He slammed Gallagher into the ground with a sickening crunch.

Joey had no time to celebrate this small victory, though. He was immediately attacked by the two dragons that had been guarding Garble. He blasted one out of the way, but didn't have the chance to dodge as the other connected its fist with the side of Joey's head.

Stars filled his vision as he felt himself fall over from the momentum of the punch. His face erupted in pain as it connected with the ground. The taste of iron began to fill his mouth.

He rolled over as the dragon came in for a second blow. Spitting blood out of his mouth, Joey cried "Exilium!"

The spell collided with the dragon's chest, and it was blasted high into the sky, turning into a small, screaming dot amongst the clouds. Joey unsteadily got to his feet, feeling the buzzing pain that was the result of the punch. He turned around and saw only two others in the arena - Naiose, who was still tied up on the ground, and Garble, looking extremely unsettled.

It took Joey a moment to register this odd scene. He then blinked hard to focus again, and asked, "Did you really just stand there the entire time?"

Garble looked around for a second, genuinely confused. "Who are you talking to - oh, me?"

"No, that pile of unconscious people over there," Joey quipped. "Yes, I'm talking to you!"

"Oh - er," Garble stuttered, looking around him once more, his eyes falling on the staff. He brandished it out in front of him.

"Don't come near me!" he yelled halfheartedly, eyeing Joey's wand. "I'm the Dragon Lord!"

"Did the Dark Lord really choose you to be the dragon lord?" Joey asked in disbelief. He really wanted to start laughing, but it was important he keep this nice and simple. He settled on spitting more blood out of his mouth.

"Hey!" Garble whined, clenching his fists. His voice was the typical drawl of your typical bully - making it so much harder for Joey to resist the temptation to pick on him. "You watch it, dude! I'll torch you into the ground with magic... and stuff."

"And stuff, huh?" Joey replied, feeling a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. He walked over to Naiose and directed his wand at the rope binding his friend. Naiose got up off the ground, dusting off his shoulders and arms. Joey kept his attention on Garble, but something was now different - Garble was studying Naiose's face as if he had seen something important.

This did not go unnoticed by Naiose, who raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you?" he asked Garble, who had just grinned widely as if he had seen something very crucial. This sudden change gave Joey an immense uneasy feeling.

"Srork'uzad venom?" Garble asked maliciously.

"What venom?" Naiose asked carelessly, brushing even more dust off of his pants.

"The venom from those spiders," Joey said in a tone that communicated danger to his friend. Naiose froze, understanding Joey's tone.

"What about it?" Naiose asked in a slightly apprehensive voice. "What do you know that we don't?"

"What I know is that you still have it on you," Garble sneered. "And you know what else? It pairs perfectly with fire."

Before either of the two friends could react, Garble exhaled a massive inferno. Naiose tripped over himself and fell backwards while Joey dove to one side. He looked down to see that the hem of his robes were on fire.

"Aah! Hot hot hot hot hot!!" he yelped, stomping out the fire. He heard Naiose shriek in agony, and instinctively turned his wand on Garble, who was readying himself for another round of fire breath.

"Stupefy!" Joey bellowed. Garble crumpled, barely huffing out a couple of sparks. The Dragon Lord's Staff clattered to the ground, now without anyone to protect it. "Hmm. That was easy." A groan of pain sounded to Joey's right, knocking him back into his senses. He looked over to see Naiose clutching a smoldering face.

"No!" he cried, and ran over to his suffering friend. He pointed his wand and said firmly, "Aquis." The water hissed and steamed upon contact with his friend's face, but soon cooled it off to the point that it could run freely as a liquid.

Not even pausing to take a closer look at his friend's face, Joey pulled Naiose to his feet and threw one of his friend's arms around his neck so he could support him. He then took off in the direction of Jo-Ann, and found her still unconscious. He pointed his wand at her forehead and said "Renovate."

Jo-Ann stirred for a couple moments, then woke up. She groaned and looked at Joey. "Did we win?" she asked groggily.

"Yes - but with a price," Joey replied, casting an anxious glance at the now unconscious Naiose. "Look, I'm going to leave him here with you for a moment; I need to go get the Staff."

"Okay."

Joey did not waste a second running to the crystal-hewn Staff and back. It was way heavier than it looked, though, and slowed Joey's progress on the return trip. Once he reached Jo-Ann, he held out a hand.

"C'mon, we're getting out of here," he said. "Up you get. Need help with -?"

"STOP!!" cried the murderous voice of Halbert, interrupting Joey's sentence. Feeling a pang of horror course through his body, he turned to see the Mauler scramble to his feet.

"We're going. NOW!" Joey bellowed, hoisting Naiose to him and clutching him tightly. Jo-Ann grabbed hold of his free arm while his wand arm pointed to the sky.

Just before they apparated, Joey felt a slight tug on his robes.

"My lord - surely this isn't necessary?"

"Are you contradicting me, Bergemann?" replied the cold, high pitched voice of Lord Valkaris.

The two figures were shrouded in black cloaks as they marched through the dark streets of Canterlot. Their cloaks billowed behind them impressively as they walked.

"No - my lord -" Bergemann stuttered in reply, but his master cut him off by firmly raising his hand.

"I have done my research on all things corresponding to the Elements of Harmony," Valkaris said in a dangerous voice. "The power they possess would do me no help. Instead, they would seek to destroy me... therefore, they must be destroyed. I am clear?"

"Crystal, my lord," Bergemann replied. "But - to kill them - my word - we'd have an uprising on our hands!"

Valkaris stopped dead in his tracks and frowned at his most trusted, most favorite servant. "Are you implying that it is above me to deal with petty things such as pony uprisings?"

"I - I meant nothing of the sort, my lord -"

"Then it should not matter. I have not come all the way here to Canterlot to argue with my most devoted servant," Valkaris said with a finality in his tone, resuming his gliding pace. "Now, come. We must not be delayed any further."

Bergemann flinched upon being addressed as the 'most devoted servant', but Valkaris did not notice. His eyes were fixed upon the great doors that were the entrance to Canterlot Castle.

"Now... the beginning of a new age starts today," said Valkaris in a satisfied tone as he strode up the steps to the door of the heavily secured castle. Two reapers hovered silently on either side, like sentinels. Horrifying, happiness-sucking sentinels. They pushed open the doors with scabbed, rotting hands, and allowed the two wizards passage. As they went by, one of the reapers followed Bergemann with a hooded head , who shuddered and quickened his pace, looking slightly guilty. Valkaris failed to notice this, too.

They strode through the empty corridor, Bergemann chanced a glance at his master. A cruel, purposeful smile played on Valkaris's lips as they progressed - the look that preceded murder.

As they approached the great doors to the throne room, muffled voices could be heard on the other side - one drawling one in particular.

"... And it you knew what's coming for you, Sparklebutt, I'd be a little more grateful for the time you have left. The same goes for you five."

"What do you mean?" asked a frightened voice that Bergemann recognized as the voice of Twilight Sparkle. "What did he mean, time you have left?"

"Time will tell, Sparkle," said the drawling voice that with a pang Bergemann recognized as Scallius's voice. He never really liked the man, since he was usually selfish and rude. Why the Dark Lord put him in charge of operations here, he would never know. Perhaps to drive the inhabitants crazy.

"Now, who likes surprises?" Scallius asked on the other side of the doors. "Tut-tut-tut - I know you all like surprises, you can't hide it from me. Luckily for you, I have a massive surprise waiting for you just on the other side of this door!"

There were footsteps getting closer to the doors. Then they both swung wide open to reveal Scallius, who was smiling as if they had arrived on cue. "My lord," he said in an oily voice, bowing low.

The expressions of all the creatures in the throne room beyond went from extremely angry to terrified in less than a second as their eyes met Lord Valkaris, who strode impressively into the room. There seemed to be a giant, collective shudder.

"Scallius," Valkaris acknowledged dismissively as he passed. Scallius hung around for a moment, looking slightly disappointed that he didn't get more attention. Once inside, Valkaris looked to the sovereigns that had been brought into the room.

"Scallius," he asked softly with a hint of irritation in his tone. "Why did you bring them?"

"You - you don't require them? My lord?" Scallius asked nervously.

"I don't," Valkaris replied coldly. "Get them out of my sight."

Scallius took a deep breath, then turned to the sovereigns. "All right, you all heard him. Get going!"

Muttering nervously, the sovereigns left the room in a single file line. As Twilight made to leave, Valkaris stuck out a hand, halting her progress. She shot a scared glance at his face, then avoided his burning gaze.

"You will remain here, Sparkle," Valkaris said softly, "And so will your friends. I have come on business regarding the Elements of Harmony."

"I-I've already told you, you can't use them," Twilight explained anxiously. "They only operate on the powers they work to sustain, which is friendship -"

"I am already aware that the powers of the Elements of Harmony are of no use to me," Valkaris interrupted firmly. "You have made it quite clear that I am... unable to operate such magic." He spoke those last words with such venom that the six ponies in the room visibly shuddered, even Rainbow Dash.

"Wh-Why are ya here, then?" asked Applejack. Valkaris squinted at her menacingly, making her retreat a couple steps backward.

"Such insolence - I will be the one asking questions," Valkaris said in a soft, dangerous voice. he then looked around at the others as if daring them to say something. His eyes lingered on Fluttershy's form, who was curled into a terrified ball.

When it was apparent that no one was going to say anything, Valkaris continued. "The Elements have been unable to operate properly with the presence of reapers. Even if I was able to use them, they would not function. The magic-draining abilities of the reapers inhibit the Element's ability to function. They drain all the love and happiness out of the air - the very things the Elements require to operate.

"But you know all of this. So why come back, as some of you have already asked?" His gaze lingered maliciously upon Applejack for a moment. "I answer you: extreme problems require extreme solutions - and I'm afraid the Elements fall under the category of 'extreme'."

"A-are you talking about us?" Twilight asked, her pupils shrinking. "Or just the relics?"

"I have done my research, Sparkle, and I know what you are asking," Valkaris replied with a glint in his eye. "I am very well aware that the Elements do not require their relic counterparts to work their magic." His lips curled into a small smile as he watched the Elements before him begin to realize what he was saying.

"Y-you - you mean -" Twilight began, but stopped talking as soon as she saw his sneer. She looked absolutely terrified.

"As I said... extreme problems require extreme solutions," Valkaris replied quietly.

"B-but we haven't done anything wrong!" Twilight protested. "We've done everything you've told us to do! We haven't given you any trouble -"

"Ah ah ah, Sparkle," Valkaris said smoothly, cutting across her dialogue. "Indeed, you have been compliant thus far. But happens if Joey Steffen would happen to show up? Undoubtedly then you would team up against me and banish the reapers from the area - the Steffen boy would undoubtedly know the methods to do so. You would then probably attempt to use the Elements of Harmony to defeat me. I must admit the idea of you using them against me is... formidable. I cannot allow this to happen."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Rainbow asked, looking shaken.

Valkaris smiled a cruel, evil smile in reply. He then turned to Scallius, who had been standing at the closed doors behind him like a sentinel.

"See to it three days from now," he ordered, "And make it quick - if I hear that you have - ah - 'played with your food before you eat it', you will suffer my... displeasure."

Scallius bowed, repressing a shudder. "Of course, my lord."

"Good. I have nothing else to say here, then," Valkaris said brusquely, turning towards the door, which Scallius opened dutifully. Before he took a step, Valkaris stopped and looked over to his favorite servant, who had been watching the entire scene in silence.

"Why so quiet, Bergemann?" Valkaris asked, eyeing the Chief Mauler.

"Is there something you would like me to say, my lord?" Bergemann replied confidently. Valkaris chuckled darkly to himself, and strode towards the door. As he reached Scallius, he paused.

"Oh, and Scallius," he added, looking the burly Mauler in the eye. "I am stationing Bergemann here until the executions have happened - he will be reporting to me, so remember to swallow your own desires and carry out the task you are assigned. Good day to you all." After he had strode past the throne room doors, they closed automatically with a loud boom.

Twilight stared at the place where the Dark Lord had disappeared. So this was it... they were going to be murdered. She looked around at her friends, taking in their reactions.

Pinkie's mane had gone completely flat, as it usually did when she became upset. This, though - this was different. Her mane had somehow become even straighter than straight. She gazed at a spot on the ground with a horrified expression on her face.

Rarity and Fluttershy were sobbing into one another's shoulders. They both looked beyond miserable, they all did - even Rainbow and Applejack began to shed tears of fear and disbelief.

Twilight understood how they felt - hollow and hopeless. Why, it was only this morning when they had woken up and wondered where Joey was, and how close he was to finishing his mission - to finishing it all. Now they probably wouldn't even see where everything was going. They were actually going to die - after everything they've been through, all the times they've narrowly avoided death, all the experiences they shared together - it wouldn't matter anymore in three days.

"Scallius, leave the room," Bergemann ordered, but Scallius gave him an indignant glare.

"What!? You aren't in charge here!" he cried angrily.

"I am as good as," Bergemann replied coldly. "The Dark Lord appointed me to watch over you, and it would be rather disappointing if I were to let something... slip."

Scallius took a step back, horrified. "You wouldn't."

"I would," Bergemann replied darkly, "So know your place."

Muttering furiously under his breath, Scallius left the throne room. He slammed the doors behind him, making the torches along the ornate pillars rattle in their sheaths.

Oh, great, Twilight thought miserably. Now Rod Steffen's killer is in charge - whoopee.

Bergemann turned to all of them and surveyed everyone's expressions. His gaze seemed to soften ever so slightly as it rested on the sobbing forms of Rarity and Fluttershy.

"As I understand it, you six are one of the main reasons there's still hope in the world," Bergemann said softly.

Twilight looked up at him, confused. There was no hint of unfriendliness of any kind in his voice - it was just a simple sentence with a simple tone. What was he getting at?

"Wh-What more could ya possibly want?" Applejack said thickly as tears began to fall at quicker intervals. "Yer master there is goin' to have us killed..."

There was a long pause during which Bergemann seemed to be carefully judging his next words. Finally, he said "None of this is my decision, you know that."

"Y-You're still affiliated with those brutes!" Rarity wailed, glaring at the man harshly.

Bergemann's expression was unreadable, but his eye twitched ever so slightly. "We'll see. Meet me at the top of the west tower tomorrow evening. As I understand it, then will be your last opportunity for free roaming. Make sure you're not followed. Am I clear?"

Everyone stared at Bergemann suspiciously. What was he doing?

As Bergemann turned to leave, he hesitated, then turned back to face the group. "Do not speak of this outside. If you do, I will have an easier time choosing a side."

With that said, he swept away from the room, leaving a stunned silence in his wake.

KIRIN VILLAGE

Joey felt himself reemerge into the warm afternoon atmosphere just outside of the kirin village. He took large, deep breaths, and steadied himself. Heavy sets of footsteps pelted in a different direction, but Joey payed them no heed, for he was dazed with happiness by the incredible luck they had with obtaining the Dragon Lord's Staff.

"Jo-Ann," he panted. "Where is the crown?"

"Back in my hut - why?" she replied.

"Go put the staff with the crown - and hopefully Autumn and Fern will return soon with the Breastplate, assuming all goes well," Joey replied. "Then we'd have three - count 'em, three Horcruxes."

"I know!" Jo-Ann agreed excitedly.

A pitiful groan from the ground made Joey and Jo-Ann jump. Joey looked down to see Naiose clutching his face.

"Naiose!" Joey cried, feeling his stomach disappear. "I'm so sorry! Here - let's get you to the infirmary... Jo, could you help me?"

Jo-Ann nodded, and the two hoisted Naiose off the ground by his shoulders and helped him steady himself. Even while all this was happening, Naiose did not remove his hands from his face.

"C'mon, then... to the infirmary," Joey muttered, and the three friends hobbled over towards the kirin village.

As they approached, they heard the sound of hooves crunching on the hard gravel approach. Looking up, Joey saw a very surprised Rain Shine, who was beaming at them.

"You have returned! With such speed, too! And you have the... Staff..." Her eyes found Naiose, and instantly her pupils shrank.

"Oh, dear..." she murmured with a deeply concerned expression. "To the infirmary, then!"

"Glad you could suggest it," Joey deadpanned.

Jo-Ann hit him on the shoulder. "Oh, stop, she's doing all she can..."

"Right. Sorry."

CANTERLOT

Twilight nervously walked up the corridor that led to the stairs which ascended the west tower of Canterlot Castle. As she progressed, her mind was exploding with questions.

What did Bergemann want? What was he aiming for? Was it safe to be doing this? Sure, her friends were probably already there, but they were most likely asking the same questions themselves. On second thought, why shouldn't they talk to him? They had nothing to lose anyway, for they'd be dead in the next twenty four hours...

No, Twilight. Positive thoughts, the purple alicorn scolded inwardly. Tears threatened to invade her eyes, but she blinked them away. No use in crying; the initial terrifying shock had passed.

As she climbed the steps leading up the west tower, she felt her anxiety become stronger than ever before. Was he just going to end it early for herself and her friends by simply throwing them off the tower?

She was so lost in her thoughts that it seemed like it had been mere minutes when she reached the top room of the tower. There were voices coming from inside - feminine voices, murmuring at low volumes. She instantly recognized them to belong to her friends.

As she stepped up to the door, an annoying buzzing instantly filled her ears, giving her a sudden desire to leave. Instead of giving up, however, she grit her teeth and swallowed the irrational desire, looking at the door determinedly.

She pushed open the door and stepped inside quickly. Once she had, the buzzing noise instantly stopped. Looking around while feeling very confused, she saw all five of her friends huddled in a small circle in the center of the room. They were all occasionally shooting anxious glances at Derek Bergemann, who was leaning over a balcony in silence.

Once she had entered, the heads of her friends snapped in her direction. Rainbow frantically gestured for Twilight to join them, but before Twilight could even take one step, Bergemann turned away from the view the balcony provided. His gaze rested on Twilight.

"Good - you're here," he said briskly. "My apologies for the buzzing noise - the precaution is necessary. Don't want to be overheard..."

Twilight froze. "P-Precaution??" Was he going to kill them before their designated moment.

Bergemann frowned at the alicorn's anxious expression. "I'm not going to hurt you, you know," he said irritably.

"Oh, yeah?" Rainbow retorted. "Nothing stopped you from killing Joey's dad!!"

Bergemann flinched visibly, to the pony's immense surprise. He massaged a temple with one of his hands, then took a deep breath. "I'm - I'm aware," he said tersely.

Twilight felt her heart lift slightly. Something wasn't right - now that she thought about it, the man did not say a word during the entire time the Dark Lord had been present. He seemed like the confident, steady type, ready to go to any lengths to serve his master. Now, she wasn't so sure.

"Why did you want us here?" Twilight asked in a bold tone that did not sound like her own. Bergemann looked at her blankly, so she continued, "I mean, we'll be dead by tomorrow, so it's not like it matters..."

Bergemann opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. Whatever sentence he had been about to say had apparently died in his mouth, for he closed it again. He looked extremely nervous - the expression of his face made Twilight picture a filly who was about to steal candy from a store.

She chanced a glance at her friends. Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack stared at Bergemann, obviously confused with the sudden change in his attitude. Pinkie stared at him in disbelief, whereas Fluttershy... was it compassion?? Yes - she was gazing at him with a compassionate look.

Twilight felt herself smile. Even in the face of hopelessness, Fluttershy found it in her heart to be kind.

Bergemann turned back to the balcony and leaned on it, hanging his head. Was he trying to trick them with this despairing attitude? To lure them into a false sense of security?

"You - you don't have to die tomorrow," Bergemann said through gritted teeth.

There was a collective gasp, and Twilight nearly tripped over herself in shock. "Wh-What??"

"I said, you don't have to die tomorrow," Bergemann repeated meekly.

"I - I don't understand," Twilight pressed, raising a shaking hoof to her cheek. "The Dark Lord told us two days ago that w-we are going to be killed - why did he change his mind so quickly -?"

"He didn't," Bergemann said, cutting her off.

"He - he didn't?" Applejack asked uncertainly.

"No," Bergemann replied, more firmly this time. "He didn't." There was a heavy silence following this statement.

Finally, Twilight broke the silence. "But - if he didn't, how can we survive?" The others nodded in agreement.

"With inside help," Bergemann replied, now looking slightly frightened at the prospect.

"Wait - so you mean -" Rainbow started, but Bergemann talked over her.

"I'm over it!" he said, wringing his hands together. "I - I can't do this anymore - being a Mauler -" His voice shook awfully as he spoke.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Applejack said in a calmer tone. "Slow down, partner. Tell us slowly."

Twilight took Applejack's new attitude towards Bergemann as a good sign - it meant that whatever the poor man was feeling right now was genuine. Her friends seemed to think the same thing.

"I - can't - being a Mauler is -" Bergemann stuttered, then groaned and hid his face in his hands. To everyone's surprise, Fluttershy fluttered over and placed a hoof on his shoulder. He looked up at her, surprised.

"Listen to Applejack," Fluttershy said soothingly. "Take it slow."

Bergemann looked at the pegasus mare incredulously for a moment, then at the ground. He then clenched his eyes shut and began to speak smoothly, as if Fluttershy's presence seemed to put a stopper on his frightened stutter.

"I've been doubting him for a while now," Bergemann said tonelessly. Upon seeing everyone's questioning looks, he added, "You know, the Dark Lord. I've been rethinking everything ever since I killed - well, you know..." His voice trailed off into silence.

Fluttershy gave his shoulder a slight squeeze, telling him that they were all still listening. He sighed, then continued.

"The Dark Lord - I was - I mean, am - his favorite. My fellow Maulers would give up their dominant arms to have my position - and I would gladly give it up. The pressure upon me to be as evil as my master constricts my liberties so much that I have little left - the expectations of me are too high.

"Ever since I killed Rod - my own brother, for Christ's sake - I've been having these nightmares. It wasn't like Princess Luna would pacify my dreams; ever since the incident at the gateway, she wants nothing to do with me. That goes without saying for everyone, really... except those who support the Dark Lord. They see me as some sort of hero, the one to cleave a path of destruction before our master so he doesn't dirty his own robes doing it himself. They all respect me - even though I've stopped respecting myself..."

"No - don't say that -" Fluttershy began, but Bergemann cut her off.

"The truth hurts, miss, but it must be accepted for me to move forward from here. I've murdered, girls - murdered, and only until recently has that settled with me. Do you realize what that means? The fact it took that long for all those murders to register makes me a monster. A monster, yes, but a monster that longs for change."

"Change?" asked Twilight.

"Yes - change," Bergemann replied, now looking a little frightened again. "It helps that I can use Occlumency against the Dark Lord - he has no idea I've been having these thoughts. Not a clue. Still, wherever he goes, I go; he thinks it is an extreme honor for me, but I have had enough. I-I can't just walk away from my post, though - he'll kill me!

"By being in the Dark Lord's presence almost every hour of the day, he was keeping an eye on me without fully knowing it. What could I do? One suspicious move, and he makes an intense inquiry. If he really wanted to, he can break through my m-mental defenses and access my fears - who would stand a chance?

"So I waited. And waited. I watched creatures of all kinds get tortured every day. The regime is so harsh, I'm surprised there hasn't been an uprising. And the manhunt! Surely you know of that, don't you?"

"Are you talking about Joey??" Twilight asked, perking up instantly. The interest of herself and her friends had reached its peak.

"I am," Bergemann replied.

"Do ya know anything concerning him?" Applejack asked.

"AJ!!" Rarity scolded. "You don't know if we can trust him!"

"Yes, Ah do, and yes, we can!" Applejack retorted. "Everything he's told us has been the truth so far."

"How could you know that!?" Rarity asked incredulously.

"Am Ah not the Element of Honesty?" the cowpony asked coldly. Rarity's pupils shrank.

"Goodness gracious, dear, I... I'm sorry, really -" Rarity stuttered, but Applejack smiled at her.

"Forget it, Rare. Ah forgive ya." She turned her gaze back onto Bergemann. "So... do ya know anything about him?"

"Not much," Bergemann admitted. "I do know that he's had some close calls - especially the incident in Kludgetown several months ago."

"Kludgetown??" all the ponies asked at once.

"Yeah... interesting place," Bergemann said thoughtfully. "I had to visit it to extract a Mauler named Divvens from a dumpster... he had apparently survived falling from the top levels of the city. Other weren't so lucky... what were we talking about? Oh, right - Joey and his two friends."

"Do ya know where they are?" Applejack pressed eagerly.

"No - and for Joey, that's a good thing," Bergemann replied. "The mini-battle in Kludgetown was quite interesting from what I heard. which. The things I gathered from my master was that the whole thing was mainly just chasing Joey around the city - and not to mention nearly catching him and his friends in a civilian's home. Since then, though, there has been no sign of him."

Rainbow punched the air with a hoof. Pinkie's mane became a little poofier again, but she still looked a little hesitant.

"How badly does the Dark Lord want him?" Fluttershy asked shyly.

"Oh, you have no idea," Bergemann said darkly with a hollow chuckle. "It's almost become something of an obsession to him - he's gotten so caught up in it, it's almost all he ever thinks about. The Mauler Claudier is in charge of the task force made to find Joey; he's the Mauler he speaks to the most, aside from me. He is obsessed, I tell you. He truly thinks that if he kills the boy, he will become truly immortal. If what the prophecy said is true, then... I would believe it, too."

There was a long silence that followed this heavy statement. The ponies looked at one another anxiously, hoping dearly that Joey would keep his wits about him.

"Er - Mister Burger?" Pinkie asked tentatively.

Bergemann looked at her for a moment, surprised, then chortled to himself. "It's Bergemann, actually," he corrected.

Everyone burst out into laughter for a short moment, then quieted down. When this happened, though, something seemed to break - the ponies felt an emotional connection with the man leaning against the balcony rail. An icebreaker, if you will.

"So," Twilight said once she and her friends had calmed down, "Didn't you say something about us not having to die tomorrow?"

The smile on Bergemann's face was instantly replaced with a look of fear - not a strong fear, but they could see the hesitation in his face.

"Y-Yes, I did," Bergemann said, focusing on Twilight. "Thank you for bringing the conversation back - this is important. If you are all to beat this massive problem that has taken over the world, I have a feeling we may need the elements."

Rainbow spoke up, but Applejack placed a hoof over the prismatic pegasus's mouth. "What does that have to do with - oof!"

Bergemann decided to ignore this. "I've heard rumors of a pond in the Everfree that has magical properties. Are any of you familiar with such a pond?"

"I mean - there's one," Twilight replied. "The mirror pool..." She gasped.

"So it exists, then," Bergemann said with a small smile. "Good - I take it you've already figured out my idea?"

"Tell me if I'm wrong," Twilight said eagerly. Bergemann then nodded in confirmation at her, so she launched into her theory.

"So what I'm guessing what you're trying to tell us is that we could make copies of ourselves and -"

"Bingo," Bergemann replied, smiling.

"But how are we going to get out of the castle?" Twilight asked. "We can't make copies of ourselves unless we are at the pool."

"I can lower the defenses around the castle just long enough to allow you to teleport out," Bergemann explained. "If that works, you know what to do. Just make sure you can get your copies here before roll call tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I've got it," Twilight said happily. She felt a new fire light up inside her chest. They were going to live! The other five ponies looked jubilant at the prospect of it.

"Good. So, I think we can do it -" Bergemann said eagerly, but then -

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"BERGEMANN! IT'S PAST CURFEW FOR THE ELEMENTS AND THE REST OF THE SOVEREIGNS!!" bellowed the voice of Scallius from the other side of the door.

"Oh, no..." Bergemann said softly, looking petrified. Nonetheless, he strode over to the door and put on a cold expression. He pulled open the door sharply and gazed down at a terrified looking Scallius. "I wasn't aware there was a curfew," he said in a curt voice.

"Do you realize what the Dark Lord would do with us if he knew??" Scallius squeaked, fidgeting on the spot. "You know how seriously he takes curfews!"

"My mistake, then," Bergemann replied in the same curt tone. Despite the confident outer shell, he felt his heart drop - he had not expected this.

Scallius waved his wand above his head, and thick chains appeared around the Elements, rendering them motionless except from the neck up.

"Well - what he doesn't know won't hurt him," Scallius muttered, and turned to move down the stairs. "Besides, we get to kill the Elements tomorrow! The fricken' Elements, Bergemann!"

"Yeah," Bergemann chuckled nervously.

"God, can't you remove this awful buzzing noise??" Scallius snapped as they passed through the doorway to the stairs. "It's killing me."

"Seems like a magical malfunction," Bergemann said in the strongest voice he could, knowing very well it was his Muffling Charm. He disbanded the spell and followed Scallius. As they approached the bottom of the stairs, a cold, awful feeling stole over him. Sure enough, as they turned the corner, a reaper glided past them, feeling its way along with rotting, scabbed hands.

"Good thing these things are here," Scallius grunted, turning down a hallway to go in the opposite direction. "Keeps all our prisoners from trying any funny business."

That's going to make this way more complicated, Bergemann thought to himself with a hollow feeling in his gut. How in the world was he going to help them pull this off?

He looked back at the Elements, who had been levitated to the air inside their bindings. They all had betrayed expressions on their faces.

Stay calm. I'll try to figure this out, he mouthed at them. Twilight gave a small, frightened nod of understanding, then relayed the message to her friends.

KIRIN VILLAGE

Today had to have been the worst day Joey has had in the past few months.

He had awoken to terrible news - he learned from a sobbing Autumn Blaze that the Elements of Harmony were going to be executed. He shed a fair amount of tears himself when he had heard this - they were some of his best friends. On top of that, Fern Flare had reported what was definitely Mauler activity in the area, changing the atmosphere of the kirin village from cheerful to fearful.

On the plus side, on the day before this one Autumn Blaze and Fern Flare returned triumphantly from Mount Aris, the Hippogriff capital, clutching Queen Marinia's breastplate. So cheers.

The only good thing about this particular day was that Naiose was finally due to get out of the infirmary. He had been fully conscious for the past day, and heard the depressing news before Joey had.

At the moment, he was pacing nervously outside of the infirmary hut, waiting anxiously for his friend to emerge.

Apparently Garble wasn't kidding when he said that Srork'uzad venom and fire were not a good match - as a matter of fact, it was the understatement of the century. Apparently the combination of the two makes the venom act up again as well as heat up to boiling temperatures.

In other words, Naiose's face was scalded horribly.

Fortunately, though, the kirin doctor had the perfect remedies for the skin when it came to burn scars. Within twelve hours, Naiose's face was back to normal, except for the large bandage over his eye. Apparently when that Srork'uzad spider jumped on his face and spit venom onto him, a bunch of it went into his eye. Not good.

"Any minute now... any minute..." Joey murmured, pacing furiously.

"Joey, he'll be fine," Jo-Ann consoled. "He's had worse."

Before Joey could reply, the infirmary door behind them opened, admitting Rain Shine, the kirin doctor, and Naiose.

"Naiose! Finally!" Joey said with relief upon seeing his friend. However, his head was turned to the side as if he were hiding something.

"... Naiose?" Joey asked, coming closer. "Is everything okay? You did heal up nicely, didn't you?"

"He did," the kirin doctor said. She was a mare with a golden brown mane and turquoise coat. "Although he will have some lasting scars... kid, knock it off. Turn around so they can see."

Slowly, Naiose turned. As he faced them fully, Joey felt his heart leap into his throat. Jo-Ann gasped behind him and cried, "Oh, Naiose!"

There was a long scar that stretched from his right eyebrow down to his cheek. The scar crossed right over his right eye which was... milky white.

He had gone blind in his right eye.

"I'm... I'm not a freak, right?" Naiose asked with a nervous laugh.

Joey stared at him. "Does it hurt, or does it feel fine?"

"It feels fine," Naiose replied.

Joey grinned like mad and spread his arms. "Well then, in my opinion, you look like a badass."

Naiose couldn't help but grin back. Moments after he did, the smile slid off of his face. "So - what about the Elements?"

Everyone in the vicinity lost their smiles. "What about them?" Joey asked in reply.

"Well... I mean, shouldn't we have a memorial or something?" Naiose said nervously.

Rain Shine stepped in as there was a general murmur of assent. "I think that would be a grand idea. Shall we do it tomor -"

KRAKKA-BOOM!!!

The infirmary hut exploded in a flurry of flame and splinters. Coughing op dust, Joey staggered to his feet and whipped out his wand.

CRACK... BOOM!!!

Another explosion hit the central rope bridge of the village, reducing it to cinders and fiery scraps. Explosion after explosion hit the village, sending large columns of smoke into the sky.

There was no time for reaction; Joey threw himself out of the way as another ear-splitting blast exploded ten yards from his position. He rolled over on his knees and bellowed, "Jo-Ann! Get the Horcruxes! Naiose! Hold on to me!!"

Out of the smoke in dust, he saw Naiose's arm lunge out and fasten itself on his own arm. The sounds of Jo-Ann pelting off were the last things Joey heard before another explosion landed three feet from him. He was blasted off of his feet and landed hard on his face a good twenty feet away from his old position.

"Naiose!" he bellowed, trying to ignore the painful ringing in his ear. "Naiose!"

"I'm here!" he cried, and Joey shakily got to his feet.

"Where!?"

"HERE, YOU RETARD!!"

Joey stumbled off in the direction of his friend's voice. as he did, another feminine voice called out of the distance.

"Naiose!? Joey!?"

"Jo-Ann, we're over here!!" Joey shouted desperately. More sounds of footsteps, but they were heavier, rougher.

As Jo-Ann emerged from the shadows, she pelted towards Joey as fast as her legs would let her and grabbed hold of him. Right behind her was a hooded Mauler.

"Stupefy!" Joey cried, aiming his wand at the Mauler. The spell hit him fully in the face, and he toppled backward into the haze.

Swallowing the immense ball of guilt that had swelled in his throat, Joey turned on the spot, apparating away from the smoldering village.

CANTERLOT

Twilight and her friends stood side by side in a straight line, facing a line of Maulers. The word that they were going to be executed had spread quickly, and many tried to oppose. They were tortured of course - especially Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, who loved them the most. They stood off to one side, bound in heavy magical chains as they were forced to watch the Maulers raise their wands at the Elements, who were now silently muttering to themselves.

Twilight would of never seen herself in this position nine months ago - why, she had been teaching another friendship lesson at her renown school. As she eyed the wand trained on her, she hoped with all of her heart that her students would remember everything she had taught them, even in these dark times.

"Joey," she said in a strangely calm voice that did not sound like her own. "If you're out there... save them. Save all of them."

As one, all of the Maulers gave a hefty roar.

"MORDO!!"

There was a roaring noise of rushing wind, a flash of green light, then nothing more.

Joey sputtered as he fell on all fours, clutching his chest. They had emerged on a mountainside surrounded by a small forest.

He knew it as soon as the strange, overjoyed feeling that was not his swept down his spine. He felt tears come, and did not stop them. There was no use - they were gone, dead.

Jo-Ann came over and put an arm around her boyfriend. She was crying, too, but she hadn't known the Elements as long as Joey did.

"It happened, didn't it?" Jo-Ann asked shakily.

Joey nodded slowly, then turned back to the campfire they had made. Naiose was seated there, staring absentmindedly into the flames. He had definitely noticed them talking, and probably deducted what they had been talking about.

The three friends did not exchange a single words as they cooked sausages over the fire that were from their rations. Only the sizzling and popping of the sausages and the campfire could be heard.

Joey felt another wave of pain heave in his chest, and curiosity stole over him. Was the killing of the Elements so important that it had made Lord Valkaris happier than he had been in months? Or was it something else?

Finally, he gave in. "Jo-Ann, could you hold my cooking stick for me?"

"Uh... sure - why?" she replied, but Joey had already closed his eyes and laid down, letting the vision sweep over him.

He was sitting in a large dining hall lit by emerald green torches. Before him was a long, polished dark oak table. Laying on it was a Mauler who was twitching and shrieking horribly.

"How longer will I have to tolerate your incompetence, Claudier?" Joey spoke in the cold, high pitched voice that belonged to Lord Valkaris. "You have now failed twice, twice, to catch the boy, even when he was at your fingertips. Shall I just end it now, and appoint someone more worthy to lead the hunt?"

"It will never happen again, my lord!" Claudier shrieked. "Please!"

Joey hit the poor man with another torturing curse, sending into another painful frenzy.

"Let that be a reminder, then," Joey said in a soft, dangerous tone. "You may go."

"Thank you... thank you, my lord..."

The man left the room hurriedly. Once he was gone, Joey turned to Bergemann, who was standing at his left side. "Well? Is it done?"

"As you requested, my lord," Bergemann replied tersely. "It was quick and swift."

Something about the way he held himself, although slight it was, told Joey that his favorite servant was in a great mood. "You seem better than usual, Bergemann - was it the fresh air?"

"Of course, my lord," Bergemann replied, now smirking slightly. "Well - that, and watching Scallius follow orders perfectly for once."

Joey cackled. "Indeed." He turned suddenly to a Mauler on his right, who sat up. "Rosier, didn't you say you had a problem regarding a lost relic?"

"Yes, my lord," Rosier replied. "Silly thing, really - it's been hard keeping the Hippogriff populations under control as of late, as they have lost what they claimed was a piece of armor that once belonged to an ancient Hippogriff queen. It has been a struggle, my lord, but I assure you those who have crossed the line will be put to death."

"Good - although do not make these executions irrational," Joey replied, feeling satisfied. "I would hate for something to happen, then have to deal with another silly uprising."

"Of course, my lord. Which reminds me, speaking of relics - the Minotaur race has requested an alliance in return for protection over their artifact - a scepter of some sort."

Bergemann scoffed. "From what I've heard, it's under heavy protection of the Minotaurs themselves in Minos, their capital."

"They would like additional protection," Rosery said heavily.

Joey sighed exasperatedly and rubbed his neck irritably with a pale, skeletal hand. "So be it. Send the reanimated body - he has enough skill to more than protect..."

Joey jerked himself awake. "The last Horcrux is in Minos - the Minotaur capital!"

Naiose looked at him startled. "How can you be sure??"

"My uncle said it himself - you know, Derek Bergemann," he added upon seeing his friend's blank expressions. "Anyway, he said it's heavily guarded - but if we can get that, we only have Starswirl's Journal left!"

"I can't believe this," Jo-Ann loudly over the sound of Naiose's whoop. "This is amazing. Only two more..."

"I know!" Joey cried, and Jo-Ann brought him into a kiss. They held each other like that for a couple moments until Naiose spoke.

"Um... not to interrupt your 'moment' or anything, but our fire just turned green."

Joey and Jo-Ann broke the kiss and whirled around to find that the fire had indeed turned a bright green. It gave a small whine, then shot a giant flame into the air. Joey had to back up to keep his eyebrows from getting singed.

As soon as the flame came, it disappeared. When it did, the fire returned to normal - though something was different.

A piece of parchment fluttered down from above, and Joey reached out and caught it. He scanned it to see tidy handwriting all over it.

"It's - it's a letter!?" he asked incredulously. He looked up at Naiose. "This day can't get any weirder, can it?"

"Read it!" Jo-Ann said eagerly.

Dear Joey, Naiose, and Jo-Ann,

Please do not be distraught by whatever news you heard about us - just keep your chin up and push forward with your mission - I'm sure you're doing great!

I can't put anything huge into this letter in case it gets intercepted, but despite whatever news you've heard concerning my friends and I, I would like to let you know - you aren't the only escape artist in the world.

Sincerely,

Twilight Sparkle
Rarity
Applejack
Pinkie Pie
Rainbow Dash
Fluttershy

After Joey had finished reading the letter, he mouthed the words 'you aren't the only escape artist in the world' over and over again. He looked up at his friends as realization dawned on him. They seemed to be thinking the same thing as he was.

Looking back at the letter, Joey shook his head. "How did they manage to do that?? They'd have to be in two places at once!"

"Maybe they were in two places at once," Jo-Ann reasoned. "You know - magic."

"Doesn't matter how they did it," Naiose said with a grin, reclining slightly. "The thing that matters is that they're now on the run, just like us. Alive."