Dissonance: A Hidden World

Chapters

Interlude: The Voices
Chapter 25: The Return
Chapter 26: The Story
Chapter 27: The Resistance
Chapter 28: The Heroes
Chapter 30: The Actress
Chapter 31: The Tower
Chapter 32: The Challenge
Chapter 33: The Armory
Chapter 34: The Battle
Chapter 35: The Black
Nightmare Night Bonus Chapter: The Horror
Chapter 36: The Deal
Chapter 37: The Night
Chapter 38: The Hate
Chapter 39: The Stories
Chapter 40: The Myth
Chapter 41: The Chaos
Chapter 42: The Mob
Chapter 43: The Healing
Chapter 44: The Revelations.
Chapter 45: The Connections.
Chapter 46: The Stand
Chapter 47: The Wake
Chapter 49: The Gift
Chapter 50: The Endgame
Chapter 51: The Disjunction
Chapter 52: The Kindness
Chapter 53: The Distraction
Chapter 54: The Memories
Chapter 55: The Reveal
Chapter 56: The Darkness
Chapter 57: The Name
Chapter 58: The Fates
Chapter 59: The Solipsism
Chapter 60: The Beginning
Chapter 2: The Cold
Chapter 8: The Key
Chapter 23: The Choice
Chapter 29: The Chosen
Chapter 48: The Schism
Chapter 1: The End
Chapter 3: The Confusion
Chapter 4: The Trial
Chapter 5: The Cage
Chapter 6: The Magic
Chapter 7: The Fall
Chapter 9: The Dream
Chapter 10: The Hive
Chapter 11: The Town
Chapter 12: The Explanations
Chapter 13: The Truth
Chapter 14: The Silence Before the Storm
Chapter 15: The Shattering
Chapter 16: The Tree
Chapter 17: The Trigger
Chapter 18: The Fallout
Chapter 19: The Judgement
Chapter 20: The Preparations
Chapter 21: The Omen
Chapter 22: The Clash
Chapter 24: The Aftermath

Interlude: The Voices

“So, it is done. Is that what you wanted?”

“I didn’t plan all of this, especially the filly. But it turned out even better than I had hoped. All the pieces are finally falling into place.”

“Your plans are too convoluted. No wonder it has taken you so long.”

“You know I had to wait. I couldn’t afford unnecessary risk.”

“What about the risk of keeping me in the dark?”

“All the better for you to play your part. Don’t you trust me?”

“Should I? After what you’ve done?”

“You know that’s the only way. The pawns are on the board, and the game is on, but we’re aiming for a very specific outcome here.”

“Can’t we find a different way to communicate? This enforced vagueness is getting on my nerves.”

“It can’t be helped. It’s hard enough to hide from the Amaranthine. Dissonance echoes. The last thing we need now is -”

“...a prophecy.”

"And as for the plan, Do not worry. I’ve had thousands of years to become good at this. When they finally see it coming, it will be too late.”

Chapter 25: The Return

"A nervous breakdown? You'd think a captain of the royal guard would be tougher..."

"Well, it was a very personal matter for him, more than for any of..."

The gathered officers fell silent as Luna entered the war room. She looked around, taking in the faces of the waiting soldiers. She finally took the place at the end of the table, but remained standing, looking down at the map.

“Welcome everypony. Since you all have your responsibilities now, I will get straight to the point. I have called this meeting to make an unusual request. As you all know, even though the Crystal Empire doesn’t have much in terms of a military force, the magical power they have managed to amass is incredible. They now wield the powers of the Elements of Harmony, and also whatever power Obsidian has granted them to subvert them to their cause.

And it is worse than that. With my beloved sister’s... demise at the hooves of the traitors, it is my power alone that now moves the Sun and the Moon across the sky. If I let myself be struck down too, all else shall become meaningless. That means, I likely won’t be able to take to the field with my full power.”

She paused, waiting for the gathered ponies to absorb the news. The silence changed, from reverent to loaded with doubt. The officers had just realized they would be taking to the field without the support they have been counting on the most. She could almost hear them tallying expected fatalities among their respective units.

“We have sent envoys to our allies, but if the worst comes, it may not be enough. Therefore, I have decided to secure a powerful weapon of our own.”

The silence changed again. This time the surge of hope was almost palpable. Luna braced herself for their reaction to what she was about to say next.

“The weapon is called the Law of Matter. It is an ancient tool of destruction as old as the Elements. It could give us the edge in the coming war. However, its power comes at a terrible price. When bonding to a bearer, the Law of Matter takes him over, removing his personality. Whoever decides to be the bearer shall become the greatest weapon of Equestria, but the pony itself will die.”

This time the silence was actually interrupted by gasps of horror. Clearly, whatever the soldiers had thought Luna would say, her statement went far beyond their expectations.

“What I’m asking of you, is to find a volunteer. Somepony, who will be ready to sacrifice their life to preserve Equestria, for the good of all ponykind.”

If the silence had been heavy before, now it was like a stone slab covering a tomb. The officers stared forward, their minds racing just as their mouths were at a loss of words. A full minute passed without anypony as much as moving. Luna was about to declare the meeting over, when suddenly there was a shuffling of hooves. One pony, a yellow pegasus mare with flame-coloured mane rose from her seat.

“I... I will do it, your Majesty.”

Luna looked at her with surprise. “Captain Spitfire of the Wonderbolts? You are needed to lead your unit in battle.”

The mare met her gaze. Her legs were shaking slightly, but her eyes expressed nothing but determination. “Equestria needs the weapon more. We can’t ask for volunteers among our forces. It would devastate the morale. It has to be one of us. I’m unmarried, with no family besides my parents, and they will understand. I entered the service knowing full well that one day I may be called to give my own life. And... as you said, I am the leader. I couldn’t ask such a sacrifice from any of my pegasi, if I weren’t ready to make it myself.”

Luna closed her eyes, considering the situation. Finally, she nodded. “As you wish, Captain Spitfire. You shall become the bearer of the Law of Matter. Know that your sacrifice will never be forgotten. You shall be forever remembered as one of Equestria’s finest.”

The rest of the gathered ponies nodded with approval. Some of them tried to say something, but ended mumbling some meaningless reassurances, visibly relieved that the situation was resolved and simultaneously ashamed of their own relief. Luna reared, tapping her front hooves on the table to get their attention.

“This meeting is over. Return to your posts, and keep all that was said here a secret until told otherwise. Captain Spitfire, it will take a day to prepare the bonding ritual. You can spend it as you wish. I will have a bedroom prepared for you at the palace.”

***

It was late at night the next day, when Spitfire was finally summoned by her princess. Sending the guards away, Luna led her down the stairs to the palace dungeon and then further down, past warded doors and security spells. The pegasus was trying her best not to show fear in the presence of her superior, but beneath the facade of the professional soldier she felt cold claws of fear squeezing her innards. She knew she was deathly pale, and the time almost seemed to slow down around her, her over-stimulated mind registering all the tiny details of her surroundings with unnatural precision.

They walked into something that looked like a lab, passing several rooms filled with strange devices, the purpose of which Spitfire could only guess at. At the end of the corridor there was a large, square chamber with a ceiling supported by four pillars. In the centre of it, there was a large circular shape on the floor, its rings and lines formed of various metals and gemstones. Even though there was no obvious threat there, not even shackles to keep anypony inside, and the room itself was well lit, the whole set-up had an aura of a scaffold to it. Luna gestured towards the centre of the circle.

“The night is coming to an end. Soon the Sun will rise and with it, new hope for Equestria.”

Swallowing loudly, her efforts to look dignified making her step almost comically stiff, Spitfire entered the circle. For a moment, nothing happened.

“What... do I do now?” she asked the princess.

“Now we wait.”

It began slowly, almost imperceptible at first, a feeling of wrongness crawling into her mind. It was hard to describe it in any different way; it was like a dream slowly turning into a nightmare, like a feeling of being pushed, and held under water when there was none in sight, like a gust of wind full of winter chill causing a shudder that seemed to have nothing to do with cold. Spitfire felt sudden panic, and for a moment she wished she had actually been chained; her instincts screamed for her to run. Gritting her teeth she bent her knees, forcing herself to remain in place. She only had to hold on until she died... why was it so hard?

The alien presence filled her mind, and a second later she could feel her body no more. She knew, she couldn’t run away now even if she wanted. She braced herself for what was to come. The monster would smother her, perhaps devour her soul, but in return it would lend its power to protect her country.

What she didn’t expect was a warm, motherly voice, as comforting as it was full of sadness. “Thank you, my little pony. I too will never forget your sacrifice.”

“Princess Celestia!?”

Spitfire’s fear was now mixed with utter confusion. How could princess Celestia be alive? And how could that horrible, alien presence be her? Any theories she might have had were dissolved into nothingness as her consciousness started to fade.

“Yes, Captain. It is me. This is the only way I can return to protect the realm. You aren’t just giving me a body, you are giving me your heart to fight on.”

Somehow these two sentences, spoken in Celestia’s soft voice, were enough to dispel the fear. Despite the cold enveloping her, Spitfire relaxed, and stopped resisting. She kept shrinking in the embrace of her princess until finally, with a small sigh, she faded away.

***

Gloria opened her new eyes. She turned her head, examining her new body, then stomped the ground. The circles beneath her hooves deformed, and rose, flowing like liquids, moving up her body. Various materials bonded, and reformed into composites only she knew how to make, until she was clad in a lightweight, intricately crafted pegasi armour. She turned around, admiring her work.

“So, how is it?” asked Luna from her spot between the pillars. Gloria moved all her limbs in turn, flexing her muscles.

“Much shorter than what I have got used to, obviously. I will also have to learn to cope without telekinesis again. The rest is... acceptable. I will need some extra strength and durability, but there should be enough time for Eve to work on that.”

“Can you explain to me again, why do you need all the theatrics? The show at the war council and that circle you had me prepare? Why not just have the guards haul some well-built convict from the nearest prison instead of sacrificing one of our officers?” asked Luna.

Gloria scowled. “And wear a face of a common criminal as I try to bring hope to Equestria? Kill a pony, and inhabit its husk like I’m a flesh eating maggot? This is why I’m the one in charge while Libra is missing. You don’t notice what is really important.”

Luna’s muzzle twisted into a smirk. “ A stylish body with good PR?”

Gloria shot her an angry glare. ”Don’t you dare insult Spitfire like that! I didn’t choose her. She volunteered. She willingly gave her life for our cause, for our dream!"

She walked up to the princess, and looked into her eyes, nostrils flared in anger. "You give yourself too much credit. My ponies cling to you as their only hope in these dark times. But their hearts will not follow you like they did me. They need something more, a symbol of hope and courage to bring them together. And Spitfire will by it.”

She turned away from Luna, and started heading for the exit, but then stopped and faced her again “I... must admit I was starting to have some doubts after the filly turned against me. But she was just a misguided fool, like all the ones we had to struggle with before, a victim of the Elements’ lies. Spitfire’s devotion is the ultimate proof that our cause is just. We’re fighting for all the ponies of Equestria, to protect the peace that we have created, the peace that the rebels are trying to destroy! Spitfire’s presence will be a reminder of that, a guarantee that none of Equestria's commanders wavers in the face of the enemy.”

Calming down, she turned toward the exit again. “I will depart with the first units heading north. Much as I'd like to let Eve start the upgrades right away, the troops need to see their hero. Also, “the Law of Matter” worked well to explain the concept, but it won’t do as a name. You will tell them to keep addressing me as Spitfire.”

Behind her back, Luna didn’t stop smirking. “Spitfire, eh? How very appropriate...”

Chapter 26: The Story

"I'm sorry, I've never heard of it," said Aurora with a shrug.

Twilight Sparkle gave a dejected sigh. A half-filled notebook she had been levitating in front of her dropped on the table.

“I don’t get it,” said Twilight, “I mean, I can understand history being falsified. Even… the fact you’ve never heard of Hearth’s Warming. Or… Starswirl the Bearded.”

There were already some loose hairs sticking out of Twilight’s mane. Aurora eyed her curiously.

“But that doesn’t make any sense!” continued Twilight. “Why put so much effort into falsifying everything? It’s so counterproductive. And how did they manage to remove so much from history in the first place? There were ponies there, remembering things, for crying out loud!”

“Darling,” said Rarity from a large pillow on the other side of the bedroom, “Don’t you think you’re tiring our guest? You barely slept tonight and so did she.”

“Yea,” said Aurora. “Didn’t that Obsidian guy say he’d just use a spell to show you everything anyway? I’m grateful to you for telling me about your times and all, but I don’t think I can take it for much longer. No offense, Twilight, but I’d rather be flying now.”

“Well, he did say he’d prepare a vision,” said Twilight. “but I can hardly get all the information out of it. There is so much to know that there will probably be no time to view! You must understand, even Obsidian doesn’t know anything about your times. You’re a unique treasure trove of information.”

Aurora rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes, I’m feeling trovy already. When did he say he’d have that spell ready?”

“He could have it ready in minutes, actually,” said Twilight. “But he didn’t know how long it would take us, so he’s first making sure that everything else is in order. We have some things to take care of first, like healing Rainbow’s wing.”

The door swung open, and Rainbow Dash strode into the room, Scootaloo close behind her.

“We’re ready, everypony!” called Rainbow Dash, opening her wing, and waving it around for emphasis. “Obsidian’s fixed everything, and now he’s finishing some talks with Bling and Shining about our defenses. You can all get ready.”

“It will be so awesome!” shouted Scootaloo, pushing past her into the room.

“Charcoal?!” asked Aurora almost jumping off the bed to look towards the filly.

“E… excuse me?” asked Scootaloo, confused.

Everypony looked at Aurora, whose excited smile faded into disappointment as they watched.

“I’m sorry,” said the pegasus. “You just… sound a lot like somepony that I used to know.”

“Oh, right…” said Twilight, suddenly sad. “Everypony you were friends with must be, already…”

Aurora turned, and swatted her playfully with a wing. “Don’t sweat it, Twilight. I may have missed the last couple centuries, but I’ve had more than enough time to get over my loss. I’m done mourning my friends. Now all that’s left is to make sure their bravery is not wasted. I will show you all you need to know, so you can beat the Shattered once and for all, right?”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure, you’re okay? Because Obsidian says he’ll need you to build that spell around, and I don’t want you to be-”

Aurora returned her facial expression. “And what if I’m not? You guys all need my help. This is what my friends would want. It’s not the first time I lost a friend. But I can’t give up because of that. They may be gone, but all their hopes and dreams live in me now.”

She walked past Dash and through the door, taking a moment to bow lower and smile at Scootaloo.

“So, where do I need to go?”

“Obsidian said, it’s in the chamber upstairs, same as last time,” said Scootaloo. “But I wasn’t there last time.”

“Wait,” said Rarity, “Are you going to watch it with us?”

“Yup!” said Scootaloo, her wings fluttering with excitement, “Mr Obsidian said I can.”

“But… there will be horrible things there,” said Twilight, “no offense,” she added, looking at Aurora, “should a little filly really watch it?”

“Obsidian says there are horrible things here right now,” said Dash, “so the kid might as well get used to it while she can do it safely…” she paused, noticing Rarity glaring at her over Twilight’s shoulder. “I mean, I’m not that sure myself, but I’ve already promised Scoots she could watch it with us.”

“Hey!” said Scootaloo, “I’m no scaredy cat!. Besides, I live in Ponyville. And I was there when Nightmare Moon showed up. And at that wedding in Canterlot. I’ve seen some monsters in my life,” she exclaimed, ending with a pout.

Aurora patted her on the head with a wing. “You’re a brave one, I think I like you,” she said. “I say, you can go with us if you like. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She grinned right in the filly’s face. “We’ll see if you’re as brave as Charcoal was.”

As they walked out through the door, Rainbow Dash leaned towards Rarity. "Also, Obsidian thought she could use a distraction," she whispered.

Rarity responded with a glare that made Rainbow tense her neck, and turn away ucomfortably.

***

The light of the spell faded, leaving the nine ponies standing on a black stone platform surrounded by a starry void. Aurora and Scootaloo walked around, examining their environment curiously.

“So, this is the fabled testing ground you’ve told us about?” asked Aurora over her shoulder.

Obsidian scowled. “Yes, the one each bearer of the Elements was supposed to go through. We’ll get some scenery here as soon as the Passage finishes learning from you. “

Aurora turned. “Learning from me? You mean, it’s alive? Is it… reading my mind?”

"Is there anything you’d like to hide?” said Obsidian. “And yes, but not the way you think. All of this is alive. And every moment you spend here, your nature interacts with your surroundings. You’re a bundle of memories, but everything here is memories too. For the Passage, learning from you is as simple as smelling you is for a dog.”

Aurora wrapped her wings tightly over her sides. “So, it will know everything I know?”

“As long as you’re here,” replied Obsidian. “And it was created to retain memories relevant to test construction. So, the stories of your valiant deeds are likely to outlive you here.”

“How long will it take?” asked Dash, louder than she needed. “When we came here, our test started almost right away, didn’t it?”

Obsidian rolled his eyes. “Patience, my young apprentice. You’ll get your bedtime story soon enough.” He stopped, blinking. ”I shouldn’t have said that. I’m still learning not to.”

“If it’s going to take a while,” said Twilight Sparkle, “I might start with giving everypony a short introduction. I have learned quite a lot from talking with Aurora, and all of you could use some context for what you’ll see.”

Pinkie Pie sat down on the rock floor, facing Twilight. Applejack and Fluttershy looked at her with hesitation. The groan of Rainbow Dash rolled across the platform, and disappeared in the void without an echo.

“Forgive me, darling,” said Rarity, “I know you enjoy your lectures a lot, but we might not have quite that much time. Would you mind, if I tried to tell the short version? I’ve been with you through most of your talks with Aurora, and I think I could give them the gist of it.”

Twilight looked taken aback by the proposal. “Well, if you think you can do it better…”

Rarity gave her a reassuring smile. “I have a little sister, you know. You may be better at lecturing in a more… scholarly style, but I think I have more practice with telling stories.”

Twilight smiled, then shot Rarity a dirty look as her brain processed the implications. Meanwhile, Pinkie waved her front leg in the air, trailing pale blue lines with her hoof, until they suddenly coalesced into a bag of popcorn. Obsidian looked at her first with surprise, then with a content smile.

Twilight gave a dejected sigh. “Oh, well, in that case, please be my guest.” She walked towards her friends, and everypony formed a semicircle in front of Rarity. Eight pairs of eyes stared into the unicorn.

“I hope Spike won’t be upset he’s missing this,” said Twilight under her breath, “even though I think it better for him.”

“Well, you needed a trustworthy guardian anyway, didn’t you?” whispered Obsidian, looking towards her.

“Shh, it’s starting,” hissed Pinkie Pie at them both.

Rarity looked around the group, and lit up her horn, the simple spell creating an illumination resembling a theatre spotlight.

“It all happened over a thousand years ago,” she started her story. “Legends say that before that time, the land of Equestria had been ruled by the Elements of Harmony, six noble ponies exemplifying the virtues of Friendship. But one day, the heroes were defeated, destroyed by their ancient enemy, the Shattered, who then spent centuries ruling Equestria with an iron hoof.”

The light of Rarity’s spell shifted, and dimmed, taking a reddish hue, casting sinister shadows across her face.

“It was a grim time, of huge cities and smoke-belching factories, when pony magic was weak, and monsters like Discord ruled the land just outside of what the Shattered controlled. The few who showed devotion to their tyrants lived in luxury. The rest toiled in a gray world of hard work and drab clothes, longing for the day when their heroes return to bring Harmony back to Equestria.”

The light got a bit brighter, just a little flicker.

“And return they did, time after time. The Shattered tried to destroy the Elements of Harmony, then, when that failed, tried to hide them away. But whatever they did, sooner or later, the Elements would call to new ponies, somehow finding their way to those who were worthy of becoming the new heroes.”

Rarity made a dramatic pause, and extinguished her horn almost completely, leaving only a thin halo of light around her face, a beacon in the darkness.

“To try to stop it, the Shattered stooped to even worse villainy. They would force all the young ponies to go through tests, picking out those that showed more capacity for friendship that others, to make sure they never become the new bearers. Those picked up by the tests were brainwashed to become their slaves… or never heard from again.”

“Until me and my sister were taken for testing,” interrupted Aurora.

Obsidian tapped his staff on the stone floor. Around them, in the void above and below the platform, the giant rings started rotating slowly.

“We are ready to begin the vision,” said Obsidian.

“Well,” said Twilight Sparkle, “that was a good deal shorter than what I had in mind.”

Aurora took a deep breath, and fell silent.

***

Two mares huddled togetheron a hard bench, the rhythmic rumble of the train around them. The armored behemoth dashed along the rails, belching black smoke into the air as it carried its cargo, three passenger cars and a dozen wagons worth of goods, towards its distant destination.

The first mare was Aurora, notably younger and thinner than she was now, her expression worried and vigilant, as she held the other pony tightly to her chest.

The other pony was a blue unicorn filly, small and thin, with unkept mane that seemed to have been recently cut shorter. She was sitting with her eyes closed, her face to Aurora’s chest, leaving the pegasus to observe her surroundings.

“...that whatever it is, we will face it together,” whispered Aurora reassuringly. She looked aside towards the barred window. Behind it, the landscape was rushing by, the cleared area around the rails slowly giving way to a forested landscape.

The train echoed with a loud bang. The blue filly jerked, startled. Aurora covered her tighter with her wings.

“It’s one of the roof cannons. Some monster must have wandered too close,” she explained in a calm voice. The train kept moving forward, its pace unbroken by the disruption.

“What happens if they separate us?” asked the filly, looking up.

Aurora loosened her hug, keeping her in her hooves, just far enough to look into her eyes. “They won’t. I won’t let them.”

“You won’t have any say if they want to,” said the filly seriously.

Aurora’s features hardened. “They’ve tried once already, haven’t they? We are here together, because I didn’t let them.” She hugged the filly close again. Then there was a grinding noise, and the train began to slow down.

The blue unicorn looked towards the window. “Aurora, what’s going on? Are we there already?”

Aurora let go of the hug, and looked outside through the bars. “It’s way too early. It… looks like there’s some small station here, but I can only see a bit of it.”

Minutes passed, and nothing happened. The two mares looked out of the window, then at each other, waiting for the train to resume its journey. Finally, something happened. The sky outside was illuminated by a bright flash, and lightning cracked above the train.

“What’s going on!?” screamed the unicorn, startled.

Aurora spread her wings, ready to fly, though there was nowhere to in the small cabin. Her ears twitched, and then, for a brief moment her hair stood on end.

“That’s not a storm,” said the pegasus, “not like any I have ever felt, anyway. It think it might be a chaos anomaly - whoa!” She nearly fell down from surprise when the train jerked into motion again. Quickly, it started building up speed, but the noise they expected did not come - it was now shifting smoothly, as if flying. Aurora looked outside and saw the landscape rush by much faster than she had seen before.

“It’s Envy,” whispered the filly, her eyes growing with fear.

Aurora met her gaze. Now she too was scared, though she quickly tried to hide it behind a mask of confidence.

Then there was a sound of hoofsteps in the corridor outside, and the two mares turned in unison, the older one putting a protective wing around the filly.

“You there!” called a voice from outside. “Wake up! The leader wants to see you!”

The mares looked at each other. “What? What does he want with us?” asked the younger one.

Aurora shook her head. “I have no idea,” she whispered, before calling louder “We’re awake! You were shooting a cannon, for crying out loud.”

“Well then, get ready then,” responded the voice. “And don’t even think of doing anything stupid. They told me you’re quite fast, but you can’t outrun lightning.”

The cell door opened slowly. The locking mechanism and the hinges were well oiled, in complete disregard of the needs of drama. Aurora peered outside. There was a single guard there, an earth pony stallion dressed in a heavy, silvered armor, his eyes looking sternly through the visor of his helmet.

“Come on, “ he said, pointing his hoof towards the front of the train, “You don’t want to keep the leader waiting.”

“What does he want with us?” asked the filly.

The guard shrugged. “Not my business, perhaps he’s just curious.”

He herded them towards the second car of the train. Unlike the other ones, this one was lavishly decorated, with soft, beige carpets muffling the sounds of their hoofsteps, and gilded arabesques on the mahogany paneling.

Most of the car consisted of a large, open room, with sitting cushions alongside the walls. In the center, there stood a pale green alicorn stallion, dressed in an elaborate white suit. His intricately styled mane fell onto his shoulders in emerald locks. The stallion looked at the two mares as they approached, the guard stopping in the doorway behind them.

“So, you are the little troublemakers I’ve heard so much about,“ said the alicorn.

Aurora looked at the stallion, dozens of answers swarming in her brain. In the end, she forced herself to settle for a simple, “Yes, sir.”

“You are Aurora,” continued the stallion. “What is your assignment?”

“Weather duty, sir,” answered Aurora. “We water the crops for farmland seven.”

The alicorn nodded with a smile. “And for some reason, after years of serving the community faithfully, you decided that it would be wise to interrupt the official testing procedure, to get your little sister out of there? I must say It doesn’t happen often. What were you thinking?”

Aurora swallowed loudly. “I just didn’t want to see her hurt.”

The alicorn rolled his eyes. “And you really thought we’d hurt her? Whoever took care of your education must have been lax in his duties. We don’t hurt our faithful servants. You, on the other hoof… that was an act of rebellion, even if understandable one. I’m surprised the guards didn’t break your wings for it.”

“They meant to, but they didn’t want to... send me in damaged,” said Aurora.

The alicorn raised an eyebrow. “That’s silly. Empathy would have just put you back together. Doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you’re here, and a proof that we might need to adjust the testing procedure. Your own testing two years ago didn’t show any anomalies.”

“Yes, sir,” said Aurora, not sure how to react.

The alicorn turned from her, towards her sister. “And this is your sister, Aqua, isn’t it? Dowsing duty?”

“It’s Aquila,” said the unicorn.

The stallion froze, his eyes locking on the face of the little filly. “I’ve seen your file, young lady. You’re no eagle.” He took a couple deliberate steps towards her. As he closed in, Aurora could feel the static charge around him, the carpet rising around his hooves, even though his own mane remained in perfect shape. “Do you know, who I am?”

Aquila took a deep breath. Just as she opened her mouth, she caught her sister’s horrified gaze.

“Respect,” she said. “You’re Respect, protector of ponykind.”

“Please, forgive her, sir,” said Aurora. “It’s just that there’s been four Aquas already in the dowsing division. She insisted on having a name of her own.”

The stallion looked from one mare to the other. “So, Wisdom’s new naming convention law is meeting some resistance, and from foals? Tell me, how are we going to have order here, if you don’t cooperate?”

Aurora’s ear caught a sound of uncomfortable shifting behind her. She knew the guard wasn’t happy with the development.

“I could be doing something more pleasant, and less boring you know,” continued the alicorn. “I could be enjoying myself at my palace, or performing for my adoring audience. Instead, I’m here, moving this train so it gets to its destination faster, making sure everypony gets through the discordant lands with the same number of heads they started the journey. And what do I get in return? No respect, that’s for sure. You insist on spreading chaos, sabotaging our efforts to bring peace and prosperity to everypony. You can’t even stick to your assigned name.”

He didn’t raise his voice. In fact, the rant sounded more like whining than an actual display of anger. And yet the temperature in the room seemed to drop a couple degrees. Aurora turned her face away from the leader, just in time to catch the look of fear in the guard’s eyes.

Desperate, she caught the first idea she could use.

“Wait, you are… moving this train? All by yourself?”

***

“Was he?” asked Twilight Sparkle with astonishment. “I mean, I know they are very powerful, but that was an armored train. It must have weighed over-”

“Shh!” hissed Pinkie Pie, “Keep watching.”

***

The alicorn turned towards Aurora. “Yes, I do. Didn’t you know it? It is by my power alone that we now float over the rails…” He looked at her closer. “Do you think cheap compliments will erase the bad impression you two have already made?”

Aurora suppressed an urge to step away from the stallion. “No, sir. I was just curious how it’s possible.”

The alicorn snorted. “Despite my youthful appearance, I am old and wise enough to recognize a panicked lie. It seems you are not so different from other ponies after all. I thought meeting you would break the tedium of this journey, but it only served to annoy me. Go back to your cell until I call for you again.”

The two mares bowed, and slinked towards the exit, welcomed by an angry glare of the guard. The three moved down the corridor, eager to leave Respect behind as quickly as possible.

***

“But how did he move the train?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “Did he ever explain that?”

Aurora shrugged. “Magnets.”

Author's Note

A bit earlier (and slightly shorter than it could be) today, but my access to the internet is limited for RL reasons.

Still, I hope you enjoy. :twilightsmile:

It's time to travel into the past. :rainbowdetermined2:

Chapter 27: The Resistance

The train arrived at Sophia half an hour later, sliding through the gates in the outer wall, and moving smoothly towards the main station. Aurora and Aquila stood up, and walked to the window, taking in the view of the city.

The buildings stretched in all directions, neat, symmetrical rows of grey walls and tiled roofs, turned darker by the ever-present soot. The giant, black factory chimneys dominated the skyline, spread at key positions through the city. The only building that matched them in height was the central tower, its surface gleaming white marble, visibly protected from whatever was happening around it.

The train slowly turned, following a rail that took it around the city, towards the station at the edge of the center. There was a loud clang when the energy field was disengaged, dropping the massive machine back onto the thick rails.

“I think it’s time to go,” said Aurora.

“Get ready to get out!” called the guard from outside the cell door. The tone of his voice made it obvious that he was still angry at the two mares for upsetting his boss, even though in the end nothing bad came out of it. Aurora and Aquila left the window, and turned towards the door, waiting to be let out.

“Do you think we’re going with Envy now?” whispered Aquila towards her big sister.

Aurora put a hoof to the unicorn’s mouth. “Respect, Aquila. Please, call him Respect, while we’re here,” she said in a harsh whisper, “Somepony might be listening. And you almost forgot yourself today. If you called him Envy to his face…”

She shut her mouth without finishing, as that was the moment when the door opened. The guard gestured at them impatiently, silently commanding them to go towards the front of the train again.

They returned to the VIP car. The green alicorn both sisters forced themselves to think of as ‘Respect’ was already waiting at the door leading outside, two earth pony guards flanking him, ready to exit first, and make sure he makes a proper impression.

Respect turned towards Aquila. “We’ve arrived. Your destination is the Tower of Wisdom, and since I’m headed there anyway, you shall accompany me.” He paused, looking up and down the girls. “The fate that awaits you is a great honor. Do behave like you’re worthy of it. There is a crowd outside waiting to see me, and I’d hate for them to be disappointed.”

Aurora and Aquila nodded their heads, and tried to match the poses of the other ponies. They ended up standing stiff, like they had during official assemblies, face focused and solemn. Respect looked with disapproval.

“You’re supposed to be happy. Please act like it.”

Aurora cast him a nervous glance, and tried to smile, but ended up with a horrible, awkward grin. She could see the guard behind Respect cringe at the sight.

Respect closed his eyes, and inhaled slowly. “That won’t do. Stay still.”

The power came as a feeling of a static charge, felt by Aurora’s pegasi senses. After a few seconds, she felt her face relaxing into a content smile, completely out of her control. Then her legs moved on their own, and she walked forward, taking position behind Respect. In the corner of her eye she saw Aquila do the same.

“What are you doing?” she managed to hiss through her teeth.

The alicorn didn’t turn to her, already preparing to step out as the guards exited the train, and flanked the door. “Micro-shocking your nerves. Now stop struggling, or it won’t look natural.”

They walked outside, right opposite a herd of several dozen ponies, who were waiting at the platform.

***

“Well, that’s creepy,” said Scootaloo.

“Wait, Envy can do that?” whispered Twilight Sparkle.

“Only if your magic is weak,” replied Aurora. “We learned to resist it later.”

***

Aurora walked into the train station, smiling warmly at the crowd. Respect opened his wing, and from underneath it, a small, metal lyre flew up to hang in the air beside his face. Tiny sparks flew as he started tugging at the strings with his power, a complex melody that spread through the station, and followed Respect as he paraded in front of the gathered crowd, towards the station exit.

Aurora’s eyes slid over the collection of faces. All were smiling, some earnestly delighted, some curious of the spectacle, many others tired, hiding behind a facade of insincere enthusiasm. One or two were scared, the widened eyes betraying what the smiling mouths would not. Not having any choice in the matter, she answered with a fake smile of her own, walking in rhythm with the rest of the retinue, until they left the station, and found a place where their vehicle was waiting.

The two mares looked in surprise. From where they were standing, they could see lines of vehicles moving through the streets, oblong metal things that looked like scaled-down train cars.

***

“That looks like something Flim and Flam would build,” said Applejack.

“Did they use magic to move?” asked Twilight.

“I think we once dug up a wheel like that,” said Scootaloo.

“Shhh, be quiet,” hissed Pinkie.

***

However, the one awaiting them was different, all shiny, with an open top that made it look like an oversized chariot. While the guards opened a small door to get inside, Respect made the two sisters follow him onto the top of the thing. Soon there was a sound of an engine working underneath, the vehicle rolling into the street. However, the alicorn did not intend to drive towards the tower. He tensed, and two seconds later, the platform disengaged from the vehicle and rose into the air.

Respect turned towards Aurora. Though she still couldn’t control her face, he caught a question in her eyes. “I use it as my official vehicle here,” he explained. “The bottom part is only used when they need to bring it to me.”

The platform flew towards the tower ahead, smoothly accelerating, until just before the wind could become uncomfortable.

***

Sometime later, Aurora and Aquila were sitting in an empty lobby, somewhere within the Tower of Wisdom. The walls were white, the carpets and sitting cushions a soft gray. Respect had left them, off to do some urgent business of his, ordering a pair of guards to keep an eye on them; the pair was now standing outside of the door. It wasn’t really necessary though. The sisters were inside a huge building, in the middle of an unfamiliar city. Even if they managed to make their way back to the ground floor, where would they go next?

A door on the far end of the lobby opened, and a secretary, a serious, middle-aged unicorn with a lilac coat and her mane in a bun, walked in. She checked a piece of paper on top of the notepad she was levitating, then looked at the huddled mares over her pince-nez.

“Miss Aurora, Miss Aqua,-” she started.

“Aquila,” grumbled Aquila under her breath.

The secretary checked her notes again, and then looked at the younger unicorn with a frown.

“Miss Aqua,” she repeated with emphasis, “Lady Wisdom is away on matters of national security. She will not be able to see you right now. You will have to wait. If she doesn’t return by evening, you will be provided accommodation.”

“When can we eat something?” Asked Aurora. Aquila said nothing, but did her best to make an earnest pleading expression.

The secretary sighed almost inaudibly. “I will send for something.” She then turned around like a soldier, and marched out, the door closing behind her.

Aurora and Aquila were left alone again. For a while they were just sitting in silence, their eyes wandering over the lobby, from the soft carpet, through the marble wall panelling, to the crystal chandelier dominating the ceiling.

Aquila was the first to break the silence. “How long are we going to wait? What do you think?”

“I don’t know,” said Aurora. “If it’s a matter of national security-”

“Discord,” said Aquila. “It must be. The guard have plenty of weapons, they wouldn’t bother one of the protectors with just any monster.”

Aurora nodded. “So, she’ll be back when they’re done fighting.” Her eyes had just finished scanning the room, and were looking up at the chandelier again.

Aquila hugged her tightly, pushing herself underneath her white wing.

“I hope they both lose,” she whispered into her ear.

Aurora shook her head. “Wisdom can resist Discord’s magic, and he is almost impossible to hurt. It will probably end as it always does - he’ll leave when he gets bored.”

She slowly broke the embrace, and was about to start contemplating the carpet again, when suddenly, her ear twitched. Somepony was talking loudly outside the lobby door.

“... so we’re conducting a Zebrican fire drill. I’ll need you to go to floor… which floor are we on? So, three floors up, onto the fire stairs. And fill your helmets with water.”

The voice had a sense of urgency to it, but it didn’t really sound like an officer’s voice, more like an over-emphasised parody of one.

Both mares stood up, and listened intently. There was some more talking they couldn’t quite make out, followed by a “Yes, Inspector,” spoken in unison by two voices, followed by a sound of hooves galloping away. Then the door opened, and an unfamiliar stallion walked inside.

Aurora and Aquila blinked several times, not quite sure that what they saw was real. The stallion was a biscuit-yellow pegasus dressed in a trench coat, a bowler hat and a scarf. He was also wearing thick, black-rimmed glasses with a fake nose and a moustache. He looked around the lobby, then stared at the two mares. “Are you Aurora and Aqua?”

Aurora opened her mouth, hesitated, and finally said. “Yes. Who are you?”

A second stallion, dressed similarly, except without the ridiculous glasses, looked into the lobby. This one was an earth pony, and a pleasant shade of red.

“We’re here to rescue you. Come with us, if you want to stay yourselves.”

The first stallion grabbed the rim of his glasses, and revealed his face for a moment. “Name’s Jingles. Now, we’d better hurry. They might discover my trick at any moment.”

The sisters looked at the newcomers, then at each other. What followed was an eternity of awkward silence.

Two seconds later, the four ponies were running down the corridor.

***

They had barely turned three corners, when an alarm sounded in the building. Jingles suppressed a swearword.

“You could've made a more convincing lie,” said his companion.

Jingles reached into his hat, pulled out a map that had no way of conceivably fitting there, and then put it back after merely a glance, before taking the next turn right, and running along a row of doors. “I’ve already told you, it only works if it’s silly. And it should have worked longer. They must have met an officer in the bathroom or something.”

Several of the doors opened, startled ponies in business attire looking out into the corridor. Jingles kept running forward, pushing past the confused personnel, repeatedly shouting “Out of the way!, Passing through!”

The last door did not lead to an office. When they opened, an armoured guard stomped into the corridor, blocking the way. Jingles started skidding to a halt, then slipped on the carpet, tumbling forward, colliding with the guardspony in a way that knocked him off balance, briefly turning them both into a spinning mess of random limbs before the heavier pony collided face-first with the wall, Jingles following the same momentum to disentangle himself from him, and somehow land on his feet. He kept running, his companions following suit, jumping over the unconscious pony in their way.

“That way!” He shouted, taking a sharp turn, rushing through a door, through what appeared to be a small kitchen, into a parallel corridor.

“Where are we going?” called Aurora behind him, as she tried to keep up, wincing as she hit her wing on a door frame.

“There!” he shouted back, running into an empty elevator.

There was a sound of hooves to their left, a patrol of guards running into view, just as the four ponies crammed themselves into the small cabin.

“Hey you! Stop right there!” shouted the first guard. He was a unicorn, a pronged spear levitating at his side as he charged towards the elevator. Aurora moved to shield Aquila, but then Jingles’ companion pressed a button, and the elevator door shut at the very last moment. With a soft hum the elevator started moving down.

“That was close,” said Aquila, pushing her way from behind Aurora. “But we haven’t escaped yet, have we? This elevator isn’t very fast.”

With a soft grinding noise, the cabin stopped. Aurora looked at the two stallions in alarm. The two looked at each other.

“Emergency brake,” said Jingles with a sigh.

“Seems so,” said the earth pony. “So, plan B?”

Jingles nodded. His companion braced himself, as the pegasus jumped onto his back and up, ramming his head through a small hatch in the ceiling. As he disappeared, the earth pony looked at the two sisters.

“We need to get out of here fast. Very fast.” He focused on Aurora. “We’ll be in freefall for a moment, but Jingles will get us through it. I need you to fight your instinct to fly, and keep your wings folded until we’re done falling.”

There was a banging noise above. The mares gave the stallion unsure looks. “What’s he doing up there?” asked Aquila.

Jingles fell back into the cabin. “Disablin the safties,” he slurred, trying to pack an unusually big pair of scissors he was holding with his teeth into his trench coat.

There was a louder grinding noise and a repeated pinging sound, like several guitar strings breaking, one after another. Aurora’s eyes widened in sudden realisation.

The earth pony met her gaze and smiled reassuringly. “Trust me,” he said.

As if on cue, the elevator started falling. Aurora felt the floor give way, and she had to suppress the instinct to start flying. At her side, Aquila was screaming. Aurora had enough time to look at the two stallions. Their faces were focused, but not scared. As the cabin kept flying down, Aurora kept the wings pressed firmly to her sides. She noticed a soft, blue glow emanating from under Jingles’ scarf.

He has some plan to catch us, she thought, any second now…

He did not. With a deafening noise, the elevator crashed into the basement, the metal frame breaking apart. Aurora was thrown against the floor, the impact squishing her body flat.

It took her a moment to realise that she was not dead. She could see her surroundings at a very weird angle, and she could feel her body bizarrely out of its proper shape, but there was no pain at all. When she made an effort to get up, there was a feeling of sudden shift, and with a loud ‘pop’, she was suddenly her old self again, dizzy and confused, but miraculously unhurt. Around her, the other flattened ponies were coming back to shape as well.

“Let’s get out of here,” said Jingles, surprisingly coherently, stumbling out of the wreck and into a dank basement.

“What happened,” said Aquila flatly, following him.

“We crashed,” replied the earth pony. “We lived. Now we’re in sub-basement three, where our tunnel is. This way we can give the guards a laugh without crossing the perimeter. Now, let’s hurry before somepony gets here.”

With no other choice, Aurora followed her sister, chasing the stallions through the basement. Spreading her wings, she took off the ground, catching up with her unusual rescuers. “But, how are we alive? We should’ve died there. You!” She called after the earth pony.

“The miraculous power of laughter,” replied Jingles. He was now wearing a miner’s helmet with a headlight. He led them to a rubble-strewn room, opening into an irregular tunnel.

“That’s his special power,” said the earth pony. “We were in a hurry, so I thought the explanation could wait.”

Aurora glared at him. “Well, I could argue with that, mr…” she hesitated.

The stallion turned around, flashing her a smile. “We needed every second. Trust me on that. You can call me Whisper.”

***

“Wow, that was some adventure,” said Scootaloo, looking towards Aurora with admiration.

“Will I be able to do that?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“That and more,” replied Obsidian. “You should already be able to do it.”

“But how were we able to hear Aurora’s thoughts?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“What?” asked Aurora, a hint of panic in her voice.

“Well duh,” answered Pinkie Pie, rolling her eyes. “She’s the narrator.”

“That sounds wrong,” said Applejack.

“I must agree,” said Rarity. “Can we do anything about it?”

“Well, she can,” said Obsidian. “The way I weaved the spell, she can introduce no falsehood into the vision, but otherwise it follows her will. That’s how she can skip over the uninteresting parts. Otherwise we’d have to view her entire life since the start of the story, and we hardly have the time for that.”

Aurora took a deep breath, still on her guard, but visibly relaxing. “Okay then. Let’s continue the story.”

***

"Where are we?"asked Aquila, turning around with her horn alight.

They had long since left the city’s enormous sewers, and were now deeper underground. The caves seemed to stretch without end, and Aurora had no idea how her new companions were finding their way through there.

“Deep underneath Sophia,” answered Jingles, picking his way through some bizarre mushrooms that were covering the floor. “The stench of the chimneys does not reach here, so it is easier to use our magic. Of course, there are patrols here, and now and then Arrogance gases the whole place to get rid of monsters, so it’s not a good place for a hideout. But if we need to leave the city in a hurry, this is the best place to prepare a porting spell.”

At the mention of monsters, Aurora tensed, her ears now swivelling in search of anything unusual. Whisper and Jingles did not seem to share her concerns, though they were far from relaxed.

Minutes passed, and nothing happened, besides Whisper asking Aquila to keep her light down. Aurora was just about to start lowering her guard, when suddenly she found herself relaxing completely. A part of her brain registered it as strange, but she couldn’t bring herself to be alarmed by it.

JIngles turned around, grinning. “We’re here. Sauti?”

Something moved in a shadowed space between two large boulders. An grey-maned mare in a long hooded cloak shuffled into view. A soft pink light was emanating from underneath her cloak.

“You’re not being followed,” she said in a soft voice.

Aurora moved in for a closer look. The mare was not as old as she looked at first, though definitely past her prime. The first thing Aurora noticed was her eyes, a pale shade of pink with no visible pupils. As she kept looking, Aurora realised that the mare must be blind, her gaze unflinching, when it should be scanning the new arrivals.

“Wait a moment,” said Whisper, walking into the middle of the group, interrupting any introductions before they could happen. He stood facing the girls, blocking their path to Sauti, while Jingles moved behind them blocking the path back.

“There are some questions I need to ask you.”

“You should have asked them earlier,” said Jingles behind their back.

Whisper looked at him over Aquila’s shoulder. “They didn’t attack us right away, so it was not an ambush. I figured I’d wait till there are three on two before I asked.” He then turned towards Aurora. “I already know your names, so at least I know none of you is Deception in disguise, but I need to ask again to make sure. Are you spies for the Shattered?”

A part of Aurora wanted to get angry at the question, but she found herself unable to. The calm was emanating from Sauti, a soft wave of warm reassurance washing over her. She knew there was no aggression in the question she was just asked.

“We are not,” she said. “We’re on the run from them now. Which I guess makes us recruits for the resistance, doesn’t it?”

Whisper nodded, and then turned towards Aquila. He didn’t repeat the question, but it was obvious in his body language.

“We aren’t” said the unicorn. “So, is this some kind of a truth spell? I think I felt it earlier in the tower, but it wasn’t as strong back then.”

Whisper smiled, the tension flowing off him in an almost visible wave. “The chimney fumes make it hard to use our powers in the city, but they also make them harder to detect.”

Something clicked in Aurora’s mind, the aura of calm allowing her to put together the obvious clues she’d managed to miss in all the excitement. “Your powers? Wait… You’re not just some resistance, you’re the Elements of Harmony!”

The three ponies beamed at her in response.

“So, that’s why you thought one of us might be Deception,” said Aquila.

Jingles nodded his head. He had already walked past the girls to rejoin his friends. “We haven’t met her yet… we think, but she’s had a history of doing that. It would be ironic if she pretended to be Loyalty.”

“Loyalty?” asked Aurora.

“Yes,” said Whisper. “She hates Loyalty. You know the old legend.”

Aquila nodded. “Deception fell in love with Loyalty once. But he wouldn’t abandon his friends for her, and in the end he broke her heart. It ended in tears for everypony, and she’s been hunting the bearers of Loyalty ever since. Yes, every foal knows that. But what does it have to do with us? I’m not Loyalty.”

“No, Aqua, you aren’t,” said Sauti. “Your test showed great potential for magic, but I don’t think they considered you an Element. But your sister, she challenged the power of the Shattered to keep you safe. Ponies like her are rare these days.”

Everypony turned towards Aurora, who backed away slightly. All the calming magic in the world couldn’t fully dull the impact of what had just been said.

“You guys think… I could be an Element?” she said.

Whisper shrugged. “We don’t know. We don’t have fancy testing devices like the Shattered have. But you have what it takes to be one of us, and if that means two fewer recruits for the special forces, and two more for us, it was worth the risk.“

Aurora looked at Aquila. There was something in the stallion’s voice that told them he was being completely earnest, but the blue unicorn’s expression indicated that she disagreed.

“You guys took an enormous risk, going right into Arrogance’s tower just for the two of us. If it were a trap, you’d both have died for nothing.”

“Which is why we don’t usually do it,” replied Jingles. “But today we got an opening, thanks to Discord.”

“Our friends confirmed it was the real thing,” said Sauti. “That’s something the Shattered could not have set up.”

“We’d seen dozens of ponies like you, taken into the tower, and never seen again, not as themselves anyway,” said Whisper. He wasn’t smiling anymore. “If we had a chance to make the difference now, we had to take it.”

“I’m not Deception,” said Aquila suddenly.

Everypony looked at her.

“We already know that,” said Whisper.

“You’re too sure of your powers,” said Aquila. “Back in the tower you guys asked us if I’m Aqua. My sister said yes, because that’s what they call me in the papers. But the name I call myself is Aquila. You didn’t catch that as a lie, did you? So, I thought I’d repeat it, just in case.”

Silence fell, interrupted only by the water dripping from the distant ceiling. Finally, Aurora decided to break the silence. “I’m not Deception either. Nor Empathy, or whatever she calls herself now. We’re joining you guys, because you saved us. But I can see you’re reckless. If I ever find out you’ve done something stupid, and put my sister in danger, I’ll choose her survival over yours. Am I making myself clear?”

Everypony stared at her, even Sauti turning her face in her direction.

“Very clear,” said Whisper. “Now, let’s get out of here before our luck runs out. Sauti, is everything ready?”

Sauti turned and walked down the tunnel, indicating for the others to follow. There was a circle there etched into the stone floor, with strange symbols lining the outer rim. For a moment Aurora wondered how Sauti was able to prepare it without being able to see.

The three Elements walked into the circle, facing outward. Jingles gestured to the sisters to follow suit. “Aqu… ila? I can see you’re very smart for your age. And you’ve been in a dowsing division, right? Could you add your power to ours? It will make the porting spell easier.”

Hesitantly, Aquila followed her new companions’ example. They were now all spaced evenly around the circle, facing outwards, with only Aurora left in the middle, unable to contribute. Four lights illuminated the cave, glowing brighter and brighter.

***

Aurora woke up from a feeling of getting nudged gently. She was on the floor of a moving vehicle, one of those she had seen in the city earlier. Around her, there were sleeping ponies; her sister Aquila, and the two stallions she’d met the previous day, dug into a pile of blankets. As she looked towards the front of the vehicle, she saw the rump of Sauti, who was standing in front of a control panel, her front hooves pushing a collection of pedals.

“Aurora, could you come here?” said the old mare.
Shaking the haze of sleep from her head, the pegasus moved to the front of the car. What she saw through the front window was a prairie, almost featureless, except for some really weird plants far on the horizon, indicating Discord's presence long before. Once she woke up enough to register the situation, she looked at Sauti in alarm.

“Wait! You’re driving this thing? Alone?”

Sauti gave a small smile. “Not alone. There is a small bird sitting on the roof. I’ve been borrowing its eyes. But I can’t take it too far from its nest, and you were the least drained, so I woke you up. Could you keep your eyes on the road for me?”

Aurora stared at Sauti, just long enough to notice, that now that she could see her in the daylight, the old mare’s face had a bit weird proportions, and there were pale stripes visible on her face. Then she turned towards the front window, frantically staring forward.

“I can’t believe these guys,” she said through gritted teeth. “I tell them how important it is that they don’t do anything stupid, and the first thing they do is let a…” she stopped and bit her tongue.

“Blind mule drive,” finished Sauti. “It is not so.”

Aurora almost pulled her eyes off the view ahead, to glare at Sauti. “I wasn’t going to say that. Besides, you’re not a mule. You’re a zorse.”

“Same thing,” said Sauti. “But I thank you. Few ponies make the distinction.”

Aurora lowered her gaze slightly. “You’re… right. I almost did say that.”

“You’re concerned for your sister,” said Sauti. “I understand.”

A minute passed in silence before Aurora spoke again.

“So, you are used to driving like this?”

“I don’t always do,” said Sauti. “Usually I let others do it, while I make sure no monster interrupts our journey. But we needed to leave before any patrol noticed the car, and the porting spell got everypony very tired. There should be more of us casting it. Since I’m the most experienced, I handled it best. I thought I’d just let them sleep.”

Aurora nodded in agreement. “So, you’re the oldest? Are there more of you? Everypony knows about the Elements of Harmony, but not the names or anything.”

Sauti leaned forward, and pressed the pedals, causing the vehicle to swerve around what looked like a suspiciously large molehill. “It’s because sometimes we die.”

“The Elements cannot be destroyed, but we can be. We keep fighting, but sometimes we lose. Sometimes the Shattered claim one of the jewels for themselves. They’ve tried to destroy them, many times. Then they tried to lock them away, bury them, keep them away from ponies. But no matter if they are crushed, dropped into a volcano, or covered in steel and stone, the Harmony always finds the way. The Elements want to have new bearers. And so, the conflict continues. Once, I was the youngest of the bearers. Now I’m the oldest. One day the Harmony will win, and it will be the Shattered that are locked away.”

Aurora absorbed the information. Behind her, somepony started snoring softly. “So, how many jewels do you have right now?” she finally asked.

“Only the three that we use,” replied Sauti. “Kindness, Laughter and Honesty. The others who help us, they have no magic to rely on but their own. Right now, we just fight the Shattered where we can, look for allies. I train Jingles and Whisper to increase their power. Perhaps this will make the other Elements call out to us. It has been decades since there’s been a complete set.”

“You know,” said Aurora after another moment of silence, “As far as recruitment speeches go, this one wasn’t very convincing.”

Sauti slowly turned her face towards her. “Does it have to be? You need to know the truth to stay by our side. Would it bring us any good if we mislead you? Besides, I know already that you’re ready to stand with us. I know your kind. The brave, the caring. What you have seen in the last two days has opened your eyes. What have you seen?”

“The world is a mess,” said Aurora. “Everywhere there are monsters, spawned by Discord’s madness. And the few safe spots are ruled with an iron hoof by the Shattered. Ponies spend their lives as slaves, trapped between one and the other. Only the Elements of Harmony have the power to save them from both. However bad it is, I have no choice, but to side with you.”

The old mare smiled. “Oh, you do have a choice. That’s what makes you a hero.”

“I’m no hero,” protested Aurora.

“But you will be,” said Sauti, “when the time comes.”

Aurora did not continue the discussion, instead keeping her eyes on the prairie in front of the vehicle. There was now something visible far in the distance, a white outline that, Aurora decided after a moment, must have been some sort of ruins.

“Where are you taking us anyway?” she asked.

“To a safe haven,” replied Sauti, “a place neither Discord nor the Shattered like to visit, the one place where the lord of chaos ever felt fear.”

Aurora rolled her eyes. “You enjoy being mysterious, don’t you? Shouldn’t you be-”

“No,” answered Sauti. “I’m not a zebra. I don’t even remember ever talking to one.”

“I’m sorry,” said Aurora, “I should watch my tongue.”

“It’s not your tongue, that’s the problem. It’s what you’ve been taught,” said Sauti. “You have much to unlearn. As for where I’m taking you, it used to be a riverside city ruled by Hate.”

“Portus…” whispered Aurora. “You’re taking us to Portus.”

“I’m surprised you know the name,” said Sauti. “This is one the Shattered tried to erase for centuries. They even re-routed the river away from the ruins.”

“My grandma told me about it,” said Aurora. “One day Discord faced Hate, and tried to have fun at his expense, evading his grasp, and goading him on and on. But there was more darkness inside Hate than Discord anticipated, and on that day it boiled over, and covered the city in black fire that consumed flesh and stone.”

“And from that day, Hate has not ruled a city by himself, instead serving as a weapon to his siblings,” finished Sauti.

***

“What was that about?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“I think I’ve already mentioned it, didn’t I?” said Obsidian. “Something happened to Hate after I was gone. After the conflict between the Alicorn Empire and the Shattered started, Hate was the first to attack, and the first to be captured in battle. The Empire wizards took him to a fortified lab, looking for a way to kill him permanently. None of them made it out of there alive to tell the tale, but Hate emerged changed. There is something inside him besides the pattern spliced into his soul, something born of the Dissonance, a magical being of pure instinct that takes over when he loses control. My disciples fought it on several occasions, and found it even more dangerous than his usual, murderously violent self.”

“If even Discord was scared of that thing, it must have been something,” said Rainbow Dash.

“See for yourself,” said Obsidian.

***

The vision had shifted while they were talking, the car reaching its destination. The ruins were seated on a slope overlooking what used to be a river bank, like a giant amphitheatre. It must have once housed thousands of ponies, but right now it was just white stone, weathered by centuries of wind sweeping sand across it. As Aurora looked around, she noticed that the buildings hadn’t so much collapsed as melted - the remaining walls and windows were misshapen, as if the entire city were an enormous, old chandelier, covered with dripping candles.

She was so absorbed by the view, that it took her a moment to realise she was no longer looking ahead. She stared forward nervously, but found Sauti navigating the empty streets with calm.

“You no longer need to watch the way,” said Sauti. “The resistance scouts are already watching us. You can go wake the others while I focus here. We’ll be meeting Bubble Burst soon.”

“Who?” asked Aurora, turning towards the back of the car.

“The current Resistance leader. She’s no Element, but she knows her job. She keeps her eye on everypony here.”

The vision shifted again, with Aurora waking up everypony, and repeating the news to her sister. Meanwhile, Sauti directed the car towards one of the larger still standing buildings, and down a ramp to what turned out to be a big cellar. Four swivel guns turned towards the car as it stopped, but as Sauti spread her aura outwards, the guards relaxed at the familiar feeling.

There were about a dozen ponies in the hideout, all wearing white cloaks that matched the surrounding stone. As the five ponies got out of the car, the locals formed a semicircle, leaving a space in the middle for one more pony to walk in.

The mare was a grey pegasus with a blonde mane, bearing a serious expression of somepony who had spent lots of time facing dangers and hardship. She was wearing a white cloak, just like the others, as well as an eyepatch over her right eye. She scanned the two sisters with her gaze before turning towards Sauti.

“Good day, Kindness. Who have you brought to us today?”

Author's Note

And so, the new arc has properly started. Please tell me what do you think.

(I'm working on pictures for Jingles and Whisper - I will probably add them to the next chapter)

Chapter 28: The Heroes

Author's Note

Chapter 28: The Heroes

Five ponies were running through the dark alleys. Around them the streets echoed with the sounds of pursuit. As the group turned another corner, one of them took to the air to get a better look.

“We’re cut off. We can’t keep running, or we lead them to the hideout,” he said, landing in front of his friends.

“So, what do you propose?” asked Aurora.

Jingles smiled mischievously. “We do it my way. Follow me."

He stretched his legs, and then took off in a mad dash, the rest of the group doing what they could to keep up. Suddenly, there was music in the air, a fast-paced jingle that seemed to match the rhythm of their hooves. On the next crossing they passed a patrol of armored guards, who looked at them in astonishment before giving chase.

The seconds stretched into minutes, but they kept running, more patrols joining the chase. The path of escape was getting more and more convoluted; once or twice they took a shortcut that Aurora could swear hadn’t been there before, and on one occasion they led the whole thirty pony pursuit group into a dead end by sticking flat to the wall next to some wanted posters, and letting the pursuers ran past.

Suddenly they were in an empty alley, gasping for breath. Sauti shook her head in disbelief. “I’ll never get used to running and not tripping, you know” she said.

Jingles flashed a smile. “At your service. Now let’s get off the street before somepony sees us. This is where the safehouse is, isn’t it?”

He lead his friends towards a small door, and rapped twice. After a moment, a visor opened in the door, and a green eye looked at Jingle’s face.

“Knock, knock,” said Jingles grinning.

“Not that old joke again,” said the voice from the inside.

“So, you’d rather have a swordfish?” asked Jingles, peering through the hole.

There was a sound of scratching metal, and the door opened slowly.

“Come in, all of you,” said a scrawny grey unicorn.

The ponies walked into a dark hall, then up the creaky stairs. The unicorn led them into a dilapidated apartment, where two more ponies were sitting, looking outside through the shutters of the window.

“They’re looking for you all over the district,” said one of the lookouts.

Jingles smiled. “Good. That means they don’t know to look here.”

“That’s the problem with trying to organize everything,” said Whisper. “When you put everything in neat rows, all the streets look the same.”

“How long will you be staying here?” asked the other lookout.

“Only as long as we need,” said Aquila. “We’ll wait for the commotion to die down, and then we smuggle ourselves out of the city.”

The unicorn smiled. “Good. Much as I like helping you, I hardly have the means to accommodate you for an extended period.”

“We’ll, that might mean we see ourselves out early,” said Whisper. “Sauti?”

The older mare took a deep breath, and the gemstone underneath her cloak lit up in pink light.

The two lookouts glared at the grey unicorn, who rolled his eyes. “What seems to be the problem?”

“I know Plaster,” said Whispers. “Or, knew, I guess. He was a builder. He didn’t even know what ‘accommodate’ means.”

The three ponies looked at each other, and then tensed, their bodies lighting up in green flames that peeled off the fur, revealing black, chitinous armor underneath. They walked towards the five ponies, blocking their way to the window. Around them, the building erupted with the sound of running hooves.

“You may as well surrender now,” said the changeling leader, as Jingles and Aurora rushed to barricade the doors, seconds before more changelings could rush in. “Your paths of escape are already cut off. Kindness might stop us from fighting, for a time, but we don’t even need to fight you, just delay you long enough for Passion to get here.”

Aurora stared him down. “You know you’ll die too when he arrives? The first thing Hate does will be collapse this entire building.”

The changeling tensed some more, but did not step back. “If such is the will of the Queen, such is my duty. When our master gets here, you’ll be in chains, or you’ll die. There is no other way.”

“Then perhaps we could make one?” asked Aquila.

Everypony looked at her.

Aquila turned around the room, with half-closed eyes, her horn glowing softly. “There is enough here for me to work with, I think. Do you think you could dispel the fumes, so I can cast freely?”

“We can,” said Sauti, “but I don’t think I can maintain my aura at the same time.”

“No need to,” said Aquila looking at the changelings. “Not being able to hurt anyone might slow me down anyway.”

“You’re not an Element,” said the changeling, observing the unicorn cautiously. “You were chosen for high magical potential, but your talent hasn’t even fully realised yet. You aren’t capable of anything that could break you out of your predicament. What are you trying to accomplish here?”

Jingles and Whisper flanked Aquila, their Elements starting to glow brightly.

“Yea, What are you trying to do, Aquila?” Asked Whisper. “I haven’t seen you try anything like this before.”

Aquila lit up her horn. “That’s because I’ve never done it before. I didn’t even know how much I can do until you got me training outside of the city, where the air was clear.”

“Any moment now,” warned Sauti.

Aquila stared down the changeling, a cocky smile playing on her lips. “Do you know why I got my old name?” she asked, her horn lighting up into a pillar of bright light.

“Dowsing division,” said the changeling. His eyes were already widening when the walls around him exploded, pipes tearing out to shoot streams of water at him and his companions.

The air filled with dust, pieces of wood, and clouds of steam. Judging by the angry hisses from behind the door, the effect was not limited to the one room.

Aurora pounced forward, silencing her mind to catch the changeling off guard - she collided with the chitinous monster just as he was about to spit a glob of resin at Aquila. The impact sent him flying backwards, shattering both the shutters and the window frame, and knocking him outside.

“That’s how I know there is a water tower on the roof,” said Aquila.

The building resounded with a groan of wood and metal straining. Sauti stepped to stand just behind Aquila, a tendril of pink light stretching from her jewel to grab Aurora and pull her closer. Then there was a deafening noise, and Aurora knew the roof had given way, then the top floor. Then the ceiling above their heads was crashed in, a wave of wood and water flooding in, sweeping away the two remaining changelings, and punching a hole through the floor underneath. Aquila screamed with effort as the water swept around her, briefly forming a vortex around the five ponies, before hitting the barricaded door, shattering it into splinters and sweeping away anyone still behind them.

Aquila swooned, but managed to catch herself at the last moment. “Through the hole,” she said. “There is a large sewer right under the basement.”

Jingles was already jumping in, ready to catch Sauti on the floor below. Whisper looked around the room and gestured for the girls to follow suit. Aurora grabbed her sister around the barrel and spread her wings, dropping into the unknown space below, letting Whisper cover their retreat.

He jumped down a moment later, joining her in what turned out to be an apartment, now completely ruined by Aquila’s display of magic. Whisper lit up in an orange aura and then stomped on the floor, causing it to cave in.

“Ladies first,” he said, pointing at the basement. There was already some commotion audible on the floor above them.

***

“So, the hideout is lost,, along with three contacts,” said Bubble Burst, as she finished listening to the story, “and you still don’t know where Cristal is, or even if she’s still alive.”

“We did manage to learn something,” said Sauti. “We found the notes she left behind. It wasn’t much, but I think we’ve figured out where Deception’s lab in Iustitia is.”

“There have been ponies shipped there,” said Whisper, “many more than she usually takes. Cristal though Deception must be working on some new kind of monster.”

“What kind of monster would she need?” asked Bubble Burst.

The two spent a moment in silence, Whisper’s eyes glaring into Bubble’s single one.

“I’ve already had to evacuate Portus after Cristal disappeared,” she said. “If you get yourselves captured walking into a dragon’s den-”

“You know we will anyway,” said Whisper. “We owe it to Cristal.”

“Do you owe it to her to doom our cause?” asked Bubble. “At your current power you might be strong enough to meet a single Shattered, but not in their own fortress. And if we lose you, we might lose all the jewels at once. Then it might be centuries before the Shattered slip up again. All we have achieved so far could be for nothing.”

“All you have achieved will be for nothing if you stop now,” said Aquila, stepping in to stand at the side of Whisper. Aurora’s eyes slid over the cutie mark now adorning her little sister’s blue coat - a full moon. She shifted nervously, suppressing the urge to look at her own, still blank rump.

“It is true,” said Sauti, joining Whisper. “You say we’re too weak now, but only through adversity do we grow. And if we abandon our friend to an unknown fate, how can we call upon the power of friendship?”

Bubble Burst turned away, her wings ruffling in frustration. “Then do it, if you have to,” she said. “But I can’t afford any more losses right now.”

“If you can’t afford more losses,” said Aurora, “that means you’ll give us all the support you can?”

Bubble Burst turned to face her, very very slowly. When she finally spoke, there was defeat in her voice. “I will.”

***

“Are you a changeling?” asked Whisper peering between the tangle of pipes blocking the way.

The black pegasus filly emerged from her hiding spot, reaching up to straighten the beret on her head. “No, sir, I’m not.” She raised an eyebrow. “Why are you asking me that?”

Whisper shrugged. “Had to make sure. I’ve spent the last couple of days asking our agents that.” He looked around. “So, you’re our guide tonight?”

The filly looked at the ponies gathered in front of her.

“That’s me,” she said with a smile. “The name’s Charcoal. I know every way through the industrial district. But you’ll have to wait till well past sunset. You guys won’t fit through some of the best shortcuts, so I’ll need to find a way to hide you for a while.”

Whisper looked up, past the towering chimneys above them, towards the slowly reddening sky. “We should be able to stay hidden for a while more.”

“Oh, I can point you to a good hiding spot,” said Charcoal, fluttering into the air. “It’s hot, but that means the guards don’t like checking in there. Follow me.”

She flew out of the dead end and past some pipes, keeping just low enough to see around her while staying in cover. The team followed her, first Jingles and Aquila, then Sauti, with Aurora and Whisper guarding the rear.

The setting sun peered from under the cloud of smoke, casting long streaks of orange over the industrial district. The ominous shadow of the Tower of Justice was falling across the city, making it look like a giant sundial.

Aurora shuddered, putting her wing over Whisper’s withers.

***

“Ooh, I think I see something starting,” said Pinkie Pie excitedly.

Aurora glared at her. “It did not end well.”

“Oh, right” said Pinkie Pie, and she seemed to deflate a little.

“I can’t help but notice your story is taking more and more jumps,” said Obsidian.

“It was you who said we don’t need to see everything,” replied Aurora. “I’m trying to show you all the important parts.”

“That sure was a cool way to get a cutie mark,” said Scootaloo. “Why did you two get yours so late?”

“I think it was all the suppressed magic,” replied Aurora. “It was normal to get them that late in my times.”

“Hey, I want to see what happened next,” said Rainbow Dash impatiently.

“Well,” said Aurora, “We couldn’t really use Jingles’ confusion magic to get in; it would cause an alarm too soon, so we had to sneak in the old way. It took us hours of skulking around to get into the basement levels of the factory. When we finally got there, it was every bit as nightmarish as we had imagined.”

***

Aurora and Jingles were holding tight, squeezed between the pipes on the ceiling, waiting for a scientist to go past. The mare was an orange earth pony with her mane in a bun, dressed in a lab coat and soft boots that prevented her steps from echoing across the empty halls. The two pegasi froze as she stopped right beneath their hiding spot, before turning and walking into the nearest door.

Behind her corner, Aquila slowly released her breath. “Why don’t we just take her out?” she whispered. “It would be easier.”

“It would,” agreed Sauti. “But we don’t know what else is there. Could we hide the body quickly enough? Would anypony react to her absence? The later the alarm is sounded, the more we’ll learn.”

She inhaled, slowly, and the soft glow of her gem spread to Aquila and Whisper, leaving an invisible muffling film on their hooves. They sped through the corridor, clearing the next corner before the scientist could return.

Two corridors further, Sauti gestured with her hoof and everypony stopped. Aurora and Jingles joined their friends, gliding silently.

“Problem?” asked Whisper.

Sauti turned towards Aquila. “If violence is what you wish for, it awaits ahead. There’s a creature lurking there, that we won’t be able to sneak past,” she said softly. “It is there to alarm others, so we need to take it out quickly.”

Aquila looked at her with a smile, clearly impressed. “That’s a nifty sense to have. Can Kindness look into all the hearts?”

Sauti shook her head. “No, it cannot. And neither can I. It’s just a trick a wizard learns when she can’t see.”

“So, what do we do?” whispered Aurora.

“Leave it to me,” said Jingles. “It’s not a big monster, but a loud one? A sentry?”

Sauti nodded. “Hiding above the door.”

Jingles put on a lab coat and an orange wig, and then walked openly down the corridor, stepping confidently. Everypony held their breaths as the pegasus walked closer and closer to the large, double door at the very end.

Without warning, Jingles reared, whipping out Aquila from under his coat, shooting her horn straight up, a beam of blue light striking the ceiling.

Aquila looked in surprise towards where she had stood a moment before, then turned purple, frantically disentangling herself from Jingles’ hooves.

“That was weird,” she said, regaining her footing, as her friends rushed in to rejoin her. “What did you do?”

Jingles raised an eyebrow at her. “What I always do. I used the power of Laughter to dispel the worries of my friends.”

“You know,” said Aquila, “I’ve known you for months, and I’ve never seen you laugh.”

“No love for comedians where I grew up,” replied Jingles. “I laugh on the inside.”

Aurora looked up. There, between the ceiling pipes, there was what looked like a small ice sculpture, a bizarre, furry creature with spindly legs and bat ears, frozen with its chest puffed, a moment before releasing what would probably have been a loud scream.

Aurora swallowed loudly. She couldn’t even tell if that thing had started as a monkey or a spider. This was something she’d expect to see in the Discord-touched wastelands, not in the middle of the city. Is that what Deception does to living things?

“We still haven’t seen any of the ponies they’d taken,” she whispered.

Sauti pressed her snout to the door, closed her eyes, and for a moment she seemed to be listening intently. Then she shuddered, almost swaying on her feet. Everypony looked at her in alarm.

“You’ve found it,” stated Whisper, glancing from her to the door and back.

“I… had to make sure,” said Sauti. Gasping for breath. “We’re here..”

Everypony looked at each other behind her back. Then, slowly, Whisper and Aurora pushed the door open.

***

“Wait,” said Twilight, “that mare you snuck past, I know her. Her color has changed a bit, but I’m sure it was Dr Stone. That was Deception herself, wasn’t it?”

“Stone?” asked Aurora, “So that’s what she calls herself now? She was Dr Stein in my time. Anyway, yes, she was, but we didn’t know it back then. We had already got past some lab assistants before. We had no idea who she was until-”

“Hey!” said Rainbow, “Are you telling a story or showing us a story? Because both are cool, but I’d like to have one or the other.”

“It’s not nice to interrupt,” said Fluttershy. After a second she added. “I’m not sure I do want to see what happened next.”

***

The lab was enormous, more like a hangar than a proper laboratory. The lamps high on the ceiling bathed the room in cold, white light. In the middle there was a work station with a number of rails set into the floor, allowing different equipment to be rolled in or out. Right now it was a collection of tables covered with notes and strange canisters, a pony-sized jar of green liquid standing in the middle. Rows of similar jars lined the back wall.

Slowly, the ponies walked in, eyes and ears sweeping the room in search of danger. Aurora spread her wings, and flew to the center of the room. She stopped in front of the jar, peering through the liquid, at the shape inside.

“I think it’s a changeling,” she said.

The rest of the group gathered around her.

“It seems so,” said Aquila, “but it’s different. It has a mane, and-”

“It’s Cristal,” said Whisper.

Aquila and Aurora looked closer at the thing in the jar. At first sight it had all the insectile features of a changeling, but the muzzle was that of a mare, something Aurora had never seen before. The blue mane flowed in the fluid like tendrils of a jellyfish.

Jingles stared hard at the jar, then flew up, and started flying around the room. “There are more like her here,” he said. Each is different, but they’re all… changed. I think some are dead already.”

“We are too late,” said Sauti, exhaling heavily. “But why would Deception try to turn ponies into changelings?”

“Yea,” said Aquila, trying not to look at the jar in the center. “Changelings are already pretty good at being changelings, aren’t they?”

Whisper turned away from the jar and towards the notes on the table. “Perhaps we can find something here? Jingles, you look for some way to set this place on fire.”

“So, we’re just killing them all?” asked Aquila, looking around. “Just like that?”

“We can’t rescue them,” said Sauti, “not without knowing how all this works. Most of them are half-way changed, and only Deception knows what’s inside their bodies. And if we leave them here, she will keep working on them, until they’re dead, or monsters in her thrall.”

“So, you want to burn them, and that’s it?” asked Aurora, tapping her wing on the glass.

Inside the jar, the thing that had been Cristal stirred. One eye opened, an unpony thing with a slitted pupil, staring into Aurora. The pegasus flinched away, staring at the creature. The instruments surrounding the jar started beeping alarmingly.

Whisper had taken a quick glance at the notes and, visibly unable to decipher their contents, swept them into a single stack he put inside his coat.

“Jingles?” He called.

“There seem to be some oxygen pipes here,” said Jingles from above. “And some others I can’t identify. It should be enough to do it.”

This was when an alarm sounded - a loud, whistling shriek just outside the door. It was answered by a loud roar, somewhere outside, then a sound of running hooves, growing heavier as it got closer.

“We’re out of time!” shouted Aquila. She rushed towards the door, flinging it open with her magic. In the corridor behind it she saw a pony in a lab coat disappearing behind the corner, and something big barreling towards the lab at full gallop. She tried to slam the door shut, but since it swung both ways, the effort proved futile.

“Ready yourselves!” called Jingles, flying low, his jewel glowing. “I should’ve watched the door,” he added under his breath.

Whisper and Sauti likewise prepared, their Elements lighting up. Aurora checked the bracers on her forelegs, a pair of thin blades emerging over her hooves. Aquila stepped aside, lighting up her horn.

The thing slammed through the door like a charging rhino, which it may in part have been. Aurora caught a glance of a shell-like, thick skin, broad shoulders, and bat-like ears. Then the creature flipped forward into a roll, landing with its limbs spread wide, getting rid of the excess momentum before it could carry it head-first into the gathered lab equipment.

Four beams of light struck the outer shell, surrounding the monster with a dazzling halo of colors. It huddled up, but didn’t show pain. The four legs spread wide, and stuck to the floor with a suckling noise. Then it pushed forward, and its front opened into a toothy maw, three dark green tongues shooting forth like coiled snakes.

One tongue flew at Whisper, who had to roll aside to avoid it, the tongue ripping through his trenchcoat and nearly grabbing him as it coiled back.

The other two tongues flew at Sauti. The mare had enough time to shield herself with a pink bubble of force, but the impact dislodged it, sending her bouncing like a ball through the lab. She crashed through one of the tables and then into a wall of jars on the wall, cracking the one she hit.

“It’s resistant!” shouted Jingles, as he flew over the monster, crashing a pair of cymbals over its bat ears, the only obvious weak spot he could see. The beast rolled over, swinging one of its limbs at him as he flew past, but he barrel-rolled out of the way of the swing. The monster landed upside down, its double joints turning the other way as the limbs flipped over to match its new position.

“Then how about this?” said Aquila, her magic grabbing another table and flinging it at the monster, its contents flying all over the floor.

The tongues grabbed the table in mid air, and then, to everypony’s surprise, set it aside gently. This was when Aurora flew over the creature, hitting the side of its head, the left blade aiming inside the ear.

It didn’t achieve what she hoped. The blade went in, but apparently the brain was not there. There wasn’t even a cry of pain she expected. For a moment Aurora could see an eye pop up from between the protective flabs of skin to glare at her. Then the monster rolled forward, propelling her off its back. She flew at the jar in the middle of the room, her vision exploding with bright lights as she hit the glass, the surface splintering in front of her. The hybrid inside started thrashing wildly, sharp teeth snapping, causing Aurora to recoil in horror. She heard the tongues whip out again behind her, but her body, still stunned from the impact, was too slow to react.

The strike didn’t come. Aurora turned around. Whisper was standing between her and the guardian monster, a thick orange aura surrounding him like a giant block of amber. Three monstrous tongues were lodged in it, the black stingers at the tips slowly pushing their way towards his chest.

“Sauti?” he asked with strained voice.

“Here,” said Sauti, emerging from behind the beeping instruments, which were now flashing alarmingly. Her jewel burned bright, a lance of pink light shooting along the tongues, into the monster’s open mouth.

This time it worked. The beast stumbled backwards, swaying, the tongues lolling out of its mouth, too discoordinated to coil again.

“Not magic-proof on the inside, huh?” smirked Aquila. Her smile faded when she saw the door open again, the spider-like sentry monsters skittering through one after another, spreading out on the floor and the surrounding walls.

“Aquila, here!” shouted Jingles above her, pointing his hooves at some pipes along the ceiling.

Aquila nodded, shooting her horn up. Jingles managed to land, covering her with an umbrella, just before half the ceiling was engulfed in flames, broken pieces of pipes raining onto the floor.

The monsters stopped, backing away from the burning debris. Some sort of fire suppression system activated on the ceiling, but it was woefully inadequate, the sprinkling water only adding a cloud of steam to the chaos.

Aurora joined her sister under the umbrella. “Is that your plan?” she hissed at Jingles.

“No,” he said. “Lend me your power.”

The three Elements lit up again, Aquila contributing as she could. The aura of mixed colors swirled around the five ponies. Something exploded above them and a heavy girder fell on top of the large guardian monster. Behind them, the jar finally shattered, the hissing hybrid breaking free in a single bound, skittering along the wall in search of an escape route.

Jingles closed his eyes and everything disappeared in a bright flash.

When they recovered, Aurora and her friends found themselves in the corridor outside the lab. The teleport took them less than 50 feet, but that was enough to get through the fire, and all the sentry monsters.

Jingles looked around, and raised an eyebrow. “It’s much easier when you have line of sight. Now, RUN!”

***

A metal grate slowly rose from its resting place. A biscuit-yellow hoof pushed it aside with a scraping noise. A pair of ears emerged, followed by a pair of eyes, scanning the surrounding area. There was some noise in the distance, a sound of shouting and galloping hooves, but in the immediate surroundings there was nopony in sight.

“The coast is clear, I think,” said Jingles, emerging from the hole, and crawling behind the nearest pipe. Aquila emerged behind him, followed by the rest of the group.

“How long did we spend underground?” said Aquila, looking up at the sky. “It’s almost sunrise.”

“It seems the surface is on alert,” said Whisper, peering from his hiding spot, his ears moving, trying to make sense of the distant noises.

“Even if they don’t know about the secret lab, smoke in the main vent system will do that,” said Jingles, looking for a vantage point he could stealthily move to.

“This mission has gone all kinds of wrong,” said Aurora bitterly. She looked at Sauti. “What are our chances of leaving the industrial district?”

“We’ll have to use veils,” replied the old mare, her muzzle scrunched in focus. “There’s a lot of fear in the air… the chaos will help us.”

“I just hope Charcoal made it out okay,” said Aurora.

“Well, the sooner we move, the better our chances,” said Jingles, perking up. “Just look for some junk for me to work with, and give me a couple seconds.”

***

A couple minutes later, the five ponies were sneaking through the yards between the factory buildings. There was a clink of metal when Aquila stumbled, the metal rim of her air inlet disguise catching on the curb.

“Shh, somepony’s coming” hissed Whisper.

There was a sound of approaching hooves. The group froze in their enchanted disguises, like a bunch of foals playing trees and rocks in a school play, a single guardspony running obliviously past them.

Jingles released his breath slowly, and gestured at his friends to continue walking.

“Say, what was that formation?” said Whisper. “I don’t remember seeing guards in red armor.”

“Do you think he’s one of Hate’s?” asked Aurora.

“He didn’t seem very elite, separated from his unit like that,” whispered Sauti. “In fact, he seemed scared.”

Aquila’s eyes narrowed. “Scared of what?”

They proceeded on, more cautiously than before. But try as they did to stay away from any commotion, it seemed the sounds followed them. There was no organized pursuit they could evade, but somehow, despite their efforts, they found that whatever was happening there, was now all around them.

They smelled the blood before they turned the next corner. There, a unicorn guard was sprawled on the ground, his eyes still staring up at the spear embedded in his chest plate. His armor, blue rather than the traditional silvery white, was battered, as if trampled on, blood still dripping slowly from underneath it.

Whisper shifted forward, dropping the grate he had been carrying. “Just what is going on here?” he said under his breath.

Just as he was about to touch the body, it flashed white and disappeared, only the splatter of blood on the concrete marking the spot it had occupied.

Sauti paled. “We need to get out of here.”

Everypony turned at the sound of flapping wings. Charcoal descended from some hiding spot high above them, landing in front of the five ponies. “Guys,” she said in an urgent whisper. “You need to get out of here, fast.”

The team was already discarding their disguises, leaving the clunky metal behind to exchange supernatural stealth for speed.

There was a loud explosion nearby, and then a sound of galloping hooves. Charcoal ducked aside, looking for cover, while the team prepared for a fight.

A blue armored pegasus flew into the courtyard. He was carrying a red suitcase in his teeth, and had an expression of utter panic. He was fleeing from a trio of red-armored guards chasing behind him, zigzagging to avoid the shots of the enemy unicorn, though for some reason it didn’t occur to him to just fly up and out of range of his pursuers.

The four ponies rushed past, seemingly oblivious to the intruders on their territory. On the other side of the yard, another blue guard, a pegasus wearing a baseball cap instead of a helmet, jumped out from behind the corner, the first pursuer colliding face-first with the bat held in his teeth.

“It’s been like this for an hour,” said Charcoal in a distressed tone, “They’ve all gone crazy.”

Whisper just broke into a run, leading the herd in the direction the red guards had come from, leaving what looked like a fight to the death behind him.

There were more bodies there. It wasn’t clear what had caused the explosion, but it clearly hit two ponies. One, a blue unicorn, had been thrown so high up, he got stuck in a broken window one floor off the ground. His body flashed, and disappeared just as Aurora was flying past it.

The other, a burly, blue armored earth pony, was on the ground by the wall, lying in a mangled heap, but somehow still alive. As the group was running past him, he suddenly opened his eyes, welling with tears, and looked up to the sky.

“Why… don’t you just let us die?” he croaked.

There was a white flash, and a door appeared in mid air right in front of Jingles. As he retreated with a flap of wings, a misshapen monster strolled out of it, towering over the ponies.

It was Discord, his serpentine body dressed in a purple jacket with a matching skirt, and shoes. He marched out, stepping in the air, before looking down on the crippled earth pony.

“Don’t worry. You’re all dead already. You’ll stop moving once the game is over.” The pony gave him an anguished look, and disappeared in a flash of white.

“Discord!” shouted Aquila, stating the obvious.

***

“What!?” shouted Twilight Sparkle. “Did this really happen? I mean, I know Discord. We’ve all fought him. But he was never that... monstrous!”

“Yea,” added Rainbow Dash, struggling to keep her wing over Scootaloo's eyes, with little effect. “He turned Equestria upside down for fun, and some ponies did go crazy for a while. But he was never that kind of cruel.”

Fluttershy just kept staring, her face looking like she was about to throw up. Pinkie Pie handed her an empty popcorn cup.

“Yes, he was like that,” said Aurora, slightly taken aback by her audience’s reaction, judging by her tone. “This wasn’t the only time I met him and that’s exactly how he was in my time.”

“Ponies change, Twilight Sparkle,” said Obsidian. “Why wouldn’t a creature of chaos? By the look of it, this thing is so warped, it’s barely holding to reality.”

***

Everypony moved away from Discord, standing together with their rumps against the wall, with Aurora and Jingles flying above their friends, and Whisper trying to shield Charcoal.

The lord of chaos snapped his fingers, and the mangled earth pony disappeared. He then looked over the six ponies.

“Well, yes, I am,” he said to Aquila. “And who might you be?” He leaned forward, until his eyes slid over Sauti. Then his mouth stretched into a toothy smile. “Why, It’s the Elements of Harmony!”

“We haven’t planned on meeting you tonight, Discord,” said Sauti, her voice stiff with tension.

Discord blinked. “Of course, you didn’t. You just wandered into my game by accident. You must be doing some hero thing here.” He turned towards the Tower of Justice with a pensive look. “You’re lucky old Vengeance is getting crazier by the year. In the old days she’d be here as soon as the fire started.”

“So, you’re just... playing here?” asked Aquila.

“He is,” said Sauti, “This is very cruel, you know,” she added, turning towards Discord.

“Not my fault you’re so useless,” replied Discord with a shrug. “I was bored.”

“What?” said everypony except Sauti, who just clenched her teeth.

“What?” parroted Discord, “Do I have to explain it to you?” A blackboard came into existence behind his back, and his purple suit was replaced by a professor’s gown. “I’m not the kind to just sit still, and do nothing. Unless there’s something really entertaining to watch, but you guys aren’t. You’re supposed to be heroes. Great forces clashing for the fate of the world! Ever since I learned about you, I’ve been waiting for you to do something interesting. Perhaps topple the Shattered, and build some new world for me to play with. But no! Each century you’re weaker and more useless. Boooring!”

He snapped his fingers again, and the board disappeared with a squeak. Discord stepped forward, growing with each step until he stood over the ponies like a giant. “I remember your old companions. They wouldn’t huddle in fear of me. At least they had some courage.”

“They all died,” said Sauti. “And we are no cowards, We risk our lives daily.”

Discord turned around, and looked at her over his shoulder. “Oh, right. So daring of you to break into the labs, like thieves, then set everything on fire because you couldn’t solve anything. It doesn’t take great heroes to do that, you know.”

“It’s not an accident,” said Whisper. “You’ve been spying on us.”

Discord raised an eyebrow. “Oh? But why would I? Would it be fun to watch you do your heroes' stuff?”

“We do what we can,” said Aquila. "We might be weak, but it doesn't mean we aren't heroes."

“Really?” said Discord. He was now wearing a blue skin-tight suit, and a red cape, his size back to what passed for normal.

“Y… yes,” said Aquila. “It’s not power that makes a hero. It’s doing what’s right, even when it’s dangerous.”

“Now,” said Discord, his fingers preparing to snap again, “that’s a steaming pile of…”

Sauti’s barrier spell erupted over Aquila like an umbrella. Discord withdrew his fingers, instead snaking in the air to put his eyes level with the unicorn.

“You see, all those stories you hear about heroes, they aren’t about brave ponies. Or did you spend your entire foalhood waiting for a brave colt and his dog to free you from the Shattered? I can make night into day… well, except here, with all those chimneys anyway… but even I can’t make a pony matter without some power. And you know what? If you were real heroes, you’d have saved those ponies underground. And perhaps these guards too.”

He rose, looking down at Sauti. “This is very cruel, you know,” he said in a mocking tone. “A real Kindness would have the courage to make me stop. And she could do that too, even if she had to… let’s say… take their place?”

“You said they’re already dead,” said Sauti.

“And if I lied?” asked Discord.

Sauti hesitated. “Then you can’t be trusted with anything you’d agree on,” she finally said.

“So,” said Discord. “You don’t have what it takes. Do you really think you even make a difference?”

Sauti swallowed loudly. “I believe, I do.”

“If you did,” said Discord, “you wouldn’t be cowering with fear. Those shiny baubles you’re wearing? If you were real heroes, those things would be enough to drive me away. A glorious story of valiant ponies saving the city from a master of chaos. Instead-”

***

“All this villain talk reminds me of somepony,” said Rainbow Dash with a scowl.

Obsidian scowled back. “Don’t look at me. I missed that entire millennium.”

***

Discord flew back, and formed a frame with his claws and talons, looking at everypony.

“You’re just a bitter old mule. When have you last been kind to anypony? And no, putting them out of their misery doesn’t count. And what of your ‘friends’? An ex-con Honesty? A Laughter that never laughs? This is really pathetic. What’s next? You give Generosity to a changeling? Oh wait. You don’t have it. Vengeance would kill you all with a sneeze if you tried to enter the tower.”

Everypony’s heads turned in the direction of the Tower of Justice. “You mean it’s there?” asked Jingles.

Discord shrugged. “Of course. They all are. It’s not very creative, just sitting on them like that, but It’s more than enough against the likes of you.”

“Will you stop that?” said Aurora.

Discord raised an eyebrow. Aurora flapped her wings, approaching him at face level.

“It’s a game for you, we get it. You’re like bazillion years old, and bored out of your wits.” said Aurora. “But you know what? It’s not a game for us. For any of us. We live, and die here, and we’re trying our best to make the world a little bit better. So why don’t you move out of the way, and let us do our ‘hero thing’? If you really want some heroes to stop you, you can be a hero and stop yourself for once!”

Aurora finished, breathing heavily. Her frustration spent on the initial outburst, it seemed she didn’t have any idea how to continue. Behind her, her friends froze, all looking from her to Discord and back.

The lord of chaos stared at Aurora, as if he had seen her for the first time, his mismatched, red eyes boring into hers.

“You know,” he said, scratching his goatee with his talons, “I may have to change my plans for tonight because of you.”

Aurora swallowed loudly, suddenly aware of what she had done. “Um… how so?”

“Well,” said Discord, “I was thinking of starting something new today, changing your friends until they were no longer bearers, and taking the Elements away, to see if I can find somepony better to wield them…”

Just then a red-armored unicorn ran onto the scene, skidding panically to a halt as he saw Discord. The draconequus snapped his claws. "The game is over." The pony swayed, his body shifting as injury after injury came into existence all over it - Aurora could see the wounds not so much open, as suddenly always have been there, until the unicorn exploded with a soft splat.

“But now I have a better idea,” continued DIscord as if nothing had happened. “Let’s play a new game.”

He snapped his claws again, and suddenly everyone was standing on a roof overlooking the industrial district. The sky was already pink, and the ponies could see that their surroundings had been warped by Discord’s presence; the main factory complex was untouched, the fumes spreading from the chimneys dampening even the chaos lord’s magic, but the buildings the closest to them were slowly turning into a tangle of metal that made eyes hurt when observed too long.

“You look like a strong flier,” said Discord, turning towards Aurora. “How about a race?”

Aurora, still sickened and disoriented by what had just happened, turned towards him, not quite understanding. “What do you mean? There’s not much point racing you.”

Discord nodded. “Quite true. Quite true. But I’m sure I could give you a suitably heroic challenge.” He snapped his claws, and the nearest pipes moved. Metal twisted, ripping itself out of the structure. Two openings faced Aurora, now suddenly filled with row upon row of teeth. The smooth surfaces cracked and darkened, forming a pattern of scales. Two pairs of bat wings sprouted from each of the monsters, flapping faster and faster, until the creatures rose into the air like bizarre dragonflies.

“Now,” said Discord, “The sun is rising. Vengeance may be too crazy to notice things most of the time, but she’s not blind. She’ll be here any moment, and when she is, everypony will die. Right now, none of you will make it out of here in time. Unless…”

“Unless what?” said Whisper.

“Well,“ said Discord, “I only care about the Elements of Harmony.” he turned towards Aurora. “Getting you out of here is no big deal for me. Just ask me, and I will snap my fingers, and send you to your hideout. And your sister... and that kid too. I don’t care,” he finished, waving his paw dismissively.

“Or… you can gamble your sister’s life, and try to save these losers.” Discord grinned widely. “Race my pets and win, and everypony lives. Lose, and you will die, along with everypony you care about.”

He turned around in the air, and spread his arms wide. ”So, what will it be? Will you save the only family you have left? Or will you try to prove that you’re a hero? Whatever you do…” Discord pulled out a golden pocket watch, “...I suggest you hurry.”

Sauti opened her mouth to speak. Discord snapped his fingers, and her mouth disappeared.

Discord wagged a claw. “Nu nuh, no voting. It’s her decision alone.” A black curtain fell from nowhere, separating Aurora from her friends. “So, what are you going to do?”

Aurora swallowed. She tried to calm down, but when she closed her eyes, she could hear the sound of Discord’s pocket watch ticking, louder and louder. She looked towards the Tower of Justice, a giant, ominous shape in the distance; then towards the curtain covering Aquila, and the others; then towards the monsters still hanging in the air at the edge of the roof, their wings flapping in a steady rhythm. Finally, she turned towards the lord of chaos.

With a clunk, she dropped the blade bracelets from her forelegs. Turning around to reach different clasps with her teeth, she disentangled herself from the rest of her equipment.

“Where do I need to fly?”

If Discord’s grin could get any wider, the top of his head might fall off. He definitely had more teeth than just seconds before. He pointed his claw across the city. “You go round that chimney and then back here past this one.”

He rose into the air, the flying worms coming to his sides. The black curtain disappeared, showing the frightened ponies behind it.

“Well, we better start then, shouldn’t we?” said Aurora. She started flapping her wings faster and faster, preparing to take off at top speed.

Discord flew in front of Aurora, the monsters positioning behind her. He took a small red flag and raised it in his talon. “Okay, get ready… threetwooneGO!”

Aurora dashed forward, as quickly as she could. She could hear the flapping of wings behind her, but apparently the monsters lacked her ability to accelerate. She left them behind in the first couple of seconds.

Rooftops blurred underneath her. She flew over the factory buildings, then over the blocks of the nearest residential area. The giant chimney was still quite far in the distance. It wasn’t a part of the main factory setup, serving mainly as a magic dampener for its district. The sound of wings behind her was gradually getting closer, meshing together into an angry buzz. Aurora kept flying as fast as she could, but all the while she kept thinking of what to do. Her eyes turned towards the top of the chimney. Slowly, she started to build up altitude.

The rooftops shrunk beneath her. She could see some ponies looking up into the morning sky, many of them guards. Such reckless flying within the capitol airspace was bound to attract some attention. For a moment she got scared that somepony might try to shoot her down. Luckily, the monsters chasing her were bound to attract more attention.

She felt sudden tension in her wings. She was ascending of course, making her flight more laborious, but there was more to it than that. She was now approaching the chimney, getting closer and closer to the plume of smoke at the top. She could feel her innate magic weaken as she got further from Discord, the colors of her surroundings dulling, while the details got sharper. Her back muscles protested painfully, her wings suddenly barely large enough to provide any more lift. Behind her she could hear the flapping lose its rhythm and fall behind; whatever she was suffering through must have been much worse for conjured monsters, their forms struggling just to remain real.

She flew a tight turn around the giant chimney, reducing the flapping to just glide for a moment. As she started flying back, she caught a glimpse of the two monsters reaching the chimney on its opposite side. They were barely flying, even worse so than she was, and what it meant was that she would get a head start again. This time she would be flying down too.

She pressed on, leaving the chimney behind. The descent allowed her to build up speed faster. Soon the pressure started subsiding. Her wings still hurt from the effort, but now she was quickly regaining her full flight capacity. Soon she could make out the tiny silhouettes of her friends and Discord waiting near the finish line.

Then she saw Discord’s talon rise. It was too far away to make out the details, but just from the gesture of his wrist, she knew it when he snapped his claws.

The flapping of wings, which had been quite far behind her, suddenly grew, and changed. It was now a roar, like some sort of a giant, mechanical saw. Aurora chanced a look behind. She could see a contrail of opalescent pink she was leaving by flying at that speed. Behind it, the two worms had increased their speed as well. She could see them fly with their maws open, rows of teeth rotating inside. It was as if they were sucking in the air as they flew, and there were now plumes of flame and smoke behind their tails. The distance between them and Aurora was shrinking fast.

“That cheating son of a…”

Aurora stared dead ahead, fighting the tears that appeared in her eyes from flying through the dusty air. There was no point in looking back now, nothing mattered except the space in front of her. Her wings protested again, as she put all of her strength into flying faster, the sound of pursuit growing louder behind her. The air seemed to get thicker in front of her, its resistance fighting against the momentum she had already built up. She was now close enough that she could see a grin on Discord’s face, and the horrified faces of her friends. The shadows shifted, ever so slightly, and she knew the sun had risen over the horizon.

She pushed on once more, and suddenly, like an invisible membrane bursting, the resistance was gone. The roar of the monsters disappeared in a deafening boom, and everything blurred from the speed. Aurora reached the second chimney in seconds, flying past it before the fumes could rob her of her speed. She made a sharp turn towards where her friends had been standing, and saw the two monsters falling from the sky. There was a giant ring of opalescent light spreading across the air where she had been seconds before.

Discord was looking at her, an expression of mad joy on his face. He snapped his claws, and everything disappeared in white light, but not before Aurora could catch a glimpse of a slender, white alicorn appearing in the sky above.

***

“That was where I got my cutie mark,” said Aurora, “but that was not the most important thing. It was that-” she paused, looking at her audience. Everyone was just staring, mouths half open, the expressions running a full spectrum from amazement to disgusted shock.

The only face that did not express much was Obsidian’s. He looked at the ponies around him, then at Aurora.

“I think it’s a good time for a break,” he said.

Chapter 30: The Actress

Aurora's ear twitched. There it was again, the sensation of being watched. She’d been having it more and more in the past weeks, her hearing catching the sound of hoofsteps not quite like the others, somepony purposefully trying to be sneaky.

She turned around, but couldn’t locate the source. There were a couple chosen nearby, but nopony seemed to be paying any attention to her.

Warily, she returned to her cleaning duties. The next house was marked as empty, so she didn’t have much work to do there beyond simple dusting. There was no chance of squatters in the Inner City, so empty houses just stood there waiting for new ponies to arrive. Aurora shut the door behind herself, propped the broom against the wall, and sighed deeply.

She had already spent a week working among the chosen. Fortunately, her blunder on the first day had not got her fired. It seemed violence was a common occurrence here, and the servants would often skip work on account of minor injuries.

But this was where her luck ended. She spent much of her time looking for a good hiding spot, but to no avail. The Inner City homes were universally small, too small to reliably conceal long distance teleportation, not to mention a bunch of ponies hiding there.

They could probably fly there in the night, evading the guards of the outer wall, and taking one of the empty houses - there were always some in the district, vacated after their inhabitants succumbed to old age, or more commonly, to their own insecurities regarding some imagined imperfection; the mental condition of the chosen seemed to only get worse with age. But for all their apparent obliviousness, the locals were frighteningly quick to pick up on abnormalities in their surroundings.

Bubble Burst might have been right, there’s nowhere to hide here, she thought in frustration. Even if we take over an empty house, the cleaners will come in a couple days. Perhaps we could use Jingles to fool them? Could he pretend to be a chosen?

A sound of a horn echoed from up high. Aurora looked up in confusion. What was going on? The sound did not repeat. It hadn’t sounded like an alarm, more like a fanfare. Aurora moved to the window. There was a commotion outside.

What’s going on?

Taking the broom in her teeth, Aurora scurried out of the house. The street was full of chosen, their faces alight with excitement. All were headed in one direction. “The Lady! The Lady is calling us!” one chosen stallion exclaimed.

Aurora’s blood ran cold. “Is Vengeance here? What do I do?”

She remembered her encounter with Envy. Has Vengeance heard of me yet? Discord said she was crazy and out of touch, didn’t he?

She looked towards the cart. Her partner for the day, an earth mare everypony called “Polish” was standing there with her back turned. Silently, Aurora backtracked inside the empty house, and closed the door. She took the broom, and started some token sweeping, But soon she found that she couldn’t focus on the task. The looming danger absorbed all of her attention, and worse, she soon found that her fear gave way to something much more alarming: curiosity.

She looked in the direction the chosen had headed, then dropped the broom with a dejected sigh. “I’ll go crazy if I just wait here,” she said under her breath.

Swallowing loudly, she finally made a decision. Moving slowly, she approached the window, opened the shutters, and flew out over the grass following the crowd.

***

The square was bigger than the others. Located directly south of the tower, it had clearly been designed to be the central point of the district. There was a stone platform in the middle of it, like a permanent stage, and just enough space for all the chosen to gather around it without stepping on the grass.

Aurora caught up with the crowd just as the last of them were taking their places. She took a hiding spot behind the corner of the nearest building, and waited.

Just moments later a loud “aah” sounded from the gathered crowd. From up high two ponies descended. One was a unicorn, standing on a flying platform, just like the one Envy had used. The other was a tall, white alicorn. She was flying freely, descending upon the stage with powerful flaps of her wide wings. Her mane was straight and milky white, just as her coat. Her body, bare and unadorned, was eerily perfect, a template of which the chosen were only pale reflections.

As her hooves touched the stage, all the gathered ponies fell to their knees, but didn’t lower their heads. Instead, they were stretching their necks towards their ruler, their eyes and ears fixated on her, ready to catch her every word and gesture.

Vengeance folded her wings. She stepped forward, looking down on the audience. Her face, initially emotionless, slowly formed a benevolent smile, a practiced, artificial gesture, that only her fanatics could mistake for genuine affection.

She has no heart, remembered Aurora, she doesn’t love anypony, only destroys those who displease her.

“I have come to gaze upon you, my children,” said Vengeance aloud, her voice magnified over the square. The tone of her voice didn’t quite match her words, more a blunt statement of a soldier than a proclamation of a monarch. And yet, the chosen seemed suitably impressed, the crowd echoing with a collective gasp.

“I am pleased with your continued efforts to maintain the perfection of this fine city, this small slice of order we have carved out of the chaotic world. It brings me peace to gaze upon your faces after all the work I have put into making this world a better place.”

The smile disappeared like a candle light blown out.

“And yet, it is not for serenity that I come to you today. I am here so you can bear witness to me doing my duty, and restoring the proper order of things.”

The square was stunned into silence. Vengeance turned her head, taking in the chosen’s reactions.

Aurora’s heart started racing. Did she look at me? Did she see me, or was she just looking at the chosen in my direction? Suddenly, coming to the meeting started looking like a horrible idea. Aurora’s mind was flooded with memories, rumors she had heard since she was a foal.

“Is it true what they say, that she never forgets anything? I heard she can hear your nerves, see heat, and tell a liar by his smell.”

Oh Sun and Moon, what am I doing here?

Meanwhile, Vengeance opened one wing, indicating the flying platform on the stage beside her. “This pony used to be a guard of peace, responsible for keeping our supplies safe. He betrayed that duty, and our trust, allowing theft of common goods for his personal profit.”

If she took note of a frightened pegasus skulking at the edge of the gathering, she didn’t show it.

Aurora looked at the guard. He walked off the platform and to Vengeance’s side, moving in an awkward, stiff gait, as if his legs were dragged along by the shackles on his ankles. He didn’t seem aware of his surroundings, his face stuck in an expression of numb horror.

Vengeance rose into the air, wings spread wide. Her voice boomed over the crowd.

“Tell him, where his place is in the order of things! What is the place of parasites who undermine the common good?!”

The mood of the crowd shifted so dramatically, Aurora felt it as if there was a storm gathering, her pegasi senses instinctively looking for signs of shifting air pressure.

“There is none,” growled an older mare.

This was a signal. Within seconds, the crowd exploded, the chosen rising from their knees, snarling and hissing. “Traitor!” they shouted, “Parasite!”, “There is no place for you here!” “Begone!”

Vengeance stayed suspended in the air, listening, her face bearing an expression of cold satisfaction. After 10 seconds, lightning arced along her extended wings.

The sound silenced the crowd, and they just stood there, completely still, staring at the stage.

“They speak the truth,” said Vengeance, looking down at the guard. “For such as you, there is no place in our world. Therefore... begone.”

Lightning flashed, and the stallion’s body spasmed, his gasp of pain lost in the sizzle of electricity. Aurora could see his fur catch fire briefly, and then suddenly dissolve into thin air, layers of his flesh and bone unravelling in split second, until he was gone, only the empty shackles falling onto the stage with a clunk.

Everypony released the breath they didn’t realise they’d been holding. There was nothing left of the guard, not even a smudge of soot.

“It is done,” said Vengeance. Both the shackles and the platform disappeared, leaving an empty stage. The chosen bowed their heads in deference as the alicorn left them, rising higher into the air, and flying back towards the tower. The crowd watched her go before turning and scattering, the white ponies going back to their homes to resume their interrupted activities.

Aurora didn’t see that part. She was already dashing back at breakneck speed, half running, half flying back to her work place.

***

She got inside the house one street ahead of the crowd. She shut the window, and just managed to grab the broom before there was a knock on the door, and Polish stuck her head inside. “Are you repainting the bloody house, or what?” she asked with a smile.

Aurora mumbled an apology through the broom handle, and rushed outside. The cart had already been moved along the street. Polish grabbed a bucket of cleaning utensils, and headed to the house across the street. Calming her breath, Aurora put her broom under her wing, and approached the next house in line.

She pushed the door lightly, and when it didn’t budge, she reflexively knocked.

Oh, wait. If it’s locked, they don’t want me here.

But before she could leave, the door opened. The white unicorn inside looked at her with surprise, before assuming the chosen’s trademark serene smile. “I don’t need your service,” she said.

“Of course,” said Aurora, retreating with a bow. She turned to approach the next house, as the chosen shut the door.

This one seemed more awake than most, she thought, she seemed to actually notice me. Wait a minute...

A week-old memory surfaced. With their similar built, identical robes, and white coats, the chosen all looked the same - they’d blend in the background as much as the caretakers did for them. But this one, Aurora was sure she had seen her before. She pondered the problem as she walked the street, moving aside to get out of the way of the chosen returning from the gathering.

Yes, I’m sure. She was the one that saw me when I was flying back then, and looked me in the eyes. It feels like she’s different from the other chosen, but what’s the deal with her?

Aurora returned to work with a nagging feeling that she was missing something important. It wasn’t until she was ready to finish work, when it suddenly hit her.

She was there when I came back. But the chosen never run! She wasn’t at the meeting!

***

“The next day they moved us to a different quarter. I couldn’t slip away from my work place long enough to investigate. I tried to check if she was still tailing me, but it looked like she had stopped. So I kept doing my work, looking for anything that could help my friends infiltrate, while waiting for another chance. It wasn’t until a full week later that I finally got it.”

***

It was near midday. Aurora looked around the street nervously.

This is the house. It looks like she’s inside. I shouldn’t let her see me. What about…

She looked aside. For that day she had been paired with Polish again. She saw her enter one of the houses, its inhabitant watching her movements with cold scrutiny.

That should keep her busy, thought Aurora. She moved aside, taking a position that let her keep an eye on her target while staying out of sight, and maintaining the illusion that she was working.

Any minute now…

And there it was, the first sound of a bell calling the chosen to lunch. Aurora grabbed the broom harder with her teeth, and pretended to sweep the pavement, all the while looking over her shoulder, waiting to see the silhouette of the suspicious unicorn.

There she is!

Aurora turned away, forcing herself to count seconds, until she was sure her target had turned the nearest corner.

There. Now let’s see what’s really going on there. Hopefully it will be something we can use.

She felt the tug of the communication spell inside her head, and prepared to transmit the picture from her eyes. Propping the broom against the nearest wall, she turned around.
She almost ran towards the house, moving as quickly as she could do without attracting attention. She looked over her shoulder - fortunately Polish hadn’t returned yet.

Behind the door there was nothing unusual. The house looked no different from the other ones: white walls, simple yet elegant furniture of light brown polished wood. “Nopony chosen above the others” was the district’s unofficial motto, and this house clearly expressed that sentiment.

Aurora suppressed a sigh of disappointment, her tension dropping suddenly. There’s nothing here. But should there be? It’ not like nopony ever looks through the door.

Calming herself down, she started searching the house, looking for places where somepony might try to hide something. There weren’t that many. The simplistic decor left very few spots concealed from sight. There was nothing under the bed, or in the drawers, nothing in the potted plants, at least as far as Aurora could verify without leaving a mess. When looking on top of the wardrobe revealed nothing, Aurora ran out of obvious ideas.

If I were a unicorn trying to hide something, where would I… what’s that smell?

She sniffed once, then once more, trying to locate the source. The smell reminded her of something she couldn’t quite put her hoof on. It made her think of something sticky and organic.

The bathroom! I should’ve started there.

Aurora walked towards the closed door. The smell was stronger there. Slowly, she pressed the doorknob. With its perfectly oiled hinges, the door opened soundlessly. Considering what was behind it, one could really expect an ominous creaking sound.

The inside of the bathroom looked like something out of a nightmare, white tiles around the door giving way to strands of dark green resin overgrowing the opposite wall. There was something there in the corner over the toilet - a green bubble, like a giant blister, filled with murky liquid in which a thin silhouette could be seen.

Aurora nearly screamed. She forced herself to step in and take a closer look. There was a familiar looking chosen unicorn in the pod. She wasn’t showing any signs of life.

That’s bad, very bad, thought Aurora as she retreated from the bathroom. There’s a changeling here, but why? All the changelings serve Deception. Did Vengeance allow one of them to feed on her chosen? This one looks dead.

Aurora’s eyes widened with a sudden realisation of a very obvious truth.

What am I doing?! I need to get out of here!

She closed the bathroom, and moved towards the exit, but found that the unicorn was already there, back from lunch way earlier than her neighbours, and now blocking the doorway with her body. She looked down disapprovingly at Aurora.

Aurora smiled nervously. “Cleaning service?”

The unicorn stepped forward, forcing her back into the house. “I do not require service. You know that,” she said.

Aurora was looking for a chance to push past the fake chosen, and out the door, but the mare kept shifting into her path.

“I have a lot to do today,” tried Aurora, her muscles tensing, preparing to leap into the air, “If you do not require my services, then I-”

She didn’t leap. Suddenly the unicorn’s horn lit up in green, and in an instant her eyes seemed to fill the whole world. Aurora tried to look away, but she just swayed with a whimper as the mare advanced at her. At the edge of her hearing she caught the sound of the door closing. A part of her mind registered the fact that she was trapped, but she couldn’t get her body to move… no, she couldn’t get her brain to formulate the intent to move. She observed what she thought would be her doom, with numb detachment. She felt she bumped into something - she had walked back so far that her rump touched the wall.

The unicorn opened her mouth, flickers of green flame crawling over her body, revealing a hairless, black shell, and a jaw full of sharp teeth. Slitted green eyes bored into Aurora’s soul.

Aurora blinked. Some gears in her head started turning, until a thought pierced through the numbing haze.

“Cristal?”

It was the monster’s turn to blink. The haze thinned, and Aurora could force herself to speak some more. “Cristal, it’s me, Aurora. We met at Portus, remember? I was with Whisper and Jingles …” her voice trailed off as the power overcame her again. The image before her shifted, the snarling face disappearing, replaced by her sister’s, then Whisper’s. For a brief moment, it was her mother’s. She felt a movement of air around her muzzle, as if somepony inhaled deeply right in front of her nose. Then her mind went blank.

***

She awoke in the bathroom. Jumping to her hooves, she found herself pulled back, slumping against the wall and hitting her head on the tiles. She tried to scream, but found something slick and stretchy covering her mouth just below the nostrils.

“Don’t struggle,” said Cristal, looking down at her.

Amber looked up. The changeling had already returned to her pony guise. Her intense glare was gone too, replaced by a cold, but calm expression.

“I’ve told your companion that I require your services,” continued Cristal. “I was very convincing. She won’t bother us until the end of her shift. I could wear your face then, and leave this place… but I do remember you. You freed me. But you tried to kill me too, didn’t you?”

Aurora tried to think of something to say. She attempted to mumble a reply through her gag. She now knew it was changeling resin - she had been glued to the wall.

Cristal sighed. “I will free your mouth now, but remember, nopony will get to you in time if you start screaming. Do you understand?”

Aurora nodded vigorously. Cristal’s horn flashed green, and the strand covering Aurora’s mouth dissolved into clear liquid.

“Now, explain yourself.”

Aurora closed her eyes, and tried to calm herself, or at least not show how terrified she was. Instinctively, she remembered the lessons she had had drilled into her by Sauti on how to screen her heart.

Cristal tapped impatiently with her hoof. “Don’t do that.”

Aurora opened her eyes. “Don’t do what?”

The changeling frowned like a dissatisfied teacher. “Don’t hide your emotions. I know how it works, Sauti taught me too. But right now it is very important that you don’t lie to me.”

Aurora looked her straight in the eyes. “I’m not trying to lie to you.” She took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, releasing her blocks. “I… yes, we were trying to kill you there. But we thought you were too far gone to save. You just… thrashed in that jar, snapping your teeth…”

“A monster,” finished Cristal.

Aurora swallowed. She looked sideways towards the pod hanging from the wall.

“Yes,” said Cristal. “I’m a monster now. And I killed this one. She kept me fed for weeks, but there was only so much I could give her back. So what do you do now? Still want to put me out of my misery?”

Aurora considered the question. “I… I don’t know. Not that I could right now, but… anyway… you seem much more… awake now?”

“Lucid?” supplied Cristal helpfully.

“Yes, lucid,” said Aurora, nodding. “Much more like yourself now. So… how miserable… I mean, do you want to die?”

Cristal seemed lost in thought for a couple seconds. “No,” she finally answered. “No, I want to live. What now?”

“I don’t know,” replied Aurora, desperately looking for some solution. “How often do you… I mean…” Very smooth, she thought to herself.

Cristal rolled her eyes. “I don’t think I need to kill at all. I just need enough food that I don’t take too much at once from anypony. I built this pod on instinct. I don’t remember most of it. "

"I was...a beast when I escaped, just as you said. I managed to sneak past the guards and get in here during the night, caught a pony, and stole her face, then just smiled and nodded while I tried to remember how to speak. It took me a week to say my first words. I’ve been here since then, going out only to eat, and shooing away cleaners, only growing bolder when my prey started dying, and I needed to start hunting outside. It was hard at first, but thinking did me good. I started remembering things, and meeting you seems to have given me the last push I needed.”

“The chosen are made to love Vengeance. Their love is fat and bitter. You tasted much better, refreshing. I think I needed a normal pony to start thinking clearly. Still, I’m a monster, whether I remember my old self or not. What do you propose we do now?”

Aurora took a deep breath. “Well, if you don’t need to kill ponies, and you can think for yourself, perhaps you can help us get into the Tower of Justice?”

Cristal stared at her. “What?”

“That’s why I’m here,” explained Aurora. “We’ve learned that the missing Elements are being kept there. I’ve been looking for a place to set up a scouting spot, to learn more before we try to get in. If you live here, perhaps we could use your home?”

Green flame flickered on Cristal’s form. Her horn became sharp and jagged, the legs extended, bending at weird angles, The changeling shifted her weight, her wings opened wide. Aurora stilled herself, and looked at the display without flinching. Cristal pushed close to her, the fangs aimed at her throat, eyes fixed into hers.

“I could kill you now,” she hissed.

Aurora returned her gaze. “But you didn’t. You’re still you.”

“I’m a monster.”

“You reacted when I called you Cristal, and Cristal was our friend.”

“Was.”

“You still are, however you look. Even as… whatever Deception has turned you into, you can still tell that all this is wrong.” she looked around, with a gesture that indicated she meant a much wider area than just the bathroom. “What do you want to do about it? Because that’s the question that’s really important here.”

Cristal’s horn glowed green. Aurora felt the pressure on her body disappear, as her bindings dissolved.

“Clean yourself and go,” said Cristal. “I need time to think.”

***

Aurora had just gotten out when she saw Jingles moving down the street. He was powdered white and wrapped in a towel. He was walking stiffly, with his head high, looking at everypony with a condescending smile. When he saw Aurora, his body tensed, ready for a fight.

What is he doing here?, thought Aurora. This is dangerous! Wait, of course. The spell Sauti used to look over my shoulder. She must have seen me get in trouble.

Aurora looked around, and seeing nopony paying attention to her, walked casually towards Jingles. “Everything is okay, sir,” she said with a smile.

He kept smiling, but his eyes bored into her. Aurora gasped softly as she realised his line of thought. “Yes, it is me, “ she said. “Please, follow me, sir… before somepony sees through your veil,” she finished in a stage whisper.

Jingles looked down on her in a poor imitation of the chosen’s default expression. He started following her slowly, keeping out of range of her kick. “I’m sure you can prove your intent,” he said.

Aurora looked back at him. “I have found something that might interest you, sir. A most peculiar thing made of… Cristal.”

Jingles’ eyes almost popped out of his head. "What we have seen," he finally said, "was very hazy... Is it true?"

Aurora flashed him a smile. “I will entertain you with a story once my duties here are done. You’ve done a good service to your Lady. Now you can go home, and have some rest.”

***

“It took smuggling Whisper in to get her to believe we wanted her back, and a couple more days to get her to help us. I think she was as creeped out as we were at the beginning. In the end, we moved into her house, Jingles using his tricks to deter cleaners, while I worked to keep up appearances, and Cristal took a direct approach. She used to be an actress, and had been a spy before falling into Deception’s trap. I had no idea how brave she was until I actually saw her work.”

Twilight raised a hoof to indicate a question. “Did you ever find out what Deception had wanted with her?”

“Not until it was too late,” answered Aurora. “We spent some time talking about it, trying to make sense of any bits Cristal had heard while captured, and the notes Whisper had taken. In the end, we figured she was trying to make a pony changeling she could possess without destroying its magic. She had tried using changelings before, but only ended in a useless bug pony shell. She was looking for some way to isolate different energies within one body.”

“You’d think that idea would appear sooner,” said Obsidian.

“Oh, I think it did,” replied Aurora. “She’d probably spent centuries trying to work it out. I think Cristal was just the last of hundreds of similar experiments.”

“And the final result were the fake alicorns,” finished Obsidian, “with your soul trapped within to fuel the magic, while the Shattered controlled the body.”

Aurora nodded. “We didn’t know that at the time. None of us had the knowledge to figure out what was really going on. I wish we had put more effort into understanding Deception’s plan instead of just doing our thing and letting things happen.”

***

“I’m taking this side,” said Aurora cheerfully, grabbing her bucket, and taking off before her partner for the day could put a word in. The order of the day was cleaning windows, a task that practically ensured she’d get to enter every single house.

She knocked at the first door, grinning through the handle of the bucket at the chosen who opened. The elderly stallion moved aside with a sigh, letting her in. Setting the bucket on the floor, Aurora made sure there were no out of place objects she could knock over opening the window. Once she made sure the inhabitant hadn’t dared change the usual setup, she took her tools out and started her work.

Will he keep watching me?

As it turned out, he did not. As soon as Aurora started working, the chosen walked out to work on his garden. As soon as he was out of earshot, Aurora stopped cleaning, and closed her eyes.

Okay, that’s as close as I can get right now. Let’s see if I can see anything.

In only took her a couple of seconds to catch a stable link. The spell Sauti had cast to connect her friends worked much better over shorter distance. With the day’s work schedule, Aurora got tasked with serving as a conduit, transferring the visions from Cristal’s eyes directly to everypony hiding in her house. As she caught what she was looking for, she relaxed, allowing the spell to work. She could see the main road leading towards the tower, just outside the wall.

Cristal was there, walking confidently towards the front door. Aurora couldn’t see her through her own eyes, but she knew Cristal would appear male - she had found a minor clerk from the tower, and put him in her thrall, taking his face for the task.

There were now dozens of employees walking the same road, passing the security checkpoints to enter the lower levels and start their day. No matter how efficient the Shattered were, controlling everything required information, and keeping the tower informed required lots of ponies to just sit there processing the papers. Cristal had already got past the first checkpoint, a guarded outpost meant to block the path of obvious intruders. Now she was approaching the front door, walking up the stairs towards the desk where a pair of unicorn security guards made everypony walk through an arch made of crystal. This one was meant to see through illusions, and catch any impostors.

Aurora held her breath, waiting for the inevitable.

Cristal walked through the arch. The guards jerked up, staring at her. They looked from Cristal to the enchanted mirror on their desk, and back.

“Sir…” started one of the guards, their eyes widening.

“Ignore it,” said Cristal, in a soft, but firm, male voice. The guards froze, swallowed loudly, and returned to their seats.

“Yes… Sir, have a good day,” said the closer guard nervously.

Aurora released her breath. It worked! she thought. She was right. Deception’s in charge of all the spying, including internal investigations. Nopony questions a changeling.

This was when she heard hoofsteps approaching the front door. It was the time to stop slacking off. Trying to keep enough focus to maintain the vision, she returned to her cleaning.

***

“Did all the changelings serve Deception during your times?” asked Twilight.

“Of course,” said Aurora. “They were among her most infamous creations, her eyes and ears everywhere, hiding among ponies, making sure you couldn’t trust anypony.”

“They were not,” said Obsidian. Both mares looked at him in surprise.

“Much as I’d like to, I can’t attribute this particular atrocity to Deception,” said Obsidian. “The changelings already existed in my time, spies and assassins created from ponies with some dark magic, cursed with craving for love they could not feel themselves. But I’m interrupting. What did your friend learn?”

***

Whisper looked down on the table. It was covered with pieces of paper, sketches of the tower, and various notes.

“We’ve eliminated the basement, and the lower half of the tower,” he said.

“That leaves the upper half, and Vengeance’s personal chambers,” replied Jingles. “Do you think she just sits on them like a hen?”

“I dunno…” said Aurora. “She’s not always home, and it seems quite easy to drop in from the top.”

“Not that easy,” said Sauti. “I have watched through the eyes of birds. None fly close to the tower, and those who do, die. They seem to be killed by lightning, but how, I do not know.”

“I think we could power through if we combine our powers,” said Aquila, levitating herself over the table for a better view. “But that will alarm half the city, won’t it?”

“Yes,” said Cristal with a nod. “This is the same as when you entered the labs to... look for me. The later we’re discovered, the better our chances of getting out.”

The ponies around the table exchanged guilty looks.

“So, what did you find about the upper levels?” asked Jingles.

“Nopony goes up there,” replied Cristal. “Nobody knows what Vengeance eats, if anything, but she doesn’t use servants. There is a reinforced door on top of the office levels that supposedly leads up, but it is locked. Officially, the floors are left empty, until more office space is needed. But only the three floors above seem to have windows. The rest of the tower is armored.”

“So, nopony knows what’s there?” asked Aurora.

“Nopony,” replied Cristal. “I’ve only heard rumors. Some say this is Vengeance’s treasury. But she never cared for wealth. She never needs to buy anything. Others say her chosen guard reside there. But there hasn’t been any food delivered there either.”

“Either way, we can expect it to be a deathtrap,” finished Jingles, “lovely.”

Whisper looked at the sketches. “So, how do we get in?”

“Well, there is the obvious armored door,” said Cristal, "or flying to the roof. Either will alert the whole tower of our presence."

“What about a short distance teleport?” asked Aquila. “I think with you here, we could get enough power for a jump. At least to some place that has windows, so we know where the floors are.”

“That won’t work.” replied Whisper. “Too many ways this could go wrong. There could be magical wards inside to stop exactly that.”

“I don’t think they use much magic there,” said Crystal. “The tower is protected from magic. Same difference - teleportation could get disrupted, and kill us all.”

“Protected?” asked Sauti. “The tower is well away from any chimneys.”

Cristal lit her horn, lighting up lines on some of the stolen maps. “There are chimneys sticking out of the top of the tower. They don’t project outside, unless there’s an emergency, but the pipe system circulates the fumes through the outer walls. And the outer shell is made with all sorts of magic resistant minerals. We couldn’t get through it if we had dragon fire.”

“So, what you’re saying,” said Aquila with a smirk, “is that there are thick pipes going along the building, on the inside of the shell? How wide exactly are they?”

Cristal stared at her. “It doesn’t matter how wide they are. You’d cook and suffocate long before you can die from getting your magic snuffed out.”

“There must be some sort of pump station on the lower levels, maintaining the supply as the fumes decay, doesn’t it?” asked Whisper.

Aurora looked Aquila in the eyes. “Bubble Burst would get an aneurysm if we told her, but I think it might be crazy enough to work.”

Author's Note

And so, we've reached half the story.

How do you like it so far? Where do you think the story is going?

As always, I crave comments :twilightblush:

Chapter 31: The Tower

"How much longer?" asked Aurora, trying to fight off claustrophobia.

Below her, Jingles pushed up, holding onto his plungers to stop everypony from sliding down.

“My magic is weak here. Even simple tricks take time. Not the easiest, climbing up a pipe with you for a hat.”

“I’m doing what I can,” hissed Aurora, “But mine don’t stick at all. This place still repels magic…”

The rest of the team below made a series of grunts of effort. It was fortunate that the pipe was horizontal from time to time. Otherwise the climb would have been truly insane. As it was, they were sweaty, black with soot, and tired, but so far, unnoticed.

We’ve managed to disable that… thing in the basement before it could raise an alarm. We vented the fumes out without anyone noticing, and climbed all the way up here - but Vengeance won’t be away forever, and sooner or later somepony is bound to notice something. We can’t stop and rest now, or our luck will run out.

“Could you give me a bit more light here?” asked Aurora, trying not to be too loud. A glowing orb of silver light flew up the pipe to illuminate the way above her. It was flickering, visibly requiring some effort from Aquila.

Aurora looked up. “I can see another bend, some fifteen feet above us,” she said.

“I think it should be high enough,” said Jingles. “Now, let’s not keep the security waiting.”

“Ha, ha, very funny,” grumbled Cristal from down below. She was in her changeling form now, using her own climbing ability so as not to tax Jingles’ magic.

Aurora didn’t waste breath on further talking. The pipe was too tight for her to fly, but she could use her wings as extra limbs to push against the walls. She scowled with disgust at how greasy she could feel her feathers were becoming.

Just a moment more…

She reached the bend and pushed up, finding herself in another horizontal pipe. Suppressing her instinct of taking a deep breath, she scampered forward, making more space for her friends to climb up into. She closed her eyes and calmed down, while the rest of the team took places behind her. Finally, everypony was ready to continue.

“Sauti?” asked Whisper.

The old mare touched the pipe with her front hooves. “This is the inwards wall. There is still a foot of brick on the other side.”

Whisper turned around. “Aquila?”

The unicorn looked at the metal wall, and shuddered. “How do you want it?” she asked.

“Silent would be best,” answered Whisper. “If we haven’t risen an alarm yet, we might avoid attention for a moment longer.”

Aquila swallowed loudly. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

Then she closed her eyes. The light motes she had summoned flickered and disappeared, leaving everypony in complete darkness for a moment. Then Aquila’s horn lit up, and the three Elements followed suit, lending her some of their power.

Aquila pressed her horn to the metal, grunting with effort, eyes squeezed shut. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the soot started peeling off the wall, sliding away from her horn, followed by the metal and stone. The circle glowed soft silver, and silently fell inward, the magic stopping the bricks in the air and setting them gently on the floor in the room beyond.

Jingles hopped out of the hole, somehow avoiding Aquila’s snout. He rolled silently, landing at the opposite wall, and looked around. “The coast is clear,” he whispered.

One after another, the team got out through the hole, taking deep breaths as they did so. Cristal exited last, shifting into her old pony form as she did so. She looked around.

“Where are we?” she asked in a whisper.

They found themselves in a corridor, slightly curved to match the outer wall of the tower. It was all grey concrete with a tiled floor, featureless except for small half-spheres shedding dim light from the ceiling.

“Doesn’t look like office space to me,” said Aurora, shaking her wings with irritation, trying to get at least some greasy dirt off them. Jingles looked at her, dug under his coat and handed her a bottle of foamy liquid.

“Let’s look for a door,” said Whisper. “They wouldn’t make a corridor going nowhere.”

It took them walking a quarter of the tower’s circumference clockwise before they found anything. The thing turned out to be a stair leading down, the corridor itself ending with a blind wall.

“We can’t waste time like this,” said Aquila. “Sauti, can you silence us?”

Sauti nodded, and her power spread to the others, putting a film of magical aura around their hooves. The whole group turned around, and galloped in the opposite direction.

“This all looks like a delaying tactic,” said Whisper. “Sauti, can you feel any secret entrances?”

Sauti closed her eyes in concentration, without breaking her stride. “None that I could feel.” Then she smiled. “But I think I feel a familiar presence here. I can’t pinpoint the other Elements, but they are here. You were right. “

The statement brought everypony new energy. They hastened their gallop, running around the tower until they saw the opposite end of the corridor, which caused them to slide on the floor as they tried to stop, barely avoiding crashing into each other.

There was a metal door there, leading inwards.

“Jingles?” said Cristal.

Jingles put a stethoscope to the door. He listened intently for a moment before packing the instrument away. “It's locked, but there are no traps. Not even an alarm…”

“How do we get in?” asked Aurora. “Do we just break it down?”

“No need to,” said Jingles. “We’re out of the pipes now, so I can use all my power.” He reached under his coat, and pulled something that looked like a circle of black cloth. When he put it on the door, it became pitch black, and then suddenly it was a hole. Jingles folded his wings, and slid through it.

“What in the…”

Aurora got in right behind Jingles. She flapped her wings, and rose into the air to give more space for the others to get in. Behind the door, there were more corridors, splitting off in different directions, all grey and dimly lit by the lamps in the ceiling.

What was unusual, was the uneven floor. And the ceilings. Aurora blinked, trying to clear her head - she was feeling weird looking at the place. “There isn’t a single right angle here,” she said.

Aquila walked in and looked around. “What is going on here?” she said. “It look’s like Discord’s been here.”

“I don’t think it’s his work,” said Sauti.

“Then whose?” replied Whisper. “I can’t imagine Vengeance coming up with something like this.”

“There is no chaos here,” said Sauti pensively. “We’re meant to see this. Otherwise, what would be the point of the light? This is a maze, and it has been designed to confuse.”

“Though it be madness, yet there’s method in it,” said Jingles.

Aquila looked up at him. “So, she’s trying to drive us crazy with maths?”

“Let’s not let her, then,” said Aurora, flapping her wings for emphasis. “Sauti, where do we go next?”

Sauti hesitated for a moment before pointing into one corridor. The group walked in that direction, Whisper and Jingles flanking the half-zebra, using their own powers to scan for traps.

***

Ten minutes later, they were no closer to their goal, and worse, had no idea how to find the exit. At first it had seemed that knowing the right direction would let them get through the maze relatively quickly - there were only so many corridors that could fit within the circumference of the tower. But at no point did a corridor lead directly to their goal. It was always slightly to the left or to the right, then suddenly above or below, as the slanted floors brought them to a different level without them noticing. Sauti tried to scan through the walls, but found them full of piping and various objects, few of which she could identify. Several times they had to stop to avoid traps, Whisper’s intuition warning him of one floor tile or another. They couldn’t run, they couldn’t draw a reliable map, and all of them could feel that they were running out of time.

“We’re lost,” said Cristal. She had shifted into a pegasus form to be able to fly, but it didn’t do much for the mobility of the group as a whole. “We let the haste make our decisions.”

“I’ve changed my mind,” said Whisper, “Only a Shattered would have the kind of crazy mathematical thinking to design something like this.”

“What do we do now?” asked Aurora. “We don’t even know if we still have the time. We wouldn’t hear the alarm from here.”

“Perhaps we should just go through the walls?” said Aquila. “The Elements must be here somewhere, but Vengeance would never need them. Perhaps there is no route to reach them with. Jingles, do you have any more of these portable holes?”

“I do,” said Jingles, “but my magic grows weaker when I repeat the joke. And these walls are pretty thick. I can try though.”

“I’ll do it then,” said Aquila. You just be ready to cover me. Sauti, which way is it?”

Sauti sighed, then turned around, pivoting like a ballerina, before pointing her hoof forward. “There,” she said. Her hoof was pointing at a wall, at about 45 degrees.

“Okay everypony, we’re done being subtle,” said Aquila, bracing herself. “Get behind me.”

She focused her power, her friends supplying theirs to aid her. A lance of blinding silver light erupted from her horn, boring through the concrete.

“Watch out!” shouted Sauti suddenly. Her bubble erupted around the team just as the wall suddenly exploded, the shock wave washing over them, filling the corridor with black smoke.

“What was that?” gasped Aquila, scrambling back to her feet.

“A trap,” said Whisper, “Don’t breathe the smoke!” He closed his eyes and his aura expanded, forming a spectral, rotating fan in front of his friends. The wind started blowing the gas away down the corridor.

“They thought of it too,” said Jingles. “If I’d opened a hole on it, it would go straight in my face.”

“How’s the ceiling?” asked Whisper.

Jingles looked up. “Stable,” he replied. “It was designed for this to happen.”

“Well, there’s no way they didn’t hear that,” said Cristal. “Did we get through the wall at least?”

Aquila squinted through the remains of the smoke. “No, not yet. I think we need another shot.”

Then the lights on the ceiling turned red.

***

They heard the sound of hooves just as they emerged on the other side of the wall. Somepony came running from around a corner; a white unicorn filly, just a bit older than Aquila, skidded sideways as she lined a shot. It hit Whisper’s barrier in a shower of sparks.

Aquila shot back at her, only to be blocked by another barrier - a second white unicorn appeared, ready to support his companion.

They’re wearing breastplates and white uniforms, noticed Aurora, but I don’t know this formation. They look so young too…

“More are coming!” shouted Cristal, dropping her disguise to prepare for a fight. A trio of pegasi had just flown into the corridor from the other side, taking the sharp turn as if they’d spend their whole lives flying in cramped spaces. They were wearing thin, curved blades on their wings.

“What do we do?” shouted Jingles, flying into the way of the oncoming pegasi. They flew by him, slashing from both sides, showering everypony with candy as the Jingles-pinata exploded.

“Keep them busy!” shouted Aquila. “Sauti, which wall now?”

Sauti pointed in the same direction as before. “Wait, no!” she said suddenly, moving her hoof sideways. “This part of the wall is safer!”

Above her, Whisper leapt into the air, the jump taking him onto the level of a flying pegasus - he headbutted him with enough force to send him flying down the corridor. As he was falling back to the floor, amber aura covered his body, absorbing the shots from the two unicorns.

Another pegasus flew straight at Sauti. The mare projected a barrier, but before the attacker could test it, Aurora flew into his path, blocking his blades with her own. The colt pushed forward and snapped his teeth, almost catching Aurora's face before kicking her in the chest, breaking the blade lock. Before he could stab her however, Jingles appeared beside her and spun, the giant mallet he was holding in his teeth slamming into the soldier, sending him flying after his fallen teammate.

Aurora caught movement in the corner of her eye. She turned just in time to see a white shape fly past her, the extended wing at the level of her neck. Cristal shot a blast of green magic, forcing the third pegasus into a dodge that took him out of melee range. Aurora twisted away, but still felt something graze against her. When she checked her neck with a fetlock, she felt a stinging sensation - there was a blotch of red on the fur of her foreleg.

“More are coming,” said Sauti. That was true. More galloping hooves could be heard, three white earth ponies with heavily armored forelegs running into the corridor, followed by a pair of unicorns, who shielded them with a barrier as they charged.

On the other side, the two unicorns found their shooting ineffective against Sauti’s magic shielding the team’s flank, and decided to combine their efforts. Their next spell was a ball of energy that slammed against the shield and exploded with blinding light and deafening noise.

For a moment Aurora couldn’t see anything. She then caught a silhouette against the ceiling - another pegasus falling down on her. She barely blocked the first blow and flipped back in the air, frantically bucking the assailant away to buy herself more time to recover.

Around her, shots ricocheted, and bodies collided, the white ponies appearing faster than her friends could take them down.

“How much longer?!” she shouted, ducking out of the way of a lance of magical fire. It hit the wall beside her, showering her with stinging pieces of red-hot debries.

“Almost there!” shouted back Aquila.

“Don’t let them divide us!” called Whisper. He was fighting with two earth ponies now, trying not to let them flank him.

Aurora charged in a low dash, the blade on her foreleg stabbing just over the edge of the soldier’s metal breastplate, the impact sending him reeling, blood spreading over his white collar. Whisper turned, and bucked the other one away, slamming him into the wall.

“Watch out!” shouted Aquila.

With a mighty crash, a section of the wall fell, opening a path for the team to run through.

“Once more, into the breach, my friends!” shouted Jingles, throwing his latest opponents off him before flying in, the others right behind, with Aquila forming a shield to cover the rear.

Behind the wall, there was a large chamber. It was similar to the rest of the maze, although notably the walls and the floor were even for once. The whole floor was covered in intersecting lines of runes, soft light spreading around, forming round bubbles where the lines met. There were several dozen ponies in the chamber, all white, in identical white uniforms with silver trims, standing like statues inside the bubbles. From what it looked like, they were in the process of waking up, many already free and heading to the exit just as the Elements made it pointless by making a door of their own. The act of breaching the wall must have disrupted the magic, as at that moment the light of the floor went out, all the gathered ponies suddenly turning their heads to look at the intruders.

“Not quite what was planned…” said Aquila smiling nervously, her ears dropping.

“Barrier,” said Whisper sharply. His own power spread out to protect his friends, a dozen shots hammering into it a second later.

Sauti sighed deeply. “Enough bloodshed.” Everypony froze where they stood, some blinking in surprise, some trying to regain balance, as their charge was suddenly robbed of its momentum. Slowly, the dust settled, exposing the whole scene: the six ponies near the newly made entrance to the chamber, surrounded by about thirty guards. Everypony looked at each other.

“Sauti?” asked Whisper softly.

The old mare was standing still, as if in a trance. “They are determined, and hateful, horribly hateful. But I can keep peace for the moment.”

“What do we do now? asked Aurora.

“Surrender,” said a young unicorn female at the forefront of the group. “You have no route of escape, but you can still manage to die a swift death at our horns.”

“You can’t hurt us,” grumbled Aquila, looking at the guard.

The unicorn shook her head. “I can. Your magic makes me not want to. Still, it is futile. We won’t let you pass. You either accept our kindness of swift death, drop the spell and bleed out in combat… or wait for Lady Justice to arrive, and see how merciful she will be to invaders of her home.”

“You’ve seen us fight,” said Aurora. “Even if you take us down, most of you are going down with us.”

“That’s a calculated cost,” said an earth pony colt behind her.

Aurora shot him a shocked look. “You’re willing to die to kill us? For her?”

“Such is our purpose,” said another guard. “We do our duty.”

Aquila turned red on the face, taking place beside Aurora. “You’re all crazy! You’re just like those fanatics in the district below! Whisper, tell them!”

Whisper took a deep breath, the gem on his neck coming to life. “You are all slaves to Vengeance! Chosen only to die for her schemes! Where are your real homes? Your parents? You’re all barely past foalhood. And you spend your time here in stasis, waiting for your time to die? You could do so much more with your lives!”

He paused, waiting for a response, his magic spreading through the chamber. The guards looked back at him with stern faces, nothing but scorn in their eyes.

“You speak from your heart,” said the female unicorn, “You do not lie, but you’re wrong. You think it matters what we want, you think we’ve been mislead and brainwashed, and you can just make us ‘see the truth’. You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”

“That’s why the likes of you spread chaos, disrupting the proper order of things that our Lady designed.”

The other guards joined the unicorn, taking their turns to speak.

“We aren’t disobedient like you. We serve our Lady, proud to live and die for her, because that’s who we are.”

“You’re all brainwashed,” said Whisper.

“No,” answered a guard, “Remade. We want to serve, because we’ve been designed to want to. Our Lady spent long days making each of us who we are, free of your flaws, the future of ponykind. We’re nothing like those poor, crazy fools outside. We’ve been truly chosen, and if it is for death, we’ll gladly do our duty.”

Whisper swayed on his hooves, the impact of the words hitting him like a physical blow. “But you used to be normal ponies,” he said, “with families and loved ones. You used to know what harmony means.”

“Those ponies are gone, raw materials to forge us from,” snarled a pegasus guard. “Don’t insult us by listing their weaknesses.”

“I see now,” said Crystal unexpectedly. She talked like a disapproving teacher, her voice attracting everypony’s attention. “You’re all just past the testing age. The stasis spell preserved you just after you’d finished your training. You’re the ones that tested positive, aren’t you?”

Aurora shuddered. Are they? Is this what Whisper saved us from? Being remade into weapons? She looked at her sister, and found her equally shocked.

“So, any ideas?” asked Jingles, bringing them all back to reality. “It won’t matter who they are, if we don’t get out of here.”

“We… could try to teleport out perhaps?” said Aquila. “We have a lot of power between the six of us.”

“We’re not going to let you, even if you could,” said a guard. “Besides, the tower’s screening… you disabled it, didn’t you? It seems we’ll have to withdraw our offer of swift death.”

“Are you sure?” asked Aurora, “There’s a lot of walls in the way.”

Aquila snorted. “I know, okay? A lot of walls. And after walking through this maze, I don’t even know which direction I’m facing. I’d just have to aim out and hope you three with wings catch the rest of us.”

“That’s…” started Whisper, before visibly biting his tongue, “... the only plan we have. How much extra power do you need?”

Around them the unicorn guards nodded to each other - lines of magic shot out, connecting their horns, forming a rough circle around the six ponies. The guards looked at Aquila with determination.

“You may have extraordinary powers,” said one of the pegasi, brandishing his wing blades, “but you’re not getting out.”

“Okay,” said Jingles, “First thing if we get out of here alive, we’re finding a way to communicate silently.”

“If you want to boost her powers,” said Cristal, “I have an idea.”

The guards looked at her warily.

“Feed me,” she said.

“What?” asked Aurora.

Cristal smiled. “You want all the power for her, don’t you? If you let me, I could suck more power out of you than you could willingly give. The whole emotion-eating monster thing has its advantages.”

The chamber fell silent, both sides considering the implications.

“You’re a traitor to your race,” said one of the unicorns, “and that won’t be enough. We’ll prove that our love for our Lady is stronger.”

Cristal glared at him. “I’m a pony, and your love is an artificial construct, nothing like the real thing.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Sauti. She was still standing focused, with her eyes closed, beads of sweat appearing on her fur.

Cristal stood right next to Aquila. “Just calm your mind, and think of those you love, those you’d give anything to protect. Focus on this image, and then let me in when I tug at you. Just be ready to channel your regular magic when she starts, right?”

“So, you’re going to blind jump through a disruption spell, and meters of concrete, and you think such tricks will help you?” asked one of the guards.

Aquila gulped, but met his gaze. “I am, and I do, for everypony I love."

The six ponies focused, their power flowing around, creating a swirling nimbus around them, with Aquila in the middle. Aurora didn’t have any magic she’d know how to contribute, so instead she followed Cristal’s advice. Ignoring the surrounding guards, she closed her eyes, and focused.

She thought of Aquila, her dear sister, fighting at her side for everypony, of her determination, and of her smile when she was happy, the smile she wanted to keep seeing for the rest of her life. She thought of home, of the faces from her town, ponies she hoped to save from the yoke of tyranny. She briefly felt a pang of regret at barely remembering the faces of her parents - so much time had passed since mother passed away.

She felt slightly light-headed, and knew Cristal had begun draining her. She shifted her focus to the friends currently at her side, the ones she now fought together with, the ones she’d performed a sonic rainboom to save. Faces flashed in front of her mind’s eye - The ever calm Sauti; Jingles, the sad jester, always ready to give to others the laughter he never had for himself; Cristal, so determined to help everypony, to defy her new nature, outwardly cold, but with so much warmth that expressed through her actions rather than words. We’re so damaged, thought Aurora, so hurt, but we keep going because we’re together - we soothe our pain, and support each other.

She thought of Whisper then. She expected, felt deep inside, that this could give Crystal a little extra boost, that’s why she’d left him for last. She thought of his courage, his warm encouragement, of how his body moved in the gym when he spent months teaching her how to fight. She thought of his charming smile, which he had once used to trick greedy ponies off their coin, but which his friends had long learned to associate with one they could all depend on and trust, regardless of circumstances. For a moment Aurora could barely stay on her hooves, energy leaving her body. Then suddenly came a feeling of euphoria, and new determination. She heard shouts and gasps of surprise, causing her to open her eyes and look around.

A part of the floor in the center of the room was glowing bright, multicolored light. The guards scattered away from it, and then it exploded, weirdly, the expanding ball of fire and shrapnel slowing down to a crawl, the exploding trap suppressed by some invisible force. From inside the cloud, a trail of crystal shards flew out, snaking through the air. It split into three colors, two flying towards Aurora and Cristal, while the last headed for Aquila.

Aurora looked at the red pieces flying towards her. Somehow she knew they would not harm her - they turned right in front of her face, and then snaked around her neck, filling her mind with a sense of familiarity, as if they’d always belonged there. In a flash of light they shifted shape, melding together into a warm metal object. Aurora didn’t need to look down to know it was a large golden gorget with a glowing red gemstone in the center. Already she could feel new magic filling her, the love she had projected towards her friends suddenly becoming a solid, tangible connection. She could feel their minds as surprise gave way to calm focus, all six now working as one, the teleportation spell growing in power around them. The nimbus of color grew into a blinding halo, first rainbow-hued, then white. The six Elements disappeared, the explosion of the trap continuing in their wake, as reality reasserted itself.

***

"That was so cool!" shouted Scootaloo, flapping her wings excitedly.

Aurora looked down at her, and gave her a sad smile. “It was to us too. Though now that I can watch it from the outside perspective, it all looks so cliche.”

“The world is made of cliches,” said Obsidian, “especially legends. You did a good job, considering the circumstances, though I’d never accept this set of bearers. It’s almost as if someone had chosen them to-”

Twilight put a hoof in front of his mouth, shooting him a dirty look. Obsidian shrugged, and relented. Behind them, Rarity twisted on her cushion, trying to turn her mane to hide the discomfort visible on her face.

“So, this is how the Elements met in your time,” said Twilight with a smile. “What happened then?”

Aurora extinguished the vision. When it returned, it was a kaleidoscopic blur of images, appearing one after another.

“A lot of things happened. We practiced with our Elements until we learned to use them. We then used their powers to help the resistance. We saved ponies from mines, or from being sent to Deception’s labs. We fended off Discord - he’d stick around to watch the show, but never challenged us directly. Still just his presence created enough madness that we often had to save ponies from him. We created hidden enclaves outside of the cities, clearing out monsters, so ponies could live free. While doing all that, we all gradually awakened to our Elements’ full potential.”

“We also fought the Shattered, usually Hate, Arrogance, and Envy. We didn’t have the confidence to take on Vengeance, and Deception was always elusive. As for Guilt, we learned that he’d became disillusioned with the other Shattered, and abandoned them, disappearing to parts unknown. We never got to meet him in our time.”

“Did you manage to seal any of them?” asked Obsidian.

“Not at first,” replied Aurora. “We’d heard legends of how the Elements had been able to do it, but we didn’t know where to start. A couple of times we just used the Elements to turn them to stone, but it never lasted - somepony would always manage to shatter the statue before we could hide it away, and when they died, they’d just return a couple days later, taking over the body of one of their chosen guards.”

“Then Bubble Burst heard of some tomes of forgotten lore that had supposedly been found. We helped the resistance recover them, then followed the clues within to find more forgotten knowledge. Working with the unicorns from the resistance, we recovered a lost secret of sealing creatures within specially prepared gemstones. With that, we thought, we finally had the means to end the tyranny of the Shattered. It was high time too. It seemed we’d been the most successful Elements for centuries, and the showing signs of rebellion were causing Vengeance to grow even more insane, her edicts more tyrannical by the week.”

***

The seven ponies were sitting around a round table in a dimly lit basement, the space between them filled with maps and notes. It was clear that years had passed - Aurora and Aquila were now adult mares, and Bubble Burst had the first streaks of grey in her mane, though in her case it was probably more from prolonged stress than age itself.

More importantly, the Elements’ eyes were all transformed, pupilless pools of color to match their gemstones, only slightly paler for Sauti’s blind ones.

“So, we’ve managed to seal Arrogance,” said Bubble Burst, looking at a large tear-shaped diamond between her hooves, a smile Aurora hadn’t often seen from her spreading across the resistance leader’s face. “Now we just need to find some obscure leyline node to put her in, so that her power does not erode the magic of the gem.”

“We’d also killed Envy,” said Whisper, “And with how much magic we’d put into him, he won’t be back in a while.”

“That leaves three of them,” said Aquila. “If we want to strike them hard, this is the time to do it.”

“We don’t know their whereabouts,” said Crystal. “Except for Vengeance, but I’d really like to get rid of Hate before taking her down. Still, we can’t waste such an opportunity.”

“So what do we do?” asked Jingles. “Just doing anything for the sake of doing it is asking for something to go wrong. But we can’t let the occasion slip either.”

“I wish there was a way to get Deception,” said Crystal. “If we don’t deal with her, she’ll just hide again, and then it’s just a matter of time before this whole mess starts once more.”

“You know what?” said Aurora. “Perhaps we can use this chance to make a statement?”

“What do you have in mind?” asked Bubble Burst.

Aurora smirked. “Envy is dead right now. But he should be playing a concert tomorrow, and it’s unlike the Shattered to cancel a regular event and advertise their defeat. They’ll need to come up with something to cover it up, like a changeling perhaps… and we can use it to show everypony that the Shattered can be beaten.”

Everypony smiled, except for Bubble Burst and Jingles.

“What if they expect it?” asked the resistance leader. “If one of them shows up to ambush you, lots of ponies will be caught in the crossfire. Do you really want to battle Hate amongst the audience? These ponies aren’t fans of Envy, just some unlucky workers herded in front of his palace once a week to feed his ego.”

This dampened the mood considerably.

“We’ll observe the situation,” said Aquila. “And if we do act, we’ll take the stage. If anything happens, it will be focused on us, and between me and Jingles we should be able to catch any flying shrapnel.”

“We have one more gemstone ready,” said Sauti. “What about the one for Vengeance?”

“Still a day or two,” said Bubble Burst. “We need to make sure all the cuts on the gem are perfect, or the binding spell will be useless against a power of such magnitude. We were lucky to find a black diamond big enough, and we can’t let the chance be ruined by haste.”

Aurora smirked. “We’re taking the most risky route once again. Aren’t you going to talk us out of it?”

Bubble Burst slumped heavily, but returned the smirk. “Was there ever any point?”

***

The night was cool, bringing some relief to the tired ponies, as they left their workstations to converge in front of the stage. The sky was dark, even without the clouds - between the lights of the city, and the smoke in the air, the stars would not be visible.

The audience was silent. The ponies knew better than to annoy the guards with too much chatter, so they just let themselves silently relax, their faces going through the motions of fake enthusiasm. Behind them, high society gathered on the balconies overlooking the square - the few ponies brought there by snobbism rather than fear, willing to listen to their ruler play, but not to mingle with the commoners.

“Uh, excuse me,” mumbled Aurora pushing through the crowd. She was wearing a trench coat, a fedora, and a ridiculous pair of glasses with a fake nose and a moustache. Behind her, her friends followed, similarly disguised, Jingle’s magic maintaining the ruse, and keeping everypony hidden.

“It’s about to start, get ready,” said Aquila behind her.

Aurora turned to look, and rolled her eyes at her sister’s appearance - her tiara had pierced through the top of her hat, and the golden prongs were now clearly visible. Suppressing a snicker, Aurora turned towards the stage. A nervous-looking announcer had just disappeared behind the curtain, a clear sign that the show was about to start.

The curtain parted, and a green alicorn with intricately styled mane walked onto the stage, a silver lyre levitating beside him. He smiled brightly, and waved, eliciting a well practiced loud cheer from the crowd. “Good evening, everypony!” he said, his smile stretching into a grin.

Aurora and Aquila looked at each other. “Well, that’s definitely not him,” projected Aquila through their link spell. “Do we step in now?”

“Let’s give him a moment to start,” replied Whisper from her other side.

Meanwhile, the fake Envy walked to the very edge of the stage. “It’s such a pleasure to see you all on this fine evening!” he loudly proclaimed. “I must say, seeing ponies happy to see me is one of the true joys of my life, all the more on the rare occasion when it is actually sincere!”

His smile disappeared, and an awkward silence fell over the square. The audience exchanged confused looks, some of them downright frightened by what was unfolding.

Finally the alicorn continued. “But, I’m not here to make you listen to rants about my personal feelings, am I? You’re here to listen to some music!”

He grinned again and spun around, the lyre floating in front of him, the strings beginning to move on their own. Everypony fell silent, not daring to disrupt the music. The piece sounded complicated, more fitting for a concert hall than for a crowd of factory workers, technically perfect, but devoid of emotion, like a sequence following a complex mathematical formula, rather than a work of art.

Aurora’s train of thought was disrupted. Something was wrong. Everypony looked confused again. It took a moment for her brain to register what exactly had happened.

A false note! It was a false note!

The alicorn looked at his instrument in mock confusion, and then continued playing. A few seconds later, he played another false note. The cringe in the crowd spread like a visible ripple, but nopony dared speak.

“What’s going on?” asked Cristal. She listened intently for a moment. “It’s like… guard your thoughts!”

Aurora blinked rapidly, the sudden warning bringing her back to reality. The music had changed. It was now fast-paced, and more like the kind of dance music one would hear on a small village wedding. But there was another rhythm within, the false notes disrupting the music, horrible, cringe-inducing, purposeful, set in regular intervals that made the audience shudder in a rhythm, the ripples moving one after another, until the whole crowd moved like a stormy sea.

Aurora’s stomach went up to her throat. It wasn’t just the mind magic either - the ponies in the audience didn’t just move together. As the wave passed through them, they became taller and shorter, shifting, melding together, melting…

“It’s Discord” projected Aquilla, gritting her teeth. Her tiara lit up, and in an instant, all six Elements were standing on the stage, with their backs to the curtain, their disguises cast off. Six gemstones burned brightly, ready to unleash their magic.

“Discord!” shouted Aquila, “Stop this at once!”

The alicorn froze, the music stopping abruptly as one of the strings snapped. He then looked at the Elements, very slowly, his head turning around until it was facing completely backwards.

“Oh, it’s you! I was wondering when somepony would have the guts to interrupt me. These ponies here are too polite for their own good when it comes to ponycidal tyrants. But what a great audience they make!”

He spun around, his body stretching and deforming as he took his natural form, and grinned off-stage. He was answered by a cacophony of painful groans. The audience had fused together, the VIPs slowly dribbling off the balconies, while the mass of limbs and mouths below the stage kept rising and falling in waves despite the music no longer playing.

“We don’t have an extra gem,” flashed Jingles’ voice in Aurora’s mind. “We just stone him,” she signalled back through the link. She felt Aquila’s nod of agreement, followed by the others.

Discord turned just in time to see all the Elements power up. He snapped his claws and disappeared, popping up right in front of Aquila, level with her face. He looked at her pensively.

“Why are you doing this, actually?” he asked.

Aquila hesitated, startled, She then glared at him, light flowing from her tiara to her horn. “What do you mean, why? Because you’re a monster! Look what you’ve done!” She waved her hoof in the direction of the audience.

Discord looked behind himself. “And you care about it… why exactly? None of them are your family, or friends. They couldn’t be of help to you, unless you enjoy grovelling. Bah! Some of them would even try to arrest you, for all the good it would do.”

He teleported again, reappearing in the air above the stage. “And yet you feel compelled to play the hero. Why?”

Aquila flushed with anger. “You seriously need to ask that? I’m doing it because no one should do… this to a pony.”

“She’s doing what’s right,” said Cristal. “And why do you do this, Discord? Why hurt ponies for your amusement? Have you ever thought of that? Or do you only question others?”

Discord stopped smiling, giving her unamused look.

“Are you trying to psychoanalyse me?” He snapped his claws and lay down on a couch that appeared. “Well, you see, I think it all started with my mother.”

The Elements looked at each other, their auras actually dimming as the sudden absurdity of the situation disrupted their focus, all except Aquila, whose horn kept pulsing with power. Discord meanwhile continued talking, seemingly oblivious to the magical power still aimed at him.

“Ever since I woke up in her lab, I knew she wasn’t happy with me. I know I might have broken some things there in my first moments, but the face she made? It’s as if I was just a failed experiment to her. She never once smiled at me, you know?”

“She?” asked Cristal, “You mean Deception is your mother?”

Discord wiped a non-existed tear with his paw. “Why, yes, she is. I mean, probably not in the traditional sense. She probably just dumped a pile of random body parts onto the table, trying to make a better unicorn or something. Do you know she didn’t even name me? I had to name myself. And so I made myself who I am. I guess you could say I did it all to spite her.”

Aurora looked at Whisper. “Is he telling the truth?”

Whisper sighed. “No idea. He does believe all he’s saying, but that’s not very telling for him.”

Discord had closed his eyes, absorbed in his monologue. Now one of them shot open, glaring at Whisper. Discord teleported, appearing right over the Element of Honesty.

“You want the truth so badly? Well, here is some truth for you. You see this huge city here, crowded with ponies? The factories with their smoke so thick, you can almost see the air here? It’s all because of me. The Shattered herd their property together, to protect it from me.”

“If not for me, things would have been very different. Perhaps it would’ve worked out even. What do you think? Everything clean, set in neat rows, all well organized and predictable…”

Discord turned green, and made a loud retching noise. “Perhaps nopony would need you ‘heroes’ anymore. Do you think you’d be happy just living as their slaves? It’s thanks to me that you get to play heroes, but as always, nopony shows me any gratitude… wait, are you trying to trap me?”

“This time, he’s being full of himself,” transmitted Whisper.

Discord looked at Aquila with raised eyebrow. The unicorn met his gaze, a sheepish smile spreading over her muzzle, as her horn stopped pulsating. “Yea? I was trying to stop that thing where you snap your claws, and randomly disappear.”

Discord scowled. “Really, this is what I’ve been talking about. Never any gratitude. And to think that-”

Aquila looked left and right at her friends, who all nodded her heads. The light of the Elements instantly intensified into six pillars of radiance. Discord’s ears drooped. He snapped his claws just as the spreading wave of magic washed over him. There was a white flash, but nothing happened. Discord looked at his claw in confusion, lifting his gaze just in time to see a blinding beam of magic falling upon him. He was left frozen like this, his body turned into cold stone, his face stuck in an expression of dawning realisation.

The Elements looked around. The wave of magic was still spreading, returning the ponies in the square back to normal, then going further, clearing the tainted clouds from the sky, and finally washing over the factory chimneys in the distance, dispelling the fumes with a force that blew away the chimney tops. The six friends found themselves facing a confused audience, the guards at the edge of the square fumbling for their weapons in what was very clearly panic.

Whisper was the first to react. Taking initiative, he trotted past the statue of Discord and to the edge of the stage. “We’ve defeated Discord!” he said aloud, his magic hammering the simple truth into the audience. “We’re taking him away to seal him for good now!”

Behind him, Aquila was still staring at the statue. “It was so… easy,” she said to Aurora. “I couldn’t figure out how to pin him down, with that weird magic of his. But the Elements did the trick just with brute force. If I had known we’d be so much stronger than him, I wouldn’t have let him monologue…”

***

The air in the abandoned top floor apartment was hot and dry. The setting sun was peeking through the shutters, casting thin rays on the wooden floor and the peeling wallpapers.

"Sorry it took so long," said Whisper, walking through the door. He headed towards the kitchen without even taking his cloak off. "There was a search, and I barely made it back. So, what's the decision?"

Sauti turned her head towards the sole opened window, allowing the wind to blow in her face.

“We’re as ready as we’ll ever be,” she said. “As soon as we have the gem, we need to take action.

The other five ponies in the room nodded silently. They had discussed the situation since coming back to Iustitia. The factories still smoked, maintaining the illusion that everything was under control, but everypony knew the previous night had changed everything.

The threat of chaos responsible for the ponies’ current way of life, the source of endless malformed monsters that roamed the wilds, forcing the population into the crowded cities was gone. But it weren’t their rulers and self-proclaimed protectors who removed the threat, it were the Elements of Harmony, dangerous, wanted rebels.

That turned out what would have been a boon to all ponykind into an event of potentially catastrophic consequences.

“They’ll likely be scanning for teleportation,” said Cristal. “We need to get as close as possible before announcing our presence.”

“I’ll lead you in through the sewers,” replied Charcoal.

She had grown surprisingly little since her previous appearance, now looking about as old as Aquila had been when the vision began. She even seemed to still be a blank, until one took a closer look - there was a darker outline of a black cat sneaking, barely visible against her coat.

“This is the most stealthy route,” she said. “We can get as far as the inner city, and then either go up, or dig to the basement.”

“We’ll go in topside,” said Whisper, “You should be able to get back to base on your own.”

“What? Why?” asked Charcoal, looking pleadingly at Aurora. “You’ve taken me with you before.”

“We did,” said Aurora. “But we needed a guide then. No point putting you in danger in an open battle.”

The filly flapped her wings, flying up and into Aurora’s face. “I can take care of myself! You know that!”

“Know your limits,” said Cristal. “You’re great at what you do. We’re all here now thanks to your help. But we can’t keep you safe if the entire tower comes down, and we can’t afford any distractions.”

“She’s right, Charcoal, you know it.” said Whisper gently. There was a tiniest glint on the surface of Honesty, and Charcoal, who was puffing her chest ready to say something, visibly deflated.

“I know, I know,” she said, dejected, avoiding Whisper’s eyes. “I just wish I could help you, guys. You’ve done so much for us all.”

“You shouldn’t,” said Cristal.

Aurora gave her a shocked look. “What? Why?”

“Because,” said Cristal, “There are very few ponies that could do anything to help us fight Vengeance. So you better all wish that we can take her on on our own.”

“Ever the optimist,” said Jingles, picking himself from the floor. He grabbed a coat, and a silly hat from the hanger and headed for the door. “I’m going to get some food. You need anything?”

“No, Nope, I’m good,” sounded the responses.

Jingles headed out and down the stairs, humming a melody under his nose.

“Go ye heroes, go to glory…”

The humming disappeared in the distance. Aquila made the door close, and then said, “I’ll be on the roof, if you need me.” She then teleported away.

“I’ll go meet Bubble’s unicorns, see if our diamond is ready yet,” said Whisper. “Charcoal, you’re going?”

“You’ll do fine without me,” grumbled Charcoal.

Sauti turned towards her and smiled gently, gesturing for the filly to come closer.

Aurora didn’t feel like listening to the conversation. “I’ll be up, she said, flying up a stepladder leading to the attic.

When she got to the roof, she found Aquila sitting there, leaning against a chimney, and looking off in the distance. She had probably used a spell to cling to the roof tiles. Aurora landed next to her, and put a wing around her withers.

“You’re worried,” she said.

Aquila looked at her sister, and then, very slowly rolled her eyes. “Well, duh. Of course, I’m worried. We’re about to face our greatest enemy. It’s something right out of legends, and I’m just a pony.”

Aurora hugged her tighter, letting Aquila relax under her wing, and then released her hug and playfully bumped heads with her. “Sis, the legends are all about ponies. Just yesterday, you sealed a lord of chaos, didn’t you? And it was so easy, you yourself were surprised.”

Aquila huffed with irritation. “I know, I’m powerful. You know that’s not the problem.”

“Then what is?” asked Aurora.

“This is Vengeance were talking about. It’s not about power, it’s about what she’s able to do with it.”

Aquila turned, and looked into Aurora’s eyes. For a moment, she was once again the scared filly, being taken away from her home town by armoured guards.

“We’re supposed to be stronger than her,” she said. “If the legends are true, I should be stronger than her. But she’s still deadlier than all of us together. She’s killed generations of Elements, and the things she knows how to do with her power-”

There was a bright flash, far on the horizon, Aquila turned her head. “I think that’s Portus,” she said, surprised.

She kept looking in that direction. The light disappeared fairly quickly, but the evening sky turned redder than usual, as if there was a great fire far in the distance. Soon, a bulging dark cloud blossomed where the flash had been.

The sisters’ mouths opened in shock, as their brains recalled the old stories, both coming to the same conclusion at the same moment.

“She… didn’t…” stammered Aurora.

There was another flash on the horizon, further north. Aquila stared at it in silent horror, still like a statue.

“Sun and Moon…” she gasped, “That was Sapientia.”

Author's Note

I have been asked to add a summary of the plot so far, and since the story is long and complex, I've agreed. I will post it at the end of this story arc. :coolphoto:

Chapter 32: The Challenge

The audience sat in stunned silence, their half-open mouths matching Aquila’s expression.

“Did she…?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“I told you,” said Obsidian.

“But...why?” whispered Fluttershy, pale in the face.

“She was losing control, and she knew it,” said Aurora. “She had no use for ponies who wouldn’t obey orders. She also wanted to force our hoof…”

***

Aurora was running through the streets, Sauti, Jingles, Aquila and Charcoal following close behind. Normally there wouldn’t be much traffic at this hour, with the afternoon shift already back from work, and those who still felt like staying awake gathering in the local pubs. But now the cobbled streets echoed with the sound of hooves, panicked shouts spreading increasingly alarming gossip as everypony was trying to make sense of what had just happened. The Elements did their best to ignore it, focused on finding the most efficient way forward without bumping into ponies.

They’d almost reached their goal, an old building which they knew could provide them access to the right part of the sewers without attracting attention, when the Tower of Justice erupted with lightning.

Everypony on the streets froze, watching with their mouths open as the sudden storm illuminated the evening sky. Aurora’s pegasi instincts went haywire - the air pressure dropped rapidly, clouds suddenly forming above the center of the city, faster than any natural stormclouds could, draping the Shattered’s seat of power with a dark canopy.

Then a voice rang from the sky, not from the city’s rooftop loudspeakers, which Aurora had made a habit of vandalising, but seemingly from the tower itself, the boom of it audible even over the thunder of the lightning strikes.

“CITIZENS!” the voice called, “YOU ARE CITIZENS NO MORE! FOR A THOUSAND YEARS, FIFTY GENERATIONS, HAVE I LABOURED, TRYING TO MAKE THE PONYKIND INTO THE ENLIGHTENED AND JUST NATION IT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME! BUT YOU DID NOT WANT TO FULFILL THAT POTENTIAL, AND EACH OF THE FIFTY GENERATIONS WOULD ACT TO UNDERMINE MY EFFORTS! THIS ENDS TONIGHT! YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF THE CONTINUED WORK! I HAVE CREATED NEW PONIES, MORE FIT TO ACHIEVE WHAT I SEE YOU COULD NOT! WITH THEM I WILL START ANEW FROM A CLEAN SLATE, AS SOON AS I HAVE ERASED THE FAILURE OF YOUR EXISTENCE!”

Nopony moved as the proclamation echoed through the city. Aurora looked around, and saw only expressions of stunned horror. A city guard she hadn’t noticed dropped his spear to the street, his face just as terrified as those of the others.

Then lightning struck, branching off the pillar of storm surrounding the tower and snaking across the city, hitting one of the big chimneys in the industrial district, and blowing the top half of it off.

This was the signal - the street erupted into full panic, ponies galloping in all directions, crashing into each other with frightened whinnies, all desperate to run, with no idea where to.

“Let’s hurry,” barked Aurora. She galloped forward, allowing her honed combat instincts to guide her safely between the running ponies. Soon she discovered that those getting close to her slowed down, still frightened, but with much more lucid expressions. Chancing a look over her shoulder, she saw the soft light of Kindness emanating from Sauti.

They went through four more blocks in this way before finally reaching their destination. During that time, eight more lightning bolts struck various targets across the city. The Elements took a turn into a gateway off the street and into a small courtyard. Then their stopped, taking a moment to catch their breaths.

“Why is she doing this?” asked Charcoal, pointing up at the sky.

“No fury like a mare scorned,” answered Jingles solemnly, “even more so when she deserved it. I guess this must have built up for centuries.”

“No,” said Charcoal. “I mean, why the lightning? She could just burn down the whole city at once, couldn’t she?”

“It is a challenge,” said Sauti.

Aurora ground her teeth. “She could kill everypony right now, but she isn’t sure where we are, and she wants to see our deaths with her own eyes.”

“Well then, let’s go disappoint her,” said Aquila. “How long do you think it will take for Whisper and Cristal to get here?”

“The sooner the better,” said Jingles. “Time is a luxury nopony can afford anymore.”

***

The minutes stretched, the Elements sitting on the cold stones, the sky raging above them. Their previous exploits forced them to get used to waiting, but this was different - during this time the lightning bolts lashing out from the tower methodically struck every major landmark in the city, and had now begun to hit civilian houses. Each of them knew they couldn’t waste any more time, but all the same, they couldn’t proceed without the whole team.

“He comes,” said Sauti suddenly, her blind eyes snapping open. Her calm face was then cut with a frown. “Alone. He’s been injured.”

Aurora looked at her with alarm.

Sauti lifted a hoof, and slowly pointed down. Everypony’s heads turned towards the sewer cover in the corner of the courtyard. The heavy metal lid moved, pushed from underneath.

Aurora pounced forward, but Aquila was faster, her magic grabbing the cover, and pulling it out of the way. Inside there was Whisper. Rather than using the metal bars of the ladder, he was sticking to the walls, small orange lights underneath his hooves. He was missing the hat, and the coat he was wearing was stained red and green. There was also a freshly healed cut on his face, from the edge of his right eyebrow, all the way to his jaw line.

Aurora examined him closely, her wings spreading to keep the others away.

“What’s happened?” she asked. “Are you hurt?”

“Healed,” answered Whisper. “Couldn’t go through the sewers with open wounds.”

He gently grabbed her wing with his magic, and pushed it closed, revealing the rest of the group. Then he took a deep breath.

“Changelings,” he finally said. “Infiltrated the cell. Crystal saw through them just before they struck, she saved me, and the sealing gem. But then Hate showed up. They… killed each other.”

Silence fell, punctuated only by the sounds of the storm.

“Cristal is dead?” whispered Charcoal finally.

“Yes,” said Whisper. “There were too many of them to fight them all. Hate… stabbed her. But she managed to stun him. She tossed the sealing gem to me, and collapsed the whole basement.” He looked around into his friends’ eyes.

“Whisper…” started Aurora.

“I have the stone,” he interrupted her briskly. “She’s made sure we’d have the chance to take Vengeance down for good.” He paused, and then took a breath. “With Hate dead, it’s only Vengeance and Deception left. We need to do this now, before Envy returns… while there is still anything left to save.”

***

“I smell a trap,” said Obsidian. “You didn’t ask him to confirm who he was.”

Aurora lowered her head. “I was distracted. Sauti said it was him. Besides, I saw him use his magic. How could he use Honesty if it wasn’t him?”

“But it wasn’t?” said Obsidian.

“I… don’t know,” replied Aurora.

***

They decided to take the underground route, as decided earlier, to avoid any surprises on the way to the tower. Of course the sewers didn’t have to be safe either. Charcoal was leading the group as a guide, with Jingles walking beside her looking for traps, while Sauti scanned their surroundings for living creatures.

There was no ambush waiting for them there. And yet, Aurora could feel a growing tension, so strong she’d have probably felt it even without casting a link spell to her friends.
“Without Cristal,” projected Aquila in her direction, “we’re one short. We won’t reach anything near our full power. That means it will have to be my magic that seals her. I’ll do what I can to keep us all alive, negate her powers where I can, and limit what she can do. But you’ll have to use that to hit her hard, hard enough to give me an opening to finish her off.”

They got as far as the Inner City without stumbling into anything dangerous. Charcoal’s experience with the sewers directed them by a less obvious route, but got them safely exactly where they wanted to get. It was only when they got there, that Jingles noticed something amiss. There was a strange mist in the sewer, and a sharp, bitter smell.

Jingles flapped his wings to push it away. “Bubble,” he commanded. Aquila cast a spell, a translucent barrier expanding around her until it encompassed all of her friends. They stood, considering the situation.

“Do we push through it? asked Aquila.

“Give me a moment,” said Jingles. “I’ll check topside.”

He took a shovel and then spun, a blur of blue that drilled into the sewer wall and disappeared from sight.

Everypony gathered around the hole. Behind it there was now a tunnel leading slightly upwards. Aquila shone the light of her Element into it. “Jingles?” she projected. “Is the coast clear?”

The response came with some hesitation. “Come up. This cold night will turn us all to fools and the mad.”

Aquila walked in with some hesitation, the rest following, making sure they stayed inside the bubble. Aurora followed her sister, instinctively running her magic along her wings, to make sure the blades were properly attached.

It was now night outside. The stormclouds overhead were twisted in a spiral pattern, forming a cone of darkness above the tower, like an impossibly slow tornado. A corona of lightning still surrounded the tower top, illuminating the plumes of smoke rising from its chimneys. Small droplets of rain were falling down onto the white streets. The mist was there too, but already disappearing, the last strands of it holding to the ground, not enough to conceal the inert bodies.

Aurora saw Charcoal flinch with fear, as the filly emerged from the tunnel and surveyed her surroundings.

The lightning storm provided ample illumination to see by. The Inner City lamps were not lit, but still, everything was clearly visible, a stark, monochromatic landscape. The place looked like it always had, with one key exception: there was nothing alive anywhere in sight. Bodies, long-limbed and white-coated, lay here and there, scattered wherever their death had caught them. The grass was wilted, and the flowers had lost their petals. Even with the protective bubble surrounding her, Aurora found herself holding her breath in panic.

“It’s clearing already,” said Jingles, “she must have dropped it before going to Portus.”

Aurora looked around with huge eyes. “She didn’t need them either.”

“They thought they were chosen,” said Sauti, “but to her, they’d always been nothing but another failed experiment.”

“”That means no guards, does it?” said Aurora.

Whisper nodded, coming to her side. “Unless she has some constructs to fight for her.”

“So, what now?” asked Jingles. “Do we fly up there?”

Aurora looked up into the storm. “Perhaps we should cut these fumes first?”

“The basement? No more obvious place for a trap,” said Jingles, “except for the top, but we know she’s there. Unless Envy returned earlier than we thought, there’s nopony in the world but Vengeance who could do something like this.”

“I’ll blow these away when we get there,” said Aquila, pointing her horn up. “Let’s go up through the building. This way we can see if she has any more surprises stored for us, and tackle them as we go.”

“She’ll know we’re coming,” said Sauti.

“Of course, she will,” said Aquila. “She’s done all this to draw us here.”

They headed for the exit and into the promenade leading towards the front gate. Once they did, it became apparent that the poison mist had hit there as well. There was nopony to oppose them.

We needn’t have wasted time on the sewers, thought Aurora bitterly.

She turned towards Charcoal. “You’ve helped us enough. It’s time you retreated. This poison seems heavier than air, so fly once you leave the bubble.”

“Are you sure you don’t need me?” asked Charcoal, though she did immediately take to the air.

Whisper turned, and looked Charcoal in the eyes. He said nothing, but after a few seconds, Charcoal saluted, and with a sigh, flew up and away. The remaining five ponies looked at the tower.

“All the world is a stage, and all mares and stallions merely players,” said Jingles, as they started to walk forward. “And yet, our foe seems to be quite fixated on playing the villain here.”

Aquila looked at him, then waved her horn, indicating the dead guards on the pavement before them. “Playing?!”

JIngles nodded. “Yes. Something is wrong here. Vengeance has never shown a shred of mercy, but she has always been self-righteous, even when she turned ponies into ash without a second thought. And now suddenly, she embraces the… theatrics of a mad tyrant. She’s doing all this on purpose, as if... trying to appear as evil as possible. What does she have to gain from it?”

“Nothing, if we defeat her once and for all,” said Whisper. “Let’s hurry.”

***

The first form of resistance they encountered was a trio of golems standing on the stairs leading to the front entrance. The heavy metal constructs, twice as tall as regular ponies, turned their heads toward the intruders, blue lights in their eyes turning red.

Aquila looked at them, then sideways at her friends.

“No fireworks yet,” said Whisper, “Jingles?”

The pegasus nodded his head. “On it.”

He trotted forward, heading straight for the steps, as expression of still seriousness plastered on his face. There was a spring in his step, more and more pronounced, until he actually started springing, the last step taking him up the stairs and to the face level of the central golem.

The construct lurched forward, a whirr of gears spinning inside its shell, the head swinging for a powerful headbutt, but Jingles wasn’t there. He emerged, still expressionless, between the golems, jumping up to tap the leftmost one on the withers.

The golem reared, turning to crush him, with his front hooves. He ended up overreaching, falling over the middle golem’s back, narrowly missing Jingles, and slamming right into the third construct’s faceplate. It flattened with a noise of deforming metal. The middle golem pushed with all its hooves, trying to free itself for the sudden extra weight, but didn’t have much success. This left it unable to do anything to mitigate the damage when the last construct, freshly flat-faced, and now trying to get rid of Jingles jumping around him, bucked with both hind legs. The kick quite predictably missed Jingles, connected with the immobilised golem, and deformed its barrell.

The Elements kept watching, their ears twitching rhythmically with every crashing sound. When the last of the golems finally tumbled down the stairs, a loud ‘sproing’ of a winded spring flying loose from inside it signifying the end of the fight, everypony ran forward to join Jingles.

The Element of Laughter hadn’t suffered a single scratch, and his expression remained unchanged. Aurora smirked despite herself; even on this darkest of days, he was able to find a way to amuse his friends, if only a little.

The five stood in front of a heavy, double door. Normally, during the day, these were open all the time, allowing a steady trickle of busy office ponies in and out. Now in the night they were surprisingly ominous.

Aurora looked aside at Whisper. Their gazes met, and he shifted closer to her, allowing her to wing hug him, pressing their barrels together. They’d spent a couple seconds just standing in silence, their breaths synchronising.

“We’ll do it,” said Whisper.

“For Cristal,” said Aurora. She felt the Loyalty get warmer on her chest, as her resolve spread from her, pouring strength first into Whisper, then into the others.

“For Everypony,” said Aquila, once more surrounding the team with a barrier bubble before pushing the door with her magic.

It opened into a dark main hall. The Elements looked in cautiously. They had all expected something to happen, perhaps an explosion, or another cloud of poison. But the door wasn’t even locked. They walked in slowly, magical senses sweeping their surroundings in search of ambush, hoofsteps echoing over the cold stone.

There was nothing there, not even dead bodies.

Sauti took the lead, the group following her to the end of the hall, where two trios of elevator doors faced each other. Sauti turned her head, and lead them to the central one of the left row. The buttons were dead, but when she pulled the door with her magic, it relented, sliding aside. There was a cabin behind it. The five ponies walked inside, their force bubble becoming a cube to fit in.

Jingles cocked his head. “Going up?”

Aurora closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Wisps of fuchsia magic danced around her eyelids, quickly replaced by blazing white fire. She opened her eyes, and looked at the ceiling, the whole cabin vibrating from her power. “All the way up.”

Aurora had just a split second to focus, Loyalty lighting up to add its power to the spell alongside the others. The cabin accelerated upwards in a shower of sparks, going faster and faster.

What’s happening to the cable? thought Aurora briefly, before another thought struck her: This shaft only goes up half of the way!

She barely registered the impact when the elevator plowed through the machine room at the top, then through one floor after another, the images visible through the missing door blurring together as Aquila’s magic flooded through as they passed, ripping apart trap spells and constructs. When they reached the top floor, the elevator itself exploded, a spreading ring of Aquila's purple magic devastating the penthouse, ripping the metal pipes outwards, and scattering the clouds above.

The Elements jumped off what was left off the elevator, a second before it tumbled down the perfectly square hole it had made in the floor. They looked around for the enemy, but their magical senses had already found the anomaly, their linked minds causing them to all look up, Aquila’s magic flaring to meet the light descending at them from above.

The image froze. Aurora and Twilight looked at each other, then at Obsidian. The stallion in turn looked towards a ripple to the right of them - a translucent image of an alarmed-looking Spike walking through the still image of the explosion. He opened his mouth in slow motion, the words hanging in the air suddenly catching the right speed as everypony felt a powerful sense of being pulled. They all awoke with a start, the vision scattering as reality slammed into their senses.

“... wake up!” finished Spike aloud. “Princess Luna’s here, with the Equestrian army!”

Author's Note

And so we are back to the present, a bit earlier than expected - but there can only be one climactic scene in a story arc, and this one has a different one. :trollestia:

Do not worry - the vision will be finished... when it is dramatically apropriate.

Also, Here is the promised recap of all that has happened so far.

Chapter 33: The Armory

"It is ready," said Dr Stone, "You may go."

Around her the siege camp had already been constructed, the well disciplined and organized soldiers setting up tents according to plans they’d received before boarding the train. Between Luna and Spitfire helping the army, the destroyed rails didn’t prove to be much of an issue. Now that Dr Stone’s mobile lab had been set up - a large tent filled with and surrounded by a collection of mysterious devices - she could make them ready to attack within hours. The soldiers were coming to her tent, group by group, to receive the preparing procedure either from her, or from one of the herd of assistants she had brought along - with Spitfire helping them by making copies of the machines with her powers, they had just enough work stations to finish on schedule.

A sound of many voices, a not-quite-cheer, erupted from the far side of the camp; Luna had just finished delivering a speech meant to encourage her soldiers.

Dr Stone looked down at the small table beside her, checking her notes. It was a reflex she had practiced for her role as a scientist. In fact, she knew perfectly well what she had left to do.

“Please form a line,” she said to an approaching earth pony, indicating a machine that looked like a hairdresser’s chair with lots of extra tubes. The officer barked orders at his unit, twenty ponies forming neatly in front of the device.

Dr Stone waited for the first soldier to take off his helmet and sit in the chair before pressing a sequence of buttons. The machine came to life, a system of tubes closing around the pony’s ears and snout.

“Working hard, I see,” called a voice from above Dr Stone. There had been no noise to herald Spitfire’s approach, the air around her wings moving with barely any effort on her part, cushioning her descent. The armored pegasus touched the ground beside the scientist, her eyes inspecting the soldiers.

Even though the camp was within the borders of the Empire’s weather anomaly, the temperature seemed to drop. Nopony averted their gaze, or visibly scowled, but movements became stiffer, more nervous. Everypony had heard the announcement of captain Spitfire’s fate.

Dr Stone looked over her glasses at the Wonderbolt captain just in time to catch a nearly imperceptible twitch in the corner of her mouth. She knew it for what it was, a grimace suppressed before it could reach the face.

Instead, Spitfire smiled sadly. “You have nothing to fear from me,” she said to the gathered soldiers. “The one life I had to take was a necessary sacrifice, but even that was not my choice. It was this mare’s heroism, and through it, my loyalty is now sealed in blood, bound to Equestria above all else.”

As she spoke, her smile disappeared, the tone of her voice getting harder and more soldier-like, more like captain Spitfire had been.

“By the life she sacrificed, I swear, I will not fail you.”

Dr Stone turned away from the machine, which had been humming softly for a while now, and seemed about finished with its task, and bowed her head to Spitfire. After a moment of hesitation, the officer raised his hoof, and saluted. A second later, his soldiers followed suit.

Dr Stone looked at Spitfire, just in time to see the corner of her mouth almost move, a smile hidden away before it could spoil the effect.

***

She had just finished her procedure on the unit, the last one on her list, when she saw Princess Luna walking towards her. She turned to greet her, bowing her head in deference.

Luna waited patiently for the surrounding ponies to finish saluting before walking forward, opening one wing to signal her retinue to stay behind.

“Doctor,” she said, “Please give me a full report.” The wing extended, indicating the tent.

Dr Stone nodded. “At once, your Majesty.” Pushing the last soldier’s shoulders to help him get out of the chair, she switched the device off, and then followed Luna into the tent, trotting to keep up with her long-legged sovereign.

As the two got inside, Luna closed the flaps of the tent over the entrance, her magic filling the tent with silver light, sealing it away from any attempts to spy on the conversation.

“So?” she asked, still in her studied, regal tone. “I can see all is prepared?”

“Yes,” said Dr Stone. “Once we activate the neural blocks, the soldiers will lose the capacity to understand speech until we end the effect. I take it the signalling system is ready?”

Luna nodded, “Everypony knows their roles. I am also working on a backup plan. We can only hope it will be enough to end this war in a single battle.”

Dr Stone raised an eyebrow. “You’re enjoying it, aren’t you?”

“What?” asked Luna.

“Playing the good princess,” said Dr Stone.

Luna puffed her cheeks in indignation. “I am not playing!”

“I know you,” said Dr Stone, “I have, for millennia. You don’t need to play in front of me.”

Luna squinted, her mouth a thin line. “And I have known you. I know the real you. So why do you keep playing Dr Stone in front of me? Does it make you feel more confident?”

Dr Stone clenched her jaw, not answering.

Luna extended her wing, and playfully patted her on the head. “I am just teasing,” she said with a smile. “Of course I enjoy being the good princess. And who says it is not the real me? I have been Luna for how long now?”

Dr Stone approached a cluttered table, took off her glasses, and started cleaning them with a piece of cloth. “You had been others before.”

Luna snorted. “We all have. Especially you. Remember that time you were a fair maiden, madly in love with Loyalty? Was that the real you, or just a role you lost yourself in?”

Dr Stone averted her gaze. “It doesn’t matter now, does it? It could never work anyway.”

Luna nodded sagely. “It never does for us.” She then cocked her head in thought. “What happened to him anyway?”

Dr stone shrugged. “I broke him. I thought I could make him forget his friends, but it was too much, and his mind went to pieces. Once I finished mourning his loss, the body was just meat on the lab table, a test subject like any other.”

Luna shifted uncomfortably. “What I was trying to say was… it is the same for me,” she continued. “These ponies adore me, and haven’t I always loved being adored? And if I am their beloved ruler, is it not my duty to go the extra mile for them? I do care about my subjects. I haven’t had a truly adoring audience since… I don’t even think those count, bunch of snobs. In hindsight, that whole millennium was a huge mistake.”

Dr Stone put the glasses back on her face. “What about Nightmare Moon? You seemed to enjoy that too.”

Luna scowled. “No. The premise itself? No. A legend spread by scared ponies, just because Gloria was too depressed to deny it in time? Making me the monster after I saved them all from Light’s madness? No, I didn’t enjoy that at all.”

The light around her dimmed, then disappeared, as her pattern ability shifted the energy inwards, surrounding the princess in a growing nimbus of darkness.

Luna flashed Dr Stone a predatory grin. “But I have long learned that we need to work with what we are given, and if we can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs, we might as well make it a game.”

Luna paused, her grin disappearing, and her darkness dispersing. “Speaking of breaking, I didn’t come here for idle talk. Remember the list of equipment you gave me? I’ve finished reading through it. There are some items that interest me...”

She summoned a thick file of papers in a flash of magic, then levitated it in front of Dr Stone, opening it at about half way through.

“...In particular, this one.”

Dr Stone looked at the page in surprise.”Dragonkiller bomb? This is interesting. How are you going to deploy it?”

Luna smirked. “It’s a secret. Let us see if I can save the day all by myself.”

Dr Stone rolled her eyes. “You just want to one-up Gloria, don’t you?”

Luna smiled wider. “I’ve already managed to become a princess. Might as well be the best princess.”

***

“... And that’s pretty much all,” finished Applejack dejectedly, before switching the megaphone off.

The army of ponies gathered in the square below erupted in a buzz of whispers.

Bling looked down over the railing, shaking his head. “This is not what they wanted to hear,” he said.

Applejack turned her head sharply. “That’s the truth! What else was I going to tell them?”

Obsidian, the third pony standing on the balcony of the palace, tapped his hoof on the crystal floor in frustration. “Nothing but the truth, I’m afraid. But that particular truth is very troublesome. Now they know that the masters of Equestria are monsters - they will no longer question the judgement of their ruler. But when it comes to battle, they will also know that Equestrian soldiers have been deceived. It is hard to put all your heart in a battle when the one you fight is a victim, rather than an enemy.”

“The Equestrians should have the same problem, shouldn’t they?” said Bling. “Unless the Shattered risk their cover story by brainwashing their whole army.”

“Even so, they might not hesitate as much,” said Obsidian. “In their eyes, they’re avenging their princess.”

“And ours are protecting their homes and families,” said Bling.

“So, the power of love versus the power of hate?” said Obsidian. “That might be interesting to watch.”

Applejack looked towards the horizon. “You sure there’s gonna be a battle today?” she said, swallowing nervously. ”This here barrier has been mighty solid for a good while now.”

“Of course,” said Obsidian and Bling together.

“The Crystal Heart might have protected the empire for thousands of years -” started Obsidian.

“But they wouldn’t make such a show of bringing an army to our doorstep if they didn’t have a plan for how to get in,” finished Bling.

Applejack sighed. “They’re fighting for Equestria,” she said. “The soldiers, I mean. I ain’t happy to have to fight good ponies.”

Obsidian tapped her on her withers, looking into her eyes when she turned. “Nopony in their right mind would be,” he said. “If it helps, think of the ponies you really want to protect. The ones most important to you. Where are they, out there, or in here?”

Applejack considered the question. “It’s not that simple. There’s lots of Apples still out there. Applebloom is still out there.”

“For what it’s worth,” said Bling, “we’ve taken steps to ensure the safety of your relatives within the city.”

Applejack gave him a surprised expression. “You have? They told me they wanted to fight.”

“I had to personally persuade some of them not to take part in the battle,” said Bling. “Your family are a brave, but stubborn lot.”

“But why?” asked Applejack. “I mean, I’m very grateful, and all, I don’t want any of them hurt. But I thought you needed every pony who could fight. You won’t be able to protect them if the battle is lost.”

“We do,” replied Bling, “and I’m aware of how capable some of your family are. But we can’t have you distracted. You will have enough to worry about even without your family in the field. And your power is worth more to us than any extra soldiers the Apples could provide us.”

Obsidian nodded. “It’s refreshing to finally have somepony pragmatic on the team.”

Applejack looked from one to the other, before turning towards the door. “I’ll go get ready.”

***

Rainbow Dash and Aurora were standing in the armory, picking through the armor and weapon stands in search of something Aurora could use.

Dash, already wearing a blue armor and helmet to replace those damaged in the last battle, looked at what she had left to choose from. Unlike her previous visit to the Empire, this time she seemed spoiled for choice; the glorified sports equipment that had filled the armory had now been replaced with proper arms and armor.

“You’re about my size,” said Dash, “so these should be good. What color do you want?”

Aurora looked at the stand, then went past Dash, and pointed at an armor from a different stand, lighter than what Dash had chosen.

“I think this one. Blue will look good on me, and I can fly faster with less metal.”

Dash looked at the stand again. “Huh, you’re right. I could wear that too. I can use my Element to protect myself in battle, so I don’t need that much armor. I can fly faster… this… way.”

Aurora turned her head, looking at Dash with concern. The pegasus was silent, staring into space.

“No… no, no… that’s not fair,” she whispered.

Aurora waved her wing in front of Dash’s eyes. “What’s the matter, Dash?”

Rainbow Dash spun around with a scream of frustration, kicking a nearby armor stand so hard it broke. She slowly turned, and looked Aurora in the eyes.

“The Wonderbolts,” she said, “They will be there.”

“Who are the Wonderbolts?” asked Aurora.

“The best flyers in all of Equestria,” said Dash. “I was supposed to join them. But if Luna is bringing her entire army here, the Wonderbolts will be there too! I will have to fight them! They will hate me!”

She slumped heavily onto the floor.

Aurora sat down opposite her. “We’ll have to go to battle no matter how we feel about it, but… how about I fight them instead?”

Dash looked up at her. “Will you? Then at least I won’t have… but you can’t beat them alone! You no longer have your magic!”

Aurora smiled mischievously. “Hey, don’t underestimate me! I may no longer be Loyalty, but I know my stuff! I was able to save all of my friends even before I got my Element, wasn’t I? If it comes to it, I’ll handle the Wonderbolts, You just worry about the Shattered.”

Rainbow Dash smirked despite herself. “How good are you at doing the impossible?”

Aurora grinned. “Pretty darn good.”

Rainbow Dash took a breath. “If… when we get through this, could you give me a couple of pointers on how to do that? I might need it.”

Aurora looked around the room, walked past the wing blades rack, and towards a collection of leg blades.

“I can do better. I can show you some now.”

***

"Thank you, mom," said Rarity, taking a sip of her tea.

She set the teacup on the kitchen table, and smiled. Her parents did too. A warm smile, meant to relax and encourage. So much like her own, practiced on countless customers who visited her boutique.

Three ponies kept smiling over the table, and none of them was fooled.

They’re trying to help, thought Rarity, but they’re both scared. They’re as worried, as I am.

“Mr… Glitterdust,” said Cookie Crumbles, “Is that the name? The commander here. He said we’re to relocate. Normally, this close to the palace is the safest place to be, but somepony in the command decided that if there really is a battle, this place might get hit.”

“Oh?” asked Rarity, “Where are they moving you?”

“Underground,” answered Hondo. “There are old crystal mines underneath the Empire. This is where all the crystals used to come from before they learned how to grow them with their magic. We’ll be moved there until the battle is over, along with your friends’ families, and some important ponies from here.”

Rarity sighed in relief. “I’m so glad. Now I won’t have to worry about your safety during the fight.”

She finished her tea, and went around the table, hugging first her mother, and then her father.

“Stay warm and safe,” she said. “It’s time I went to prepare myself.” She chuckled nervously. “Everypony will be looking at me after all.”
She was about to go out the door when she felt a hoof brush against her back.

“Honey…” started Cookie Crumbles, causing Rarity to turn around and face her. “What happened to Sweetie, wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know what would happen. Nopony knew.”

Rarity hugged her again, stronger. “I will find her, I promise.”

She then went out the door.

As she got into the corridor, Rarity turned at the sound of multiple hooves. Pinkie Pie was walking past, her parents and two sisters behind her, two crystal pony guards acting as guides. All the family members except Pinkie had saddle bags, as if packed for the road.

“You’re only hiding until the battle is over,” said Rarity. “Why are you all packed?”

The father opened his mouth to reply, but one of Pinkie’s sisters was faster. “Well, last time we had to run, we didn’t have the time to take anything but the coats on our backs. So this time, we’re prepared, just in case.”

Rarity looked at the bags. “But if you didn’t take anything…”

“These have been supplied from our reserves,” explained one of the guards. “They insisted.”

“I’ll just go with them, and then meet you at the palace,” said Pinkie Pie, leading the others away.

Goodness, thought Rarity, she’s still so chipper. How does she do that? Well, the Element of Laughter probably…

She looked towards the last door along the corridor. She knew Fluttershy was there with her family - a trio of pastel pegasi, who made her look assertive by comparison.

As the Pie family walked away, Rarity leaned against the blue crystal wall, and sighed. Suddenly she felt very tired.

“What if I fail?” she whispered to herself. “I said I would find Sweetie, but what if Obsidian is right? What if I’m not good enough? I did fail that stupid test of his. And not just fail. It was a disaster from start to finish.”

She started walking towards the exit, dragging her legs. “What should I do? Is there any way I could be more generous? But I have literally nothing left… I don’t think anypony here would need tail hair…”

There was a creek of a door opening. Rarity looked behind her, and saw Fluttershy entering the corridor.

“Rarity?”

Rarity was preoccupied, but her sense of aesthetics had been honed to the point where she used it without thinking. There was something wrong with the image in front of her.

Just like Rarity, Fluttershy wasn’t wearing her armor, just the Element gorget around her neck. The coat was in order, the face… Yes, realised Rarity, the eyes are slightly pink. Has she been crying?

Rarity walked up to her friend, her own worries forgotten for the moment. “Darling, what has happened to you?”

Fluttershy fidgeted her hooves nervously. “Nothing… please don’t worry about me. Everything is okay, really, you have more important things on your head right now…”

“I know you too well for that,” said Rarity, “Please tell me, what is troubling you.”

Fluttershy looked aside for a way out, but found that Rarity was standing directly between her and the exit. She wasn’t asking repeatedly, or pushing into Fluttershy’s personal space, just waiting patiently for her to speak.

Finally, Fluttershy swallowed and met Rarity’s eyes.

“It’s just… this whole war is a terrible mistake! It will be good ponies fighting and hurting good ponies! And I will have to take part in it.”

“But… your power is stopping ponies from hurting each other,” said Rarity.

Fluttershy flapped her wings in frustration. “I know that. But it didn’t help much last time, did it?”

“Well,” said Rarity, “I will be there helping you, okay? My power is giving more power to other ponies, and Dash’s is to inspire. We’ll both help you save as many ponies as we can.”

She looked towards the doorway where Pinkie’s family had disappeared. “I think it’s time we put our armor on. Come, I’ll help you.”

She started walking towards the exit. Fluttershy followed.

Both mares left the building, and went towards the palace. The world was still a dark and scary place, but now there was a task at hoof to focus on.

***

Shining Armor was standing between the houses overlooking the approach to the city, soldiers swarming around them, preparing defensive positions as the civilians hastily evacuated. A group or army engineers had planted a line of crystals just outside of the houses; the crystals grew within minutes, forming a spiky rampart. Archers were setting up ice bows on the roofs, while the few pegasi serving in the army kept watch from the sky, looking for any enemies seeking to approach the barrier from a different direction.

Shining levitated a pair of binoculars, trying to see the details of the enemy camp. The invaders had taken the train station, swooping in faster than any defence could be mounted. This was a predictable loss, as Shining hadn’t expected to be able to hold it anyway, nor was he willing to sacrifice lives to try to.

But not being able to deny the enemy a spot to land on was really painful tactically - the army now camping outside the barrier was easily twice the numbers of the defenders.

Everything will be decided here, thought Shining Armor. It all depends on what their plan is for getting in, and how many soldiers they can get past the barrier.

There was a flash of light, and Twilight Sparkle appeared beside her brother. “Mom and dad are safe,” she said. “How are we doing?”

Without word, Shining handed her the binoculars. She looked towards the Equestrian army.

“There’s so many of them,” she finally said.

“Yes,” replied Shining Armor. “We must not break and engage them in the open field. Whatever their plan is, this is where we need to stop them. The rest is up to you and your friends. If you can beat the Shattered with the Elements, then the size of their army won’t matter.”

“Obsidian says they’re unlikely to give us a clear shot,” said Twilight. “And apart from Luna, we have no idea what the rest of them could look like now. They might be hiding among the ranks of their soldiers to get us by surprise.”

“Could you use the Amaranthine to find out?” asked Shining.

“Too late for that now,” replied Twilight.

“So, we need to focus on the army, and then switch to the Shattered the moment they reveal themselves,” said Shining, “They will be aiming for you, me, Cadence, or the Heart.”

“That’s a lot to protect at once,” said Twilight.

“Well, I’m here with you,” said Shining, “and Cadence will be near the Heart. With its power fully charged, this is where the Shattered will be at their weakest, the reverse of what Celestia did to you.”

A group of soldiers approached their position, Glitterdust at the forefront.
“Report,” said Shining Armor.

“We’ve finished preparing the palace defences,” said Glitterdust, “Bling will hold it if anything happens.”

“What about the civilians?” asked Shining.

“The evacuation is almost finished,” replied Glitterdust. “Also, the families of the Elements have all been brought to safety. The Elements themselves will join you soon.”

“As it should be,” replied Shining Armor. “Take position at point A4.”

As Glitterdust saluted and walked away, Shining turned to look at his sister. “You know, Twily, I don’t remember ever seeing you looking so determined.”

Twilight handed the binoculars back to him, and once more checked if all the pieces of her new armor were in order. “I have to be,” she said. “It’s not just some test I could re-take if I fail. The Equestrian army might be against me, but still, the fate of Equestria depends on me.”

***

Bluebonnet entered the mobile lab tent, and dropped her bags on the ground. Agent Pierce followed after her, with three expressionless lab assistants completing the group, everypony freeing themselves from their respective burdens.

Bluebonnet looked around. “You go back and make sure they don’t damage the emitter while unloading,” she said to the assistants.

The three earth ponies left without a word. Bluebonnet saw Pierce shudder as they passed him; he obviously wasn’t comfortable with Dr Stone’s “assistants”, artificial constructs she sometimes brought to a semblance of life for big projects. They moved, they breathed, they obeyed orders to the letter, and could even emulate emotions when prompted. But both Bluebonnet and Pierce had seen enough of them to know they lacked real life - they were marvels of science, but ones devoid of souls, puppets little better than the animated armors guarding the lab. It was no surprise that they creeped Pierce out,

“Do you have the package?” she asked him.

Pierce checked the bags he had brought, digging into them for a moment before retrieving a square metal box. He put it on one of the tables, and Bluebonnet opened it briefly, exposing the round, dull object inside.

“What is it?” asked Pierce.

“A prototype weapon,” answered Bluebonnet. “Back when we started building pattern generators, and were looking for a way to weaponize them, we couldn’t get a big charge like we do today, but we figured we had enough to temporarily imbue objects. This weapon is an explosive built around a simple pattern generator. It only works once, creating a burst of pattern-charged payload, capable of penetrating magical defences, and hurting creatures who rely on internal magic for their durability. Apparently princess Luna showed interest, and had it delivered here. She must think the emitter we have brought might not be enough for our task.”

She walked through the tent with a bag in her teeth, set it on another table, and dug into its contents, finally retrieving a tangle of straps and metal clamps. “Help me put this on, please,” she said.

Pierce looked quizzically at the straps. “Is that a weapon harness?” he asked. “But you’re not supposed to fight.”

“The emitter will be the core of our plan,” replied Bluebonnet, “We can expect it to come under attack.”

“Yes,” answered Pierce. “And that’s what we have Luna for. And me. You’re not combat personnel. It is my job to keep you safe, and it will be much easier for me if you don’t purposefully put yourself in harm’s way.”

“We’re all in harm’s way,” said Bluebonnet. “Do your job, and I’ll do mine.”

She went to the bags left by her assistants, and retrieved a large, rectangular box. When she opened it, Pierce’s eyes went wide.

“Is that…”

“Yes,” said Bluebonnet. She grabbed the straps with her teeth and started pulling the harness over her lab coat. Pierce stared on.

“You fixed it? But why?”

“To learn what had gone wrong,” answered Bluebonnet. She was looking down at the pattern gun in front of her, purposefully avoiding Pierce’s gaze.

“And… what did you learn?” he finally asked.

“I found that some parts didn’t belong there,” answered Bluebonnet. “The generator had been rewired to purposefully overcharge it. This increased the power of the shot, but it had been strained even before that. There was no way it wouldn’t blow up.”

“So, you think-”

“”There were only three ponies in the whole world who knew how to do it,” said Bluebonnet, “and only one who might have had a reason.”

“Bluebonnet-” started Pierce.

Bluebonnet turned to him with angry eyes. “Doctor Bluebonnet.”

“Doctor,” he continued, “We’ve had enough ponies taking rash actions recently, and using this…”

“It’s safe,” interrupted Bluebonnet. “I know what I’m doing. I’ve reduced the power, and added a piece of plating to direct the blast away from me if anything does happen. It’s not perfect, but it will do until the version with pre-charged batteries is ready. Now, if you aren’t going to help, kindly keep watch of the tent from the outside. I have work to do, and don’t wish to be disturbed.”

“At least do wear some armor,” grumbled Pierce, defeated.

***

Scootaloo skulked on top of a slanted roof. She had been lucky to find a spot she could actually climb to, just as a guard escorting her got distracted.

She looked up, searching for a route she could take to sneak in the direction of the train station. There were some male voices shouting her name in the distance, but she paid them no heed.

“No way am I missing that.”

Author's Note

So, there you have it, another "silence before the storm" chapter.

And what a storm it promises to be.

As always, please leave a comment. Tell me what you think. :twilightsmile:

Chapter 34: The Battle

"Hey, it's time to wake up..."

The whisper caused Apple Bloom to open her eyes. She lifted her head from the ground, spitting out a bit of sand that had gathered in the corner of her mouth. She slowly got up, flexing her limbs one by one; she was all stiff from sleeping on the ground.

The sun was setting, the worst of the day’s heat ebbing away. Apple Bloom left the small outcropping, the only source of shade they had been able to find, and walked towards the stream. The water was warm, but it still put new energy into her. She looked at Sweetie Belle, who was nibbling on some yellowing grass.

“You know, I’m starting to have my doubts,” said Apple Bloom. “I mean, we’ve been walking for days. There is nothing here. Nopony will ever find us.”

“I think that was the point,” replied Sweetie Belle. “Besides, what could we do other than keep walking?”

Apple Bloom looked down on the bauble on her neck, then back at Sweetie Belle. “Good point.”

They resumed their walk along the stream. The air was still warm, and there was no wind blowing, the sky almost entirely clear, barring some very distant clouds far away over the mountains; this place would not see any rain anytime soon.

“So, what do you think happened?” asked Apple Bloom, when the dragging silence became unbearable.

“We’ve been over it a hundred of times,” replied Sweetie Belle with irritation. “We don’t know! All we know is that Canterlot was attacked, and that Enigma guy really wanted us to stay hidden…”

She paused, her expression vacant for a moment. “It’s very important,” she finally said.

“Yes, it is,” replied Apple Bloom. “It’s just that I’d like to know what’s going on! Was it the Obsidian guy? Or is there something wrong with Princess Celestia? Or my sister? It’s driving me nuts just hiding here for days, knowing nothing!”

“Me too, okay?” said Sweetie Belle. “It’s just that… wait, did you hear that?”

Both fillies perked up, their ears moving. There was definitely something moving nearby. As the fillies wondered what it could be, their interest suddenly gave way to worry, then fear.

“Do you think…” asked Sweetie Belle in a hesitant whisper.

“I hope not,” replied Apple Bloom. “I don’t even have a chair on me…”

It was then, when her ears caught another sound. There was something else in the grass on the other side of the stream too. Applebloom turned frantically.

“They’re around us!” she called in a scared voice, no longer trying to stay silent. Both filles looked around, trying to pick a way to run. There was no time to climb out, even if the danger weren’t in the grass above - that left only running along the stream, up or down the current. Apple Bloom’s and Sweetie Belle’s eyes met. Downstream it was.

They started galloping, just as the source of the rustling noise showed itself. But it was not what they had expected. Sweetie Belle skidded to a halt, causing a cloud of dust with her hooves.

“A zebra?”

The one looking down on her from her right was a young stallion, dressed in a harness of pouches, adorned with feathers that complemented his striped coat. He looked like a kind of colorful foreigner one could see in a travel agency brochure, if not for his expression. The zebra didn’t look like he was there to impress tourists, more like give a kicking to intruders. He said something Apple Bloom didn’t understand.

On the other bank, a mare emerged. She was similarly equipped, and similarly stern-faced. Apple Bloom saw a spear hanging on the harness at her side.

“We don’t want any trouble…” started Sweetie Belle, looking up at the stallion. “We were just lost, and…”

The stallion jumped down, landing in front of Sweetie. She flinched away with a yelp, expecting a kick, but the zebra just gave her a closer look. He started talking. Apple Bloom could guess these were questions, but didn’t understand a word of it.

Meanwhile, the mare slid down to their level, jumping over the stream, and approaching them from behind. She too said something foreign, but she was clearly talking to the stallion, not to them.

“I’m sorry,” started Apple Bloom, “but I don’t understand what you’re saying. I have a zebra friend named Zecora, but she didn’t teach me your language.”

That did get the zebras’ reaction. The two exchanged some words over the fillies’ heads.

Finally, the stallion said, “Uchongo.”

“Uchongo,” replied the mare.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other. “What’s going on?” asked Sweetie, “Do you think they know Zecora?’

“I don’t know,” replied Apple Bloom. “But she told me about her home, and it didn’t look anything like this.”

Meanwhile the two zebras turned away from the river, gesturing to the fillies to start walking. Apple Bloom hesitated, but followed, She struggled on the edge of the ditch for a moment, trying to climb up. The female zebra sighed, before propping her rump up with her head.

***

They walked for about half an hour. The zebras directed the fillies calmly, but Apple Bloom could tell that they were watching them warily, ready to react if either of them did anything suspicious.

“Where do you think they’re taking us?” said Sweetie Belle.

Apple Bloom considered the question. “To their home, I guess. I think they must have a village here somewhere.”

Ten minutes later, she was proven right. A circle of round adobe cottages appeared in the distance. From between the houses, curious faces poked out. As the four entered the village, they were surrounded by a small crowd of zebras, about two dozen of them.

They were a mix of stallions and mares of all ages, eyeing the newcomers with suspicion, abuzz with whispers. Apple Bloom watched them curiously. This was the first time she had seen zebra foals. She smiled at one, a small colt looking at her from behind his father’s legs. After a moment the colt returned her smile shyly.

Sweetie Belle didn’t feel so optimistic. She was looking around nervously, and Apple Bloom realized that her friend was counting the spear tips visible in the crowd.

The mare who had brought them to the village cleared her throat loudly, and spoke. It had an immediate effect of silencing the whispers of the gathered zebras. For a moment everypony was listening to her in silence. Apple Bloom caught the word “uchongo” again. It sounds like a name, she thought. I wish I could speak zebra.

As the mare finished speaking, the crowd parted. There was now a path through the middle of the village, leading to a small cottage.

“I think they want us to go there,” said Apple Bloom, walking forward. Sweetie Belle stayed behind, before quickly catching up to her friend when one of the zebras nudged her forward unexpectedly.

The inside of the cottage was dark, and smelled funny, a sour-sweet smell that made Apple Bloom think of overripe fruit.

She stuck her head through the bead curtain in the entrance. “Um… hello?” she said, “Anypony home?”

There was no answer.

Slowly, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle entered the cottage. It was small, clearly intended for just one pony, and cramped, a clutter of strange objects taking every available space. There were bundles of herbs, some of which Apple Bloom recognized. There were pots of colorful powders, dreamcatchers, bones on strings. There was a softly bubbling contraption of glass pipes, jars, and bottles, bizarrely out of place in a village such as this, which Apple Bloom instantly identified as the source of the offensive smell. There was…

Apple Bloom shivered.

There was a stretch of spotted fur covering one of the walls. Apple Bloom knew what it was. A leopard skin. She had seen one before, in Zecora’s house, and listened to a story of how some fierce warriors would keep trophies of their greatest victories to make others afraid of them. But the skin serving as a bed blanket in Zecora’s house was an imitation, carefully made with wool, and some well-applied dyes. This one, though old and dusty, was definitely real.

“Apple Bloom?” called Sweetie Belle softly. “I don’t like the look of this place. Maybe we should just go before we-”

Her hoof bumped against a long stick propped against the wall between the shelves. It was a wooden-tipped spear, made from a single piece of dark hardwood, adorned with feathers, and covered with intricate carvings of foreign writing and skull-shaped sigils. As the filly touched it, the weapon came to life, flashes of sickly green light dancing along the shaft, briefly illuminating the designs.

Sweetie Belle flinched away from it with a scared yelp, her rump colliding with an old zebra standing behind her.

Apple Bloom had no idea where he had come from. There was clearly not enough space within the cottage for him to hide, and yet, there he was, staring down at the two fillies.

It was the oldest stallion Apple Bloom had ever seen. In his youth he must have been tall and slim. Now he was so thin, he looked almost malnourished, and his limbs were bent and wrinkled, as if he got compressed by age. His head, devoid of a single mane hair, looked like a used matchstick. He was wearing an eyepatch, and the remaining eye was glaring with frightening intensity.

The fillies backed away instinctively, but there was no more space for them to back into.

“Sir?” started Apple Bloom, “We didn’t mean to intrude. We just…”

“Did,” said the stallion sternly. His voice was raspy, as worn out as his body. “Though you meant no such thing. And the zebras will weep at the doom that you bring.”

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Eh?”

“Doom?” asked Sweetie Belle. “ But we didn’t do anything, mister…”

The old zebra spat at the floor in front of her. His glare didn’t soften a bit. “Uchongo they call me, though it is no name. Malicious or not, the fate’s still the same. Too late it is now to drive you away. Death trots in your hoofsteps, all spirits so say.”

***

"They're ready," said Shining Armor, looking towards the barrier.

The Elements, now gathered around him, followed his gaze.

A formation of armored ponies approached the border of the protected area. There was a large device at the back, an oblong metal object on wheels, almost twice a pony’s height, being pushed forward by earth ponies marching behind it.

“Is it some kind of a battering ram?” asked Applejack.

“No, it looks more like another one of those anti-magic devices,” said Twilight. “Okay, girls, be ready.”

As they watched, the machine was slowly lifted, aiming over the ranks of the waiting soldiers.

“They’re going to try to punch a gap through the barrier,” said Shining Armor. “If this thing is as powerful as you say, they might actually succeed. We must meet them there.”

“They’ll just blast your ponies if you do,” said Obsidian. “It might be better to hold our current positions, and focus fire on the gap.”

Shining Armor sighed. “It would. But these ponies have been tricked into fighting us. I don’t want to prove them right.”

Obsidian rolled his eyes. “With you being the former captain of the guard… It might be right to assume, that you are familiar with the notion of ‘war’, yes?”

Shining Armor turned to face him. “I am. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“Guys,” said Rainbow Dash. “We don’t exactly have a lot of time to plan this.”

“We do have a plan,” reassured her Twilight. “When the gap opens, we’ll use Applejack’s power to tell the truth to the Equestrian army. If that doesn’t work, we’ll use the Elements to blow up that machine. Shining Armor and Obsidian will help us keep them from getting in.”

“Sounds solid to me,” said Aurora, stretching her wings.

Applejack looked at her with doubt in her eyes. “You sure you wanna do this, sugarcube? You no longer have your Element, and all.”

Aurora gave her a smug smile. “I’ve told you all already, haven’t I? I may not be an Element anymore, but I still got all my skill. And my pegasi magic. My soul was Celestia’s power source for a thousand years, wasn’t it? Don’t worry, I still have it.”

“If you say so,” said Shining Armor. “All the better for us, if you’re right.”

“It’s starting!” shouted Pinkie Pie, pulling a pair of protective goggles from inside her helmet onto her eyes.

Everypony looked towards the enemy lines. The barrier muted the sound of the machine coming to life; all they got to hear was a low buzz, as the white energy beam struck its target. Ripples moved across the surface of the barrier. Then it rapidly faded - the beam wasn’t getting inside the city, but a translucent circle grew in the barrier around the point of impact. As the edge of the circle touched the ground, the Equestrian army moved, soldiers walking cautiously forward.

“Pinkie!” called Twilight Sparkle.

Pinkie Pie’s necklace glowed bright blue. She reached inside her helmet, pulled out a loudspeaker larger than herself, and planted it in front of Applejack. Rarity focused her own Element, purple strands of power flowing into the device.

Applejack took a deep breath, her eyes lighting up with an orange aura that matched her Element.

“YOU ALL HAVE BEEN TRICKED!” she bellowed. “YOU’RE FIGHTING FOR THE WRONG SIDE!”

The air shook from her voice, and the grass in the fields seemed to ripple in waves as the sound washed over it. But the soldiers merely braced themselves for the shockwave. Dozens of angry eyes turned towards Applejack.

Obsidian launched his staff forward. It hit the ground in front of the first rank, a discharge of magic causing a rampart of jagged rock to burst from the earth. This stopped the intruders from building momentum, but did not prevent them from getting in.

“Plan B!” shouted Twilight.

She stepped forward, lighting up Magic. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash stood at her sides, providing the final two Elements.

The light show attracted instant enemy attention, unicorn horns sending blast after blast at their position - a curved wall of force sprang into existence in front of them, blocking the barrage. “Keep going!” shouted Shining Armor, sending a pulse of force that reinforced his shield against the next salvo.

Twilight looked towards the hole in the barrier, just in time to catch a glimpse of a starry blue mane behind the enemy device. Luna is there, she realized. Then the Elements fired, a wide beam of rainbow light, with the orange color strongly pronounced. It hit the same spot as the emitter beam, and the hole in the barrier instantly shrunk by one third, so rapidly, that some ponies were sent flying into each other, as the edges caught them. Those in the middle were instead thrown to the ground, the opposing forces above them colliding in a violent explosion.

“Push it!” shouted Obsidian, “You’re the Elements of Harmony! This is just a machine!”

“Not just,” said Aurora beside him, “Envy’s giving it power. See?” She pointed her hoof towards the enemy lines.

Obsidian gritted his teeth when he saw what she was pointing at. Then he smiled. The beam of the Elements had pushed through the barrier, so that the point of explosion was now outside the Empire and moving towards the emitter. He could see the Equestrian soldiers start to panic as the hole shrunk rapidly behind them. From the Imperial positions, a salvo of arrows was loosed; the projectiles were crystal-tipped, exploding into balls of icicles when they hit their target. It seemed Glitterdust was doing his part coordinating the defense.

“Just a bit further,” said Twilight Sparkle, “We’re almost there!”

It was then that a group of pegasi flew into the battlefield. They approached the hole in the barrier at different angles, barely avoiding the colliding beams before making a coordinated turn that made them a coherent formation.

Dash chanced a look up. Her eyes widened. She couldn’t get a closer look to compare the armors to the uniforms she’d recognize, but she would never mistake that flight formation for anything else.

“It’s them…”

Aurora looked at Dash, gave her a nod, and took to the air.

Meanwhile, the attackers swerved away from the Elements’ position, and to their right over the Imperial archers, a blanket of thick fog dragging behind them as they flew, too fast for the ground-bound bows to take a proper aim at them.

Obsidian looked at the cloud, and his smile disappeared completely. “It’s Arrogance!” he shouted, but it was too late. There was a brief flash, and the cloud turned into a giant fireball, several houses disappearing in the conflagration. The Elements swayed on their hooves, more from the shock than from the blast itself - Shining Armor managed to reshape his barrier at the last moment.

As the shock wave passed, the Elements looked at the destruction in horror, their beam dissipating along with their concentration. Through the clearing smoke they could still see the Wonderbolts flying away, somehow riding the blast wave of their own attack.

“They’re after the Heart!” shouted Twilight Sparkle.

“Cadence!” gasped Shining Armor.

Obsidian ground his teeth. “They’re forcing us to split. We need to stop them at both spots, or we lose. Twilight, teleport with Kindness and Loyalty to the tower. We go smash that machine." He pointed his staff at the enemy line, where the gap in the barrier started growing again, the Equestrian soldiers cheering loudly at the explosion and redoubling their efforts in breaking through Obsidian’s improvised rampart.

“I’ll hold the line here,” said Shining Armor, new determination in his eyes. “You!” he shouted towards some startled adjutant, “Find Glitterdust. I want all the bows we have left shooting on that approach. Make an ice field there.”

Twilight swallowed, and closed her eyes, Magic lighting up on her forehead. In a flash, both her and her two pegasi friends disappeared.

“You know what to do,” said Obsidian. The remaining Elements nodded, though there was a moment of fearful hesitation in both Applejack and Rarity.

“Then follow me!” shouted Obsidian. He leapt out of cover, driving his staff into the ground. The earth underneath him bulged and flowed, sending him forward, riding atop a miniature mudslide.

“After him!” shouted Applejack, leaping after Obsidian and running forward, sparks of orange light dancing around her hooves as she accelerated.

They were two thirds to the enemy line, incoming bolts of magic bouncing harmlessly off their protections, when Pinkie Pie overtook them. She was rolling downhill at a terrifying speed, a blur of her blue magic mixed with Rarity’s purple forming a ball-shaped aura around her. She hit the enemy line ahead of her friends, ponies flying in all directions with the sound of falling bowling pins; the strike didn’t cause its targets visible injuries, but left them scattered on the ground in odd positions, their bodies strangely stiff, and their faces frozen in comically shocked expressions.

Pinkie Pie ended her roll with a somersault that landed her on her feet, right in the middle of the Equestrian ranks. Immediately half a dozen ponies pounced at her, but their hooves and weapons only hit air. She was dodging left and right, her armor momentarily replaced with baggy trousers and a pair of sunglasses, each blow missing her by an inch, until her attackers’ momentum carried them into each other, their colliding limbs somehow tangling them into a helpless ball of struggling bodies.

Half way down the slope, Rarity kept feeding Pinkie extra energy. A bunch of armored pegasi flew in her direction, but a salvo of arrows from the imperial positions intercepted them mid-charge, causing them to crash from the sudden weight of the ice covering their armor and wings. The last one managed to dodge the projectiles with a roll, and then turned to sweep at Rarity from her right; just as she was about to defend herself, a pink barrier sprung to existence in front of her, the attacking pegasus slamming into it muzzle-first, going cross-eyed, and slowly sliding down onto the ground. Rarity turned just in time to see Shining Armor saluting her from behind cover.

In return, she sent a strand of her power up, towards another salvo his soldiers had just loosed into the air. The glowing arrows hit the ground in a line, their empowered tips exploding into a layer of ice, forming a five foot wide line in front of the Equestrians.

A spell flew towards Rarity. This time she conjured her own shield, to supplement Shining Armor’s, but the projectile didn’t strike her at all, instead exploding like a firework, the glowing particles forming an image of an arrow pointing down at her. Suddenly there were many more projectile incoming…

Meanwhile, Obsidian got past Pinkie, sliding between the incapacitated soldiers into the lines of ponies behind. Unlike Pinkie, he pulled no punches - his staff swung in a wide arc in front of him, knocking everypony out of his way. Applejack cringed as she heard the sound of shattering armor and breaking bone.

“Out of our way!” she shouted a warning, but she didn’t see any ponies react to it in any way; those who did move out of the way clearly did it out of fear of Obsidian’s display of power.

The three ponies broke through the enemy line, and crossed through the hole in the barrier - it was already as wide as a barn, and just as tall. The device was clearly in sight, shielded by the last line of defenders.

Obsidian aimed his staff like a javelin, directing it underneath the silvery beam the emitter was still sending, but then swung it in front of himself instead, stabbing the ground with the tip. A blinding lightning bolt that had been aimed at him hit the staff instead, striking down the shaft as if sucked in.

Luna flew out from behind the beam, bolts of lightning striking down at the three ponies.

Obsidian calmly let his staff redirect the power of the attack, keeping him safe in the eye of the storm. Pinkie Pie danced and twisted as the lightning bolts struck around her, seemingly unharmed, until suddenly her hair stood on end, puffing up into a fuzzy ball.
Applejack had no fancy tricks. Her aura expanded to protect her, a ball of thick, amber light. She still felt her muscles cramping, and smelled ozone and singed fur. “You!” she shouted, the power of Honesty filling her. “What have you done to these ponies!?”

Without breaking her attack, Luna gave Applejack a condescending smile. “Oh. I’ve just made sure they wouldn’t listen to you. Ignorance is bliss, and I want my subjects happy!”

Applejack bared her teeth. A bolt of orange light shot from her her Element, but missed its mark. “You’re a monster!”

Luna’s smile disappeared. “I believe you,” she said coldly. “And you know what? To keep order in Equestria, I’m ready to cull every single pony you’ve set against me with your words. You’ll see it soon enough.”

A bolt of blue magic flew at Luna. She deflected it with a half-sphere of force.

“Go, get the machine!” barked Obsidian, “We’ll keep her busy.”

“Like I’d let you,” said Luna. The air around her seemed to fold into itself, then her image was reflected all around her, like a piece of colored glass in a kaleidoscope. Within a second there were a wall of Lunas blocking Applejack’s path.

Without even stopping to think, Obsidian fired another bolt of magic. The Luna he was aiming at summoned a barrier to deflect the blast.

“Tricks of light?” he said, sneering, “When I can smell your blackened soul?”

Applejack didn’t want to wait and see what would happen next; she ran straight through the wall of mirages, reinforcing her protective powers as she went - the aura covering her body thickened around vital spots, until she was clad in a suit of spectral plate armor, ready to take the inevitable attack that would come her way.

Obsidian launched his staff. It pierced through Luna’s barrier, forcing her to dodge just as she was about to send a beam of light into Applejack’s back. She swerved, and fired at him instead.

Obsidian’s staff hadn’t come back yet, limiting his options for defense; he dodged, blurring from the speed as the magic flowed through the runes covering his body, propelling him sideways, but he wasn’t quick enough, the beam burning a gash across his shoulder.

Luna teleported, emerging from a nimbus of darkness on his other side, ready to land a decisive hit while he was distracted with pain

“Moon attack!” she heard a yell to her left. She caught a glimpse of pink in the corner of her eye, but it was too late to turn, the attacker already within her personal space. The time seemed to slow down as her pattern-enhanced senses calmly registered every detail of the pink pony rump about to collide with her face…

***

“OUT OF MY WAY” shouted Applejack, magic amplifying her voice. The armored earth ponies standing in her way didn’t listen, instead planting the back ends of their spears in the ground, ready to receive the charge. Groaning internally, Applejack stomped both front hooves hard as she ran, the magic imbued into the impact causing the earth to move in a parting wave, splitting the defensive line with a wedge of loose soil, and sending the ponies tumbling to the sides. I’m getting the hang of this, thought Applejack. She kept running, straight at the enemy device.

She was underneath the great beam, so close that she felt a cold shiver down her spine, and her magic waned for a second. Then a needle flew at her face. It pierced through the outside layer of the barrier, slowed to a crawl, but kept going, the magic propelling it compensating for the lost momentum. Applejack kept staring at it moving straight at her eye, her defense instincts causing her mask to reshape, forming a protective visor. As the tip finally stopped, touching the ‘glass’ over her eyes, Applejack felt several more impacts. There were five needles in her barrier now, each slowly moving towards some point that neither the metal nor the aura armor covered.

“Hey, what gives?” Applejack turned, so that now the needles were aimed at obviously armored spots. She looked around, eyes glowing orange, until she found what she was looking for - a slate grey unicorn hiding behind what she could only guess was an illusion spell; there was a small cloud of dust there, but Applejack could see through it as if it were a sheet of glass.

“Pierce!” she shouted.

In reply, he fired another salvo of needles. Applejack ducked, and focused her magic close to her body - she felt the needles ricochet from the metal of her helmet. “Stop that!” she shouted, firing a beam of orange light from her gem. Pierce rolled aside, avoiding the shot, and dropped a smoke bomb. This was no illusion; Applejack lost sight of him for a moment. She didn’t wait for him to strike again, instead moving aside to get behind cover of the emitter, ready to finally smash it.

There was somepony standing on the other side.

“Step away from it!” said an angry voice. It was distorted by the mask of the armored hazmat suit the pony was wearing, but still recognisably female.

Applejack prepared for a fight, but then saw something that made her reconsider and step away. There was a heavy harness around the mare’s body, pieces of metal hanging from it where the saddle bags would be. The left half looked like an oblong canister, pipes and cables going from it over the mare’s back. The right side piece Applejack recognised instantly. The anti-magic gun. There was a thick cord extending from the trigger system, attached to the side of the mare’s mask.

She speaks, thought Applejack. Her Honesty was already active, she just needed to channel a bit of power into her voice. It was worth a try.

“I don’t want to fight you,” she said. She then watched her opponent’s reaction, looking for an opportunity to get out of the weapon’s arc of fire. She knew she could move fast, but she remembered the beam to be surprisingly wide - the gun did not require much skill to hit its target.

“Well, you shouldn’t have started then,” said the mare bitterly, advancing. Her head was leaning to the left, pulling the cord taut, the right eye fixed on Applejack.

“So, you can understand me?” asked Applejack. “Nopony else could.”

“I do,” replied the mare. “Dr Stone spent weeks proofing my brain against intrusion after the changelings mess. If only she’d done the same for my daughter…”

Applejack didn’t understand at first. “Your… daughter? Wait… Bluebonnet?”

“Tourmaline died because of you!” shouted Bluebonnet, her voice now clearly recognisable even through the mask.

Applejack stepped backwards. “I didn’t do anything!” she snapped back, “It was her gizmo that blew up!”

“They don’t ‘blow up',” snarled Bluebonnet.

“I know,” said Applejack. For a moment she lost her focus on the gun still aimed at her, instead putting all of her mind in the conversation. She could feel Bluebonnet’s sincerity, and the pain in her words. Her eyes glowed soft orange as she spoke. “Scootaloo told me that too. But we hadn’t even touched the thing. We didn’t know it existed.”

Bluebonnet was trembling, so badly that she was at risk of firing the gun by accident. The muzzle was swaying from side to side, but always keeping Applejack in the line of fire. “She was... my only daughter,” stuttered Bluebonnet, “She was just a child! And you dragged her into your stupid war!”

Applejack looked her in the eyes. “I never even spoke to your daughter. She…” Applejack paused. “She was at the palace earlier, wasn’t she? You think she might have overheard something…”

Applejack stood transfixed, her mind trying to comprehend the situation. Then lightning flashed, and thunder rolled behind her; the battle between Luna, Obsidian and Pinkie was still going.

The sudden realisation shook Applejack awake, making her mind race instead. I… I can’t just stand here talking! There are ponies dying! And I can’t leave this as it is either! And she’s still aiming that gun at me… What do I do?

Applejack took a lower stance, wisps of orange appearing underneath her hooves. She kept looking Bluebonnet in the eyes. “Now I understand what she said.”

Bluebonnet froze, her head, about to pull the trigger, jerking back. “What?” she stuttered, staring back at Applejack. “What did she say?”

Applejack pounced, not aside, but straight forward, clearing the distance between the two in a split second. She almost collided with Bluebonnet, their muzzles brushing past each other as the engineer pulled to the left. Applejack reached forward and snapped with her teeth, her magically enhanced strength cutting the exposed metal cord. She then pushed with her front hooves, sending the engineer tumbling backwards.

“She said she’d put an end to this,” said Applejack, “So you’all could be free.”

She turned, and bucked the giant emitter. The metal shell reverberated from the force, with a discordant sound, like a badly cast bell, then something burst inside, and the beam shorted out. The device fell on its side, steam hissing from inside the shell, After a couple seconds, the steam was replaced with smoke.

Applejack didn’t wait to see more. She turned and galloped away, back towards her friends.

Bluebonnet sat up, and watched her go in silence, After a while, she registered somepony else standing beside her.

“You… didn’t shoot her,” she finally said to Pierce.

Pierce gazed into the distance, where Applejack had disappeared, and then at Bluebonnet. “And you didn’t retreat as ordered.”

“My job was to protect you, not the emitter,” continued Pierce. “You let her get close to you, and by the time I was in a position for a clean shot, it would have put you in danger. She didn’t want to fight you, but if I hit her and failed…”

Bluebonnet finally rose to her hooves. “Take me back to the tent,” she said. She walked with him at her side, neither looking into the other’s eyes. Behind them trumpets sounded for retreat, the hole in the barrier closing rapidly.

***

Rainbow Dash appeared on the balcony of the Crystal Tower, right next to the surprised Cadence. Being the fastest to reorient herself after the teleportation, she put her front hooves on the bannister, ready to jump out and into the air.

In the distance, she saw six familiar shapes approaching, the primary lineup of the Wonderbolts. I’m really going to have to fight them.

Then it hit her. Arrogance is among them. But they’re all on the team… That means... Rainbow’s blood ran cold. She’s already killed one of them, She’s wearing the body like a suit!

“Come on!” called Twilight behind her, “We need to stop them!”

“What’s going on?” asked Cadence, following Rainbow’s gaze over the city until she too noticed the approaching shapes.

“They’re after the Heart,” said Rainbow Dash. “Arrogance is among them.”

“Then we better move down there,” said Bling, entering the balcony. “Can you teleport us down, miss Sparkle?”

“No need to,” replied Cadence. Grabbing both Twilight and Bling with her telekinesis, she spread her wings, and jumped off the balcony, gliding down towards the plaza.

Rainbow Dash was already in the air, climbing up to get into a better position, trying to get a good look at the approaching Wonderbolts. “Aurora… where are you?” she whispered under her breath.

“So… what should I do?” asked Fluttershy behind her.

“Their plan is probably to split up and attack the Heart from many sides at once,” said Dash. “I’ll try to keep them split. You pick one that isn’t Arrogance, and keep her out of the fight.”

Fluttershy looked fearfully towards the approaching enemies. “Is that all?” she asked.

Dash nodded, but mentally slapped herself. She should have stayed at the breach. She’d be more useful there. She doesn’t know anything about aerial combat. Why did Obsidian put her here?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she caught movement in the distance. “Wait, what's that?”

There were more pegasi in the air now, the Empire’s meagre air force. The first line of defence had failed, surprised and scattered by the initial explosion, and then tied up in combat by the Equestria pegasi who followed the Wonderbolts through the breach. The few that managed to give pursuit weren’t quite fast enough to catch up with the intruders.

The second line, six pegasi protecting the tower, had flown below Dash and were now right in the path of the approaching Wonderbolts.

“No! Don’t stand in their way like that” shouted Dash, but even as she did, she knew she was too far away, her voice not loud enough to serve as an adequate warning.

The Wonderbolts split up, right before the two forces would meet. The defenders did too, trying to intercept them. This was a fatal mistake; the more maneuverable Equestrian ace fliers managed to turn what would have been a head-on collision into a series of small clashes, at angles that they were able to dictate.

A part of Dash’s mind, one she was pretty sure was not really hers, told her that the Wonderbolts weren’t really that great. But they were much better than their opponents, and that was enough. The air was filled with sprays of blood, and flying feathers, the acrobatic fly-by attacks striking at exposed wings and necks.

One pony was an exception to the rule: Spitfire. She did not swerve aside, but went straight at the pony trying to stop her. She hit him with her front hooves, the enameled metal breastplate shattering like glass under her touch, the impact driving sharp edges into the surprised soldier’s chest. He fell backwards towards the ground, spinning in the air, a trail of red droplets in his wake. Then the air behind Spitfire exploded, the pegasi sent spinning by the other Wonderbolts’ attacks instantly engulfed by the flames.

It’s her realized Dash, Arrogance has killed Spitfire!

She chanced a look behind. Cadence had reached the ground, and was now fortifying her position, her spells growing spiked ridges of crystal on the tower walls, while the guards prepared their bows. Twilight had taken position in front of the Heart - there were now lines of energy swirling around her, power gathering at her forehead.

That’s a start, thought Dash, better than me charging them head-on. She flew higher, still undecided who to aim at.

Silver Zoom, Misty Fly, Soarin, Blaze, Fire Streak… Arrogance. Do I hit a Wonderbolt, or do I go one on one with Her? It took all of us last time…

Then Twilight’s spell fired, and the time for thinking was over. Arrogance noticed the attack coming, and fell to the right, a barrel roll that let her keep her direction without losing momentum. The whole formation split, and then swooped down, flying just over the rooftops.

Dash swooped down too. She’s no longer a princess, is she? There’s six of them and six of us. I can take her.

Another beam fired, missing Soarin and hitting a chimney instead, the spell covering the whole roof in a foot thick layer of crystal.

Dash was falling down, heading for Spitfire. She pointed one hoof forward, aiming with the tip of the blade attached to her foreleg.

The ground rushed to meet her. She registered the air shifting in front of her, but it was too late to stop. She projected her magic to protect her, an armor of red light complete with a full face mask - that probably saved her eyes. The thick cloud of vapor that the air above Spitfire had suddenly turned into was frighteningly cold, enough that the sudden shock knocked the breath out of Rainbow. She could feel tiny ice crystals growing on her feathers.

Spitfire didn’t even look in her direction, but as Rainbow flew past her, she saw the roof below get reshaped, transforming into a bunch of long spikes.

There was no time to stop anymore - Instead Dash transferred all her power to her hoof - she struck the spike she was about to be impaled on, swiping past the tip, shattering it, and landing inside the house in a shower of debris; the impact collapsed most of the weakened roof, leaving Rainbow bruised and disoriented on the floor.

She shook her head, spat out a crystal shard that had ended up in her mouth, and jumped back into the air, just in time to see one of Twilight’s shots finally connect, sending Fire Streak flying towards the ground, encased in a solid block of crystal.

She also saw Fluttershy fly right into Silver Zoom’s path, shouting something urgently. Kindness was glowing on her chest, and the speeding stallion didn’t strike her, instead swerving to avoid the collision, a move that took him further away from his teammates, spoiling the coordination of the attack.

The Wonderbolts were already above the central plaza. They split, with Silver Zoom and Misty Fly on the left, while the rest approached from the right, using the corners of the tower as cover from the ponies shooting from underneath it. Dash shot after them, but she knew she wouldn’t get there fast enough to contribute to the first clash.

Spitfire was spearheading the attack, clouds forming in front of her as fast as she was flying, absorbing the guards' crystal arrows, and falling down as spiky clumps of ice.

Something pink and blue fell out of the sky, striking Spitfire’s formation from the right. It exploded with the force that made Cadence’s improvised defences crack and splinter, a spreading ring of opalescent colors blowing away Spitfire’s next attack away before it could fully form, sending the mare herself tumbling through the air, barely avoiding a direct hit; the streak of color flew past her, and hit Soarin instead, a leg blade piercing his side armor just below the wing with a force that sent him flying like a thrown ragdoll, all the way across the plaza, and landing in somepony’s garden on the other side.

That’s crazy! thought Rainbow Dash, hitting moving things at this speed, but she herself accelerated, a red contrail of Loyalty replacing her usual rainbow one.

“Aurora!” shouted Spitfire, regaining control, and flying aside around one of the corners of the tower before anypony could exploit the opening.

“Missed me!?” shouted back Aurora, finally losing the momentum of her charge, but making sure to stay on the move. She flew under the tower, and almost right into Spitfire’s path, only swerving at the last moment, when the Shattered tried to put an explosion in her way.

“That’s a brave pony you killed!” called Spitfire, flying out of the flames, avoiding shots from Twilight and Cadence. She didn’t seem to raise her voice - instead it sounded as if she was using a loudspeaker.

A line of flame streaked from her and underneath the tower. Cadence and Twilight were able to shield themselves, and the Heart was now surrounded by a round shell of crystal, but several palace guards weren’t that lucky, the explosion reaching them even behind their improvised battlements.

“No!” shouted Aurora, “You did!” She kept looking for an opening, but kept her distance from Spitfire for the moment, “You use ponies as tools, and then get upset when they break!”

Silver Zoom and Misty Fly made a flying charge at Cadence. She caused a spiked rampart to burst from the floor in front of her, forcing them to split, and fly around her, but Misty Fly still managed to hit a guard, a flying kick knocking the helmet off his head and sending him sliding along the ground. Dash intercepted Misty on her way out; the two mares collided, exchanging blows until finally Dash flipped herself over backwards, kicking off with both hind legs - the point of impact flashed red with Loyalty’s power, and Misty Fly was sent flying away, two hoofprints burning hot on her armor.

Dash recovered her balance just in time to see Spitfire take another turn underneath the tower - Twilight and Cadence took shots at her, but missed, leaving them a split second to shield themselves when her contrail exploded again. Once again a muffled scream announced that somepony else wasn’t that lucky.

Then Spitfire spun the air around herself, using it to make a seemingly impossible turn, flying out of the smoke right behind Cadence.

A shot of green magic flew at her, turning what would be a deadly attack into a desperate dodge. Cadence ducked, a half-sphere of force appearing above her head.

“You traitor!” shouted Spitfire at Bling. The stallion replied with a series of shots, two of them grazing her armor, forcing her to seek cover again.

Dash tried to intercept her on her way out, but another explosion forced her to back down. As she recovered, she noticed Fluttershy on the other side - apparently she was trying to keep up with Silver Zoom, but despite matching him with speed, she couldn’t quite match his maneuverability.
Dash turned the corner and returned underneath, just in time to see Blaze fly in from her right - the mare dove at the last remaining guard, decapitating him with a fly-by before making a strike at the crystal protecting the heart. Flying on the opposite side to Cadence and Twilight, she blindsided them long enough to take a strong swing, cracks spreading across the surface from the long cut she made.

Dash flew after her, speeding up on the low pass. As she was flying by, a part of her mind registered the guard’s head on the crystal pavement; the blank look of surprise in the dead eye made Rainbow’s stomach turn.

She caught up with Blaze, and the Wonderbolt turned. For a moment, she was flying upside down, staring into Dash, two faces that mirrored each other, full of outrage and determination. Dash did not strike. The Wonderbolt did, but her blade was stopped by Loyalty’s magic. Then they fell away from each other, each taking her own turn to return to the crystal.

There was another explosion. Aurora flew in Dash’s peripheral vision, trying to hit one of the remaining Wonderbolts while clearly avoiding direct fight with Spitfire - after using her trump card, she wasn’t eager to get close to her.

Why isn’t Arrogance diving in the floor like the last time? thought Dash. Then she understood. The Heart’s magic must be messing with her powers, just like her machines did with ours. She moved crystals against me, but so close to the Heart it must be hard. She won’t risk getting trapped underground. She’ll just try to blow us up until it sticks.

Blaze fell, a shot from Bling piercing her wing, leaving her helpless against Cadence’s spell, which enveloped her in a cocoon of crystal - she crashed to the floor, and then slid along, finally coming to a stop at the corner of the tower.

Then there was another explosion, and another; it seemed Spitfire set up two of them in a row to create confusion. The last blast shattered the barrier around the Crystal Heart, leaving it exposed from the side opposite to Cadence. Dash saw Spitfire fly out of the haze, feathers singed by her own attack, trying to surprise the princess of love once again. At the same time, Silver Zoom flew in from the opposite side, aiming at the Heart.

Bling shot at Spitfire, but she forced a small pillar of crystal to shoot out of the floor and shield her. Cadence started turning, but not quickly enough.

Dash and Aurora flew in from the opposing directions - Dash struck at Spitfire, forcing her to block, red sparks flying as the blades collided. Aurora dove underneath, flooring Cadence, and pushing her out of the way of the attack.

In a flash, Fluttershy teleported in, shielding the exposed Crystal Heart with her chest. “No,” she said, softly but sternly, looking the charging Wonderbolt straight in the eyes.

It was a moment that seemed frozen in time, blades clashing, shots flying, multiple mouths opened to shout. Then time reasserted itself, both Spitfire and Silver Zoom swerving away and retreating, the Shattered leaving the last pocket of explosive gas to cover her escape.

Dash watched them go as the haze cleared; they were flying back to the main battle, Silver Zoom a bit unevenly, his side injured by a glancing hit from Bling on the way out. Misty Fly joined the two, and then Spitfire made something on the ground explode, leaving a thick smokescreen behind them.

“Did we win?” Dash asked Aurora.

Aurora nodded. “Yea. It was three against five, and it looks like they’ve run out of time.” She pointed towards the edge of the city where the silvery white light had faded. “See, the hole is closing. Obsidian must have succeeded.”

“Do we chase her?” asked Dash.

“No,” replied Aurora.”We can’t leave the Heart. This would be a great moment for the Shattered to pull off something sinister. We can’t let our guard down.”

Breathing heavily, Rainbow Dash landed next to Twilight, doing her best not to look at the mangled bodies sprawled on the ground. She instead turned towards Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy, how did you do that? I didn’t know you could teleport.”

Fluttershy blushed. “Well, I couldn’t get here in time, and we’ve sort of all done it before…”

Rainbow Dash lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “Am I the only one who can’t do magic here?”

“You can do the armor thing,” said Aurora. “That’s really useful.”

Cadence looked sadly at the battlefield. “Let’s secure the Heart.” Her magic flowed from her horn, growing extra layers of crystal to fill the gap. “Then we’ll find out how the… battle… went.”

***

They met twenty minutes later, on the balcony of the palace, all except Bling, who took over the command of the border. Nearly everypony was wounded in some way, most just dusty, and covered in superficial burns and scratches, but Glitterdust was limping from a hind leg wound, and Obsidian had several burns from Luna’s light beams, deep enough that they would probably incapacitate a normal pony. Dash was watching in morbid fascination as the stallion’s wounds slowly closed, his internal magic accelerating the healing process. Pinkie looked relatively unharmed, except for being left with a mullet, after an energy beam cut off the top of her mane. Tellingly, Rarity seemed too exhausted to care.

Spike was walking in and out of the balcony, bringing a tray of hot tea. He kept looking from one pony to another with growing concern, before finally abandoning his task altogether, leaving an empty tray propped against the door frame, and resting his head on Twilight’s side. Twilight used her magic to ruffle his head frill absent-mindedly.

“I was really worried for you,” said Spike. “This isn’t like your normal adventures.”

“I know,” said Twilight. “All of this is horrible. But as long as we stick together, we’ll find a way to win. We’ll save Equestria as we always have.”

Beside her, Pinkie Pie was trying to get her mane fixed, finally putting her hoof in her mouth, and blowing hard, until hair popped out of her head, expanding into an afro before regaining its regular shape. Suddenly, she shuddered, looked down on her body, and then gave everypony around a strange look.

“What was it, Pinkie?” asked Twilight.

Pinkie looked around. “I don’t know. But I don't like it.”

Spike looked around too. “Well, that’s not worrisome at all,” he said fearfully.

“We’ve lost twenty four ponies,” recounted Shining Armor. "We killed about as much in return, including one Wonderbolt, and captured two others.”

“The binding crystal spell will keep them unharmed, but immobile,” said Cadence. "We should use the occasion to figure out what the Shattered had done to them.”

“We’ve also wrecked their machine,” added Shining. “How easily do you think they can fix it?”

“If Arrogance could conjure one with her powers,” said Obsidian, “she’d likely mass produce them for this battle. So either they’re somehow too complex even for her, or they require some rare material she cannot duplicate.”

“Let’s hope it’s the former,” said Glitterdust. “We really need the time to rest.”

“What we need is a clear shot at either Envy or Arrogance,” said Aurora. “I don’t know why the other Shattered haven’t shown up, and it worries me, but so far these two seem to be the key to the siege. If we could seal at least one of them, it could be enough to stop them at least for now.”

“We need a more permanent solution,” said Twilight Sparkle. “We can’t keep dragging this pointless battle on. It’s getting… ponies killed.”

“The Equestrian high command agrees with your assessment,” said Luna’s voice beside her.

Everypony froze. It was Luna’s voice, but it came from Spike’s mouth. The ponies spread out, forming a circle around the little dragon, who was staring in horrified surprise at his own snout.

Shining Armour stepped in front of Cadence, shielding her. “Envy? How did you get in here?”

There was no reply. Instead, Spike’s eyes widened as his throat bulged. He tried to cover his mouth with his claws, but in vain. In the corner of her eye Twilight saw Obsidian and Glitterdust bolting towards the door. Dash and Aurora were quick to react too, flying away and down, Dash grabbing Fluttershy as she went, pulling her over the railing. Shining Armour, already protecting Cadence, powered up his shield. Twilight followed suit, conjuring a force bubble that encompassed her, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie. As the flame forced its way out of the dragon’s mouth, if formed a single object – a metal ball the size of a grapefruit. As it hit the ground, falling between Twilight and Spike, it came to life with a loud whirr and immediately Twilight felt a familiar tension building up.

Pattern! The shield won’t be enough!

With only a split second to do anything, she changed her spell. In a flash, the four ponies inside the bubble disappeared. They popped back into existence in the adjacent room, just as the floor shook with a loud explosion.

As soon as she recovered her senses, Twilight ran back into the throne room and onto the balcony. Everything was hidden in a cloud of dust. Behind the crystal door frame, Obsidian was rising to his hooves. The frame itself was cracked, and as she passed it by, Twilight noticed an object lodged in the crystal – a thick metal flechette. She ran outside, nearly tripping over the broken body of Glitterdust. The limp had slowed him down a precious second; the blast had hit him from behind, with one flechette striking the back of his head, splitting the helmet.

Twilight turned away from the gore, holding her breath. She caught something purple in the corner of her eye. Spike was sitting with his back on the wall, apparently thrown there by the explosion. He was clutching his chest, blood oozing from between his fingers. Seeing Twilight, he tried to smile despite the pain.
“Thick scales... can’t feel a thing...” and then suddenly went limp.

The unicorn rushed to his side, pulling his claws away from his chest with her magic. Underneath there was a mess of red, a glint of metal marking the back end of the deadly dart. She looked around frantically for something, anything that might help. What she saw instead was something even worse.

Princess Cadence was sitting on the floor, her mouth half open, staring down at the inert form in front of her. Shining Armour was in a heap on the ground, three irregular holes torn in the chest piece of his armour. Another flechette seemed to have grazed his head, ripping the cheek, but that could hardly make matters worse. The blankness of his opened eyes proclaimed his condition with all finality. Twilight froze, incapable of deciding what to do. She could hear her friends running past her towards the princess. Cadence herself wasn’t injured, she wasn’t even splattered with blood. However, she wouldn’t move from her spot, still staring down at her husband’s body, her eyes growing unfocused even as the others around her started shouting to get her attention.

With a reverberating sound, like a thousand wine glasses breaking, the barrier around the city shattered and disappeared.

Author's Note

As always, comments very appreciated.

Also, there is a literary reference hidden in this chapter - a virtual cookie for whoever finds it. :twilightsmile:

Chapter 35: The Black

The Elements looked at each other in fright. Each was hoping to see somepony ready to take command of the situation, but only found shock and despair staring back at her.

Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and rose above the balcony. Looking down at her friends, she absorbed the scene of the unfolding disaster.

Twilight was sobbing uncontrollably, Applejack trying to get her back on her hooves. Fluttershy was looking around frantically, tears in her eyes. Pinkie stood in the middle, just staring forward. A squeaky toy fell out of her mane, making a miserable noise as one of the guards running in to help Cadence stepped on it.

A flare was fired in the distance, Bling’s green magic. Dash looked in the direction of the battle line: A large storm cloud was now looming over it, flashing with lightning after lightning.

“Obsidian!” shouted Dash, “They’re coming again! We have to do something!”

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” mumbled Obsidian. “Why wasn’t I told? You said he delivered letters…” his blank expression shifted into an angry snarl, blue lights flaring in the pupils of his eyes, “WHY WASN’T I TOLD!?”

“We don’t have time for this,” said Aurora over Dash’s shoulder. Flying down, she hovered over Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, calm them all down with your Element.”

Fluttershy looked up, visibly grateful for anything that could give her direction. “I can do that?” she said. Aurora just looked at her sternly.

“Oh, right,” nodded Fluttershy. “I’ve seen your… I mean… I’ll try.” She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Soon a wave of pink light washed over the balcony. Rainbow Dash felt it pass over her too. Her panic subsided, though she could now clearly feel great sadness that had been waiting on the sidelines up to that point. She looked around, and saw similar changes in the others’ faces. Fluttershy’s spell was better than nothing, but far from a perfect solution.

There was an explosion in the distance, then another.

“They’re both fighting now,” said Obsidian, looking towards the storm cloud. “Envy feared the heart before. But the Elements alone she can fight. With the barrier down, this battle may already be lost. Princess, can you re-establish the shield?”

He was met with no response at all. The two guards present had managed to separate Cadence from Shining’s body and get her back on her hooves, but she didn’t respond to her surroundings in any other way, not even to acknowledge Obsidian’s question.

Obsidian looked at Pinkie, who slowly shook her head. He looked back at Cadence, and inhaled, taking in her aura. "Ah. She's the ruler. One with the hearts of her subjects. It's not just her despair, but everypony's." He then gave a deep sigh. “Take her somewhere safe, for whatever it’s worth.”

“We need to go,” said Aurora and Rainbow together.

The others nodded. Twilight swept the balcony with her power, gently picking up the bodies from the floor. She walked back into the throne room, and set Shining, Glitterdust, and Spike along the wall of the chamber. Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she looked from her brother, to her number one assistant. She wiped her eyes with a wisp of magic, and shook her head angrily.

“We will mourn later, girls. The Empire needs us.”

She turned back towards the balcony, and focused her power. As the two guards led Cadence out of the room, the rest of the ponies gathered around Twilight, ready for transport. At the last moment before they disappeared, Rarity took one last glance towards Spike, before turning away with a pained expression.

***

They appeared in the main street leading towards the train station. They didn’t even have the time to look around when a wave of heat washed over them; something had just exploded nearby. There were Imperial soldiers running from that direction.

As Twilight watched, the storm cloud above erupted with light - a bolt of lightning struck the last running soldier so hard his armor lit up like a lamp, then arced from pony to pony, killing all six of them within a second. Looking up, Twilight could see the tiny speck of Luna hovering underneath the cloud, conducting the storm, as well as a group of pegasi herding the thunderclouds forward.

“Get off the street!” shouted Obsidian, causing them all to duck aside, into the cover of the nearest house.

Another bolt of lightning struck, grounding somewhere a block away from them.

“It isn’t even a retreat,” said Obsidian through gritted teeth. “It’s a rout.”

“Well, let’s change that!” shouted Rainbow Dash, pointing upward.

Twilight understood. She positioned herself to have a clear view of Luna, braced herself, and pointed her horn at her. The tiara on her head started gathering power. She didn’t need to tell the others what to do; all fell in line, pooling their magic into the effect.

It was uneven, erratic, not nearly as focused as the one they’d used against the emitter earlier, but the spell started taking shape. Even Pinkie, who could only generate sparks when they’d started, was finally able to contribute.

The beam shot up into the sky, hitting Luna, going through her, and piercing the cloud behind, making the raging storm look like a giant, angry donut. The battle seemed to freeze. Seconds passed, and nothing happened. Twilight kept looking into the sky.

“We missed,” she said suddenly.

Pinkie Pie leapt sideways, comically slowly, flying right in front of Twilight’s face, her warning shout low pitched and distorted. A beam of light struck her in the chest as she did, and she fell aside like a discarded toy.

“No!” shouted Obsidian, throwing his staff in front of the group, a split second before the whole fury of the storm descended upon them. There was blinding light, and deafening noise, the staff blazing white as it sucked in the lightning and channeled it safely away, before Twilight managed to focus enough to project a force bubble.

“Off the street!” shouted Obsidian. His staff struck the ground, a wall of crystal erupting 12 feet up, providing them with cover as they escaped.

“Pinkie!” shouted Twilight, running to her friend’s side.

Pinkie Pie stirred with a painful grunt. Rising up she swept a hoof across her chest, right below the necklace. A small, half-charred mirror fell out of her fur.

Twilight hugged her friend hard, then used telekinesis to put her back on her feet, and started running along with the others, heading towards one of the nearby houses. A bolt of lightning struck the house they had been hiding behind, shattering the crystal roof and pelting them with debris.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again, Pinkie!” shouted Twilight as she ran.

Pinkie bit her lip and looked down at the ground. “It wouldn’t have worked if I didn’t,” she whispered under her breath.

They reached the house at the last moment, Obsidian ramming through the door with his forehead, letting others get in just in time before his improvised barrier was obliterated by a powerful explosion. They picked themselves from the floor, Twilight instinctively picking up the door and setting it awkwardly back in the frame.

“Why did we miss?” she asked nopony in particular. “She was right there.”

“Mirages,” answered Obsidian. “Games of light. She set a trap, and we took the bait like amateurs.” He looked up at the ceiling. “I can pin her down, but we’d need to get closer, and she doesn’t have the same problem.”

“We could use illusions too,” said Aurora. “Pinkie, could you disguise me? I need to look outside.”
“What we need to do is get out of here,” said Obsidian. “They know we’re near, and they could bomb this house any moment.” He set his staff in front of himself and focused.

***

They popped back into existence inside a different house. Aurora flew to the window, and peered outside.

“Soldiers,” she said, “lots of them.”

“Good,” replied Obsidian. “That means Arrogance is unlikely to bomb this street.”

“So, what do we do now?” asked Dash. “We didn’t come here to hide.”

”No,” said Obsidian. “We came here to see if there is something we can do to change the outcome. But this fight looks unwinnable.”

“What!?” shouted Dash and Aurora. Others echoed them, but not so loudly.

Obsidian sighed. “The line was breached before we even got there. The Equestrians far outnumber our forces, and they got a morale boost from breaching the barrier, while ours are panicked, and unless Bling survived the initial push, leaderless. Envy and Arrogance are in the air, spot-bombing any places where organised resistance could still be mounted. They have enough space to use their full power without hitting their soldiers, or leaving themselves exposed. They know how to play this game. You’ve tried to hit them back, you saw how it worked. It would be different if we could get closer - but you’re not good enough with your magic yet to fight them in the air.”

“We’ve fought them today,” said Aurora sternly. “You did.”

“And I managed to stall Envy long enough for Applejack to break a big weapon that couldn’t be moved away. I looked much worse than she did at the end. Do you think you’d do better? How many hits from Envy can you take?”

“But we can’t just keep hiding here!” exclaimed Applejack. Her statement was punctuated by another distant explosion.

“I say we find Bling,” said Aurora. “If he’s still alive, he’s the last one with any control of all this.”

“Pinkie, could you?” asked Rarity.

Pinkie Pie looked at her pensively. “I have no idea where he is,” she said sadly. Then her ears perked up, and turned slowly, like radar dishes. A small smile returned to her lips. “But I can sense somepony we could help right now!”

She sprang to action, ramming through the back door of the house. Rainbow and Aurora dashed after her, with the rest of the group following as they could, Obsidian reluctantly following.

They only needed to run through the yard and jump over one fence to find a trio of crystal pony soldiers backed into a corner by six pegasi.

Dash overtook Pinkie, flying through the group with a flip that made her hind hoof connect with with the nearest pegasus’s side, launching him against the house wall on the other side of the yard. Aurora flew at another one, a mare about to open her mouth in a warning scream, dealing a strike to the wing that tilted the soldier in the air, then throwing a punch to the exposed belly, knocking the wind out of her. Pinkie Pie bounced at her opponent, spreading her limbs to wrap around him, sending them both rolling on the grass.

The other three, suddenly badly outnumbered, took to the air. Applejack fired a bolt of orange after them, but missed. Twilight had more luck, a beam from her horn hitting one of the pegasi and sending her falling back to the ground, encased in a block of crystal. By the time Fluttershy and Rarity caught up with them, the last two soldiers were just shrinking points high in the clouds.

Obsidian skidded to a halt, and looked around. “We only have a moment,” he said, looking at the crystal ponies. “Bling. Where is he?”

His staff fell down on the tangle of pony limbs at his feet, resulting in a crack, and a scream of pain. Pinkie Pie disentangled herself from her downed opponent, and shot Obsidian a dirty look.

The boldest of the crystal ponies stepped forward. “You’re the Elements of Harmony. I’m Ruby Quartz,” she said. She lifted a hoof over the pegasus Aurora had taken down.

Fluttershy stepped forward, pink glow spreading from her chest. “No time for that now,” she said softly, and Rudy Quartz stepped back with a shrug.

“Bling,” repeated Obsidian impatiently.

“Retreating towards the stadium, last we heard,” answered one of the other crystal soldiers. “He’s trying to make it an organized retreat. But we have nowhere to go. The enemy is everywhere!”

“Sir,” said Ruby Quartz, “Is it true what they say? About the princess and the Heart?”

“I don’t know what they’re saying,” said Twilight. “We teleported from the tower, so no news could reach you faster than us. But…” She clenched her jaw, unwilling to continue.

“We’ve been blindsided,” said Obsidian, “but the Heart still endures, and so does the princess. You still have some hope to cling to. Now, let’s get out of here before the Shattered hit us in the open.”

He looked around the yard, at the four pegasi, three sprawled on the ground with various levels of limb injury, and one stuck alive but immobile inside a magical crystal, partially embedded in the ground.

“They’ve heard where we’re going,” he said to the Elements. “What do we do about it?”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, but Applejack was faster. “They didn’t understand a word we said. Luna proofed them against hearing the truth, remember?”

Obsidian nodded his head. “That’s true.” His staff fell at his side. “Let us hurry then.”

He lead them into the street, and once they had a stretch of smooth crystal to themselves, quickly drew a circle. “Everypony in.”

The whole group barely managed to fit in. Obsidian started focusing energy, the ring beneath his hooves glowing blue.

“You were thinking of putting them to sleep, weren’t you?” he asked Fluttershy over his shoulder.

“I…” started Fluttershy.

“Hold that thought,” said Obsidian. “It will come in useful eventually.”

***

When they arrived at the stadium, there were about thirty ponies there. As the Elements appeared out of thin air, standing on a thin disc of crystal taken off the street, all the eyes turned towards them.

Twilight could see the initial alarm fade to recognition, then a bit of hope. Nopony truly relaxed though.

“Is commander Bling here?” asked Obsidian loudly.

“Here” called somepony from up in the stands.

The Elements rushed up the stairs. Bling was standing at the edge of the stands overlooking the city, surrounded by a bunch of adjutants.

Outside was a landscape out of a nightmare. The vivid pink and blue buildings of the city took darker and more sinister hues in the shade of the approaching storm. Lightning was still striking at regular intervals, and though the crystalline architecture posed no threat of a spreading fire, it seemed to stand ablaze whenever another of Arrogance’s explosions reflected off the rooftops.

“I’m glad you could make it,” said Bling.

“You had a harder way, I’m sure,” said Obsidian.

“I wouldn’t have got here on hoof,” replied Bling. “It pays to plan for contingencies.”

Twilight looked at the city, and then back at him. “Does it mean you have a plan?”

“Yes,” said Bling, “I do, It won’t be enough to defend the city, but I still have some ideas for salvaging this battle from being a total disaster.”

“How is that?” asked Aurora.

Bling turned around. “I’ve chosen this location because of how close it is to the old mines. This stadium actually started as a strip mine. Magical crystals used to be mined here before the influence of the local leyline transformed the citizens into crystal ponies, allowing them to grow them. It still connects to the deeper tunnels that the diamond dogs used to excavate the same deposit from below. What is really important though, is the place of power to be found there.”

He paused, making sure everypony was following his lecture.

“Thousands of years ago, the founder of the city created a portal there, using it to bring her ponies from the south, to escape an ancient war.

“Queen’s Gate,” said Obsidian. “You’re talking about Queen’s Gate.”

“So, you know it?” asked Bling.

Obsidian nodded. “This time an ancient myth turns out to be true. I fought in the war she escaped. In a way, this place is the last remaining city of the ancient Alicorn Empire.”

“So, what’s the plan?” asked Applejack.

“Obviously, there are ponies to be saved,” said Bling. “I want you to descend into the tunnels, and reach the gate. I will stay behind, and try to minimise the losses.”

“Can we find it in time?” asked Twilight Sparkle, looking at the sky with worry.

“The faster you descend the tunnels, the better,” said Bling. “Some of the tunnels are mapped, so I can give you a guide.”

“If that’s so important, why didn’t you find it earlier?” asked Applejack.

“It would’ve been very useful to have it ready,” said Rarity.

“Until this morning, this was the safest place in the world,” replied Bling with a frown. “The city you escaped to, not from. Your families were brought here for safety.”

“Where are they now!?” asked Twilight. Her ears drooped. “Oh… mom and dad will be devastated…” she added much more softly.

“Out of harm’s way, for now at least,” replied Bling. “Evacuated as we speak. It won’t be seen as loyal by the citizens of the Empire, but I have given your friends and loved ones priority. I know how important they are for this war.”

He turned away, back towards the war-torn city. “Now go. The future of Equestria depends on you.”

One of the ponies at his side, a scrawny, lime-green crystal pony, walked past the Elements and down the stairs. “Please, follow me,” he said.

“We should,” said Obsidian, trotting energically down the stairs. “Lead the way.”

***

They descended into the stadium basements, first through underground storage filled with sports equipment, then through lower chambers, and down a stair after stair, the crystal-covered walls giving way to stone ones. One by one the Elements lit up their gems to light the way.

“It’s too narrow,” said Fluttershy softly as they descended. “All the ponies couldn’t get through here in time.”

“Still, you’re here to save as many as you can, aren’t you?” said Obsidian.

Fluttershy folded her wings tightly at her sides. “I am, but…”

“Grow stronger then,” said Obsidian. “When you’re strong, you get to choose. Life is much easier then, though not simpler,” he finished with a smile.

“I will,” replied Fluttershy.

The tunnel had just opened into a natural cave. There were signs of excavation, with the floor smoothened, and holes dug through the walls, but there were still crystals sticking out of the walls here and there; they seemed to react to magic, lighting up with a glow of their own as the Elements’ light passed over them.

“How much further?” asked Aurora the guard. She stood behind him, suddenly watching him with clear suspicion.

“We’re almost at the right depth,” said the guard.

“Wait,” said Twilight. “This path doesn’t seem to need clearing. What exactly do you need us to do down here?”

The soldier missed a step, but then shrugged. “My job is just to get you down here. The rest is between you and the commander.” He took another step forward, and bumped into Pinkie, who had somehow got in front of him.

“Something’s wrong here, mister,” she said with a glare, poking the guard with her hoof.

“I’ve got my orders,” replied the guard, glaring back at her, though he was clearly taken aback by the perspective of facing an angry Element.

“And just what were your orders exactly, mister?” asked Applejack. The cave was illuminated by her orange glow.

Suddenly the guard was surrounded by the Elements and Aurora standing around him.

Obsidian was the only one not to take part. “I’m sure we’ll get an answer soon,” he said. “Right now… we’re not alone in these tunnels.”

Everypony froze, and listened intently. Ears turned slowly, looking for any suspicious noises. Finally they heard it too, in the tunnels behind them, far in the distance, something that sounded like... angry shouting of a filly?

“It’s…” started Rainbow Dash, recognising the voice.

Obsidian put his staff in front of her. “They’re coming this way,” he whispered. “Let’s wait for them here.”

“Let me go!” called the voice in the tunnels, now clearly recognisable as Scootaloo. “You cowards!”

“Stop screaming, you brat!” replied another voice. “We’re saving your life.” What followed was a sound of muffled screams, as if somepony tried to keep shouting through a gag.

Everypony moved to the sides, looking at the entrance, the light of the Elements dimming. Aurora kept their guide against the wall, glaring daggers at him.

And then the sound of another set of hooves echoed in the cave. The Elements turned their heads towards the source - one of the deeper tunnel entrances. There was a lime green light now visible there, a lit tip of the horn illuminating the way. Bling entered the cave.

Surprise flashed across all the girls’ faces, quickly replaced with anger.

“Bling… What are you doing here?” asked Applejack sternly, her Element brightening.

“Isn’t it obvious?” said Obsidian, charging up his staff with a spell. Then he shot Rainbow Dash. The blast threw the pegasus against the wall, washing over her, and leaving her limp on the ground, with a film of blue magic sparkling on her fur.

“Obsidian!?” shouted Twilight, pointing her horn at him.

The Elements ran away from Obsidian, forming a semi-circle facing outwards, towards the other ponies in the cave, with the unconscious Rainbow Dash behind them. The guard used the opportunity to push Aurora away - she flapped away from him and took her place beside her new friends. Five gems lit up, Applejack’s glowing the brightest.

Obsidian looked at Twilight, his staff hovering in front of him, ready to shield him. “I’m saving her life, obviously,” he explained. “She would try to rush back up and got herself killed. Or she’d try to do the smart thing, and stay here, defying Loyalty, which would damage her connection to the Element, her mind, or both. Taking the choice away from her while I still had the element of surprise was the least damaging solution.”

“You…” hissed Twilight.

“I told you, I’d have to make unpopular choices sooner or later,” replied Obsidian. “Truth be told… I’m resigned to losing your friendship at some point. You six don’t even pretend to like me, and it will only get worse. This can’t be helped. But I think I can at least get you to listen to the explanation this time.”

“So, you knew?” asked Bling.

“The moment I heard your plan,” replied Obsidian. “It wasn’t something that would hold water, if they weren’t all distraught. I figured out some details along the way.”

Two unicorns in imperial armor entered the cave through the mine tunnels entrance. Between them, they were levitating a struggling Scootaloo, a wisp of green magic wrapped around her muzzle.

“She was trying to tail us,” said one of the unicorns.

“At least you’ve found her”, replied Bling. “That’s good. The tunnels?”

“We’ve blocked the main one already. The Equestrians won’t follow,” replied the soldier. “The rest is collapsing as we speak.”

Bling nodded. “What about your other objectives?”

The soldiers’ faces grew serious. “The enemy has taken the tower. Team three managed to secure the Heart, but they were forced to retreat before the could evacuate the princess.”

“What?” asked Bling, slowly, malice in his voice, his cold professional facade slipping for a moment. “How could you fail in something so important?”

***

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza looked towards the window.

Outside, the storm had made the day look like night. How appropriate.

She barely registered the running soldiers trying to get her attention. They had spent minutes trying to get her back to her senses. They’d already removed her husband’s body from the floor… Dead, gone. He’s gone. They wanted her to focus on other things… to lead?

They needed their princess. So she returned to the throne room, and sat on her throne, staring forward, looking regal. Somepony told her to evacuate. She shouted at him. Her guards didn’t know what to do. So they did the only thing they knew, protected her.

So she was here still. But the sky was still dark, the storm was still raging, Shining Armor was still dead. She could feel the fear of her subjects, their despair, flowing through the crystal walls around her. They were calling to her… to do what?

Another lightning flashed. In the light, Cadence saw Amethyst, one of her personal guards, pleading to her. Something finally clicked in her mind.

“What?”

“Your Majesty,” repeated the guard, “The palace is about to fall. For the good of the Empire, we need to get you out of here while there is still time!”

Cadence met his gaze. “There’s nowhere to run,” she stated the obvious.

Lightning struck the throne room window, shattering the frame and spraying crystal shards all over the floor. The guard rushed forward, almost face to face with the princess.

“Your Majesty! I beg you!”

She stirred, numbly, leaving the throne, and heading for the exit. She was just through the door, when she heard a commotion behind her; some enemies had flown straight into the throne room, turning it into a battlefield.

There was a corridor, then another, the shouts got more urgent, the sound of battle closer. A part of Cadence’s mind registered the fact that her retinue was shrinking. “We’re cut off!” shouted somepony.

Cadence stopped, staring into the palace wall. There were shapes inside the crystal now, a dark taint moving under the surface. The fear and despair became a cacophony that bypassed her ears, and reached straight to the heart, a pain that matched her own. Somepony ran into the corridor. Bolts of magic were fired. Cadence saw one of her guards fall, then another… Amethyst shielded her from a shot aimed at her head. A small spray of blood marred the wall behind Cadence. She was left alone, facing a trio of enemies.

Dead… They’re all dead… He’s dead… gone… murderers…

The closest of the enemies, a unicorn, stepped forward, bracing herself to deliver another blast. Instead, she swayed, and stumbled back with a yelp, as a bunch of black crystals erupted from the floor, stabbing into the frog of her front hoof. The soldiers looked around in surprise - all around them the walls of the tower were turning black, the smooth surfaces growing spiky and jagged.

Cadence turned to look at them. Three ponies, one mare and two stallions, one earth pony, and two unicorns. All intent on fighting her.

Cadence spread her wings, rising to full height, light shining from her horn as her powers manifested. The earth pony stallion was the closest. He slowed down, his charge losing momentum, before his legs gave way, and he fell to his knees, his face, angry and determined, melting into an expression of awe, then wide-eyed adoration. The other two were about to shoot when the power hit them; their eyes lost focus, and they stumbled forward, smiles of wonder on their faces.

The voices of their hearts were lost in the cacophony of emotions flowing through the tower, but Cadence knew them just from seeing herself reflected in their eyes. They were hers, seeing only her, ready to catch her every whim, every gesture. Devout worshippers of her image. They were hers, and she didn’t want them.

A tear ran down her cheek. It left a dark trail, and finally evaporated in a wisp of smoke. More smoke appeared from under Cadence’s eyelids, her eyes shifting colors towards green, then orange. She returned the looks of adoration with a glare of pure, unadulterated hatred.

“Murderers.”

The three ponies stopped, blinking in surprise as if physically slapped. Though the words couldn't truly reach them, the malice did. Cadence’s face became a mask of fury.

“You… YOU DESTROYED MY HOME! KILLED MY PONIES! MY… LOVE! YOU’RE DISGUSTING! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! GO AWAY AND DIE!”

The shout reverberated across the palace. The soldiers opened their mouths, but no words came out. What was heard instead was inarticulate cries of anguish. The earth pony stumbled back in horror, legs tangling, tears welling in his eyes, a painful whinny coming out of his mouth. The male unicorn kept stepping backwards until he stepped on a sharp piece of crystal, lost his balance, and landed on his rump. He turned away and crawled, the further from the source of his suffering, his voice coming out in a horrible, discordant bawl, the meaning lost somewhere between the head and the tongue.

The mare held her gaze the longest, trying against everything to see something, anything, that could preserve the spark of hope. Cadence spat in her face.

Slowly, stiffly, the mare turned away, lowering her head. She ran, straight at the wall beside the door frame, ramming into the crystal with a force that made her horn crack, sending small pieces of ivory flying.

A lightning flashed, and the three ponies fell unconscious. Princess Luna entered the corridor.

“So, this is how you choose to reveal your true colors?” she asked, “Using your twisted power to strike at the hearts of my subjects? Using love as an instrument of torture?”

She shot a beam of light from her horn, shattering a clump of sharp crystals that were starting to grow towards her. She then looked into Cadence’s eyes, a gaze full of scorn.

“Your reign is at an end. As the ruling princess of Equestria, I will put a stop to your evil.”

***

“The… the secrecy imperative,” replied the soldier. “We did all we could have without revealing ourselves.

Bling took a slow, deliberate breath. “You fulfilled your orders, soldier,” he said. “Now, release the filly.”

The magic around Scootaloo unravelled, setting her gently on the floor. Immediately the filly jumped into the middle of the cave, gesturing angrily, wings shaking.

“They abandoned everypony!” she shouted. “Just after you left, they went underground, and escaped! And he just told everypony that they should give up, and then disappeared!”

“What?” said Rarity in shock, “How could you!?”

Scootaloo meanwhile noticed Rainbow Dash. She ran to her side in panic, pushing her way between the Elements.

“He did say he wanted to minimize the losses, didn’t he?” said Obsidian.

“You got lucky before,” said Bling. “Arrogance let her weakness put her in a trap of her own making. Today they were playing their strengths, planned, coordinated. If the battle couldn’t be won, it was in the Empire’s best interest to end it as quickly as possible.”

“But Luna said, she’d kill everypony!” shouted Applejack.

“All the more reason,” replied Bling. “Equestrians are not murderers. Even after all that’s happened, Envy would have a hard time convincing them to just wipe the Empire out. But every pony that died in the fighting added credibility to her claims, making it easier for her soldiers to believe that their enemies were not victims, but willing servants to darkness. The sooner they stop meeting fierce defenders, and start seeing scared ponies, the fewer will be killed.”

“So, you lied to us,” said Twilight. “There is no Queen’s Gate.”

“Oh, but there is,” said Obsidian. “I told you it exists, didn’t I? That he didn’t lie was exactly what clued me in on his plan.”

“What do you mean?” asked Twilight.

Obsidian resisted the urge to roll his eyes, so visibly that he might not have bothered at all.

“Your friend here has the power to prevent all lies, one that can be activated on a whim. How do you bypass a defense like that?”

Understanding flashed in Twilight’s eyes. She turned angrily towards Bling. “You made us fool ourselves! You said you wanted us to get down here, but you never really said why. And… when we were about to ask questions, you brought up our families to distract us. Where are they really?”

“Already ahead of us, judging by the smell,” said Obsidian. “As you had noticed yourself, these tunnels didn’t require clearing. They had been prepared ahead of time, for just such an emergency.”

There were some sighs of relief among the Elements, but nopony said anything aloud.

“So…” resumed Twilight, “the ponies you said you needed to get out of the city…”

“It was us all along,” finished Applejack. “That’s still a lie in my book.”

Bling nodded his head. “If you are lost, the war is over.”

“So you tricked us into retreating,” said Aurora, “And abandoned the Empire. But… I still feel that you’re not telling us the whole story.”

She flapped her wings, and landed beside Twilight at the front of the group.

“Your ponies failed to get princess Cadence out. Because you ordered them to be secretive. What kind of a secret could be more important that your best friend’s wife?”

“Very astute,” said Obsidian. “You got fooled once, but once you had the time to consider things calmly, you asked just the right question. So, what is your answer, ‘Bling’? Or perhaps you could answer a question of mine instead? From the setup, it looks to me like you’ve been planning some dramatic reveal of your own. We might as well get the theatrics out of the way, and focus on important stuff.”

“So, tell me this,” continued Obsidian, a small smile now playing on his face. “When we first met, and you were tested by Honesty, you said Shining and Cadence would’ve been dead without your help. That was true. But you also said another truth.”

Obsidian cleared his throat, and his voice changed, perfectly mimicking Bling’s own.

“My loyalty is to the kin, not to the crown.”

Obsidian paused, then looked Bling in the eyes. “Tell me now… what is the ‘kin’ that you are so loyal to?”

In response, Bling burst into flames. The green fire consumed his armor, which crumbled into nothing, then the coat. The blackened body stretched, limbs extending, the masculine snout shrinking. The mane turned membranous, insectile wings opened with a snap, the horn turned flat and jagged. A bunch of webbed tendrils sprouted at the top of the head, forming a shape of a crown.

“My subjects,” replied queen Chrysalis.

Author's Note

Did anyone see this coming? :pinkiecrazy:

As usual, comments are very welcome.

Also, since Halloween is approaching, there will be a bonus chapter this week. :twilightsmile: We're taking a trip to the past.

Nightmare Night Bonus Chapter: The Horror

A thousand years earlier...

With a soft pop, the royal sisters appeared in the night sky. There was no flash of light that usually accompanied Celestia’s magic; she purposefully suppressed all the unnecessary effects to hide her presence until it was the time to reveal herself in a suitably impressive fashion.

The alicorn spread her wings, expending a little magic to stay suspended in the air, the Crystal Empire spreading underneath her. The instant she did, she felt something was wrong. Her supernatural senses screamed a cacophony of warnings. The air was filled with alarm spells, their invisible threads forming a complex net around the city. The princess instinctively concealed her aura, hoping that whoever had left it there hadn’t already noticed they had uninvited guests.

“What’s going on?” asked Luna, hanging in the air at Celestia’s side. “Light had said that he succeeded. There shouldn’t be anypony left here to maintain this level of defenses…” She paused, looking down at the city. “What the…”

Celestia followed her sister’s gaze, and her eyes widened in surprise. She had missed it at the first moment, the city being lost in complete darkness, but as her eyes adjusted, she could pick up that something was wrong with how it looked. There were too many angles, too many pointy ends. The central tower had far more spires than Celestia knew it should, a threatening, jagged outline against the night sky.

The two alicorns started to descend, their horns glowing briefly as they enveloped themselves in mantles of protective spells. Going lower they could see the reason behind the city’s altered appearance; a layer of jagged, black crystal was growing all over the place, covering the buildings like a cancerous growth.

Luna’s ear swiveled, catching a noise from below. She turned and saw a line of earth ponies walking slowly between the houses. They picked their way between the buildings in complete darkness, noses to the ground, as if they were following a trail of scent. Luna’s eyes, perfected for use in the dark, could pick the glossy sheen on their coats, a clear indication that they were natives. Instinctively, she reached towards them with her magical senses and gasped in shock.

“These ponies are barely conscious,” she hissed. “There is hardly anything but fear in their minds… I think they are being compelled. They shouldn’t be able to move at all.” She landed on the nearest roof, careful not to slide off the uneven surface, and closed her eyes. Celestia recognised the expression of concentration on her face, and landed beside Luna, ready to defend her from any attack, all the while working her own magic.

Ten seconds later, Luna’s eyes snapped open. She breathed slowly, calming herself down. “There are sleepers here,” she said in a strained whisper, “but nopony dreams. It’s like they’re unconscious. And there are so few of them… There should be twice as many…”

Celestia was crouching down. She looked up at Luna, concern in her eyes. “These black crystals aren’t real. They are a magical construct. It’s like a single spell overgrowing the whole city. There shouldn’t be anypony but us left alive with access to such magic.” She rose and looked towards the ominous silhouette of the central tower. “We need to find out who is behind this… and what he did to Lightbringer.”

“Assuming he doesn’t find us first,” said Luna through her teeth. "If there are any more security spells woven into the crystals, we have probably been found by now.”

As if on cue, the crystal roof under her hooves erupted with phantasmal, purple flames. Two orange and green eyes stared at the Moon Princess from beneath the surface. The alicorn leapt into the air, her horn glowing bright silver as multiple layers of protective spells came alive around her. A second later the crystal roof erupted with spikes, a spire following Luna upwards until it grew into a sizable tower. Low, guttural laughter echoed around the two princesses. The glowing eyes disappeared from the roof and reappeared on the wall of the tower facing the alicorns.

“Who are you!? What have you done here!?” shouted Celestia, her own defensive spells illuminating the night with a bright, golden halo.

The response was more laughter. Then, gradually, a shape emerged from the crystal wall. An armoured, black unicorn stallion covered with a regal cape walked right out of the wall, wisps of purple smoke forming around his hooves as he stepped through the air. Celestia and Luna backed off a bit, watching the stallion warily. Even if they couldn’t taste his aura, it would be obvious that he was no normal pony; his horn was smooth and curved, a weapon made for gouging rather than a tool for wielding magic, his eyes - unpony things with snake-like slits. He smiled, a wide grin showing off sharp fangs. “Oh, come on,” he said in a low growl. “Don’t you recognize me… sister?”

Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise. “Light?” she stammered, the outermost of her defensive spells starting to unravel. “What has happened to you? When we saw the city, we were fearing the worst.”

The stallion stomped his hoof on thin air. Instantly, a horizontal layer of crystal erupted from the wall, providing him with footing. He looked at Celestia, then down at the dark city below. “The worst?” he chuckled. “Worse than me? You thought something here could threaten me? This was the easiest task I ever got. The guards only knew how to parade with their weapons. Do you know they jousted for fun here? No real war for thousands of years. They were so oblivious of their surroundings, the first couple pegasi that wanted to get out just flew outside the sphere and froze to death.”

Luna scowled. “This is not what she's asking about. What’s happened to your body? And what is this crystal construct spell? We both know you can’t do magic, unless…” She hesitated, her explanation trailing off into awkward silence.

Lightbringer looked down onto his armoured chest as if he had seen his body for the first time. “Oh, you mean this? Why, this is something I really wanted to share with you.” He looked at Luna with a smile. “After I removed the Crystal Heart, it turned out the whole city is a giant aura focus. The Heart only regulated the flow. Once I got rid of it, and it could no longer get in the way, the power started flowing into me. All the feelings of the Crystal Empire turned into pure energy. All the fear these pathetic, sheltered fools felt at my sight only granted me more power. And guess what? I’ve been healed.” He beamed at the two alicorns. “My pattern has been suppressed, and now the madness is gone. The power inside me no longer rages out of control. It is a part of me now, melded into me, all at my command. I have been… perfected.”

Luna and Celestia looked at each other nervously. “And the crystals?” asked the Sun princess, waving her hoof around.

“Oh, that?” asked Lightbringer. “Once I purged the archive records as you asked, and killed the scholars, there were some attempts to oppose me. They were laughable of course, the locals are inept at all kinds of conflict, but I couldn’t let them get away with it. The first thing I came up with was to get rid of all the wizards, but I couldn’t just keep killing my subjects forever. So I came up with this.” He stomped his hoof for emphasis. “The spell keeps constant watch over the ponies of the Empire, making sure they don’t get out of line. And since it’s fueled by their fear, it’s pretty much self-sustaining…”

“Wait a moment…” interrupted Luna. “Killing ‘your subjects?' I’ve looked around the city. There are only half the ponies there should be in a place of this size. And I don’t remember feeling any unicorn or a pegasus…”

“Light…” asked Celestia with a frown, “You were only supposed to play a tyrant… How many Empire citizens did you kill?”

Now it was the stallion’s turn to frown. “I was supposed to play a tyrant, so you could ‘liberate’ the Empire from my rule. There is no longer need for that. Every single pony here is under my control. And as for killing, about half of them. And so what? How many ponies did you kill before making your ‘perfect’ Equestria? You had a thousand years for trial and error under Libra's rule. I only had weeks. And I already have a perfect solution. I think I’ve done better than you had.”

“A perfect solution?” asked Luna raising her eyebrow. How is this a ‘perfect solution?’”

Lightbringer smiled again. “Look at this.” He tensed for a moment, a wisp of dark blue dancing on the tip of his horn. In response, the crystal wall behind him lit up, burning orange and green eyes opening on its surface. As she instinctively moved away, Luna saw another flash of orange in the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see many, many more. The whole city was burning with dots of orange light, like a bizarre upside-down image of a night sky.

“You see,” explained Lightbringer. “These crystals, they are me. Nothing within the Crystal Empire escapes my notice. There are no rebels here, no schemes to overthrow me. Your Equestria may seem like a perfect solution, but there are still creatures who remember the past. All it takes is for one of them to realize what you really are. All it takes is for some old dragon to decide he no longer wants to play along, or for some unicorn wizard to learn too much and stumble upon Obsidian, and your ‘perfect’ order will start falling apart like a house of cards. But this…”

His horn flashed again. No, not flashed, Luna decided. The power that erupted from the stallion’s horn shed no light - it was a burst of darkness, bubbling and frothing like a foul, boiling liquid. A split second passed and another burst of blackness appeared; a surprised crystal pony mare was dropped out of thin air onto the ledge.

“Thanks to the power they provide me with, I can control their every action, every thought,” said Lightbringer. As he started speaking, the crystal mare turned around and saw him. Flinching away with a yelp, she stopped at the very edge of the platform. Celestia’s horn flashed as she tried to catch the panicked pony, but a burst from Light’s horn pushed her spell away.

“Stop,” he growled. The crystal mare froze in place, her eyes widening in terror as she met his gaze. Now that Celestia could get a good look at the unfortunate pony, she clearly saw the signs of severe mistreatment; the light blue coat faded from crystalline and sparkly to a dull glossy sheen, the flat mane and bags under eyes, eyes now widened in an expression Celestia had so far only seen in ponies about to die a violent death.

“Now I don’t have to hide who I am, what I am,” continued Lightbringer, walking up to the crystal pony until his nose was almost touching her neck. “It doesn’t matter what they think about me, because at the end of the day, I will be the one to decide what they think. Isn’t it so?”

The mare shook, thick beads of sweat appearing on her fur. Slowly, her jaw unclenched, until she spoke in a harsh whisper, “Yes… master.”

Lightbringer flashed his sisters a wide grin. “See? No need for secrets or conspiracies. No resistance movements to worry about. Everypony is a pawn to move as like. None of those ridiculous problems you struggled with while building your ‘perfect’ world.”

“Like this!?” shouted Celestia, stomping her hoof, a disc of light appearing underneath her to support her weight, her wings no longer flapping but now flared in anger. “This is what you call your perfect solution? A lifetime of mind-numbing terror for everypony but you?”

“This is even worse than that thing Libra tried,” said Luna, landing next to the other princess.

“She had the right idea,” said Light.

“She drove them crazy, unfit to live on their own,” snarled Luna.

Lightbringer turned towards her, and his grin grew even wider. “But you see, this is the whole difference. They are never on their own here. Libra lacked the magic to control all her ponies at once, but here their fear makes me stronger than that. I’m always with them, each of them, every waking moment of their lives.“ He nuzzled the crystal pony’s neck, licking off a single bead of sweat. “In time, they will come to love me with all their hearts, and then the suffering will stop… won’t you, my crystal slave?”

The mare only shook more, her eyes staring forward with frantic intensity. Celestia heard a dripping sound and her nose caught the smell of urine.

Lightbringer’s grin disappeared. Slowly he shook his head from side to side. Then, he leaned closer to the crystal pony’s ear, his horn briefly growing dark blue before fading to boiling black.

“I command you to love me.”

Instantly the shaking stopped. The crystal pony kept staring forward, but her eyes changed, the whites turning vivid green while the irises became bright orange. Then she smiled, slowly, wider and wider, until her expression became a horrible, rictus grin. Her eyes rolled back and Celestia’s enhanced senses caught a smell of blood - there were now small rivulets of red within the beads of sweat on the mare’s coat. The pony’s mouth opened in a strained croak. “I… love… youu… masster…”

“ENOUGH!” Celestia’s voice reverberated across the night sky. With a flash of her horn the crystal pony was snatched off the platform and into the air.

There was a flash of dark blue flame and the mare turned to dust in Celestia’s telekinetic grip, the dark fire consuming her flesh and bone before the Sun princess could register what was happening. The flame returned to Lightbringer’s horn, illuminating his livid face.

“Don’t. Touch. My. Slaves. They. Are. MINE! You hear me!?”

Both alicorns stepped back, their defensive spells reactivated, the two horns burning bright gold and silver.

Celestia was the first to speak. “Lightbringer, snap out of it! I don’t know what this place has done to you, but it has poisoned your mind! We need to…”

“Help me?” asked Lightbringer, his burning anger suddenly replaced with calm curiosity.

The Sun princess hesitated. ”Of course, we do. I have never seen you like this…”

“So, you want the old Lightbringer back,” smiled the stallion. “You prefer Hate, destroyer of Portus.”

Luna gasped. Celestia clenched her jaw, the glimmer of hope in her eyes instantly extinguished. “It wasn’t your fault, Light. It was Discord’s. He was the one who provoked you into rage…”

The stallion sneered. “Yea. I only lost control, again, and turned ablaze the whole city. Thirty thousand ponies, stallion, mare and foal, killed in a single night. It’s still my personal record. A gift I was given out of pity, turned to ash, once again proving that I’m not good at anything but killing.”

“Hey, that’s not fair,” interrupted Luna. “Each of us who wanted a city, got one. You were treated just like everypony else.”

“So fortunate then, that my city didn’t contain anything really important?” growled Lightbringer. “A river port of little value, inflated into a city by the ponies you herded into it from the surrounding lands. No labs for Eve to work in, no heavy industry except your stinking chimneys, no military bases. Nothing but lives was lost when I killed everypony. Some safe haven it was.”

“That’s not true…” said Celestia, but the force she had spoken with was now lost from her voice.

The crystals around Lightbringer darkened and started growing, the thin layer expanding into a spiky terrace as the unicorn walked forward.
“Always the one to screw up, always the destroyer, the killer, a monster among monsters you pretend not to be. A ‘little brother’ you can pity and a force of rage and murder you can unleash on your enemies. And now, when I’ve finally succeeded at something, when I’m finally in control… YOU CAN’T BEAR IT!”

Celestia suppressed the urge to step back. Taking a deep breath, she spoke again. “Light. Please. Calm. Down...”

The unicorn stopped and the crystals ceased growing. He closed his eyes and for a moment just stood there breathing deeply, wisps of blue magic dancing lazily on the edges of his eyelids. Then, before Celestia could think of what to say next, he spoke. “No, not light. Darkness.”

“What?” asked Celestia, momentarily confused.

“King Sombra, ‘King Shadow,' this is the name you chose for me. A monster of darkness existing just so your light could shine all the brighter. That was the plan, wasn’t it? That is why you chose to invade MY Empire at night; to reveal yourself at dawn, to bring light and hope as you free MY slaves, take away MY power and banish ME into darkness, an evil force never to be mentioned again. You are the ‘light bringer’ now… you couldn’t even let me keep my sad excuse of a name…”

Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but realised it would be a futile effort. Shadows gathered around her brother like living creatures, his magic power spiking to levels she had never seen in a single creature. His eyes blazed bright orange, two balefires among thick blackness. Celestia’s aetheral mane was whipped around by a wind suddenly picking up from a gentle breeze to a roaring hurricane. He’s completely lost it, she heard Luna’s panicked voice in her mind before the unicorn spoke again.

“SO, YOU WANT TO BE A CHAMPION OF LIGHT AND HOPE?! A VANQUISHER OF EVIL!? BY ALL MEANS… SHOW ME WHAT YOU’VE GOT!”

Celestia gathered her magic, preparing to shoot a spell through the thick darkness. Sombra was faster, not bothering with a proper spell. What he unleashed instead was a roar of primal rage, a blast of pure destructive force that shattered the improvised tower and slammed into Celestia’s defenses, sending the Sun princess flying like a bullet.

Celestia was hurtling like a meteor through the night sky. The magic binding her body had prevented her brain from turning liquid from the sudden acceleration, but for a moment everything was movement and pain. She vaguely registered a wall of white approaching fast.

Up!

In a flash, the Sun princess teleported. The spell didn’t stop her momentum, but it turned her body around - now she was flying upwards, away from the glacier face she had almost collided with. Finally slowing down, she spread her wings to stop her ascent. Below, something was approaching fast. Lightbringer, or King Sombra as he called himself now, was flying towards her, wings of solid darkness spreading from his sides, an inky black ring spreading in the air in his wake where he broke the sound barrier.

Celestia charged her horn; it glowed blazing gold before unleashing a scorching beam of light. Sombra folded one wing and fell sideways, the spell passing by him and leaving a burning trail on the ground far below. The princess corrected her aim, but the unicorn dodged again, falling in a snaking path, faster and faster.

Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

What?

Sombra appeared right above Celestia, his iron-shod front hooves slamming into her barrier. The shield barely holding, the alicorn was sent flying down. She had no time to teleport this time. The glacier cracked in half as she struck it like a bullet, piercing several metres through solid ice before coming to a stop.

The shield popped like a soap bubble. Ignoring the pain of her landing, Celestia focused her magic to teleport again. She landed in the open, snow-covered field, just in time to see another roar hit the place where she had been a moment before, breaking the huge ice blocks apart until the glacier turned into a formless heap. Crouching low as the shock wave rolled over her, the princess focused her power inside her body. A dislocated knee popped back into its proper position.

Celestia restored her protections, and scanned her surroundings. Everything was covered in a cloud of ice dust, but she had no illusions that it would hide her for long. True enough, a second later a long spear of black crystal flew her way. The princess ducked aside and barely managed to deflect the projectile. It embedded itself half way in the ground. Then it started growing, crystal spikes erupting from the ground around Celestia. She took to the sky and rose into clear air - if Sombra knew where she was, she could as well stop hiding and get a clear view.

There he was, hanging in the air, surrounded by swirling darkness. Once again the wind started blowing with hurricane strength, pushing Celestia back as it cleared the ice dust away. “Is that all you can do, sister!? Run and hide!?” he shouted, the magic magnifying his voice to be audible above the wind.

Celestia fired another beam of light, but the unicorn teleported away, fading in and out of existence as the spell tried in vain to hit him. More crystal javelins shot from the cloud around him. Rather than block, Celestia followed her opponent’s example, dodging away with short distance teleports.

Then one of the javelins struck her from behind, penetrating the shields and piercing her right wing. Suppressing a scream of pain, Celestia looked behind her - only to discover that none of the javelins had flown away. They were hanging in the air behind her, forming a rough half sphere. The princess tried to teleport away, only for the shard in her wing to spark with dark magic - the spell fizzled out and the alicorn started falling, unable to support herself in the air with just one wing.

She landed awkwardly, folding her injured wing just enough so she could grab the crystal with her teeth and pull it out. She shut down a part of her nerves to block the searing pain it caused - the javelin seemed to turn red hot when she started struggling with it. Seeing a movement in the corner of her eye, she prepared to dodge. The other crystals fell towards Celestia, but rather than hit her, they embedded themselves in the ground, forming a circle around her. She instantly felt the spell forming between them; a dimensional barrier meant to prevent her from teleporting out.

“Are you having fun playing the hero?” asked Sombra, emerging in a dark cloud from one of the crystals.

“This is not a game!” shouted Celestia, launching a bolt of light at the circle, hoping to disrupt it. Sombra blocked her spell with one of his own, a blast of magic blossoming into a shield of darkness that swallowed the shot. The crystals started growing, splitting and extending into a spiky wall.

“Oh, it isn’t?” asked Sombra with a sneer.”That’s just as well. Because I’m done playing with you.”

He charged forward and Celestia stepped back, bracing herself as she focused her magic. A brilliant blast of golden light struck the approaching unicorn right in the chest plate of his armour. Sombra made no attempt to block or dodge it. The beam split upon hitting its target, thin rays shooting out in all directions.

There was no other effect. Not even a scorch mark on the armor.

“I’ll let you in on a secret,” said Sombra as he slowed down to a leisurely pace, still approaching his target. “You may have missed it in your arrogance, but I’m stronger than you.” Without warning he teleported right next to Celestia, bucking her in the side with his hind legs. She was sent flying like a ragdoll, colliding with the crystal wall, the last of her shields dissolving on impact. Though her pain was blocked, her mind still registered the fact of her ribs snapping. She fell off the wall, shattered pieces of crystal embedded in her fur. Sombra appeared next to her again, grabbing her wing with his teeth and throwing her back to the middle of the circle. Celestia tried to roll back to her hooves and focus some magic, but another kick sent her back onto the ground.

“I’m stronger than any of you,” continued Sombra, stomping on her good wing. A cloud of snow and dust erupted as the appendage was forced several inches into the ground, bending at an unnatural angle. “Stronger than Libra. Stronger than Magic.” He didn’t raise his voice anymore, just speaking in a low growl, but each sentence was punctuated with another hit, another bone breaking. “And you know what?” The unicorn stopped right in front of Celestia, picking up her face with a strand of darkness so that he could look her straight in the eyes. “I don’t think I need you anymore. As long as I have my crystal slaves, I can maintain the air and heat within the Empire. I don’t need the Sun to raise. I don’t need anypony else.”

“What?” That was all Celestia could squeeze out of her damaged lungs, her eyes widening as she started to understand.

“I can’t have you running around, disrupting my rule,” explained Sombra. “The Elements kept trying to seal you, but we both know it never lasts. I think I have a more permanent solution. To return from the dead, you need to possess a body. But I can deny you my slaves. I just need to kill everypony else and you will have no way to come back.”

“You... wouldn’t…” croaked the princess, trying to fight the blood coming up her throat into her mouth.

The unicorn dropped her head, allowing her to slump on the ground. “I wouldn’t? Why? Am I not the monster? The darkness? Am I not... Hate?”

A couple seconds of silence followed. Celestia expected Sombra to start screaming at her again. But when she finally looked up, she saw him standing still as a statue, a mix of horror and fury upon his face. He wasn’t looking at the alicorn at his feet, instead staring into the distance at something only he could see. “No…” he growled “You miserable little thief…” He took into the air, wings of darkness forming at his sides. Celestia was beginning to think she was forgotten entirely, when a black crystal spike descended at her from the air, breaking her spine, and pinning her to the ground.

Sombra disappeared, and for a moment there was nothing but the howling wind. Celestia tried to move, but only her front legs responded, and both of them were broken. She tried to use magic, only to have it fizzle out in a shower of sparks; the cursed spike was disrupting her power. For a moment she considered dying, but rejected the idea. There was no body stronger than this one for her to use. If she let it go, she would forfeit the little chance she still had.

If magic can’t do anything, perhaps pattern will.

As she shifted her focus, the princess felt her surroundings in a different way. She knew she couldn’t affect the crystal directly - even if it wasn’t full of magic, it was not real matter. But there was some matter there she could use. Closing her eyes, she focused on the ground underneath her. Slowly, the earth moved, pushing out the crystal point. Celestia found herself lifted slightly off the ground. The ground underneath her became red with blood, but the spike itself barely budged.

Won’t work like this… I need to try the other way…

She began by focusing her will inside her body. The blood vessels around the spike shrank, cutting off the blood flow. Small secondary hearts inflated and started beating, taking over the pumping of re-routed blood.

I must thank Eve for that when I see her. This is really the best body I’ve ever had…

Then Celestia braced herself, for what it was worth in her current state, and focused downward again. The earth moved like a sucking mouth, pulling the crystal spike in. It made a wet, squelching noise as it moved down through Celestia’s torso, the hard surface grinding against the dislocated vertebrae. Finally, with a soft pop, the horrid projectile got pulled through, disappearing underground.

Now I need to get up.

Celestia returned to using magic, her horn glowing as she focused the spell inside her body. The supernaturally durable structure had its price; the bones and muscles could take blows that would fell a dragon, but they took time to repair. She didn’t have time. What the spell did instead was put everything where it belonged; with a sickening crunch, the broken spine set itself, nerve connections pulled into their proper places. The barrel inflated as all the ribs returned to their intended positions. The limbs straightened and the wounds closed, the magic forcing the blood to stay in the ruptured veins.

The princess wasn’t healed, far from it. If anything, she was now reduced to a puppet made of meat, her spell forcing her body to work for as long as she could sustain it. But for now, that had to be enough. She got up and scanned her surroundings, thinking of what to do next.

It was only then she noticed the raging wind above her. She was too preoccupied to notice earlier and the spiky wall had shielded her from the worst of it, but during the minute it had taken her to free herself, the wind had picked up to a hurricane. As Celestia started thinking whether to try to fly over the edge of the barrier or better to burrow underground, her dilemma disappeared before she could solve it.

With a sound like breaking glass, the crystal barrier shattered into nothingness. Suddenly Celestia found herself struggling against the powerful blizzard. Conjuring a small barrier to protect herself, she looked at the now uncovered landscape. The wind was blowing through the whole plain, but it’s obvious center was the Crystal Empire. Looking in that direction, Celestia instantly noticed that the barrier around the city had dissolved. The central tower was a blazing pillar of blue flame, illuminating everything for miles around, even despite the swirling snow. Celestia could see the city change as the black crystals shattered and disappeared, their magic absorbed back towards the tower.

What’s going on?

The pillar grew brighter, Celestia’s magical senses blinded by the released power. Only her eyes, designed to serve a self-proclaimed Sun Princess, allowed her to keep observing the phenomenon. The light kept growing brighter, until it looked like the tower was consumed in a pillar of lightning. Then, suddenly the light disappeared, and with it, the entire city. Celestia was caught off guard and barely stopped herself from being pulled off her hooves as the direction of the wind was changed by a powerful implosion. Where a huge city once stood, only a giant pillar of swirling snow remained now.

You’re alive!

The voice sounded in Celestia’s head just as Princess Luna appeared next to her. The Moon Princess was covered in deep cuts and her coat bore signs of nasty burns. She kept speaking using only her mind, saving the mouth for breathing.

I tried to disconnect him. He left me behind when I didn’t get up after the first blast. But the spell holds too fast. I tried to destroy the tower, but he found me before I could finish.

What happened to the city? asked Celestia.

As if to answer her, another blast of wind came from the spot where the Empire had stood, blowing the swirling snow and dust away. For a moment the air was clear, and the night silent, the two dots of angry orange far in the distance the only disruption in the sudden deathly calm.

The sisters didn’t need to communicate this time. Two combat barriers sprung into existence at the exact same second. A blot of darkness erupted in the air in front of them as Sombra crossed the distance with a teleport jump.

He was still unharmed, but his mane was disheveled and his eyes wild. He was grinning madly, his oversized fangs glistening in the moonlight.

“There…” he growled. “No more sneaking. No more trying to steal MY empire from me. You can’t get to it now. Now I can kill you, then everypony else… you will never be a threat again.”

Celestia chanced a look at Luna. The Moon princes was preparing to fight. Celestia started thinking of how they could do anything to Sombra, when suddenly it hit her. He was still stronger than either of them, but the feeling of overwhelming power was gone. Whatever the unicorn had done must have drained much of his reserves. Thanks to his insanity, they now had a chance.

Smirking to herself, Celestia extended the reach of her pattern. The effect slid along the ground, affecting the snowflakes in its wake, a transmutation thin as a hair and spreading at incredible speed. The ice crystals shifted and aligned, creating a giant, mirror-like surface.

Luna already knew that strategy. She strained, but her horn didn’t glow. Instead the air around her turned ablaze, blinding arcs of lightning snaking through the air. For a second the night became brighter than day.

A blast of magic lashed towards the two alicorns, but they weren’t there anymore. Celestia recognised the spell - the black flame Lightbringer projected whenever the monster inside him took over.

I was right. He is blinded, and too angry to use his magic to find us. He’s not used to sensing with magic...

Sombra was still in the same spot, the lightning storm Luna had conjured dancing around his protective barriers. He was roaring, squeezing his eyes shut.

Celestia saw her own barrier light up. Suddenly, the mirror surface was gone, the swirling snow turned into a haze of steam. Instinctively the princess held her breath. Her protection stopped the worst of the attack, but the air inside her bubble would still burn her lungs if she inhaled it.

We need a plan to break through his defenses, she heard Luna’s thoughts inside her head.

Celestia’s mind searched through centuries of memories. Remember Scarrag?

A brief ‘nod’ registered in her mind. Celestia turned her barrier into a cone, the next blast of black flame splitting on its tip, engulfing and devouring everything around her, the earth turning into glass-like slag from the heat. Celestia moved away with a short teleport before the flames could go out. She had to stay away from anything that was on fire.

Now, help me, she projected towards Luna, as she focused her pattern, the power spreading wide around her. Instantly she felt another power helping her, accelerating the process. The steam filling the air was simultaneously subjected to Luna’s lightning control abilities and Celestia’s command of matter. The Sun princess pushed her powers to the limit, spreading the effect as far as she could, the gas yielding to her command, falling apart into its base components. Suddenly the air became clear. For a moment Sombra could see both his enemies perfectly. He was about to burn them both, when he realized the alicorns were in the process of teleporting away. Sombra tried to follow suit, but he was a split second too late. Everything disappeared in a giant, blue fireball.

Luna was the first to return to battle. Rising high above the devastated battlefield, she spotted her target. Lightning rained from the clear night sky. A second later, Celestia returned too. Sombra had summoned a new barrier to protect himself and was now launching bolts of black fire into the sky. The Sun princess reached towards the air around the unicorn’s bubble and commanded its components to rearrange. She couldn’t reach past the defences, but she didn’t need to. The barrier stopped heat, impact and magic, but was not airtight. A moment later, Sombra found himself breathing acid.

Any second now...

And there he was, teleporting into close combat. Celestia dodged the first, frenzied blow and retaliated, conjuring blazing blades at the tips of her front hooves. Sombra backed off and breathed black fire, but Celestia’s barrier spell split the flame before it could eat through it. Then Luna charged in from the side. Sombra saw her charge and dropped a few feet, using her own speed to slice her open with his horn; she phased through it like a ghost. Sombra turned and shifted his shields just in time to stop the real Luna, as she tried to ram a lightning-charged horn into his side.

A tendril of shadow shot from Sombra’s body, catching Luna by surprise and piercing her shield. It snaked and split into several points, which stabbed through the Moon princess’ torso. Celestia charged in and swung her fire blades downwards, cutting the tendril off just as it was about to burst into black flame. Luna fell away, struggling to get rid of the points embedded into her.

Sombra turned to lash out at Celestia in turn. She dodged out of the way of his hooves, letting the momentum carry him past her, exposing his side. Then his wing slashed at her, the darkness solidifying into a curved blade. Sparks flew as the Sun princess barely blocked the blow by shrinking her barrier to focus it on her forehooves. She was pushed back by the impact.

It’s imbued with that black flame of his. My reconstruction matrix can’t replace missing parts. If he burns through me…

Her train of thought was disrupted as Sombra roared again. The blast sent Celestia flying down. She barely had the time to shield herself as she struck the ice. It took her a second to free herself and another to recover her senses. She was back at the glacier, some distance from her previous point of impact, having struck it at an angle. Fortunately Sombra’s blast got to it a split second before her; Hitting loose blocks of ice wasn’t nearly as bad as hitting a solid wall would have been. She leapt up from the hole between ice blocks and onto the top of the pile, her eyes scanning the sky.

There he is!

King Sombra was diving down to finish Celestia off, his dark aura billowing behind him like an oversized cloak. Arcs of black magic erupted from his body in all directions; he wouldn’t let her teleport away this time. His mouth opened wide, a point of deepest black growing between his pointy teeth.

Just a bit closer…

Celestia began charging a spell, her horn glowing brighter and brighter. She released her attack a moment before Sombra would, a ball of light flying in his direction before exploding into a blinding flash.

The unicorn barely squinted. After all that had been thrown at him, he was more than ready for such an attack. He stopped to release his own spell, one that would finally destroy the Sun princess.

He barely registered as Luna fell past him, a hair-thin line of blindingly bright lightning extending from her horn. He paused in surprise as his fire spell fizzled out harmlessly. Then, with horrible slowness, his head slid off his shoulders.

***

Luna landed gracefully, flying slightly aside as the headless, armoured body crashed to the ground next to her. She looked up at the crumbled glacier towards her sister. “Are you okay?”

Celestia flew down to meet her. She was smirking, but her whole body was tense and she had reflexively restored her shields. “It worked,” she said.

“Yes,” answered Luna. “I wasn’t sure, until he got fooled by my illusion. He’s used to using his momentum sense during battle, but with his pattern suppressed, it was gone and he was new to using magic. I could fool him. Now, let’s hope he will be back to his senses when…”

A black crystal spike shot from the ground, impaling through her wing. In an instant, the dead body beside her disintegrated into inky blackness. The ground shook, and a loud growl sounded around the two alicorns.

“FOOOLS! I… AM… BEYOND FLESH!”

Celestia blasted the crystal, freeing Luna for the moment, but more and more spikes started shooting from the ground around them. The Shadows swirled and coalesced, a giant angry face forming among them.

Not able to fly off at the moment, Luna lashed with her lightning around herself, shattering all the spikes that tried to trap her. “He’s just like Discord!” she shouted to her sister.

Celestia was already in the air, shooting golden beams of light at the approaching shadows. She had to stay on the move to avoid the tendrils trying to grab her. “He’s weakening!” she shouted back. “We need to keep pressing him!” She shot a beam straight at the face, but the shadow slid out of the way, like a bubble of oil flowing on water.

Just then a shadow tendril slid past Luna’s defences, grazing her foreleg. She rolled aside and finally took to the air, her magic having reconstructed her damaged wing. She gazed down at the leg and saw pieces of crystal growing around the wound. Pieces that started to expand, growing up her leg and quickly forming a hardening, spiky shell.

“Get this off me!” screamed Luna, flailing frantically. Celestia tried to cast a spell against the crystals, but found herself too preoccupied, dodging Sombra’s attacks while trying to aim.

Those tendrils are much weaker. Perhaps I don’t need to aim at all…

Her aura expanded in a ball of golden light, shadow pushed back by its presence. The cast on Luna’s leg shattered and disappeared, and the cloud of darkness that now constituted Sombra’s body, though largely unhurt, was forced back.

Luna wasted no time, focusing the power in her horn before charging right in, using the opening that her sister’s spell had given her. She stabbed through the mass of shadows and kept going forward, until the tip of her horn struck ice, the darkness wrapping around her.

Celestia watched in confusion as lines of silver light shot out of the mass, piercing through the shadow and wrapping themselves around the surrounding ice blocks, tracing arcane sigils through their surface. The Sun princess’ eyes widened as she recognised the symbols.

“What are you doing!?” she screamed in fear.

The ice blocks started shifting, the magic pulling the sigils together into a multi-layered pattern of glowing silver. Sombra gave an inarticulate roar of blind fury.

“We’re on our last legs and he won’t die!” shouted Luna, struggling against the shadow that started wrapping tighter around her. “We won’t make it! We have to seal him!” She screamed as the tendrils hardened into claws, raking against her protections and cutting into flesh. “Help me!”

Celestia kept staring in horror. “There has to be another way…”

“NOW!” screamed Luna, struggling to maintain the spell as shards of black crystal erupted from her body. Dark magic arced around her wings and back and already she was beginning to falter.

Celestia closed her eyes and her aura expanded once again, enveloping the Moon princess and pushing the curse off her body before it could penetrate too deep. The shadows pulled back; they kept struggling against the light, but the magical construct started sucking them in. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as the three combatants focused solely on the struggle. There was no strategy anymore, just pushing until the enemy gave in, the giant ice blocks piling higher and higher and the darkness shrinking bit by bit.

Finally, with the final scream of defiance turning into a short gasp, the fanged muzzle of Sombra disappeared under the pile. The ice had formed a solid wall, as if the glacier face had never been shattered; only a careful observation would reveal silvery lines marking the multiple layers of the binding spell. The wind died down and a terrible silence fell. Drawing a breath, Celestia realised that both her and Luna had been screaming through the whole experience.

***
Princess Luna stepped back from the glacier on shaky legs. Her body was torn and bruised, only staying upright thanks to the spell forcing its correct shape. Her blue coat was covered in scorch marks where the black flames licked it and more from Celestia’s not too subtle rescue when the crystals threatened to envelop her. Even though her neural system was partially disconnected, she still felt a burning sensation where the tendrils had raked her, their touch as damaging to the spirit as it was to the body. She closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath, casting a spell that started the slow reconstruction of her body.

It was only then she realised how silent it was. Turning around, she found Celestia slumped on her haunches, her eyes staring forward without focus.

“Hey, are you alright?” she asked, walking closer to the white alicorn. Celestia turned her face towards her, but her eyes didn’t seem to see Luna.

“We sealed him,” she whispered. “He was right. We… I made him a monster. Just like they made us…”

Luna put a hoof on her shoulder, and shook her slightly. “Hey, Celestia, relax. Come on, we’ll get him out of it when we figure out the way to help him.”

Celestia did not rise. All the energy and bravado she had shown during the battle was gone, the horror of what had happened coming to her all at once as the adrenaline rush of the fight passed.

“How?” she asked feebly. “How do you fix it? I made him into… this… All those ponies… the Empire…”

“They aren’t gone for good,” growled Luna. “We just have to figure out where he sent them.”

“Out of our reach,” sighed the Sun princess, her voice breaking. “I only wanted to get them out of that dome… to show them the world I made… but I sent a monster to kill them all…”

“You didn’t know that would happen,” said Luna in a calm, but stern voice. She expected Celestia to keep arguing, but the white alicorn fell silent, just staring towards Sombra’s glacial tomb with empty eyes.

Luna looked down on her, and shook her again. There was no reaction. “Hey, Celestia… Gloria, snap out of it! Get up!” she pleaded, a trace of panic in her voice. As she looked around frantically, trying to find something, anything that could help her, her gaze fell upon the moon in the sky. It was close to setting, just waiting for a nudge in the right direction to leave the sky and make the place for the Sun. It must have been hanging there for some time already.

How long did the battle last?

Luna pulled at Celestia’s head with her telekinesis, pointing her face towards the night sky. “Sis, we are late with the sun and moon. Your loyal subjects are waiting for the new day to rise. Come on, help me, ok? I’m too tired to do it by myself.” She nudged her a couple more times, before finally giving a deep sigh and turning towards the moon. She closed her eyes, and her horn glowed with soft, silver light. She felt a touch of magic coming from the sky as the moon reacted to her nudge. Luna’s face tensed with effort. The moon would not resist her push, but it would only move if prodded strongly enough.

Luna’s ear turned, catching a sound of movement beside her. Princess Celestia had finally stood up and walked up to her, her horn glowing a soft gold light. The Moon Princess felt a second power added to her own. Sighing with relief, she closed her eyes again and let the spell flow through her. Slowly, the moon started to fall towards the horizon, making place for the sun to rise. A single beam of moonlight reached back and touched Luna’s horn.

What?

Luna’s eyes snapped open. There was a beam of moonlight attached to her forehead, a line of magic getting more solid by the second. The moon had never done this before. Startled, Luna turned to look at Celestia. The Sun Princess was still concentrating on the spell, but her face was no longer focused and serene. Instead, she was staring at Luna with burning intensity. Her horn turned from gold to blinding white and the beam of moonlight attached to Luna snaked around her body, solidifying into a silver chain reaching all the way to the sky. Celestia flashed Luna a triumphant grin.

“That’s for my friends, you monster.”

Luna’s eyes widened in surprise, her face becoming an image of panic as she struggled fruitlessly against magical bonds. The voice was the same, but not the pony. That could only mean one thing.

“Aurora!” gasped Luna, a moment before her body lost physical substance and disappeared, a point of silver light flying at impossible speed towards the setting moon.

***

Aurora broke her focus, and relaxed. She turned towards the glacier wall and examined the wards. “That’s four down and two to go,” she said to herself. She then turned towards the east. The sun was rising, its nature pushing it to take the sky vacated by the Moon. The alicorn allowed the first rays of sunlight to touch her muzzle. It was so good to be free again.
Now, finally she could fight back.

She focused her mind, listening for a familiar call. It had to be there somewhere… She extended her senses, squeezing the last bits of magic from her tired body... and there it was, far in the distance, waiting for her, a gemstone that was so much more than a mere gem, a link she had to her fallen comrades. Now she just needed to…

The alicorn was surprised to find herself with her snout in the snow. Blinking, she tried to get up, but her limbs wouldn’t listen. She tried to push herself up using her right front leg and found it bending at an unnatural angle. Then she saw blood. A spot of deep red was quickly growing underneath her body. Bizarrely, she still didn’t feel any pain. But no matter how she struggled, all she achieved was smear more blood over the ground.

No, no, no, this cannot end like this…

She tried to cast a healing spell, hoping to at least stop the bleeding, but there was no more magic her body could draw upon. Not without her focus. Her vision swam and her head slumped onto the ground. She hazily realized that she no longer felt the cold, and worse, she could no longer find the strength to even be scared by the fact.

The last thing her mind registered was the sound of approaching hooves and an all too familiar voice.

“Oh my… goodness… This wasn’t supposed to… hap...pen. Not at all…”

***

Princess Luna flew across the night sky. Part of her mind had the time to understand just what had happened. Aurora must have freed herself in Gloria’s moment of weakness and she used Luna’s connection to the moon to create a sealing spell.

The rest was preoccupied with the sensation of flying faster than should have been possible, the landscape below rushing past in a matter of seconds before the silver chain pulled her into the night sky. There were clouds, then there were stars, then a surreal void between worlds, filled with too many wonders to count or name. Luna felt a rising tension of being pulled into a place that rejected her, as alien to her nature as her soul was to the bodies she inhabited. And still the chain pulled her further, deeper and deeper beyond the reality she knew.

Then she saw it, her destination growing in front of her until it filled her entire world. The Moon.

When viewed from Equestria, it had been a silver disc, pockmarked with meteor craters, a familiar sight unchanging through centuries. Up close…

There were no rocks, no craters. The surface moved and shifted, a patchwork of faces, flat muzzles and white, pupil-less eyes. The creature… the goddess moved through the sky along an invisible route, a sound of hooves echoing where there were no limbs to make it, silvery manes spreading around her in an immaterial halo. All of Luna’s thoughts were lost in a mix of awe and panic, as she made the last, futile effort to struggle free. She fell towards the surface, screaming all the way as one of the mouths opened soundlessly to swallow her whole.

Author's Note

So, here is the promised Halloween chapter :twilightsmile:

As always, comments are very welcome.

Chapter 36: The Deal

Sparks flew as Aurora pounced forward, Chrysalis blocking her hoof blade with her horn. The two tensed their muscles, struggling for control, Chrysalis raising one hoof to block Aurora’s other blade.

“That’s uncalled for,” hissed Chrysalis, baring her teeth angrily.

“Aurora glared at her. “Is it? You’re a changeling. You killed Bling, and sacrificed Cadence for your schemes. We’re no friends, or allies. At best we have a common enemy. We can continue this talk with my blade on your throat.”

She pulled back to strike again, but Chrysalis twisted her body at an odd angle, catching the blade in the groove of her horn. She turned her head around, pulling Aurora off balance.
“Know your limits,” she hissed, and then her horn exploded with green light, launching Aurora across the cavern.

As she hit the wall, two protruding pieces of rock at her sides flashed green, turning into changelings. They grabbed Aurora’s wings, pinning her to the floor before she could get up.

There were more flashes of green. All three guards transformed, while their companions emerged from the walls and the ceiling. A dozen changelings stood in the cave, surrounding the Elements.

“Does anypony else want to fight?” asked queen Chrysalis. “Because we have more important matters at hoof. Starting with getting out of here before Arrogance decides to do something drastic, like collapsing all the tunnels.”

“Not before you tell us what happened to Bling!” shouted Applejack.

“Did you really kill him?” asked Rarity.

Chrysalis looked at the ceiling with a groan. “Agent Prism? Yes I did. That’s the reason why Shining Armor could prepare any city defense at all.”

“Agent Prism!?” said all the Elements together.

“Yes,” replied Chrysalis, “Agent Prism. After what happened to your little assistant,” she said to Twilight, “You must have realised that the Shattered like to plan their moves way ahead. So it was with the Crystal Empire. Cadence was the one destined to save and rule it, but she needed a mate skilled in defensive magic, so Celestia picked Shining Armor and did some subtle prodding. But she needed to have a way to control them both, just in case, and she couldn’t just make Shining her agent; she needed the whole true love thing. Enter ‘Bling’, a good, dependable friend, always there to help, but never in the spotlight, always watching from the sidelines. I suspect Deception must have changed his appearance to make him look younger. I got fooled too. He almost foiled our plans during the wedding. That’s how I knew to target him first this time. So much delicious love for his princess… and thanks to me taking over writing his reports to Celestia, Shining Armor was able to prepare his army undisturbed.”

She looked at her audience. “Now, can we get back to the issue of our escape, or do you want me to keep monologuing until it fails?”

“I’d say, we can continue this stand-off in a safer place,” said Obsidian. “What do you think?”

“As much as I hate it,” said Twilight, “we do need to get out of here. Aurora, please don’t start another fight right now.”

“Very well,” said Chrysalis. “Since Arrogance can track us by smell, I’ve taught my soldiers how to hide theirs. But as for you, the best way to lose her is -” Her horn lit up, and a circle of green flame appeared before her, “Straight through the floor. After you.”

Twilight glared at the spell, than at Chrysalis.

The queen raised her eyes to the ceiling again. “If I wanted you dead, I would’ve killed you all already. Except him, perhaps. I don’t even know what he is,” she added, nodding towards Obsidian.

“Then I’ll go first,” said Obsidian. “Less glaring, more walking. And don’t forget to pick up Dash.” He jumped over the flames into the circle, and fell through the floor as if it were liquid.

Twilight looked down at the place where he had disappeared, then turned around, picking Dash off the floor with her telekinesis.

Fluttershy walked up to Scootaloo, who was standing with her rump to the wall, her eyes darting left and right, trying to keep all the changelings in her field of vision.

“It’s okay, Scootaloo,” she said softly, “I will take care of you.” She opened her wings, and after a moment of hesitation, the filly relaxed a bit, melting into her embrace.

The changelings holding onto Aurora let go, skittering up the wall as she sprang back to her feet. She gave them a dirty look, and walked towards the circle.

“Pinkie, darling,” whispered Rarity as she watched Aurora disappear, “didn’t your Pinkie sense use to warn you whenever there was a ‘doozy’ coming?”

Pinkie Pie considered the question. “After last week? This barely counts as weird.”

***

Luna walked into her tent. A gesture of a wing kept her adjutants outside. Inside the tent there was a map table covered in miniatures; Luna intended the place to be her mobile command center, not her bedroom. She looked at the table, and moved the tokens around, putting most of them back in the box. She made sure the anti-spying spells were in place.

She had just finished, when Spitfire and Dr Stone entered the tent.

“The Elements escaped,” started Spitfire. “I found their trail at the stadium, but then they went underground, collapsing the tunnels behind them. It’s a maze down there, and they’ll be long gone by the time I find and clear the right path.”

“But where would they escape to?” asked Dr Stone, looking pensively at the map.

“Obsidian doesn’t seem to have any more allies,” said Luna.

“Obsidian is far more than he seems,” said Spitfire. “It’s time we stopped underestimating him. What about the city?”

“It is taken,” replied Luna. “The battle is over. We have the remaining crystal ponies rounded up.”

“And the commanders?” asked Spitfire.

“I killed Shining Armor and Glitterdust, and captured Cadence,” said Luna. “She’s contained, though the emotional feedback from the tower damaged her mind. I don’t know how useful she will be. Prism is still unaccounted for. The enemy has also managed to take the Crystal Heart, but since the barrier still protects the city against the eternal winter, the Heart must still be somewhere within.”

“So, the Empire is contained, and our enemy is on the run again,” said Spitfire. She looked at Luna, who was staring at her oddly. Her features relaxed, and she smiled at the princess. “We’ve made a lot of progress today. This crisis may yet be averted. And it’s all thanks to you breaking their defenses.”

Luna returned the smile. “All the pieces were already in place. It was just a matter of making them come together.”

“This leaves the problem of what to do with the city,” said Dr Stone.

“It would be easiest if we could find and destroy the Heart,” mused princess Luna. “Relocate the remaining ponies, and let the cold of the north finally claim the place.”

“It is obvious that they need to be contained,” said Spitfire. “It is regrettable, but we cannot afford to let any of them go free ever again; there is no foolproof way of weeding out all those that Honesty affected.”

“Speaking of which,” she said, turning towards Dr Stone. “I’ve talked with Dr Bluebonnet on my way here. She shouldn’t be able to process speech yet.”

“She’s engineering support,” replied Dr Stone. “An engineer is useless without proper communication. I ordered her to stay away from the frontline unless told otherwise. Besides, she knows enough about our workings already, that there is little Honesty could say to sway her. I’m more concerned with Enigma’s influence. That’s why I assigned one of your agents to keep an eye on her.”

“Yes,” said Spitfire, “Pierce will do. Although… we still don’t know what caused Prism to go rogue. Perhaps you should keep an eye on them both."

“So,” said Luna, “is the city to remain contained as it is? This will require some measures to protect the guards from any insidious ideas from within.”

“Do you have a better idea?” asked Spitfire.

Luna looked down on her. “Truly, any disaster that couldn’t be blamed on us. A regrettable loss of pony life, to be sure. But our family has already sacrificed enough for this city. Ponies come and go. We, who are destined to live so much longer, must learn to look at the bigger picture.”

Dr Stone and Spitfire stared at Princess Luna.

“I didn’t expect to hear that from you,” said Spitfire finally. “I remember you being shocked at such ‘regrettable losses.’ ”

“You know well, we have done worse than that, sister,” said Luna.

“But then we changed,” replied Spitfire. “We were supposed to build a bright future together, What happened to you?”

Luna flashed her a crooked smile, her regal demeanor dropping for a moment. “A thousand years swallowed by the Moon will do that to you,” she said.

Spitfire gritted her teeth, averting her gaze. “I will make it up to you somehow,” she said, “And to Lightbringer. The city… will stay contained for now.”

“As you wish,” replied Luna slowly. “I am sure this will blow up sooner or later, but… I’ll find somepony competent and expendable for the job. You can focus all your attention on finding the Elements of Harmony.

***

“What!?” shouted Rainbow Dash. Her voice reverberated across the vast cavern.

Pinkie Pie took a deep breath. “We were losing the battle, so queen Chrysalis decided to save us, and tricked us into running away. We’re deep underground in the old diamond dog tunnels now. Also the real Bling was Celestia’s spy, so she ate him. Chrysalis, not Celestia. Obsidian knocked you out so you wouldn’t hurt yourself.”

“That’s pretty much it, sugarcube,” agreed Applejack.

Rainbow Dash rose to her feet, and flapped her wings several times. She then looked up at a looming dog statue standing by the side of a tunnel entrance. “So, once again, where are we?”

“Ancient diamond dog tunnels,” explained Obsidian. “Back in the day, they used to be a glorious underground civilisation spanning the continent, the finest miners and gem cutters in the world. But during the great war they sided with the Alliance against the Alicorn Empire. So the emperor asked Deception to neutralize their threat, and she created a new species of cave mould that the diamond dogs were violently allergic to. Soon they found out that the safest of their tunnels became deathtraps to them. A lot of them died, and the rest were forced to flee their ancestral homes. Their race survived, but their civilisation did not, turning them into the barbarians you know now. Their oldest and wisest had been the first to go.”

He then flew off his feet as Rainbow’s hoof connected with his jaw, sending him flying through the group and into the opposite wall. Some dust fell off the ceiling of the cave. Everypony turned, ready for a fight.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, closed it with a huff, then let her power spread, washing over everyone present.

Obsidian picked himself from the ground, moving his jaw left and right. “That’s a drawback of being super tough,” he said. “Nopony pulls their punches with you. That’s also all the gratitude I expected.”

Rainbow Dash glared at Obsidian in silence. Then she looked at Fluttershy, and her expression softened. “Thank you, Fluttershy,” she said.

“I hope nopony plans to do that to me next,” said Chrysalis from the front of the group. “I do have your families, you know.”

Twilight teleported, popping up in front of Chrysalis. “And that’s far enough,” she said sternly. “We’re away from the Empire, Dash has woken up, and can listen with us. I’ve… lost loved ones today, and I’m not in the mood for riddles. So tell me, what in Tartarus is going on?”

“High time you did, cheeselegs,” said Applejack. Her necklace lit up in a way that clearly showed it was no longer used as just a light source.

“Very well,” said Chrysalis. “Chair.”

One of her guards fell off the wall, and transformed, becoming an elaborate chitinous armchair. Chrysalis sat in it upright.

“Let’s start with your families then. They are safe, for now. As you’ve learned, our pods can be quite comfortable if you need to sleep for a long time. And surely you can appreciate the benefits of sleeping through this whole mess. All things considered, they are safer under my protection than they were under yours.”

“But you won’t let us see them,” said Applejack.

“Of course not,” replied Chrysalis. “I don’t trust you.”

“You don’t trust us?” said Rainbow Dash in disbelief.

“Yes,” replied Chrysalis. “You’re soft. Your love is your strength, but also your weakness, and I need your power to take down the Shattered for good. I can’t afford you hesitating at the last moment, or not sticking to the plan.”

“Back in my time,” said Aurora,”the changelings used to serve the Shattered. What’s changed?”

Chrysalis turned her head towards her with deliberate slowness. “Queen Protea died.”

“Changelings are highly hierarchical creatures. To defy the will of the queen is unthinkable. Back when the Shattered ruled the world, the changelings all answered to one queen. And her will was not her own, but Deception’s. The fleshcrafting Shattered had used her powers to put manacles inside her head, forcing her obedience. And through her, put her entire race in her thrall.”

The cave was silent. Twilight realized that the changelings had frozen, sitting in circles around their queen, listening reverently to every word.

“But the queen was old and cunning,” continued Chrysalis, “Even locked in the cage of her own mind, she never ceased looking for a way to set her kind free, and when she saw the chance, she seized it - arranging her own death, and setting up a new queen, one that would be free from Deception’s control. The very night the Shattered faked their defeat, we escaped from them, laying low as the world took a new shape around us.”

“For centuries we hid; acting too soon could mean our extinction, or return to slavery. We wanted revenge, but we knew we needed the Elements to achieve final victory. The Elements which, it seemed, were now bound to our foes. And so we waited, all the while learning what we could, trying to piece together what exactly had happened.”

“We discovered the Crystal Tree, and learned its purpose. We also learned that It was already threatened by a scheme of another. Rather than risk tampering with its defenses, we decided to wait for it to die, and then claim the Elements. Imagine our surprise when Celestia herself arranged for a new team of bearers.”

“This changed the whole situation. The tools of victory were suddenly within our reach. Now we just had to wait for the right moment. Of course, we also needed to find out why Celestia needed you. We figured out it was Discord. Then we found out about the Crystal Empire’s approaching return. For some reason Celestia couldn’t use the Elements herself anymore.”

“She wouldn’t risk me breaking free again,” added Aurora.

Chrysalis nodded towards her, and continued. “She needed the real Elements as backup. Now armed with that knowledge, we were ready to strike. The wedding provided a perfect opportunity. Though the plan didn’t go off without a hitch, I managed to complete step one; challenge Celestia where she was the most vulnerable, surrounded by loving subjects she wouldn’t catch in her attacks, limiting her to her solar-themed magic, which I had prepared a perfect counterspell for, then let you fight my soldiers until you pointed them to the location of the Elements. I had arranged a proper distraction for Guilt beforehoof - all that remained were Envy and Deception.”

“That’s not the story you told me back then,” said Twilight Sparkle.

Chrysalis shrugged. “And would you believe me, had I told you the truth? EIther way I needed to maintain the facade long enough for Envy to reveal herself - I didn’t want to face her at her full power, and for that I needed her to think it was an invasion of hungry monsters, not an act of revenge by enemies knowing her secret. I would have explained things to you in detail once we’ve won - I still needed you to seal the Shattered for good, and to handle Sombra when he returned.”

“But you went full villain there!” interrupted Pinkie Pie. “You had a song, and everything!”

“Are you familiar with the idea of method acting?” asked Chrysalis. “It has a long and proud tradition amongst my kind. And besides, my servants really were hungry.”

“And then you lost,” said Obsidian.

Chrysalis’ features hardened. “I did,” she admitted. “Between maintaining the facade, and staying on the lookout for Envy and Deception, I let Twilight slip my attention. I also underestimated Cadence. I thought she was just another alicorn body, grown to eventually serve as a shell for one of the Shattered.”

“That oversight costed me dearly. Being able to fly does little to let one survive being flung by an explosion. I was strong enough. I lived. But almost a hundred of my soldiers did not. It was our most horrible defeat for centuries. But I wasn’t about to give up.”

“So then you sent us into the Void Passage,” said Twilight.

“No, I didn’t,” replied Chrysalis. “I didn’t even know it existed until you arrived here last week. It was already forgotten history in my time.”

“But we ended up in your hive,” said Applejack.

Chrysalis nodded. “You did. We had established that hive to keep an eye on you, and infiltrate Ponyville. I don’t know what happened, I wasn’t there at the time. I only know that my scouts felt powerful magic, and then you were all unconscious. Fortunately, my changelings acted immediately. Celestia’s agents contacted her for orders first, and that was all the advantage we needed. Later, I tried to figure out what had happened to you, but nothing I tried would wake you up. So, having the current bearers of the Elements in my hive had to suffice for the moment. I left you under careful care, and then focused on matters at hoof, all the while looking for any clues of what had happened.”

“Which brings us to the here and now,” finished Obsidian. “One has to wonder, how did you manage to conceal yourself in Shining Armor’s palace. He must have been quite wary of changelings.”

“There is no way to hide from proper detection spells,” said Chrysalis. “Unless the pony doing the detecting is on your side,” she finished with a smug smile.

“He was?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Well, if he wanted to see his family again…” started Chrysalis.

She looked at the faces of the ponies facing her. The temperature in the cave seemed to drop a couple degrees.

“What? I’ve kept my side of the deal. They’re safe in the pods, sleeping like foals. Meanwhile, he probably died defending the palace. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll include their safety in your deal.”

“What deal?” asked Applejack, her eyes narrowing. “We haven’t agreed to anything-”

“-Yet,” finished Chrysalis. “But I have something you need, and you have something you can give me.”

“You’re despicable.”

Everypony turned in surprise. It was Fluttershy who said it.

The yellow pegasus was trembling with anger. “How could you… use our loved ones like that… after all… everypony’s been through?”

“I’m just playing it safe,” replied Chrysalis. “I have my subjects to consider.”

“You’re using one as a chair,” grumbled Rainbow Dash.

“And he’s very good at his job,” replied Chrysalis. “Back to our topic. You want your families safe. And I can keep them safe, as long as you don’t do anything stupid. But I wasn’t talking about what you want.” She looked disdainfully at Fluttershy. “I was talking about what you need.”

“And what do you think we need?” asked Aurora.

Chrysalis cocked her head. “Right now? A safe place to recover from your losses. Ideally one where you can practice your magic without revealing your location. You also need information, so that you don’t act blindly. Some sealing gems to trap the Shattered in so you don’t have to haul heavy stone statues around? Any of these I can supply.“

“And in return?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “What do you want from us?”

Chrysalis stepped off her chair, which immediately transformed and skittered up the wall.

“What I want? I want peace. A place where my swarm could live openly. Our hunger makes us predators, hunters of ponies, but there are many ways of sating it, were we given a chance - If we could openly live with other species. That is simply not possible while our former masters rule ponykind.”

She walked forward, and towered over Twilight. “I need you to grow stronger. Strong enough to win this war once and for all.”

“That’s what we’ve been doing all along,” replied Applejack.

“And today’s shown you’re not there yet,” replied Chrysalis. She wasn’t smiling anymore.

“So you will help us?” asked Rarity.

“I will provide support, yes,” replied Chrysalis.

“But not fight on our side?” asked Obsidian.

“Of course not,” said Chrysalis. “I told you how important it is for us to stay out of sight. Do you want us to just swarm and go to battle? After all those centuries of careful planning? After the battle in Everfree, Celestia already suspects us of being your tools. If she saw a single changeling in the Empire, she’d have no doubts anymore. I’ve already had to evacuate all the hives she might be able to find. I’ve seen Elements of Harmony before, and these mares… are not ready yet. As they are now, I will not wager my entire species on them.”

“How can we trust you, if you leave all the fighting to us?” asked Twilight.

“I did fight at your side today,” said Chrysalis, “didn’t I?” She then addressed the whole group. “Until you can make me believe in you, my soldiers will not join you in battle. You have heard my proposal. Now, the decision is up to you.”

Silence fell at the declaration. The Elements kept looking at each other, unsure what to do, waiting for somepony to speak first. Even Obsidian kept silent, waiting for their response. When they finally did decide to speak, they did it all at once, interrupting each other before falling back into awkward silence.

Finally, it was Applejack who made a move. “Let me speak first, okay?” she said.

As her friends nodded in agreement, she walked to the front of the group, taking Twilight’s place in front of Chrysalis. Her Element brightened so much, that it caused the changeling queen to squint.

“I need ya to answer a question before we agree to anything, cheeselegs,” she said sternly. “Do ya know what happened to my sister?”

Behind her, Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but the closed it, letting her friend handle the situation.

All the changelings turned towards Applejack, some baring their sharp teeth threateningly. Chrysalis calmed them with a wave of her wing.

“I don’t know where she is,” she said. “Either of them,” she added, looking towards Rarity. “From what I’ve managed to learn, somepony took them out of the palace in the confusion you caused. A blue unicorn that matches the description of Guilt’s current body.”

“Not him,” replied Applejack. “I asked him.”

“Curious,” replied Chrysalis. “None of mine either. I have no idea who it was, or where he took them, but this game obviously has another player we don’t know about.”

“This is not a game,” said Rarity, giving her a dirty look.

Chrysalis snorted derisively. “A figure of speech. This war has more than two sides, perhaps? Either way…”

She turned back to Applejack. “Is that all you wanted to know?”

“No,” replied Applejack. “That’s not all. It looks to me like we have a common enemy, but we’re not really on the same side. You’re keeping our families hostage.”

“And safely out of the way, so you could focus on your job,” replied queen Chrysalis.

“Point is,” continued Applejack. “I don’t trust ya one bit.” She turned around, and looked at her friends. “If the situation were any less desperate, I’d just blast you with the Elements, go save Granny and the others, and then figured out what to do about the Shattered.”

There were silent nods of approval, Aurora’s and Dash’s being the most pronounced.

“But we can’t afford that now. We have all of Equestria to save, not just the ponies we love.”

This time the nods were much slower, much more hesitant.

“You make a good point,” said Twilight, “But we still can’t trust her.”

“Yea, she’ll be no help if she’s not really on our side,” said Dash.

“Oh, it just comes with the territory, I guess,” said Chrysalis. “What can I do to ease your fears?”

“Besides not behaving like an evil changeling queen?” asked Rarity.

Applejack looked Chrysalis straight in the eyes, pushing into her personal space.

“Swear to me.” Her eyes glowed soft orange.

“What?” asked Chrysalis.

“The ponies you’ve captured,” explained Applejack. “Swear to me that you will keep them safe. And that you will let them go safely even if we lose. You will not feed on them.”

“Or that family you mentioned before,” added Rarity.

Chrysalis looked into the glowing eyes, and her mouth stretched into a toothy smile. “You sly, little… Have it your way.”

She looked around, straightened herself, and cleared her throat. “For all the friends and family members of yours that I’m keeping captured right now, as well as the family of Keen Eye, the unicorn, I will take good care of them. I will do all in my power to make sure they come to no harm, and will give them back their freedom after your war with the Shattered is over, regardless of the result, as long as you do all in your power to defeat the Shattered once and for all. So swear I, Chrysalis, the queen of changelings.”

Silence fell. Applejack’s necklace flashed brightly, and a moment later, the same orange glow flashed briefly in Chrysalis’ eyes.

“It is done,” said Chrysalis. “Now can we finally get moving? The Queen’s Gate is not far away.”

She turned away, and started walking, followed by her changelings. Reluctantly, the Elements followed as well.

Obsidian looked at Applejack with a smile. “A geass? You really are learning.”

“What exactly did you do?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“She made an honest promise here,” said Applejack. “I just left a bit of my magic with her, to make sure she stays honest.”

Twilight looked at Chrysalis’ back. “So if she tried to break it now…”

“It would be like trying to lie to Honesty,” explained Obsidian, “with every breath. It would drive her insane.”

He looked at Applejack. “And to think you said I was making Honesty creepy.”

“It’s not creepy,” shot back Applejack. “It only worked because she agreed to swear. She knew it would happen.”

She continued forward, grumbling under her breath. “And what does it have to do with geese?”

***

It took them less than 20 minutes to descend through the ancient ruins. The portal stood at the back of a huge cavern that must have once been the central plaza of an underground city. Compared to the crumbling wonders of architecture that surrounded it, it was deceptively simple, an unadorned arch carved from a single, rectangular slab of stone, just wide enough for two ponies to walk through side by side. And yet, at the slightest touch of Chrysalis’ magic, it sprung to life, a sheet of pulsing purple light filling the space inside it.

“It’s ready,” said Chrysalis simply, the first two changelings of her retinue walking through the portal and disappearing.

As before, Obsidian was the first of the group to go, followed by the Elements, with Scootaloo clinging to Dash for protection.

Aurora was the last to go. She stood at the threshold, then turned her head towards Chrysalis.

“You could’ve just told them, you know,” she said.

Chrysalis returned her gaze. “What do you mean?”

Aurora turned away, looking at the portal again. “You look different. But I’ve only ever seen one changeling with slitted pupils.”

Chrysalis snorted. “You’re wrong with this one. It is normal for changeling queens to be different.”

“It would’ve helped your case,” said Aurora.

“Not at all,” replied Chrysalis. “It would just muddle the issue, make all the explanations longer. I don't just look different. I am different. She’s dead. She’s been for centuries, and the Elements… their day had been confusing enough as it was. They needed something simple for a change. Let them see in black and white for a while.”

***

Captain North Star was sitting in the empty throne room. It was a chilly night, wind whistling through the broken windows. The captain rested on the cold, stone floor. The Sun would not rise again, and it was his fault.

A part of him understood that it was a dream - the same dream as every night, over and over. It didn’t make things any better though. For him, this was his reality now. The short breaks in the waking world were no less cold and dark, despite the Sun in the sky. It was not Her Sun, not anymore. It did not shine for him.

Suddenly, the stone floor echoed with the sound of approaching hooves. This hadn’t happened before.

Captain North Star rose from the ground, ears perking up.

Princess Luna emerged from behind the throne, looking at him sadly.

“Your Majesty...”

The captain’s face became a mask of terror, before fading to resignation. He just stood there, all the will gone from him, not even slumping back onto the floor. “So, it is time,” he whispered under his breath.

Princess Luna approached him, growing as she walked, towering over him.

“No, it is not,” she said sternly.

Captain North Star looked up at her, a silent question in his eyes.

“Yes, I know everything about what you did, captain North Star,” said Luna. She didn’t raise her voice. It was stern, angry even, but all the same, almost motherly in how it sounded.
“I know your heart too.”

She stared into his eyes. For a moment he felt a stab of fear pierce through his resigned numbness.

“But I also know you were a brave soldier once,” said Luna. “The weight of your mistakes broke you, but surely you are no coward, who would welcome oblivion before making an effort to atone.”

“Your Majesty…” whispered North Star, “There is nothing I could do, that could-”

Lune spread her wings, filling his entire world.

“EQUESTRIA STILL STANDS. EQUESTRIA STILL NEEDS EVERY PONY WILLING TO FIGHT FOR ITS FUTURE, NO MATTER HOW UNWORTHY. WILL YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO WALLOW IN DESPAIR, OR WILL YOU DO YOUR DUTY ONE LAST TIME?”

Captain North Star’s eyes widened.

“Your Majesty… tell me what I must do.”

Chapter 37: The Night

It rolled on the floor, then whirred. She teleported, but only had the time to grab the few closest ponies...

Twilight’s eyes snapped open. She was laying on her side, breathing heavily, the squishy softness underneath her casting her chamber in pale, green light, which grew more pronounced as her mind woke up.

She turned her head, looking down at her bed - a modified changeling pod, set horizontally on the stone floor, flattened as she rested upon it. It was as comfortable as the changelings could provide, essentially a waterbed filled with a softly glowing liquid. The surface was warm and rubbery.

It’s like laying on a giant blister, decided Twilight with disgust. Perhaps Spike-

The reality returned in an instant, a cold shiver down her spine, and a heavy, sour knot in her stomach. She rolled onto her back, staring at the stone ceiling. There was no Spike. There was no Shining Armor. It was not a nightmare - yesterday really did happen.

Twilight remembered crying herself to sleep; she had held strong during the battle, and later through the journey in the caves, then through the Queen’s Gate, then more tunnels leading to this hidden hive. But once she was alone in her personal chamber, the membranous ‘door’ closed behind her with a slurp, the adrenaline that had kept her focused through the past hours evaporated; she instantly broke down crying, and didn’t stop until she fell asleep.

My eyes feel sore, she realized. I must look as horrible as I feel. I can’t let my friends see me like this. What time is it anyway? There are no windows here.

She rolled onto her side. I need to find a bathroom, and make myself presentable. They’re counting on me, I need to be strong. Do changelings even have bathrooms? They never need to do their manes or anything, they just change them. Obsidian will notice anyway, won’t he? And he will be snide about it. ‘To be a sentient being, is to experience loss,’ ‘Learn, and grow stronger, then you can protect those you love.’ Oh, how I hate him…

With a groan of frustration Twilight turned onto her back again. She closed her eyes, and spent some time listening to her own breathing, until she felt a fresh, warm tear rolling down from the corner of her eye. What do I do now? What will I tell mom? How will I even… meet my friends in the morning?

She turned, and rolled out of her bed. I can’t do it anymore. I won’t fall asleep. It’s probably near morning already anyway. Might as well look for that bathroom, and see what I can do. Everypony is counting at me.

The door twitched when she approached it. She lit the tip of her horn, and the membrane slid aside, like a closing wing. Twilight looked out into the corridor cautiously. It was dimly lit by glowing cysts stuck to the ceiling, same as the rest of the hive, at least the part they managed to see before going to sleep. There were more doors on both sides, leading to other guest rooms.

As soon as Twilight walked through the door, her ear caught a sound of chitinous limbs moving. She looked to her left, and saw a changeling walking down the wall, stopping at her face level. “Is there anything I can help you with, miss Sparkle?” he asked in a polite voice.

Twilight averted her gaze. “I’m just… looking for a bathroom,” she said.

The changeling hopped onto the ground, and pointed down the corridor with his leg. “This way, please.”

Twilight started walking in that direction. She didn’t look behind her, but she could hear the changeling following in her steps.

“Are you watching me?” she asked.

“The hive can be confusing,” answered the changeling. “We wouldn’t like you to get lost here. My name is Morph. I have been assigned as your personal assistant during your stay.”

“I don’t… need an assistant,” blurted Twilight with irritation.

“I’ve been told of your loss,” said Morph behind her. His voice remained polite, and coldly formal. “I’ve been showed all the relevant shapes while learning about you, so if you ever need me to-”

“No!” Twilight spun on the spot, facing the changeling angrily.

Morph crouched, and bowed his head. “I apologize. I only wanted to help.”

“You don’t help like that!” shouted Twilight, clenching her jaw to muffle the last word as she realised, mid-sentence, just how much of an echo the corridor had. “Why did you even think it would work?” she finished in a terse whisper.

“That’s how we do things,” explained Morph. “Turning into loved ones is what we do.”

Twilight closed her eyes. “With such a way of thinking… how do you even manage to pass for ponies?”

“Infiltration training, miss,” replied Morph. “I haven’t received it yet.”

“Well then, remember this lesson at least,” said Twilight.

“Yes, miss,” said the changeling. He kept walking behind Twilight as she trotted down the corridor. As she reached the T shaped intersection at the end, Morph flew up, taking a place on the wall over the membranous door there.

“I’ll… wait for you here,” he said.

Twilight walked in, and looked around. The bathroom looked… weird was the word. Like all the other chambers it looked like a cave, the walls roughly carved in rock. There was a trough by one wall, through which water was constantly flowing, emerging from one wall and disappearing in the other. On the other side there were three stalls, with wooden doors that looked like they didn’t belong there, as did the large mirror standing opposite the door. There was a layer of green gunk on the floor, just hard enough not to stick to the hooves, but softening the sound of hoofsteps. Several melon-sized changeling sacks glowed on the ceiling, making everything appear greenish.

Twilight walked around the room, first to the toilet, which turned out to be a hole in the floor leading into darkness. Was it always here, she thought, or did they drill it somehow? You’d think with them taking so many faces, one of them would know how to do proper plumbing.

She then turned towards various cleaning utensils set beside the trough. The water was icy, but it failed to wake her up any more, only making her feel cold and miserable.

Finally she stood in front of the mirror. What she saw in front of herself was a tangled mane, a coat slightly grey with dust from yesterday’s battle, with darker tear marks splotched around the cheeks and temples, eyes red under the swollen eyelids.

By… Harmony… It’s so weird not to say ‘By Celestia’ anymore… I look as horrible as I feel. I think I’ll start with washing my face. Then request some hot water perhaps. Of course I don’t have my brush with me.

She tried to use her magic to put her mane in order, but she couldn’t put her heart in it. In the end, she just got her mane wet with icy water, and then let it fall flat, hoping it would be enough for the time being.

She heard some movement behind the door. Remembering that she’d left Morph waiting there, she turned towards the exit to walk out and ask him about hot water.

The door slid open, and there was Rarity there. Dusty, unkempt, red eyes surrounded by smudged make-up, her own assistant skittering up a wall outside as te door slid shut.

The two mares spent whole three seconds looking at each other, unsure of what to do, each tensed, ready to turn away and hide her face, a clumsy excuse forming on either tongue.

The moment passed, and no words came. None were necessary. There were only two mares collapsed on the bathroom floor, hugging each other and sobbing.

***

There was some alarmed barking when Enigma appeared inside the cave. The guards sprang to their feet, baring their teeth, growling at an unexpected intruder as servants scattered to safety.

As for the chieftain, a bulky, bulldog-faced brute with slightly greying fur, he just stared, sitting with his mouth agape, the light of the fire pit turning his face into a horror prop.

“I am Guilt of the Shattered,” proclaimed Enigma aloud. “I would speak with whoever is in charge here.” He looked at the chieftain, and saw a telltale twitch of his jaw muscles. With a sigh, he prepared for the next step; this part couldn’t really be avoided, not with the limited time he had, but it didn’t make the diamond dog’s predictability any more exasperating.

The bulldog rose in his stone seat. “Oh, you’ll be shattered all right… sic em!”

The guard dogs pounced. Enigma waited until the very last moment, shifting away when the monsters’ claws were mere inches from his flesh. The two most eager guards couldn’t stop their own momentum; they flew through the now empty space and collided head-on. The third managed to redirect his charge with a sharp turn towards Enigma’s new position, snapping his jaw at the stallion’s neck. His jaw closed on a perfectly cubical piece of granite that appeared where his target had been standing.

Enigma reappeared in front of the chieftain. The last guard, apparently slower than the others, came at him from behind. The unicorn punched forward, the first movement of a limb since he entered the room, and shifted twice, blinking in front of the attacker in time to strike him in the throat, with just enough restraint to not crush his larynx, and then out of the way, allowing the big dog to fall reeling at his master’s feet.

“I will kill the next one who tries that,” he said to the chieftain. “Now, I want to speak with you.”

The old dog perched higher on his stone chair, making a visible effort to stay as far as possible from the intruder without leaving his seat. “Who are you?” he growled.

“I’ve told you, didn’t I?” said Enigma. He walked forward, the recovering guard crawling out of his way. “We have been forgotten, but no longer. A war is coming, dog. And when it starts, it is important that you all remember why. "

A long string of heavy crystal beads appeared out of thin air, falling over the surprised chieftain’s shoulders. He grabbed them, startled, and then looked at the crystals in fascination.

They were in different colors, each about three inches in diameter, too heavy to be jewelry, unless for a giant. Each was cut into an irregular shape, a seemingly random combination of grooves… until the stone was held against the light. Then everything changed in an instant - the light painted images inside the crystal, shapes and letters appearing underneath the surface, shifting as the stone was slowly turned around the string to expose new pictures.

The chieftain’s eyes went wide. “Story stones. I’ve never seen… I’ve only heard stories. But-”

“Can you read them?” asked Enigma impatiently. “If you don’t, you’ll just have to take my word for all I have to tell you.”

The chief shook his head. “No, no… I can’t.”

Enigma looked at the floor beneath his hooves. “How exactly did you end up a chieftain? No, don’t answer that. I bring you the legacy of your ancestors, and all you can do with it is be awed.”

“Clever dog,” said the chief. “We have one. He’s old and… clever. Perhaps he knows how to read. Go, fetch Inky!” he barked at one of the smaller dogs skulking in the entrance of the cavern.

“You do that,” said Enigma. “And just to be clear,” he continued, “I moved that rock you bit into, instantly. I could move a bit of your blood, and replace it with a bubble of air. I won’t bore you with details, but your heart would stop. An embolism is a bad way for a proud warrior to go, isn’t it?”

Behind him, a guarding dog, who was preparing to pounce, turned and scurried away, spitting out a piece of a broken tooth.

Enigma closed his eyes. This was going to be a long night.

***

“You’ll never get away with this!” sobbed Princess Cadence.

She was in a dungeon lab room, standing with a bench set diagonally under her barrel, propping her upright, chains securing her legs and wings, and a crystal-studded metal clamp on the base of her horn. Princess Luna and Dr Stone were there with her, Spitfire having left moments before.

Luna suppressed a groan. “What is that even supposed to mean?” she asked in an aloof voice. “Do you expect me to reply ‘I already have,' or some such nonsense? Should I laugh maniacally? You can try to hold to your delusions, Cadence, but the sad fact is, you are the villain here. Nothing showed it more clearly than what you did to my brave soldiers.”

“You murdered Shining Armor,” hissed Cadence.

Luna turned to Dr Stone. “You would think she would be more responsive.”

“My formula is doing its job,” replied Dr Stone. “It just seems she’s very stubborn.”

“But you designed her,” said Luna.

Dr Stone nodded. “Covertly. There is only so much backdoor access one can introduce discreetly. And if I medicate her too hard-”

Luna flapped her wing impatiently. “I know, I know. We’ve done this hundreds of times before. It’s just that we don’t have the time.”

She leaned closer to Cadence, lit up her horn, and touched it to the other alicorn’s forehead. “I need to know,” she said. “Where are the Elements?”

Her response was silence. As the light of Luna’s horn intensified, Cadence kept staring forward, another tear falling through the matter fur of her face. Finally her mouth started to move slowly. Luna withdrew her horn, and leaned closer to hear.

“Monster… you murdered him,” stammered Cadence under her breath.

Luna withdrew her head, and sighed dejectedly.

She turned when she felt movement in the entrance behind her. Lightbringer was peering into the interrogation room.

“Howdy,” he said with a crooked grin. “What are you guys up to?”

“Oh, good evening, Light,” said Luna. “We are trying to find out where our enemies have retreated to, but our best lead remains stubborn in her defiance.”

Lightbringer raised an eyebrow. “Against you? That’s new.” He walked in, and approached the bench. Luna noticed how his hooves suddenly started to make a sound against the stone floor.

Oh, he was using his power to sneak. I was too busy to pay attention to magnetic fields. That’s why I didn’t notice him earlier. Now that I think of it, we should put more carpets here, the noise is obnoxious.

Lightbringer leaned in, taking a closer look at Cadence. “Long time no see. So this is the new alicorn. Were you planning to make me a pretty, pink princess?”

“It is not… one of those,” explained Dr Stone hastily. “We just needed somepony who could reliably wrest control of the tower from… Sombra,” she finished uncomfortably.

“So, she’s a designer baby royalty?” asked Light. ”Where did you get the blueprint?”

“We didn’t,” replied Stone, her professional facade returning. “We couldn’t design her from the ground up without knowing exactly what we were aiming for. Fortunately, our archives contained enough information to track down some distant relatives of the royal family, who left the protection of the Empire during the Reign of Justice, and later during Discord’s rule. We only recovered scraps, barely more than nothing, but we extrapolated, and after centuries of work, it was enough to recover the bloodline.”
Lightbringer stared at Dr Stone, wide eyed. Then he laughed loudly. “A breeding program? You really didn’t have enough things to keep you busy.”

“Be grateful she did not,” replied Luna. “It was all for your sake.”

“So, what exactly is wrong?” asked Light, turning back to Cadence.

The alicorn gave him an empty stare, jaws clenched shut.

“We’re trying to find the Elements before they endanger Equestria again,” said Dr Stone, “But wherever they went, Cadence won’t tell us.”

“Against all your powers?” asked Light, his face pensive.

“There are things we would not try,” said Luna. “And things that would take too long, like Dr Stone rewiring her brain.”

“You’re all monsters!” shouted Cadence unexpectedly, causing everypony to turn towards her. “Murderous… unnatural monsters!” Then she erupted with sobs, choking on whatever she had intended to say next.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” replied Lightbringer. “Like… where to find Obsidian and the Elements of Harmony?” He didn’t stop smiling, but his ears twitched with every muffled sob.

Luna lit her horn up, and Cadence was silenced, her eyes turning blank once more.

“Many lives depend on it,” said Luna softly. “Tell us, where to find the Elements of Harmony?”

Cadence’s lips started moving slowly. Lightbringer leaned in closer to listen, and then withdrew, smacking his lips in disapproval. “I think I know what the problem is.”

“What?” asked Luna, turning off her spell.

“She doesn’t know,” he replied.

“How can she not?” asked Dr Stone. “Even if they left without telling her where, they would at least have told her that. The Elements don’t abandon their friends.”

“I don’t know,” said Lightbringer. “Perhaps you don’t know them as well as you think. Perhaps something unexpected happened. What I know is, there isn’t a pony that could resist the two of you for three hours, which is how long I’ve been hearing her whining. At this point you’re just obsessing, because she’s your best lead, and you’re out of ideas.”

“We haven’t yet tried entering her dreams,” said Princess Luna.

“Let me help you,” said Light. He reared.

“No-” Luna opened her mouth, but it was too late. Light’s hoof shot towards Cadence’s head. There was a thump, a short crunch, and a spray of blood. A couple droplets landed on Light’s smiling face.

Luna recoiled in shock. “Light! What have you done!?”

“There,” said Lightbringer, “Distraction’s over. Now you can focus on looking for other options.”

“Light,” said Dr Stone angrily, reaching to the tools table for a cloth to wipe her glasses with. “How many times have we told you not to do that? Do you realise how long it took me to reconstruct the royal bloodline?”

Lightbringer shrugged, turning towards the exit. “Yea. And now she’s served her purpose already. If you really need her again, you’ve got your precious bloodline all over the wall. Clone her or something.”

“Lightbringer,” said Luna to his back. “Why don’t you go to Tartarus?”

Lightbringer turned his head towards her with a chuckle. “Hah, Tartarus has nothing on what I’ve been through.”

“No,” clarified Dr Stone, “It’s an actual place. While working on a plan to save you we researched sealing and unsealing spells. At one point we created an underground prison for magical monsters, to observe their escape attempts and learn from them. But now, since you’re back with us…”

“We no longer need them,” said Luna. “Truth be told, we have not checked on Tartarus for months. If you feel, you need to… indulge in violence…” she glanced at the body still propped upright behind her, “Why don’t you do something useful, and go put them out of their misery? You’ll be able to vent, and we’ll be able to work in peace.”

Lightbringer gave her a flat look. “Do you realise just how insulting that was?” Then his mouth stretched into a grin again. “Just tell me where it is.”

***

Twilight was walking down the stone steps, descending deeper into the caves, the green glow-sacks on the walls lighting her way. The illumination was rather dim, but Twilight would not light her horn; she hadn’t slept much for the rest of the night, and now she was feeling the beginning of a headache. Her stomach was still a knot, not in the least improved by the small breakfast she’d managed to force in when she woke up. Almost stumbling in the dark was better than dangling a source of bright light right in front of her face. Morph was walking by her side, making sure she took the right turns.

Finally, after walking what must have been four floors down, she heard the sounds of fighting. Walking in that direction she quickly emerged in a huge cavern shaped like an amphitheater. Her friends were sitting in the stands accompanied by some changelings - Twilight had already learned that each of them had got a changeling assistant to guide them through the tunnels. Other changelings were sitting in tunnel entrances up on the walls, or clinging to the ceiling; it seemed the commotion had already brought about three dozen onlookers.

In the center of the cavern there was a raised stone platform surrounded by glowing crystals; there were several changelings channeling their magic into the biggest ones, which in turn projected a bubble of force surrounding the arena. Inside, two pegasi kept bouncing off the barrier and off each other, exchanging blows in a shower of sparks.

“You can go faster than that,” said Aurora, landing on all fours and skidding to a halt.

Dash hovered on the opposite side, flapping her wings slowly. Her armor aura was extended, spreading from her pinions in red, spectral blades.

“If I go all out, I’ll hurt you,” she protested.

Aurora smiled at her, preparing to leap back into the air. “Don’t underestimate me. And your foes will go all out. If you let them, they’ll kill your friends. Your job as Loyalty is to prevent that. So show me all you’ve got, and I’ll show you how you can do better.”

As the two mares clashed again, Twilight approached the spot where her friends were sitting.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said. “What did I miss?”

“Just Dash and Aurora fighting,” said Applejack.

“They’ve been going at it all morning,” said Scootaloo.

Twilight noticed the filly was sitting in the middle, putting other ponies between herself and any changelings.

“The arena’s not big enough for all of us,” said Pinkie Pie, “And they won’t let us take our turn.”

“Everypony deals with grief in their own way,” said Obsidian.

Twilight looked at him, a venomous comment on her tongue. Obsidian turned towards her, small dots of blue light at the bottom of his pupils.

“Me?” he asked. “Do you really want to know? Is the evidence of your eyes not enough?”

Hasty to change the subject, Twilight averted her gaze, looking instead towards the arena. “What are those crystals?” she asked. “They don’t seem like they’ve been placed here, more like they’d been here from the start, and the arena was carved around them. But then, why are they in a circle?”

“The central ones were removed, and the rock reshaped,” replied Chrysalis behind her back. She was descending the steps, a bag made of stretchy gunk slung over her side. “It was a natural crystal formation, but it took a lot of work from our ancestors to make it focus our magic like that. Since then it has served as place where we could hone our magic without revealing our presence - the background aura of these caves will hide all the magic that doesn’t penetrate the barrier. It also allowed us to fight formal challenges without fear of hitting our audience. This is where I became the queen.”

“You mean…” asked Fluttershy.

“Yes,” said Chrysalis. “This is where queen Protea died at my horn. All according to her plan, though I didn’t know it at the time.”

Fluttershy gulped.

Obsidian put a hoof on his chin. “So, you used this place in Aurora’s times? That means the Shattered know of it.”

“They do,” replied Chrysalis. “But they haven’t been here for centuries. They’ve been around for thousands of years, they’ve seen more hidden caves than they’d care to keep track of. Though I admit it’s a kind of a double bluff for us to be hiding here.”

“You know,” said Obsidian, “I’ve been thinking of what you said earlier, about keeping your involvement secret. I don’t think your plan is sound. There is already no way to stop the Shattered from coming after you. Won’t it be a safer bet to give us your full support right away?”

“No,” said Chrysalis. “If you aren’t ready, our help won’t change anything. We can survive you losing. The Shattered will lick their wounds, then restore the status quo. By the time they come after us, we will have scattered and disappeared, my image a bugmare to scare bad foals with. They might find some of us, but as long as they don’t take me alive, they will not find all - we have a lot of hideouts.”

“But if we were to go to battle and bleed ourselves out for your failure, the Shattered would not rest until both we and you are dead. Between that and the actual battle losses, our species might not survive. This is not our way. I will not be the queen who leads my kind to extinction. We’re already gambling a lot on you.”

She then turned towards her bag. “And just so it isn’t all sour with me…” she reached in, and pulled, then swung her neck towards Applejack, “Here, catch.”

Applejack extended her hooves instinctively before the thought of using her newfound telekinesis could cross her mind. She looked in surprise at the round object in front of her.

“Ma hat! Where did ya get it?”

Chrysalis smiled. “One of my scouts took it from your closet while escaping Ponyville. I thought you’d miss it. Just don’t get it incinerated in a fight. I only have the one. Now...”

She turned towards the arena. “It’s time your pegasi friends let you get some practice too.”

She approached the bubble, and nodded towards the changelings on barrier duty. They returned the nod, and the barrier visibly weakened.

“Why don’t I tire them out a bit, so they can be persuaded to take a break?”

Aurora and Rainbow stopped their fight, and looked towards her.

With a grin, Chrysalis discarded the bag, covered herself in a film of green magic, and walked through the barrier.

***

*Two days later*

“So, ‘nafaka’ means food, right?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Yes,” replied Apple Bloom. She was sitting in front of a hut, using a flat stone and her hooves to crush some grains she couldn’t quite recognize.

“I never knew you had a talent for languages,” said Sweetie Belle. “What else can you say in zebra?”

“Not much,” replied Apple Bloom. “I actually know that one from Zecora.”

“Oh.” Sweetie Belle was clearly disappointed. “I was hoping you were beginning to understand them. It would be great to be able to talk to anypony other than that kooky shaman.”

“Yea,” replied Apple Bloom, “he gives me the creeps. With all that doomsaying, and rattle about prophecies.”

She shoved the contents of the stone into a flat bowl. A passing zebra took the bowl in her teeth, and walked away.

“I wish I knew what they were arguing about,” said Sweetie Belle. “I mean, I know Uchongo thinks we’re bad news. But at the end, they gave us food, and place to sleep, didn’t they?”

Apple Bloom looked around. Since the day they arrived, the initial excitement had died down. The villagers kept watching them, but with their curiosity sated, they gave them a wide berth. This was disconcerting. Nopony tried to shoo them out of the village, but Apple Bloom could see few smiles. It was obvious enough that the zebras were not comfortable with their presence. There also seemed to be fewer of them now, so much that on the second night the fillies were given a proper place to sleep in one of the huts.

“I don’t know if it’s true, or just the things Uchongo’s sayin, but they all look worried. They’re really expecting trouble, aren’t they?”

“Do you think they’re right?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Do you think they are?” asked Apple Bloom. “I mean, I wouldn’t like to give anypony trouble.”

Sweetie Belle looked around the camp. “That Enigma guy said-”

“I know what he said,” said Apple Bloom, tipping a jug full of grain to put some more on the stone. “I just wish we knew more. I think he told us the truth about the necklaces. But is it a good thing, or a bad thing, that they can’t find us now?”

Sweetie Belle lifted her hooves to the sky. “We don’t know anything! There could be changelings ruling Equestria now, and we wouldn’t know!”

“Don’t worry, Sweetie Belle,” said Applebloom. “Whatever it is, I’m sure Applejack, Rarity and Twilight can handle it. We’d just be be getting underhoof.”

“But…” asked Sweetie Belle, “Aren’t they worried about us?”

To this, Apple Bloom had no answer.

***

That night, when the two fillies slept, huddled together in the corner of the hut next to its two remaining inhabitants, a hidden spell that had been counting down time reached zero. With a sound too soft to wake anypony up, the stone in Apple Bloom’s necklace cracked, a whiff of powder blue magic leaking out and disappearing in the night air.

Chapter 38: The Hate

“Is serving Equestria your only ambition?” she asked him.

Captain North Star shook his head to wake himself up. It had been long hours since he awoke, the written orders already left next to his bed, along with the package he expected. But even now, a part of his mind kept returning to the dream, replaying it over and over.

“Is serving Equestria your only ambition?”

He looked around the council room. The crystal floor had been swept clean of the blood already, but the signs of the recent battle were still there; missing chunks of crystal in the walls marked the points of impact of particularly powerful spells and explosions.

The six officers gathered around the table looked at North Star expectedly. “Orders, sir?”

He looked in their eyes, and saw doubt. They must have heard rumors. I did make a mess out of myself. They don’t trust my command, do they? Let’s put an end to this…

The captain cleared his throat. “The orders are simple. Maintain order. Keep the city contained. Search the tower for any tomes or artifacts of dark magic. I can see you’ve made a fine job of the first task. I will handle the second. As for the third, I’ve been told you haven’t started yet?”

“No, sir” replied the white pegasus to the left. “We’ve secured, and closed off the main library, but we haven’t yet commenced the search.”

“I think it is time,” said North Star. “Have your wizards examine anything that looks suspicious. And don’t limit yourself to the library either. Our reports from… previous developments indicate the presence of magically concealed passages within the tower. I will be looking for those myself, but anything you can bring to my notice will be useful. Just make sure to observe the safety rules. We are dealing with the darkest of magic here; corrupted tomes of knowledge, perhaps cursed artifacts, things that could change a faithful soldier of Equestria into a tragic pawn of darkness. There could also be magical traps protecting the tower’s secrets. Don’t let anypony act alone until we are sure we have full control. A lonely guard in an ideal target. Understood?”

There were nods all over the table. North Star gave his officers a stern look. “Yes, sir!” they responded loudly.

Satisfied, North Star continued talking.

“And one more thing. The Heart. The enemy managed to hide it, but we know it must still be within the city. Find it, and bring it to me. Are there any questions?”

The six ponies looked at each other, but didn’t say anything. North Star nodded his head in approval.

“You have your orders then. Dismissed.”

Saluting, the soldiers left. Captain North Star was left alone in the council room.

He picked the package off the table, and walked towards the balcony door. Outside the city was basked in the light of the setting sun. Normally it would be a beautiful sight, but North Star’s practiced eye picked out the signs of battle still marring the crystal streets and buildings.

“Slaves to darkness, one and all,” he muttered under his breath. “I will keep you contained.”

He pulled the package in front of himself, and unwrapped it. Inside there was an ebony box, marked with Luna’s cutie mark. Memories of North Star’s dream returned to him.

“This is something you will need for your task,” she said. ”An item our servants confiscated from a shady vendor, who didn’t quite comprehend what he was trading in. It is ancient and dangerous magic, that only one of unshakable conviction can safely wield. We would not entrust it to anypony but you.”

He opened the lid slowly. The huge ruby inside seemed to shine with a light of its own, matching the setting sun reflected in the captain’s eyes.

“Once you put it on, it will grant you great power, enough to accomplish the task we have set ahead of you. But such power will come at a terrible price. The amulet will assault your mind with dark whispers, trying to turn you from your path towards fulfilling your own ambitions, until nothing else matters. That is why we must know. Is serving Equestria your only ambition?”

North Star set the box on the ground, and pulled out the heavy, black iron necklace. He turned it around, examining it in the light of the setting sun. It almost looked like a sinister sibling to the Elements of Harmony. How ironic.

Yes. I am strong enough, thought North Star. I am pure enough. For Equestria, I will handle this.

He put the necklace on. The magical clasp locked at the back of his neck. Instantly he felt a surge of power. His eyes shone with renewed purpose, no longer merely reflecting the rays of the sun.

I will set things right. I will avenge you, Shining. I will find whatever dark power turned you into a monster, turned me into a … traitor. I will find it, and destroy it.

He lifted his horn into the air and focused, new power flowing through him freely. The spell shot into the sky, a blinding pillar of blood red light, then spread out, falling over the Crystal Empire in a giant, red dome. The last rays of the sun dimmed.

And until I do, none of you crystal monsters is getting out of here.

***

Pinkie was playing pattycake with changelings.

Twilight Sparkle stood, taking in the scene. She had just finished a training session with Rarity and Obsidian. Her friends were in the stands, as they had for the last couple of days - the hive lacked other forms of entertainment. Chrysalis claimed that the arena also acted as a theatre, but at this moment all the best actors of the swarm were in the field, ‘employing their craft properly.’ As usual, the off-duty changelings would hang around in the chamber’s upper entrances, watching the fights unfold.

The only changelings down in the stands were the ones assigned as assistants to the Elements, Aurora, Scootaloo and Obsidian - Twilight had since learned their names; Morph, Shell, Glint, Mirror, Figment, Chitine, Image, Lustro and Jake - but to her they all still looked identical.

And right now they were sitting in pairs, playing pattycake, with Pinkie Pie in the center, paired with the odd one, and giving them all the rhythm. Twilight could see the smiles on the bugs’ faces, even as their limbs repeated the motions with mechanical precision.

“What are you doing, Pinkie?” asked Twilight with a smile.

Pinkie turned towards her, breaking the rhyme she was reciting, but not the motions of her hooves. “I’m teaching the changelings how to have fun.”

“How to have fun?” Twilight cocked her head in surprise.

The motions fell out of synch and stopped, the changelings looking somewhat embarrassed. “It is a useful skill for infiltration,” said one of the changelings sheepishly. Twilight was pretty sure it was Morph.

“I guess so,” she replied. “But how can anypony not know how to have fun?”

“We haven’t been trained yet,” replied another changeling.

At that Twilight was even more confused. “You need to be trained for that?”

“We’re trained to fight,” said one of the changelings. “Then speak. Then we learn how to act, and how to infiltrate, everything we need.”

“It’s lucky changelings are super fast learners,” piped in Pinkie Pie. “You couldn’t tell these here are only a year old!”

Twilight’s eyes grew as big as saucers. “What!?”

She was suddenly reminded of the day they met Chrysalis, and heard the story of how she came to power, her retinue sitting around her in reverent silence, catching every word like… children listening to a bedtime story?

“It is true, Twilight Sparkle,” said Chrysalis landing in the stands. “The changelings have been created for war. Their development is accelerated. Most of these here have been spawned to replenish the losses we suffered during the wedding fiasco.”

Twilight looked around wide eyed. “They’re all children?”

“Don’t put your own measure to everypony, Twilight,” said Chrysalis. “They’re already competent at the tasks I give them.”

“Your soldiers?” asked Twilight, her jaw clenching.

“Among other things, yes,” replied Chrysalis. “But I’m not here to discuss biology. Or ethics. I have an urgent report I think you’ll find interesting.”

This got everypony’s attention. In a moment Chrysalis was surrounded by a half-circle of ponies, the changelings getting out of the way.

“I’ve just been informed that Princess Luna received an urgent report from the magical recon division. It’s a group of unicorns working in Canterlot next to the headquarters. They specialize in detection magic. It seems they managed to locate somepony the Princess had been looking for.”

“So, they know we’re here?” asked Aurora. Everypony was visibly unnerved by the information.

“No,” said Chrysalis. “The point they indicated was far to the south, in the badlands. While they are obviously looking for you too, between our magic and Obsidian’s, you’re well hidden. From what my agent was able to learn, the pony they managed to locate is a missing filly.”

“Apple Bloom!” “Sweetie Belle!” shouted Applejack and Rarity simultaneously.

“One of them, probably, yes,” said Chrysalis. “So, it looks like you have something to act on. Provided you hurry. There is no way to tell who will be sent to capture the filly, and how soon they can get there.”

“Then we better start moving,” said Obsidian. “I don’t think your cave could hide the signal if we used the Elements to teleport from here. We’ll need to get far enough outside to do it safely.”

“Wait,” said Rarity. “How exactly did you get this information? I don’t think you’d manage to plant a changeling so close to Celestia. Was it another… hostage situation?” she spat out the last two words with audible disgust.

Chrysalis gave her a toothy grin. “No. This one is a real traitor, a disgruntled clerk who sold his country out for gold. The only thing he doesn’t know is who the gold really belongs to. We let him deceive himself. He deserves no better, and regular pay keeps him in line.”

There was an awkward silence as the meaning of the words sank in.

Aurora was the first to break the silence. “So, where are we going exactly?”

***

“So, we don’t know what it is yet?” asked Dr Stone. She turned away from a tank where an injured unicorn female was floating, strange devices surrounding her broken horn.

Spitfire shook her head. “The seer tower only got a vague vision. We know where she is, but no details.”

“So, it could be a slip up on the part of whoever took her away, or it could be a trap,” said Pierce.

Dr Stone looked at him. “Agent Pierce…”

“No, it’s okay,” said Spitfire. “I value my subordinates’ tactical insight. But I’ve already considered this angle. This is why I’ve sent Lightbringer to examine the situation.”

“Lightbringer,” said Pierce. “I haven’t worked with him yet, but from what I have gathered, he can be quite volatile.”

“He is,” admitted Spitfire. “It is a calculated risk. The location we pinpointed is far enough outside Equestrian territory, that even condition black is… acceptable. And either way, he’s the best we have for a reconnaissance by fire. If the enemy has slipped up, he can exploit it and hit them hard. If it’s a trap, he can just die and report back. Out of the three of us who could go, his body is the only one disposable.”

“Let’s just hope he isn’t too stubborn to retreat if the situation is beyond him,” said Pierce.

Spitfire gave a half smile. “Do not worry. He’s got his orders. Lightbringer might hate retreating, but he hates failure even more.”

“What about Dr Bluebonnet?” interrupted Dr Stone. “You were supposed to be with her.”

“She’s currently asleep,” replied Pierce. “That’s what I’ve come here to report.”

“At this hour?” asked Spitfire.

Pierce nodded. “Her day night cycle is even more out of synch than usual. Do not worry; the wards on her room are all in place and active. She’s perfectly safe.”

“Well, in that case,” replied Dr Stone. “I’ll have some of my constructs take over. Go and get some sleep yourself. We need you to be awake when she is.”

***

“How much longer?” asked Scootaloo.

“You needn’t have gone with us,” replied Obsidian.

They were walking through a narrow tunnel, so old that it almost looked like a natural cave, any marks of tools long since gone. The sound of hooves and clinking of armor mixed with that of dripping water. Only the light of the Elements dispelled the oppressive darkness; there were no crystals or glowing fungi down there, just the cold, stone walls, slick with moisture. Though there were no other sounds, the tunnel had an ominous aura, as if there was something lurking there, just out of reach of the light.

“I thought we were finished arguing about that,” said Rarity.

“It’s still wrong to take her along,” said Obsidian, “it’s just that it’s pointless to keep talking. If Honesty couldn’t persuade her to stay, what chance do I have?”

“I’m worried too,” said Twilight. “But we couldn’t just force her to stay with the changelings.”

“Yes, you could,” said Obsidian, “She could put us all in danger.”

“We’re not taking her to battle with us,” said Applejack. “She can stay put, and watch our bags while we go fight.”

“If you think you can keep her safe-” started Obsidian. He then turned his staff, and shot a blue blast of force into a tunnel mouth they were passing by. Something thrashed there furiously, quickly crawling away.

“Thank you,” called a changeling voice from the darkness in front of them. “I missed that one.”

Obsidian sighed. “Don’t thank me, just focus on your job.”

Scootaloo shuddered, shifting closer to Rainbow Dash.

They walked for another minute, before Twilight decided to break the silence again.

“Aurora… I’ve been meaning to ask it for a while now, but…”

“The moment was never right?” asked Aurora.

“Yes,” said Twilight. “There was so much happening, and then I was focused on myself… but we never got to learn how your story ended.”

“How do you think it ended?” asked Aurora.

“Well, obviously, it was a trap,” said Twilight. “I think they took you and Aquila, made those alicorns, and then pretended to be you, and told everypony that the Shattered were defeated. I’m not sure what they did with the cities. Perhaps… they destroyed everything to make sure they were forgotten. They could tell some clever lie to all the ponies, something like ‘You must never mention the Shattered, because remembering them will give them the power to come back’, or something.” She looked towards Aurora. “Am I right so far?”

“I think so,” said Aurora. “I don’t remember what happened after I was defeated. It took me decades to start getting glimpses,” said Aurora. “But I’m sure things didn’t go according to plan. They didn’t mean to lose control of the changelings. Or lose Vengeance.”

“Lose?” asked Obsidian.

“Yes,” said Aurora. “We… managed to seal her. We had her in a stone when the trap was sprung. I don’t know why she let us do it. Perhaps she meant to fool the resistance into thinking they succeeded. But then, something went wrong. That’s why it was Arrogance and Envy becoming alicorns. I’m sure it was supposed to be Vengeance and Arrogance.”

“What was the trap?” asked Applejack.

Aurora went silent. For a moment the only sound in the tunnel was the echoing clip-clop of hooves.

“It was Whisper,” said Aurora finally. “I don’t know if Deception replaced him, or put something inside of him… It didn’t occur to me until later, that he never really used his power since he told us about Crystal. When the fight started, he got buried under rubble. Vengeance killed Jingles, and poisoned Sauti. By the time we won, there were just the three of us left, and it was obvious Sauti was dying. Then Whisper emerged from the rubble, miraculously alive… he rushed to give me a hug… and then he stabbed me. There was something inside his hoof. He got Aquila too… I don’t know what happened with the crystal Vengeance was in.”

***

“How much longer?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“You’re almost there,” replied their changeling guide. “We just need to descend down this tunnel.”

“It is true,” said Obsidian. “I can feel the power flowing through the rocks.” He quickened his pace, trotting, then running, pushing ahead of the group, seemingly unimpeded by darkness. Soon the others were forced to quicken their pace to keep up, trying not to lose balance on the slippery stone as they struggled to keep up.

Suddenly the tunnel opened into a large cave. There was light there - clumps of blue glowing crystals covered the ceiling, water dripping from them into a murky pool in the middle of the cavern. The magic of the place was obvious even to those with no formal training.

Obsidian slowed down, looked around, and picked a flat part of the floor. “This will do,” he said to the changeling. “The magic of this leyline is strong enough to let us teleport without attracting attention to this area. Miss Fluttershy, could you persuade the thing in the pool to stay put while I draw? There is no telling how the magic of this place has changed it, and we really don’t need any last moment distractions.”

Everypony turned towards the pool. Fluttershy swallowed loudly. Slowly, visibly struggling with herself, she inched closer and closer to the water. “Um… Mr. monster?” she whispered softly, the light of Kindness reflecting in her eyes. “We’re very sorry to intrude, and… I can feel how… hungry you are,” she continued with surprise in her voice. “But my friends aren’t very tasty… lots of sharp bits. So, um, it would be much better for… all of us… if you just wait for somepony else to eat, please?”

Behind her blue sparks flew as Obsidian scribed the circle. “I’m almost done,” he said, “get ready.”

“You’re doing it quicker and quicker,” said Twilight, standing cautiously next to him.

“The better you six get with channeling magic, the more corners I can cut,” replied Obsidian. “Fluttershy?”

“Um… I don’t think many creatures come into this cave,” said Fluttershy, “It’s very, very hungry…”

Dash looked at the surface of the pool, keeping Scootaloo behind a half-open wing. “I don’t see anything…” she said.

“That means it’s working,” said Obsidian. “A moment more… done. Everypony, into the circle.”

The Elements reacted with practiced coordination, taking their places around Obsidian, with Aurora landing inside the circle next to him. Fluttershy backpedalled from her position towards her place in the circle. “Thank… thank you for your patience…” she whispered. “We won’t be bothering you anymore.”

As soon as she stepped back, ripples started appearing on the surface of the water.

Obsidian hit the floor with the tip of his staff, and the circle came to life in a swirl of blue magic.

The changeling walked towards the exit. He looked at Scootaloo. “Are you sure you won’t be safer in the hive?” she asked.

Scootaloo looked at her, considering the proposition. “No!” she finally shouted, bolting between the adults in the circle to stand beside Aurora in the center. The circle flashed and the ponies disappeared.

The changeling shrugged, and turned away, leaving the room just as the first black tentacle broke the surface of the water.

***

They appeared in the savannah, at the break of dawn. The sun was rising, painting the horizon red, a breathtaking view if anypony had the time to appreciate it.

Immediately Obsidian started drawing a new circle. The Elements dropped their bags, leaving only the armor. Twilight dug into hers, retrieving a small pouch - three sealing gemstones she had received from queen Chrysalis. She attached the pouch to a small hook under the shoulder plate of her armor.

Aurora looked at Applejack. “Are you sure you don’t want to wear a helmet?” she asked.

Applejack shook her head. As her magic activated, power flowed into her hat, illuminating it with a soft orange glow as the fabric was reinforced. “Nope,” she said. “It’s much better this way.”

“So, what do we do now?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Aurora was already in the air, flying up for a bird’s eye view of the situation.

“I’m setting a waypoint here,” said Obsidian, "in case we need to retreat in a hurry.”

The new circle flashed, and then the ground underneath it gave way, creating a round hole some three feet deep. Obsidian used his staff to put the girls’ bags inside it. “You get down there, and stay put.” he said to Scootaloo. “I’ve already shielded you from detection spells, don’t waste it by being seen.”

The filly looked at him with a pout, but then jumped into the hole without saying anything.

“Now,” said Obsidian, “we’ve jumped as close to Chrysalis’ coordinates as I considered safe. We will now use our magic to pinpoint the location of-”

“There’s smoke to the south-east!” called Aurora from above.

Everypony looked. It was far away, easy to miss from the ground, but now that they could see it, the plume was ominously black.
Obsidian’s runes glowed underneath his fur as he prepared for a fight. “Or we could go check that out.”

***

The village was burning. No, it wasn’t quite precise. The only real source of fire was the shaman’s hut, engulfed in flames after the strange glass installation inside was shattered and exploded. But to the panicked mind of Apple Bloom it might as well be the whole village.
The huts had been smashed, and there were striped bodies everywhere, black, white and red, limbs bent at odd angles… Apple Bloom tried not to look.

And in the middle of it all, over the shattered body of Uchongo, there stood a huge pegasus, clad in absurdly heavy plate armor. His wings, the only visible part, were russet, matching the deep red plates covering the rest of his body. The red paint couldn’t quite hide the fresh splatters covering the front of his armor.

“Stop hiding, you two,” he said. The voice echoed weirdly from inside the helmet, a sound that would be funny in any other circumstances. “There’s nopony else left here.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle huddled closer together, hugging each other so tightly it was painful. Apple Bloom turned her face away from the hole in the wall through which she had been peering.

“You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve seen this,” said Hate. He dug his hoof into the ground, pulling out a stone, then flicked his pastern, sending the projectile at the wall. Bits of dust and clay flew. The fillies shrieked, as the last remains of the hut collapsed around them. The stone missed them by inches as it destroyed everything else, just enough to expose them while leaving them unscathed.

“Now, come here,” said Hate.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle let go of their hug. They looked at each other, and then they started running. Hate gave an exasperated sigh under his helmet.

“Stop.”

Apple Bloom stopped. Though she couldn’t turn her head to look, she knew that so did Sweetie Belle. She wasn’t really paralysed. It was more like her body was suddenly too heavy to move, though she didn’t feel the weight crushing her, merely holding her in place. It was like a nightmare where one tries to run, only to find her hooves stuck to the floor.

“Don’t make it more of a hassle than it needs to be,” said Hate walking towards her. She could hear every step of his heavy hooves as he slowly approached.

In a flash of light, eight ponies appeared in the ruined village. They spread out in a semicircle, with the three pegasi hovering above their friends. Shock washed over their faces as they took in the image of what had happened.

Hate turned to look at the newcomers. “Oh, the heroes have arrived!” he called loudly. “Too bad, you’re too late to help. What kept you so long? The monster has already killed everypony. I even stepped on a little colt’s head over there,” he said, pointing with a hoof.

The Elements froze in horror. Obsidian and Aurora did not. The earth pony took a battle stance, charging up with the staff rising at his side, ready to strike. The pegasus prepared to take flight, but rather than focusing on Hate, she scanned her surroundings, looking for the safest route for getting away.

“So, how does it feel to be useless?” asked Hate.

“Apple Bloom!” shouted Applejack, finally noticing her sister.

“Sweetie Belle!” shouted Rarity in turn.

Hate looked towards the two fillies, as if he had just noticed them. “Oh, right, the bait is still alive. But since you’re here, I don’t need them anymore, do I?”

“Twilight! Stone!” shouted Obsidian.

The words managed to shake Twilight into action. “Yes, on it,” she said, withdrawing a pointed blue gem from the pouch. The Elements formed up around her, charging up for a sealing spell.

Hate’s mask hid his expression, but there was clear amusement in his voice when he spoke.

"Move."

Apple Bloom felt herself moving backwards against her will. She tried to brace herself, but only ended up flailing helplessly when the force binding her limbs suddenly disappeared. “Sis!” she yelled in panic. Hate reared, preparing to strike as she flew towards him.

The spell didn’t fire, the power unravelling as Applejack ran forward. Clearing the distance in a heartbeat, she reached Hate a split second before her sister. The two ponies collided with a mighty crash.

“Applejack!” shouted Twilight as her friend flew past her, pieces of broken armor left in her wake. Dash and Aurora flew in - Dash striking Hate’s shoulder as she flew past, Aurora grabbing Apple Bloom, no longer held in place as Hate’s power was directed elsewhere. Rarity teleported, grabbing Sweetie Belle, and then porting her behind the Elements.

“Argh!” screamed Obsidian in frustration. “Not like this!” He fired a shot.

Hate kicked the ground, causing the earth in front of him to break and burst up, the rubble absorbing the spell. He turned to face Dash, who was coming in for another fly-by, then spread his wings and kicked off, launching himself straight at her.

Dash flipped sideways, barely avoiding a head-on collision, though one of Hate’s front hooves, grazed her, denting her armor. In return she sliced at him with her wing, but the magic pinion-blades shattered against the heavy steel.

“Get away!” shouted Twilight. “Give me a clear shot!”

Unlike her, Obsidian didn’t hesitate. He shot past Dash, hitting Hate just as he started redirecting his momentum, slowing in the air as if stretching a giant rubber band. The shot burned a line in the armor but did not penetrate, the Shattered’s pattern aura dulling the sting of the spell.

Hate bounced back, straight at Obsidian. The earth pony managed to create a rampart of earth to protect himself, but all it did was redirect the impact down, causing Hate to plow into the ground and launch Obsidian backwards into the air.

Twilight didn’t wait to see him land safely. She scanned the battlefield, trying to locate the other Elements. “Girls! We need to hit him together! Pinkie?”

Pinkie looked at her with scared eyes. “Twilight! Applejack is hurt, badly!”

Twilight only had a moment to look before Hate burst from the ground, sending dirt and dust flying everywhere. But what she managed to see horrified her. Applejack was gasping for air, eyes unfocused. Her chest plate had been hit so hard it deformed and fell off. Underneath, her padded jacket was torn and stained with blood. Her right front leg was bent awkwardly and shifted backwards, as if the shoulder joint got pushed out of position.

“Get her out of here!” shouted Twilight. She fired a spell at Hate, a simple, unfocused shot from her horn. It bounced harmlessly off the behemoth, who immediately rushed towards her.

Obsidian’s staff flew from the smoke, flying at him from the side. Hate noticed it coming, and the weapon visibly slowed down as it got closer, though it still made a loud clang as it collided with his shoulder. Then the magic inside the staff discharged in a powerful explosion. A heavy shoulder pad fell off. Hate rolled with the impact, and came back to his hooves.

“Hah!” he shouted, “You’re the only one here worth fighting! Heard that, weaklings!? You’re as soft as that princess of yours I squished!”

Dash flew in to strike at him again, and this time not alone - a snaking line of purple magic connected to her as she attacked, increasing her power. Hate waited until he was about to be slashed, and then jumped up almost vertically, Dash crashing into him as if he were a brick wall. Hate was thrown to the ground, but simply rolled again, ignoring the damage - Dash meanwhile flew off out of control, and rolled on the ground, stunned.

“Princess…?” Twilight was initially confused by the statement. When the meaning finally hit her, she was stunned. “No... NO!” She shot a blast after blast at Hate, strategy momentarily forgotten. He took three shots, distracting him just before he could use the opening to strike Rainbow Dash a mortal blow. He turned towards her, as the shots pounded into his armor, until a missed shot grazed his side, taking off a piece of his wing. Then he laughed.

“That’s the spirit… let’s tear each other to shreds…”

He stomped and launched himself forwards, slamming into a barrier that Twilight conjured at the last moment. I should’ve teleported, flashed through her head as she was sent hurtling through the air, crashing painfully through the remains of a smashed hut; the shield absorbed some of the impact, but the rest was enough to nearly knock her out. She got up, face to face with a death grimace of some unlucky zebra who used to inhabit the hut. Before she could get back to the fight, it was once again obscured by a cloud of dust - Obsidian and Hate clashed, the former bearer of Honesty using his magic to briefly match the Shattered in close combat.

“The monster…” she said under her breath, trying not to swallow dust. She teleported closer, trying to get a clear shot. She did when Obsidian turned into a cloud of blue smoke, getting out of the way of a kick that would have put a hole through his barrel. Charging her tiara instead of her horn, she fired a wide shot that engulfed Hate, searing his flesh, and burning the paint off his armor.

The giant Shattered only laughed at the pain. He launched himself sideways, away from the beam, then kicked off the ground, changing direction by an acute angle, flying at Twilight from the side. She teleported a split second too late, and when she emerged, she was rolling, her barrel exploding with pain as she hit the ground. She took a painful breath, and tried to reorient herself. She saw Hate exchange blows with Obsidian and Dash, and then when she tried to get up, he suddenly rushed towards her.

“STOP!”

The voice sounded with the force that blew away the dust. Fluttershy fell from the sky, hitting the ground right in front of Hate. Strangely, rather than ram into her, the Shattered stopped. Fluttershy’s power surrounded her with a nimbus of pink magic, swirling like a flame. Tears were streaming down her face.

“Stop it! Enough of the pain! Enough of hurting each other!”

Behind Hate, Obsidian finished re-forming himself. He was visibly damaged, but his body was already beginning to fix itself. The staff flew to his side, but he did not swing it.

“And you too!” continued Fluttershy, “Applejack needs help! Now! Can’t you see!?”

As the dust settled, more details showed. The battle had destroyed most of what had been left of the village. There were eight ponies left in the fight - Aurora was a speck in the distance, having apparently decided to get Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle away from the battle, rather than risk direct clash with Hate at her current power. Pinkie Pie was sitting over Applejack, trying to create some sort of small miracle to heal her, but with little effect. The rest were standing around, covered with dust, using Fluttershy’s interruption to recover. Twilight tried to catch her breath too, and her side protested with pain that was surely a broken rib or two.

Hate moved slowly forward. “You can’t stop me,” he said. “You’re too weak.”

Fluttershy stared into the slits of his helmet. “I’m not. This has gone far enough. Why do you even do that? Do you… enjoy… THIS? ‘Let’s tear each other to shreds?’ Do you really WANT to be a monster!?”

Hate stepped forward, stomping the ground so hard everything shook. “Do you think I ever had a CHOICE!? You little…”

His other hoof rose, but did not fall. He seemed to lose his momentum. “Gentle Touch?” he asked.

“What?” asked Fluttershy. Her aura did not diminish, but she was clearly surprised by how the question sounded - For a moment, Hate spoke like an ordinary pony, his villainous theatrics momentarily forgotten.

Something flew between the ponies, aiming at Hate. The Shattered was too preoccupied to react in time - though he managed to slow it, it struck past the ruined wing and into his shoulder, where Obsidian’s staff had blown away the shoulder pad - a black spear covered with carvings and adorned with feathers. The carved lines flashed with a sickly green light.

“What? asked Obsidian, turning towards the source of the attack. Uchongo was there, broken on the ground, his good eye boring into Hate.

“Be cursed,” he hissed, and then became still.

There was a small explosion, the spear falling off, its tip burned. Hate screamed with pain, a horrible noise, barely pony-like, green and yellow glow spreading from the wound through his body and underneath the armor. The scream turned into a deafening roar. Fluttershy’s aura faded, as she recoiled in shock.

“Seal him, NOW!” shouted Obsidian, but the Elements would not form a spell - Twilight, and Rainbow Dash tried to cast, after a short delay, but Fluttershy failed to join them, and Rarity and Pinkie were focused on saving Applejack instead.

“Oh, for crying out loud!” growled Obsidian. A spear tip of blue light formed at the end of his staff, and he sent the weapon flying at Hate, aiming for the same unarmored spot.

Just before it could hit, the wounded shoulder exploded with a burst of darkness, grabbing the incoming weapon, and nearly engulfing it; Obsidian pulled, and the staff returned to him, smoke trailing from its charred tip. The darkness kept spreading, thick and swirling, like a black flame, flailing around Hate, snuffing out the yellow light of the shaman’s spell. Smoke seeped through the joints of Hate’s armor, and his eye slits glowed angry red.

“No! It’s too late! We need to get out of here!” shouted Obsidian. He dodged as a tentacle of swirling blackness lashed out in his general direction. The air turned unbelievably hot, the dirt touched by Hate’s power melting into slag.

“Get Applejack out of here!” shouted Fluttershy. She then braced herself and spread her wings, her pink aura flaring up.

“Fluttershy! Get away from him!” shouted Dash. She was already at Applejack’s side, along with the others. The darkness rose up, ready to lash towards them.

“No,” said Fluttershy. “Nopony else dies today. Calm down,” she said towards Hate. “You’re in pain, and your anger hurts everypony.” She was no longer shouting, just talking sternly, like a disappointed mother. The mass of darkness swirled, but did not strike.

“Give me a second,” said Obsidian, preparing a spell. “RIght, about… NOW!” His staff flashed blue, sparks flying out of it where the wood had been burned. Twilight extended her magic towards Fluttershy.

Hate’s armor turned red hot, and bulged, like a boiler ready to explode.

Fluttershy’s magic disappeared as Twilight’s spell yanked her away. The teleportation spell activated, and everypony disappeared in a flash. Hate’s armor gave way and disintegrated, a roaring black flame engulfing the ruined village in a wave, incinerating everything it touched.

***

They appeared inside the round hole in the ground, startling Scootaloo as they fell to the ground behind her.

“What’s going on!?" asked Scootaloo. "Where’s Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle?” She she looked at how everypony looked, there was fear in her eyes. “Where… is Aurora?”

“They’re okay,” said Twilight, wincing in pain and her side protested the sudden breath. “She’s on her way here.” She looked out of the hole, in the direction Scootaloo had been looking before they returned - where there used to be a plume of smoke, there was now a conflagration of boiling darkness. “Are we far enough? We need to help Applejack before we move her again.”

“Hopefully,” said Obsidian. “He’ll attack anything in this state. He shouldn’t focus on us specifically unless he sees us. Now…” he turned towards the inside of the circle. “What’s her status?”

“I… think we’ve managed to stop the bleeding,” said Rarity. “and ease her pain a little. But it still looks horrible.”

“So I see.” replied Obsidian. “Fluttershy, you’re a vet. You have some idea what to do. I’ll guide you through the spell. Rarity, keep giving her extra power.”

“O… okay,” said Fluttershy. She stood over Applejack. The earth pony had her eyes closed and her jaw clenched, her breathing slow and shallow, as if each movement caused her agony. Fluttershy forced herself to open her eyes, scanning Applejack’s body.

Twilight gasped at the sight of her eyes. “Fluttershy-”

Obsidian silenced her with an angry glare. “Not now. We’ll talk later. Now we need to focus.”

Rarity sat down, the purple glow of her Element flowing into Fluttershy. Obsidian stood at her side. “The bleeding has stopped, but the hardest part is still before us. You need to be ready to heal her, giving her the impulse of magic to put herself back together when we’re ready. But before that, we need to get the out of place pieces back into position. Her subconscious self-image alone won’t be enough to guide the healing process.”

Fluttershy nodded. Wisps of pink light emanated from Kindness, wrapping around Applejack’s body, slowly pulling aside the ruined armor and clothes.

“See through the body,” continued Obsidian. “See it as it should be. Find the torn tendons, and guide them back into position. Restore the leg to its proper place.” He was surprisingly calm, standing next to Fluttershy, looking at what she was looking at. The light intensified, and Fluttershy’s face froze in an expression of focus. Drops of sweat joined the smudged tears on her fur.

Applejack twisted, and groaned in pain. Fluttershy hesitated, but then returned to her work. “All will be okay,” she said softly, and a wave of calm spread from her, like warm hugs to everypony it touched. Twilight felt her own pain fade a little as the light touched her. Remembering Obsidian’s lessons, she focused her own magic inward, hastening the healing process.

Minutes passed and Fluttershy worked.

“You’re almost there,” said Obsidian.

Fluttershy broke in sweat again. “That’s a lot of pieces to hold together at once,” she said.

Rainbow Dash looked at her from over Applejack’s body. “You can do it. We believe in you.”

Loyalty flashed red. Fluttershy’s face became calmly focused. Both Generosity and Kindness intensified in brightness, and then the spell was completed in a bright flash. Applejack rolled on her side with a painful groan.

“I’m… I’m okay, I think,” she said, trying to get up, then fell back on her belly, and winced in pain.

“You will be okay,” said Obsidian, “Fluttershy’s done a great job. But you still have a lot of healing to do. Now, this is not the safest place to be. As soon as Twilight helps me fix my staff, we will be off.”

There was a sound of flapping wings, and Aurora descended from the sky, dropping down the two fillies that had been clinging to her. “You’re here!” she exclaimed. “That’s a relief. When I saw Hate burning, I thought you were goners. What happened?”

Obsidian let the two fillies slip past him. They instantly clung to their sisters, causing another grunt of pain from Applejack, with Scootaloo joining the hug soon after.

“A Zebrican hex-spear. I never thought I’d see another one in my life. That magic was thought forgotten for millennia. My staff was based on those. It managed to nick Hate just as Fluttershy stopped him. He was too resistant to drop dead, but the pain drove him insane.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t stop that,” said Fluttershy. “I made my spell too small…”

“The shaman literally cursed Hate with his dying breath,” said Obsidian. “I don’t know if even you could have stopped it regardless. You don’t need to blame yourself; you’ve done a great job.”

“You stopped Hate?” asked Aurora. “Wait, you’ve awakened!”

“I have?” asked Fluttershy in surprise, looking down on her necklace. Everypony else were looking at her eyes; pink and pupilless.

“You have,” said Obsidian. “And that’s another step forward.”

“When she stopped him, Hate called her Gentle Touch,” said Rainbow Dash. “What was that about?”

“A pony long dead,” said Obsidian. “That’s interesting. But this is no time for stories.”

He pointed towards the roaring pillar of blackness in the distance. There was a hot wind blowing, and there were already black clouds forming over the savannah.

“We fix my staff, and I fly us out. I can tell you everything once we are out of here."

***

Far north, in the mountains forming Equestria’s southern border, a dark, hooded figure looked grimly towards the horizon. He clenched his fists as he turned his eyes towards the darkening sky.

“That won’t do.”

He turned around, grinding his teeth in powerless anger. After all this time!

It had taken him centuries to find a weak spot in the spells binding him in his prison. Then he had to wait another hundred years before the occasion to escape Tartarus presented itself. He ran away and hid, waiting as the power expended on his escape plan slowly returned, hiding away from the eyes of ponies, using what little energy he had to conceal himself, waiting for his magic to grow strong enough to drain his first victim and start building up towards true power.

And now, after months of recovery, he saw the horizon burn black, a power that was a legend back in his time. He didn’t need to sense the magic to realise the magnitude of power now awakened in Equestria.

It was time to go, far, far away, out of sight of the ancient things that now fought over this land.

Lord Tirek spat angrily, and started walking down the mountain trail. “I’ll need to find another race of magical creatures to drain somewhere else. After I find a good boat. This continent is a loss.”

Author's Note

Lord Tirek will... not return in this story. :trollestia:

As always, please leave a comment (I love readers' speculations) leave a like if you liked it, and see you next Tuesday. :moustache:

Chapter 39: The Stories

Godric the griffon stepped away from the grinding wheel, and looked critically at his work. The edge of the knife blade was straight and smooth. He turned it in his claws and walked towards the window to make sure, watching the sunlight play on the shiny metal surface. Satisfied, he walked towards the workshop table.

"You're done," said Enigma, standing in the door.

Godric turned around, blade in hand, looked at the unicorn, and relaxed. "Darn, you're silent on those hooves. You startled me." He then put the knife blade on the table, and reached for a long item wrapped in cloth. "Yes, I finished assembling it this morning. You can take a look."

Enigma watched as the young griffon unwrapped the cloth. Underneath there was a sword, an old-fashioned, ornate blade, light and sharp, the guard and hilt covered with silver inlays and set with rubies. Godric stood on hind legs, waving the blade in slow, fluid movements, then presented it to the unicorn.

Enigma nodded, satisfied. "A work of art. There are few smiths in the world who could produce such a piece at such a short notice."

Godric's cheeks twitched upwards, as much of a smile as a beaked face could express. "I wasn't working alone. I've had other artisans working on the gems and the inlays."

Enigma nodded again. "There are few griffons here who can get anything organised, even with a vision of profit. Fewer still that would put so much effort in their work after being paid in advance. You will have to do."

Godric gave him a confused look. "Do? For what?"

Enigma looked him in the eyes. "There is trouble brewing, young one, like it hasn't for a thousand years. Whether the griffons take active part in it, or just weather the storm, they will need to do much better than they're doing now. They will need to work together like they used to. They'll need a leader."

Godric's confusion gave way to wariness. Enigma noticed the change in his stance, weighting the sword in his grip. "What are you talking about?"

Enigma faced him unflinching. "A civil war has started in Equestria. Great and ancient forces are at work. As things progress, I'll contact you and explain. Until then, the blade is yours. Get everyone to listen to you."

"How am I..."

Godric stopped. The unicorn was gone, suddenly simply not there. The gryphon looked around the smithy, looking for any sign of where his customer had disappeared to. Then something clinked on the table behind him.

Godric's eyes widened. On the workshop table, among the tools and half finished pieces, there stood a small metal sculpture, a round ball of red crystal, set in what looked like a spiralling golden chalice with a single fiery wing stretched upwards. The smith had the presence of mind to set the sword on the nearby anvil before slumping onto his haunches, his mind abuzz with the implications.

***

The landscape shifted underneath, lit by the afternoon sun. Twilight tried not to think of the thin disc of hardened soil she was sitting on; she still hadn’t gotten used to this form of transportation.

They were all gathered around Obsidian as he steered them north towards the mountains, with him in the middle focusing on the staff, and the Elements sitting around the circumference of the circle, facing outwards and maintaining the spell. The rest were seated inside, surrounded by bags, with Aurora on Obsidian’s right, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders huddled on the left, talking in hushed voices.

“The fire seems to be fading,” said Aurora, looking back.

“The host body must have burned out,” replied Obsidian, “This is not a power meant for a mortal pony to wield.”

“What was that anyway?” asked Rarity. “I remember you telling us about it, but you didn’t give us many details. You said it was something the Imperial wizards did?”

“This is not a part of his power as a Shattered,” said Obsidian. “There is something else chained to his soul as well, wild and primal. I wasn’t there when it happened, but the story I was told was that back during the conflict with the Alicorn Empire, Hate was the first one to be captured. The Imperials already knew he had the power to reincarnate. They were looking for a way to stop that; perhaps by trying to overload him with magic to remove the pattern power inside him.”

“The way you described the powers of pattern and magic, it should’ve worked, shouldn’t it?” asked Twilight.

“Not exactly,” said Obsidian. “It could definitely kill him, but the problem was not the power he had. It was the power he could call upon. At low pattern level, the magic would simply cancel it out and replace it. But the connection of his soul to pattern was still there, an anathema to magic that would prevent his mind from dissolving into Dissonance. Killing a Shattered isn’t as simple as that.”

“As to what exactly happened, none of the wizards in the Imperial lab lived to tell the tale. But I know of the thing inside Hate. It is something that got through the hole in reality the splicing ritual ripped out. The devices protecting us directed it away, and sealed it before it could hurt anypony, and we took it with us when we retreated from Nevercrest. Our wizards tried to examine it later, but found little to learn - it seemed to be a bundle of pure instinct, raw power with no proper mind to communicate with, too dangerous to release, and too troublesome to weaponize.”

“It looked a lot like Sombra, only wilder,” said Rainbow Dash.

“I… I think it was,” said Aurora.

The disk wobbled slightly. Obsidian suppressed a curse. “Keep it steady, you six. Was it really such a surprise as to make you lose your focus?”

“I’m getting a bit tired here,” said Applejack. “I hate to sound like the lazy one, but I could really use some rest.”

“Very well,” replied Obsidian. “I think we’re far enough to hide and recuperate.” He brought the disk down onto a grassy plain in the shadow of the mountains. As the platform neared the ground, the ponies started jumping off, grabbing their bags, until Obsidian was the last one left. He sent an impulse of magic through his staff, and the disc disintegrated, the dirt falling down, seeping through the grass and merging with the ground, leaving no evidence of its existence.

“You can rest and graze here,” said Obsidian. “Then we’ll go up that slope and make ourselves a proper camping spot.”

“Graze?” asked Rarity. “Haven’t we brought any food?”

“We have,” replied Obsidian. “But we are in the middle of nowhere, and haven’t yet decided where to go next. It is better to use what is available, and this grass is edible.”

“Speak for yourself,” said Rainbow Dash, looking at the plain with dismay that almost matched Rarity’s. “That’s no food for active ponies like us.”

“It looks okay to me,” whispered Fluttershy.

Obsidian sighed, leaned down, and took a bite of the grass. He chewed it thoughtfully for a moment before declaring: “I’ve definitely eaten worse. Now, you were saying?” he said, pointing at Aurora with his muzzle.

“I said that I think it was Sombra,” explained Aurora. “Remember how I told you I broke free once, and sealed Envy in the moon? They did a lot to keep me contained after that, so even my memories of that time are fuzzy, but what I remember is… the reason I broke out was the Crystal Empire.”

“Oh, how so?” asked Obsidian, swallowing, before taking another bite at the grass.

Aurora raised a hoof, silencing him as she tried to focus. “In our times, the Crystal Empire existed. It was the only place the Shattered never conquered. But it wasn’t a safe haven for anypony but the crystal ponies - they wouldn’t let anypony in, just living there in their bubble, safe from all the evil. After the Shattered were seemingly vanquished… the times were still not safe. A lot happened through the first century. Somepony, probably some resistance group trying to find the truth, accidentally unleashed Discord. Envy and Arrogance used the power of the Elements to seal him again. Both princesses were using a link to the tree through their alicorn bodies. They were much more powerful than Envy is now. They restored order, and slowly, the Crystal Empire opened. But it was still not under Arrogance’s rule, and she wouldn’t have that.”

“Plus, they had information about the times the Shattered ruled,” said Obsidian. “With all the history erasing Arrogance was doing, that must have been a thorn in her side, wasn’t it?”

“It was,” agreed Aurora. “The commoners knew almost nothing of the outside. They were like… chicken growing up in a small pen, with no need to know anything else. But even the Crystal Empire had some scholars. Obviously Arrogance wanted to get rid of it all. But posing as a good princess meant she couldn’t just conquer the place…”

“But she could liberate it,” finished Obsidian.

“Liberate it from Sombra?” asked Twilight. “Wait, I think I understand. They had Hate take it over, getting rid of the queen, and everything the Shattered didn’t want. Then they would appear as heroes, pretending to save the Empire, and taking over. But… something went wrong again, didn’t it?”

“Yes…” said Aurora. “The power of the Crystal Empire… it changed Hate. You know how the power of the crystal ponies flows to the Crystal Heart, creating the magic that protects the Empire? Their love, their hope and joy, all feeding the magic. But it doesn’t have to be a good thing. When Hate took away the Heart and took over, the Empire’s fear and despair started flowing into him. It changed him into something else.”

“I remember,” said Twilight, “Princess Celestia… Arrogance warned me that the Crystal Empire can spread hope, or it can spread darkness.”

“Yes,” said Aurora. “He was a monster, even crazier than usual, but not the blindly raging thing you’d just seen. He had his own magic, and he was in control.”

“Sombra was horrible when we met him,” said Applejack. “But he didn’t seem as powerful as Hate was today.” She looked south, where the sky was slowly returning to its natural color.

“Perhaps he hadn’t recovered yet,” said Aurora. “Because when Envy and Arrogance fought him, he was the most horrible thing they’d ever faced. They only managed to beat him because he was crazy. If he didn’t burn most of his power on making the Crystal Empire disappear, they’d have no chance against him.”

“Not what Arrogance had planned, that’s for sure,” said Obsidian.

“Oh, she was shattered in more ways than one on that night,” replied Aurora. “So much that I managed to break free, and when Envy tried to get the moon to set and the sun to rise to shake her out of it, I used my magic to tether her to the moon. I was so close to turning the tide then…”

“So, that’s Hate, Envy, Arrogance and Vengeance out of the way?” asked Twilight. “Did they ever find out what happened to Vengeance?”

“Not that I know of,” said Aurora. “I think somepony must have taken the sealing crystal while Deception was subduing us, but I wasn’t yet awake during the first decades, so-”

“One story at a time, please,” said Obsidian. “This is confusing enough as it is.”

“So, why didn’t you win?” asked Fluttershy.

“My spine was shattered too,” said Aurora. “The alicorn body was designed to be extremely hard to kill, but by the end of the fight it was so broken, it was literally only moving thanks to magic. Sealing Envy took the last of its power reserves, and moments later the spells started falling apart. I don’t remember what happened after that, but I think Deception found me before I could die. After that they’d make sure I’d be safely sealed in, and Arrogance didn’t dare use the Elements again.”

“Excuse me…” said Apple Bloom.

“Yes?” asked Aurora.

“Mister Obsidian,” asked Apple Bloom, “this will sound weird, but… those shattered guys… did you take anything from them?”

Obsidian looked at her curiously. “Whatever do you mean, child?”

Apple Bloom didn’t meet his gaze. “It’s just… that old zebra in the village… the one we told you about… he kept talking about prophecies and stuff, and he said something about the shattered too… something about him getting back what was stolen from his heart, or something.”

Obsidian sat motionless like a statue. Even his chewing stopped.

“Do you know what she’s talking about?” asked Twilight. “Have you ever heard that prophecy?”

“You okay there?” asked Applejack.

Obsidian’s head tilted back, and he started laughing, a low, loud, cheerless laugh. Twilight shuddered.

“How ironic,” said Obsidian, regaining his composure, “that of all things, something like this would survive among the zebras when I was forgotten. Yes, I know that prophecy, Twilight Sparkle. It was made back in my times, by a zebra shaman named Busara.”

He took a breath, changing his voice to sound like a crusty, old stallion.

“All that breathes on this world shall know terror when
The One that was Broken is made whole again
If you put what you stole back into his heart
He will give everypony a chance for new start.”

“Who was Busara?” asked Twilight.

“An enemy,” said Obsidian. “Respected among his kind. A cunning foe. He was especially the enemy of the Elements. He considered them a blasphemy against the spirit world, and kept prophesying a horrible end to everypony. While he was right about the splicing ritual being a horrible folly, his death didn’t come from the the Dissonance.”

“What happened?” asked Twilight.

“The Shattered happened,” replied Obsidian. “The Imperial army had problems fighting the zebras in the jungles of their homeland, so Deception decided to deny them cover, and created the parasprites. They did much more than that. The little gluttons devoured everything there was to devour, leaving the zebras starving in a wasteland. We were deployed in the north, we didn’t know until one of the princesses called us for help. As it turned out, Busara’s tribe was as stubborn as he was. They didn’t retreat until it was too late, and they all starved. And Busara himself used some very dark magic trying to get revenge. The last fight the original Elements of Harmony fought together was to put down the monster he had become. If you ask me, that doesn’t speak well of his abilities as a prophet… wait, did you feel that?”

Everypony looked around in alarm. “I don’t feel anything…” said Rainbow Dash.

“I do” called Pinkie Pie. She dove towards Twilight’s bag, and dug her head in, pulling out a small table mirror. The glass surface was flashing with a blinking green light.

“It seems we have a call,” said Obsidian.

Twilight took the mirror from Pinkie, and set it on a nearby rock. She then sent a thin beam of magic into the surface. The image blurred, and then Bling’s face appeared.

“Twilight?” asked the disguised changeling queen.

“We met Hate,” replied Twilight. “We managed to find both fillies, and retreat safely.”

Behind her, Applejack raised an eyebrow.

“It is good to hear,” replied Bling. “I got worried when my surface scouts told me of the black conflagration.”

“We’ve also learned that princess Cadence died when you abandoned her,” continued Twilight.

“I know,” said Bling. “And you know it was not my intent.”

“If it wasn’t, you shouldn't've done so,” said Twilight. “You put…”

“The fate of all of my subjects above a mare who had killed hundreds of them?” interrupted Bling. “You have your priorities, and I have mine. And you wouldn’t change yours for me, so don’t lecture me. Now, is there anything you need from us? What do you plan to do next?”

“We haven’t yet decided on where to go,” said Twilight. “Right now we’re waiting for Applejack to recover. After that? We’ll look for some safe spot to leave the kids… not in your care, thank you.”

Bling sighed. “You’re only making things harder for yourself here, you know?”

“We’re not the only ones,” grumbled Aurora.

Bling ignored the comment. “And then what?” he asked.

“We should find a way to contact the Void Passage again,” said Twilight. “There’s a lot of things Obsidian and Aurora can just tell us, but I have so many questions now, I think there are some things I’d better see with my own eyes. Obsidian, do you know of any strong leyline focal points in this area?”

Obsidian considered the question. “In these mountains? The biggest place of power here would be… the Nevercrest mountain. But I haven’t heard any news of it for thousands of years. The sanctuary might be destroyed. Or worse, booby-trapped.”

“Or it might be the last place they’d look for us,” said Rainbow Dash.

“I don’t think the Shattered would like coming back there,” said Pinkie Pie. “That’s not a happy memory for them.”

“I only have a couple agents where you are,” said Bling. “But if you’re going to climb, they could drop you some supplies at the base of the mountain.”

“We’ll give you details, when we’ve decided,” said Obsidian. “In the meantime, please keep us updated on the situation in the Crystal Empire.”

Bling nodded. “That I can do. The city isn’t as isolated as the Equestrian army thinks.”

“Thank you,” said Twilight. “Now if that’s decided, I think this is all for the moment.”

Bling nodded, and his horn flashed. The image in the mirror disappeared.

“What a stink bug,” said Twilight.

Aurora smiled at her. “Well, you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose the enemies of your enemies.”

“That can be arranged too,” said Obsidian, “But I get your point. Let us make the best use we can of her support.”

“So, what do we do now?” asked Applejack.

“We climb the mountain, and find somewhere to rest,” said Twilight.

***

Several hours later, they were sitting in a large cave. Obsidian found it while flying over the mountain in bird form, then used his magic to expand it, and left his staff in the middle of it to provide light and heat. With the spare sleeping bags they had, and the fake rocks Pinkie Pie used to hide the entrance, the cave turned into a surprisingly comfortable place to spend the night in.

That was the last thing that went right however. After an hour of trying to remember obscure friends and relatives, the ponies were no closer to finding a solution to their problem.

“Goldie Delicious?” proposed Applejack in a tired voice. “No,” she contradicted herself immediately. “She would be on our side if I told her the truth, but she’s too… absent-minded to keep three fillies at home a secret.”

Twilight looked at her notes dejectedly. “So, after we eliminate the ponies in big cities, who would be too easy to spy on, those that probably couldn’t handle taking care of children, those that would react very badly to being told the truth, and those taken by Chrysalis…”

Pinkie looked over her shoulder, skimming down a long list of crossed-out names.

“There’s nopony left,” she said. “Unless we find Maud.”

“We can do that once we’ve reached the sanctuary,” said Obsidian. “The sooner we get rid of all the distractions-”

“Can they climb the mountain with us?” asked Aurora. “From what you’ve told us, the entrance is quite high above the snow line.”

“With two of you already awakened,” replied Obsidian, “we have more than enough magic to keep them safe during the climb. I can’t guarantee anything for the sanctuary itself though. There is not telling what will await us there.”

“Well then, better start making plans now,” said Rarity. “We can’t go there without first making sure the fillies are well protected. And I won’t leave Sweetie anywhere I’m not sure is safe.”

“Speaking of protection,” said Twilight, “Obsidian, what have you learned about those amulets the fillies were wearing?”

“I’ve examined them,” said Obsidian. “I can only tell you that these were some very complex spells. Somepony put a lot of effort into keeping them hidden from everyone - so much that they didn’t even reflect in the Dissonance. But such a powerful spell requires a lot of energy. Maintaining it like this would require some extra measures - binding the amulets to a permanent power source, like it sometimes happens with powerful artifacts, or the caster itself refreshing the spell periodically. But these amulets didn’t have a way to recharge on their own. They were bound to fail at some point.”

“But if whoever make those things knew they would fail,” started Twilight.

“The girls say it was Enigma,” said Rainbow Dash.

“But he said it wasn’t him,” said Applejack.

“So, was somepony pretending to be him?” asked Rainbow.

“Chrysalis said that it wasn’t anyling of hers either,” said Applejack.

“So, what does it tell us?” asked Obsidian.

***

In the corner of the cave, further from the light, the three fillies were tucked into their sleeping bags. Not ready to fall asleep yet, they whispered to each other in the dark, ignoring the discussion of the grown-ups.

“There is something I haven’t told you yet, girls,” said Scootaloo.

Her friends looked at her, worry showing in their eyes as they saw her expression. Scootaloo felt a knot tightening in her stomach.

“It’s… not just Spike, Shining Armor, and Cadence,” she said. “Minty is dead too.”

Four eyes widened in the dark.

“what do you mean… she’s…” stuttered Sweetie Belle.

“She’s gone,” breathed out Scootaloo. “She… it turned out her mom was some kind of mad scientist working for Celestia. Minty… I think she stole one of her mom’s inventions to fight Celestia with.”

“What?” gasped Apple Bloom in disbelief. “Did she…”

“Applejack told me,” said Scootaloo. “She said it worked. She was the one that destroyed Celestia back there. But then it blew up, and Minty… they said that power destroyed her too.”

It took over a minute before any of the fillies spoke again.

“Ah can’t believe it,” said Apple Bloom.

“I didn’t either, at first,” said Scootaloo.

“But, why?” asked Sweetie Belle. “That’s… crazy. It’s… not like her.”

“There was a lot she didn’t tell us,” said Scootaloo. “A lot she couldn’t tell us. She said… she had enough of that lab her mother worked in. She just wanted to have friends, and a bit of a normal life. And Celestia was taking even that away from her.”

“So, she did it for… us?” asked Apple Bloom. “I… I don’t want it to be because of us.”

“It’s not like this,” said Scootaloo forcefully. “She… she did it for herself too. To be free.”

“Free?” scowled Sweetie Belle, an angry tear rolling down her cheek, “What kind of freedom is that?”

Scootaloo stared into the floor underneath her chin. “The only one she could find. The only one nopony would take away from her.”

“That’s just wrong,” said Apple Bloom. “Just wrong. This shouldn’t happen.”

Scootaloo pushed a bit closer to her, touching their foreheads together. “I know. But it -”

Apple Bloom pushed back, interrupting her. She looked Scootaloo in the eyes. “Could you girls promise me something?” She turned her head to look into Sweetie Belle’s eyes too.

“What is it?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Promise that you’ll never do anything like this for me, ever.” Apple Bloom looked from one of her friends to the other. “Never decide everypony’s fate on your own. We stick together no matter what, and if… horrible things happen… we’ll decide how to face them together, got it?”

Several seconds passed. Then Sweetie Belle moved closer. “I promise.” She then touched Apple Bloom’s forehead with her own.

After a moment, Scootaloo mumbled her own “I promise,” and joined the not-exactly-hug her friends were sharing. They stayed like this, tears trickling slowly down their faces, until the discussion in the cave ended, and Fluttershy found them asleep together.

***

Bluebonnet finished writing her notes, and shut the notebook. She then slumped onto the floor, not even bothering to look for a chair.

“Is there anything amiss, doctor?” asked an assistant peering into the lab. It was one of Dr. Stone’s constructs, tasked with keeping her safe.

Bluebonnet gave her a tired smile. “There’s nothing wrong,” she said. “I just need some sleep.”

The mare retreated with a nod. Bluebonnet turned away, and looked at the table in front of her. It was cluttered with parts, some of them burned. In the middle there was a thick notebook. It was closed now, but Bluebonnet only needed to look at the cover. The conclusions she had just re-read were already burned into her brain.

I’ve been picking through it again and again to make sure I wasn’t wrong the first time. But no matter how many times I try… The extra pieces I found, there is no doubt about it. There is just one way these could have fit together. The device… the gun was purposefully overclocked, the safety features disabled to maximise the pattern energy output. There was no way it wouldn’t explode.

There were hoofsteps in the corridor. Bluebonnet swept her hoof across the table, pushing the notebook away, and covering it with some junk.

Dr. Stone trotted into the lab. Bluebonnet thought it was her at least. With the cold, professional manner she maintained, it wouldn’t be hard for a construct to mimic her behaviour.

“Are you doing okay, doctor?” she asked.

Bluebonnet smiled again, rising from the floor. “Yes, everything is okay… at least as much as it can be.”

Dr. Stone walked up to her slowly, and sniffed at her. “No, it isn’t. Your stress level is high, and you don’t sleep enough. At this rate, you will ruin your health. You can’t function like this any longer.”

“You still need me,” said Bluebonnet, “Especially now. I know Mr. Lightbringer has returned. You will be busy making sure he’s ready for action again. And the upgrades you’re running on the Wonderbolts require constant attention.”

Dr. Stone shook her head. “A lot of in can be handled by assistants. And you won’t be any good to me if you hurt yourself,” she finished with a faint smile. “It is time I did something to help you. I know this is not how ponies are supposed to deal with pain, but I could use some of my conditioning procedures to put your mind at ease. You don’t deserve to suffer that much.”

How would you know? Bluebonnet wanted to shout, but she bit her tongue, and returned the smile instead. “I cannot do that.”

“I won’t do anything drastic,” said Dr. Stone, “Just plant a couple suggestions in your head, to smooth things along. It won’t demean what you’re getting through.”

“Still,” replied Bluebonnet, “It’s not the right way. I’ve been through some very hard times before. I will manage.”

Dr. Stone gave her a sceptical look. “In that case… I’ll at least insist you finish your work, and get some sleep now. Your body and mind really do need it. I can offer some pills that will make it easier.”

Bluebonnet sighed with resignation. “Yes, Doctor.”

Dr. Stone smiled. “We’re on the same team here. I do want you to be at peace. And I know how it is to lose somepony you love.” She suddenly lunged forward, and hugged Bluebonnet. “Stay strong. Rest. Wake up with new energy. Don’t let this destroy you like it did me.”

Bluebonnet looked at her with surprise. “What? What are you talking about?”

Dr. Stone released her hug. In a second, she was once again the cold, professional doctor everypony knew.

“Now, go to sleep. That’s an order.”

Chapter 40: The Myth

A flock of falcons soared over the mountains. They weren’t the sight one would expect there, and not just for the fact that falcons do not fly in flocks; the birds were of varied sizes and plumage, some burdened with tiny bags or gemstone necklaces. One of them was wearing a tiara, and another a hat.

Before them, a huge mountain rose into the sky, a regular triangle of grey rock covered with snow. The birds lowered their flight, circling over the base of the mountain before coming down next to a small stream.

“There it is!” called Rainbow Dash, swooping down on a circle of bags left on a flat rock next to the stream. As she touched down, her spell broke, turning a blue falcon back into a rainbow pony.

Obsidian landed next to her, the stick in his claws becoming a staff and flying to his side. He sniffed at the bags. “So far everything is going according to plan.”

Around him, other birds touched down, each changing into a pony as soon as she touched down.

“Did you see that, girls!?” shouted Scootaloo to her friends, “This was totally awesome,” she added less loudly. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom gathered around her with wide grins.

Aurora opened the nearest backpack, and put her head inside. “There are some winter clothes. And some hay.”

“Also, seeds,” said Obsidian. “Don’t eat those. We’ll need them.”

Applejack dug through another set of bags, took out a scarf, and a vest, and having dressed herself, put the bags over the ones she was already wearing. “So, it’s all the way up from here?” she asked.

“That’s awfully high,” said Rainbow Dash. “I still think we should just fly up, at least those who can do so without magic. We could handle whatever is there.”

“Do you remember what happened to Aurora’s group when they split up?” said Obsidian.

Both Aurora and Rainbow glared at him, but the statement seemed to end the discussion.

As the others loaded their bags onto their backs, Rarity found three matching hats and scarves. She put those on the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were already trying to put on their vests. “There,” she said once she was satisfied with the result. “All nice and warm. Now, whatever happens, stay close to me. Okay?”

“Okay,” said Sweetie Belle with a nod. The three fillies formed a small group behind Rarity, as everypony started walking up the slope.

“Wait,” said Twilight. “I can do it better.” She put the new set of bags off her, lit up her Element, and focused. Purple light flowed from the gem above her forehead to her horn, and then onto the bags. With a soft jingling sound, the bags started shrinking, quickly reduced to no larger than a purse. Twilight picked them up with telekinesis, and put them in her own bag.

Everypony looked at her.

“Well, once you learn your magic, a lot of things can be simplified,” said Obsidian. “Could you do the same for others? Not everypony is equally proficient, and I don’t want this kind of spell to fail halfway through the climb.”

***

It took them several hours to reach the edge of the snow. It would have been much longer if not for Rainbow Dash, who, instructed by Obsidian and Aurora, came up with a supernaturally catchy marching song. Pinkie Pie pronked ahead of Obsidian, standing atop a slightly snowy rock, and looking down over the mountains.

“Come here, girls! The view is great!” she called.

One after another her friends joined her at the rock, looking down with varied degrees of interest.

“It took us most of the day to climb this high,” sighed Twilight Sparkle. “Do you think we will make it to the top before sunset? I really wouldn’t like to struggle with the mountain weather at night.”

“I told you we should have flown,” complained Rainbow Dash. “There were no traps, and we’d be there by now.”

“If there had been any, you’d be too busy mourning to mouth off,” replied Obsidian with a scowl. “Now, it is true, that we are somewhat behind schedule. But the entrance to the sanctuary is not at the very top. So it’s not as far as it seems.”

“It has been worn away by time,” said Twilight Sparkle, “but there’s clearly a trail going up.” She looked down towards the part of the trail they had already crossed.

“Oh yes,” said Obsidian. “How do you think ponies would get up there?”

“Flying?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Obsidian looked at her. “That was an option, yes. But in ancient times, the climb itself was considered a test. There were weather spells in place that discouraged ‘cheating’ around it.”

“So, not only were ponies tested in the Void Passage, but they needed to climb the mountain just to get there?” asked Twilight.

Obsidian swung his staff towards the snowy slope, and started climbing. “Keep close to me from now on,” he said. “No, Twilight. Those who approached the tests were physically tested elsewhere. The climb was an earlier idea, back from the times when the sanctuary was a purely religious site. The priests would prove their perseverance by braving the trail, and their attunement to the power of Gaia by ‘listening to her call’, finding their way through the blizzard atop the mountain by using the magic of the sanctuary to guide them.”

“Even earth ponies?” asked Applejack.

“Aren’t you the most in tune with the stone beneath your hooves?” asked Obsidian.

“Those are some steep job requirements,” said Rarity, in between checking if the fillies were safely behind her.

“The position was very prestigious, back in the day,” said Obsidian. “Besides, that is a matter of perspective. For somepony born in my times, you all have been living sheltered lives.”

***

Pinkie’s tail twitching was the only warning they got of the avalanche. One moment everypony was climbing slowly up one of the steeper parts of the trail. Then the snow all around them started to slowly shift downwards.

Obsidian brought his staff down. His magic exploded with heat, blowing the snow and ice from underneath their hooves before they could start sliding down. Even as everypony tried to recover their footing, the whole slope above slid towards them with a low rumble.

“BEHIND ME!” roared Obsidian over the noise. He planted his staff in the rock, and the weapon became a pillar of blue light, the oncoming snow parting before it as if cut by an invisible wedge of force.

Rainbow Dash was the first to recover. The aura around Obsidian turned purple, as the magic of Loyalty joined his own. The snow kept coming, piling higher and higher, moving white walls sliding by on both sides of the Elements. Fluttershy screamed, her power expanding into a small bubble keeping her friends safe from the sides.

Applejack stomped her hooves, and a wedge of solid stone shot out of the ground in front of the group. The pressure instantly decreased, the natural barrier redirecting the sliding mass away from Obsidian.

“Everypony okay?” asked Applejack as the rest of the snow slid by them. She was answered by nine confirmations.

Obsidian stood still, waiting for the slope to stabilise. When he was satisfied, he pulled the staff out of the rock, and turned towards Rainbow. “See? I’ve seen natural avalanches, and that was too much too quickly. If we had been spread out, assuming each of you would protect herself, how long do you think it would take us to find everypony?”

“So, the sanctuary is guarded,” said Twilight. “Is our last retreat point still attuned?”

“Yes,” replied Obsidian. “It’s far away from here, so I would ask you for help, but we have a way of getting us all out of here if need be. Now, please do the snowshoes spell for everypony. We still have some way to go.”

Five minutes later they got to a small ledge. beyond it there was another section of the slope, barely visible in swirling snow. It was as if the blizzard formed a wall at this point.

“So, this is what you’ve told us about?” asked Aurora, flapping her wings and getting closer.

“Yes,” said Obsidian. “Somepony has reactivated the old spells. That means the illusions probably work too. This wouldn’t be so obvious from the air. You could actually miss the whole thing if you didn’t know what to look for.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Applejack.

“We go in of course.” said Rainbow Dash. “We stick together, and Obsidian looks for any other traps, right?”

“More or less,” said Obsidian, “though I would like Applejack to be our guide.”

Applejack was surprised. “Huh? What for?”

“I want to see how sensitive you are. The last days have given you some new understanding of magic. Let’s see if it is enough to find your way,” said Obsidian. “Miss Fluttershy, if you could create a moving barrier to shield us from the blizzard? I want to see if you can make any progress with weather magic, and this way I will be completely free to detect any other threats.”

“I’ll try,” said Fluttershy meekly. Taking a deep breath, she expanded her shield again, then exhaled slowly, the barrier spreading wider, while getting thinner and thinner, before popping like a soap bubble. Fluttershy looked dejected. “I’m sorry… I’ll try again.”

Twilight was about to say something, but Obsidian silenced her with a gesture. Fluttershy breathed in again, bringing another pink bubble of force into existence. Everypony watched as the sphere expanded slowly, once again getting more and more translucent.

Rainbow Dash landed right next to Fluttershy. There was a glint of red on Loyalty, then, briefly, in Rainbow’s eyes. “You can do it, Fluttershy,” she whispered.

The sphere disappeared again, but this time there was no popping sound. Instead, there was a swirl of air around Fluttershy, one that, when she took a couple cautious steps forward, formed an empty bubble inside the blizzard.

Obsidian smiled. “Everypony’s learning, I see. Okay then, lead on, miss Applejack.”

Applejack walked past Fluttershy to the head of the group. She backtracked, looked up towards the mountain top, and then walked into the blizzard again. “I think we start thataway,” she said.

They started walking, with Applejack and Obsidian at the front, Fluttershy at the center, and Rainbow Dash and Aurora at the sides. Rarity kept the Cutie Mark Crusaders behind Fluttershy, while Pinkie and Twilight served as the rear guard. They walked slowly, making sure to stay within the bubble, with Applejack doing frequent stops, focusing with her eyes closed.

“I hope, I’m doing it right,” she said after the third stop. “I’m not sure if I’m really feeling anything, or just hoping I do,” she admitted.

“Remember the traps Arrogance used inside Canterlot Mountain?” asked Obsidian. “Remember the feeling of magic all around you being lost, and then coming back? focus on that feeling.”

“But there are Elements of Harmony right behind my back,” protested Applejack.

“They don’t saturate the very rock beneath your feet though,” said Obsidian. “Don’t try to smell it with your nose. Feel it with your hooves. You’re an earth pony.” He paused, looking down at his own hooves. “I must say though, it is somewhat weaker than I remember.” He looked around. “Keep doing your part. I’ll focus on mine for now.”

They started walking again. Minutes passed, and slowly Applejack relaxed. There was now a sense of purpose in her step, as she confidently picked a direction. Obsidian remained silent, his face focused. Suddenly he gestured for everypony to stop, before sending his staff flying into swirling snow. “A yeti,” he explained when it returned.

“What was it doing here?” asked Twilight suspiciously.

“Natural fauna perhaps?” said Obsidian. “The spell that triggered the avalanche must have ignored it, or else it would’ve been swept along. How are we doing, miss Applejack?”

“I… I think we’re almost there,” said Applejack over her shoulder.

And indeed, half a minute later, the front of Fluttershy’s barrier uncovered a huge, icebound gate.

“Let me see,” said Obsidian, walking forward. He carefully examined the door. “Sealed,” he finally said. “Not enough to make boring through walls more inviting, but just enough to keep amateurs away. Anypony trying to sit here and chip at the ice would only get tired in the middle of a blizzard. This also explains why the power seemed weaker than I remembered. Somepony has tied some extra defence spells to the leylines.”

“So, you can open it?” asked Twilight. “The sun is setting, and I don’t feel like spending the night here.”

Obsidian snorted derisively. “Just give me a minute.”

He focused his power, blue runes glowing under his skin, and then along his staff. He pointed the weapon at the gate, tapping the tip against the ice. Sparks flew where it touched, the ice lighting up briefly. “Doesn’t look too complex,” said Obsidian. The runes on his staff turned purple, and then red. The Ice gave a bright, silver sheen in return. “Predictably, warded against fire,” said Obsidian. He tapped on the base of the staff, and the tip stabbed into the ice. small crystals started growing along it.

“Should we help?” asked Twilight with concern.

“Don’t insult me,” growled Obsidian. He approached the staff from the side and tapped it again.

What should have been a tap of horseshoe against hard wood, echoed like a tuning fork instead. The staff vibrated visibly. Then so did the gate. Obsidian pulled out the staff and then bucked the gate, retreating just before the ice barrier crumbled down, a sheet of fine ice pieces.

With a creak, the gate opened inwards, just enough to let a pony through.

“There, done,” said Obsidian. “Told you it wasn’t very complex.”

***

The cave was enormous. Twilight had kind of expected that. The outer gate was big enough for an adult dragon. As Obsidian conjured a ball of light to illuminate their path, the ponies absorbed their surroundings - first the architecture of the arch, then what seemed to be an underground plaza surrounded by what looked like buildings sculpted in the cave walls themselves, separated by huge clumps of jagged green crystal.

“Don’t let your guard down,” said Obsidian. “I don’t feel anypony alive here, but there could be more traps.”

Scootaloo shook her wings as she looked around. “It’s warm on this side of the door,” she said in surprise.

“Of course it is,” said Obsidian. “Ponies spent thousands of years changing this cave, ever since they discovered the crystal deposits were thinner on this side, and they could dig to the heart of the mountain through here. Of course, the second splice ritual wiped out all the spells in place, but things like heating were easy to repair. There even used to be a garden here, using the mountain’s magic to grow crops without sunlight. If we’re to stay here for longer, I hope we can recover that.”

“So, what now?” asked Rainbow, spreading her wings and looking askance at Obsidian.

“Don’t spread out yet,” said Obsidian. “Traps are something you have no experience with. This is no adventure book.” He turned around, and pointed his staff at the nearest door, one leading back into the wall around the gate. “Let’s start with this one to set up base, and then explore further.”

As it turned out, the doorway lead to a flight of stairs, rather steep for a pony. At the top, there was a rectangular room with two more exits, filled with dusty remains of what must have once been furniture. At the wall facing outside, there was something that looked like a window, but on closer inspection turned out to be a large rectangular mirror.

Obsidian looked around the chamber, examining the side doors. “This guard room is beside the gate,” he said, “The mirror…” he tapped the glass, and nodded with satisfaction when it responded with a flash of magic. ”Serves as a window. It allows one to look outside through the rock, and see despite the blizzard. Very convenient. There is a toilet on this side… but I have no idea if the plumbing still works. More importantly…” he continued, turning left, “... this room has winches for the sanctuary’s non-magical protection, the metal bars that could block the hinges of the gate. If they were never used, that means the last time the sanctuary fell, it was either by surprise, or more likely through deception.”

“Perhaps it was simply abandoned?” asked Rarity. She was looking around the place, taking in the slightly crumbled carvings on the walls.

“A strategic point like this?” Obsidian looked around. “It would never be abandoned lightly. Especially abandoned and left mostly intact. It would make a great place for a last stand though.” He headed towards the stairs down. “This room is safe. You can leave some of your things here. We’ll search through the rest.”

It didn’t take them long to find the first skull. It was just a couple steps into the cave, by one of the crystal growths, a white dome almost crumbled to dust by the press of ages. Obsidian pointed towards it with his staff. “See? It’s been too long for me to sense any lingering memories, but the crystal is uneven here. It must have got chipped long ago, likely from being used as cover. There was a battle here, though it must have been millennia ago. Watch your step.”

Now that they knew what to look for, it was much easier to see the signs of past destruction. Here and there the buildings were damaged, the murals depicting regal alicorns had missing chunks, some walls cracked, as if the very walls of the cave had shifted slightly at some point. There were also remains; sometimes a whole skull, sometimes a rusted mess that used to be a piece of equipment, more often just an outline where a body had stained the stone floor.

The ponies walked slowly through the center of the cave, looking cautiously around as the light of the Elements uncovered new details.

“You kids should stay in the guard room,” said Aurora to the fillies. “It’s safe there.”

“You never said that to Charcoal,” complained Scootaloo.

Aurora’s face grew serious, and the next sentence never left Scootaloo’s throat.

“She knew how to stay out of trouble before I met her,” said Aurora. “Now, go.”

“Who’s Charcoal?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Mr. Obsidian said we shouldn’t split up,” said Apple Bloom.

The rest of the group stopped and listened to the conversation. Aurora looked at them, seeking help. “He also said it was safe there,” she said. “With how… freaky he is, I’m sure he’d feel it if there were any ghosts there.”

“Ghosts?” asked Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo loudly.

“Aurora ground her teeth. “I just said…”

“I can stay with you if you want,” said Fluttershy. “You really shouldn’t be exploring the ruins with us.”

“I’ll stay,” said Aurora. “It’s annoying, but at least the Elements shouldn’t split up. There might be some trouble that require you all. I can deal with some babysitting.”

“Babysitting?” asked Apple Bloom with exasperation, but then she saw Applejack nod silently in approval, and she fell silent. Slowly, both Rarity and Rainbow Dash nodded their heads in confirmation. “It won’t be long, squirt,” said Rainbow Dash.

Lowering their heads, the Cutie Mark Crusaders walked back toward the stairs, Aurora following them with a sigh.

The Elements went the other way, following Obsidian.

The aura is stronger towards the center,” he warned, “Easier to hide magical traps there.”

“If the place was conquered before,” asked Rarity, “who set that spell at the door?”

“Somepony doesn’t like guests,” said Pinkie Pie, looking around with suspicion.

“Or, it was sealed from the outside,” said Rainbow Dash.

“You think?” asked Applejack.

“It would have been easier to at least start from the inside,” said Obsidian. “But the magic-conductive crystals make this place tricky to teleport out of even on the best of days. So, unless we find a skeleton of a wizard guarding the heart of the sanctuary-” he stopped, and tapped his staff on the floor. There were lines of faint green light visible on the stone, spreading like a net.

“Another barrier,” said Obsidian. “And this time, it is a trap.”

“What does it do?” asked Twilight. She looked down into the lines.

Obsidian followed one line to the side, careful not to get too close. “It could be many things. Worst case scenario it either collapses the ceiling, or sends a signal that will get enemies onto our heads. It doesn’t seem to be sending any signal that could alert anypony by going silent. I will be able to tell you more once I see how far this web extends.”

“Is this the kind of magic from your times?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“No, I don’t think it is,” replied Obsidian. “It’s very good by your standards, but there is a certain lack of subtlety in it. I think it was only pulled thanks to the magic of the sanctuary. It may have been here for centuries, but I don’t think it’s the Shattered’s doing.”

“That’s weird,” said Pinkie. “Who else would like this place closed off?”

“There must be something precious down there,” said Dash, “or dangerous.”

“Dash,” started Twilight, “much as I’d like to say this is not a Daring Do book, I must say you have a point here. If somepony didn’t want anypony to come here, they could have just collapsed the place, couldn’t they?"

“With great effort, they could,” admitted Obsidian. “But beyond the historical records, the greatest value of this place is the power flowing through it, and that’s an entirely different matter. It might have been easier to just hide the place and let it be forgotten. With what happened to magic over the millennia, there can’t be many unicorns left who could open the front gate.”

“Aaand, there.” he said a moment later, tapping his staff on the floor again. The green lines lit up. but this time they quickly paled, and then unravelled, like a badly knit sweater. Obsidian smiled smugly. “You just need to know where to cut the flow.”

“And what did it do?” asked Pinkie.

“Attacked the mind,” replied Obsidian. “It wouldn’t have killed you, not at once, but it might have left you too stupid to continue.”

“Or too stupid to avoid something else,” supplied Dash.

“I guess we’ll have to move very slowly now,” said Twilight.

“Yes,” said Obsidian “And going around it doesn’t have to be any safer.”

“Can’t we just cast the spell here?” asked Applejack. “You keep telling how magical this place is. Perhaps we don’t need to go all the way in.”

“That’s… a good point,” said Obsidian. “It would take longer to cast, but it would be doable. We won’t push in needlessly then. We’ll just clear enough traps to let us work in peace without fear of stepping in any. And perhaps we’ll free enough power to get some other things working, like the lights.”

***

“We won’t push needlessly!?” shouted Rainbow Dash half an hour later. She flew past a block of green crystal, wobbling on its five remaining legs, and cut into another one with her wing. She was thrown away as the two magical powers collided, but somehow managed to turn a corkscrew into a diving save, pushing Obsidian away before the construct could stomp him flat.

“Break it from one side!” shouted Obsidian. “Then get together when it can’t turn!”

“It’s charging up again!” shouted Pinkie, putting on a pair of oversized sunglasses.

Twilight and Fluttershy conjured a pair of barriers, with Applejack and Rarity hiding behind them. Obsidian extended his staff, which started glowing, forming a swirl of energy in front of itself. Pinkie Pie simply opened a beach umbrella, a moment before the golem flashed brightly, sending out a wave of deadly green light.

When the glare faded, Rainbow Dash found herself unharmed. Obsidian was swaying slightly, but his staff was now blazing fierce green light. When he sent it forward, it struck the golem in a powerful detonation - the thing had moved, way faster than it seemed, deflecting the blow before it could reach its torso, but losing a section of another leg in the process.

“Almost there!” shouted Pinkie Pie, charging in and swinging an enormous book over her head. The hardcover tome hit the monster, but only caused its legs to split, leaving it flat on the floor.

“Dash!” shouted Rarity. She sent a stream of purple magic that enveloped Rainbow, reinforcing her summoned energy armor. The pegasus flew low, cutting along the edge of the tome. There was a loud crunch and sizzle, and two crystal legs fell off, sliding away on the floor.

Applejack charged in, wreathed in the orange aura of Honesty. She turned at the last moment, turning the momentum of her body into a powerful buck, aiming just below the exposed joints of the missing limbs. The impact lifted the whole golem off the ground, sending it past Obsidian, and into a building wall, which collapsed.

“Now, girls!” shouted Twilight, teleporting to the middle of her friends, and charging up. By the time she was done, all others had joined her, pooling their energy together. A bolt of rainbow light shot across the room. For a moment, the construct rose from the rubble, its last legs flailing helplessly as it was lifted into the air. Then the magic dispersed, and the crystal shell went crashing down, the magic that made it move unravelled by the Elements.

“What was that?” asked Rainbow Dash. “That thing would have given a grown dragon trouble.”

“That’s how we made war golems in my time,” said Obsidian. “This one was actually built about the same time as the Void Passage. It guarded the sanctuary. But if it survived until today…”

“It must have been dormant on the day of the sanctuary fell,” finished Twilight, walking curiously towards the remains. “And then somepony found a way to re-power it.”

“We’re learning more and more here,” said Obsidian. “Anything else you can see here that could give us more clues?”

Twilight looked around. Her eyes slid from the ruined golem, over the other buildings, the niche containing an ancient vegetable garden they found and examined some minutes before, before finally stopping at the end of the cave - a huge and elaborate mural surrounding the inner door to the sanctuary proper.

“It’s not really connected to the problem at hoof, but… I’ve seen some murals as we walked, and there are four alicorns depicted here. You mentioned Gaia, the Mother Earth. These two are obviously Celestia and Luna, the Sun and the Moon. And the last one?”

Obsidian sighed. “If you insist. This is Indigo, Father Sky. He was the god of the spirit world, the one who gave ponies the gift of magic, but he didn’t receive as much worship.”

“Was?” asked Twilight.

“That’s a strange name,” said Pinkie. “I mean for a god. I have friends who are named after colors.”

Rainbow Dash snickered.

“Well,” said Obsidian, walking closer to the gate. “Some priests of my time claimed to have felt Gaia directly. It was very rare, but she was still there, more than just the force of life animating her creations. But Father Sky had been very distant to begin with. And since being the god of the spirit world made him a god of death as well… few ponies were eager to seek his type of religious experience in the first place. Also,” he said turning to Pinkie, “as far as I know, it was the other way round. First the god, then the color. It is the true color of the sky that you can briefly see at dusk, when the blue that Celestia brings makes way for the starry black of her sister.”

Everypony sat on their haunches, listening. Twilight closed her eyes, and after a brief moment of focus, she made a small notebook appear.

“So, the scenes depicted on this wall are some sort of a creation myth?” she asked. “It looks amazing. Much better preserved than the rest.”

Obsidian nodded. “Yes, a creation myth, and a rather typical one, the one difference being that this one is true. You won’t know this alphabet, but I’m sure you can see where this is going just by following the pictures.”

Twilight stood up, and conjured some more light. “Sooo…” she looked up at the wall. “Mother Earth and Father Sky emerge from the primal chaos. That would be Dissonance, yes?”

“More or less,” said Obsidian, nodding. He then sighed. “And you really want to do this?”

“And then… they dance?” asked Twilight. “Perhaps… I guess there was not much else to do. Unless of course they decided to create something to keep them busy.”

“I told you before, Twilight,” said Obsidian, “Gods are more like forces of nature than creatures. They very rarely do anything.”

“But why is that, if they have so much power?” asked Applejack.

“Exactly because of the power,” said Obsidian. “Just look at yourself here. You are where you are, doing what you're doing, because of the events you experienced in the last two weeks, aren’t you? As a response to your new experience, you now have new goals. You’ve changed a lot. But for gods… it is the other way round. It is their nature and their power that form their surroundings. It is their expectations that change their experience. Take Celestia for example, the ever-blazing Sun tasked with bringing the day to the world, forever running down her path, only straying on her way when she hears her mother’s voice. In her millennia of running through Dissonance, do you think she ever encountered anything that wasn’t a road ahead?”

“But something must have happened, or there’s no story,” said Pinkie Pie.

“That… crystal over there?” said Rarity, pointing up.

“Yes,” said Obsidian. “The random impossibility that was bound to occur sooner or later. A spot where order met chaos, and things could exist as more than just figments of divine minds. The place where Gaia found a piece of crystal, the first stable object that existed, and fascinated, she explored the new possibility, creating the world around it.”

“So the next pictures depict Gaia creating the world,” said Twilight. “Creating seas and mountains… plants… and this is Gaia and Indigo creating the Sun and the Moon-”

“Sending the two newborn goddesses around the world, to give it rhythm,” said Obsidian. “Now the seas and the clouds would move on their own, the day would turn into night. It was like a beautiful clockwork toy. But Gaia wanted more.”

“She created animals, and then ponies,” said Twilight.

“She did,” confirmed Obsidian. “But this is where the toy grew too complex. It was fascinating to observe, but the creatures born of order and chaos were not like gods. They were tiny and weak, unsuited for containing a god’s power. And Gaia realised she could not make them truly alive. They remained as she created them, moving only on command, nothing more than toys marring her creation with their fundamental flaw.”

“So what did she do?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Isn’t it obvious?” asked Obsidian. “Obsessed with her creations, she gave them life in the only way she knew how. She gave each of them a spark of her power, spreading herself thin until she disappeared. She became all mortal life, inhabiting all living creatures, and leaving them when they died, only to come back and be born once more. Of course, Indigo was devastated. But rather than change from the experience like a mortal would, he merely adjusted. He gave the favourite creatures of his mate a gift of magic, a connection to the spirit world that would empower them to fulfill their desires, while giving him something to remember her by. As his daughters continued on their endless run around the world, Father Sky retreated from the world to continue his dance alone.”

He turned away from the mural and back to Twilight. “Now, I know you could sit here taking notes until you grow old, but we’ve been disarming warding spells since sunset. I think we should end it for tonight.”

“But what about the rest of the wall?” asked Twilight. She walked forward, casting her light at the lower sections of the mural. “This storyyyy sssseeeemmmmssss ttttoooo…”

Obsidian spun on the spot, his eyes widening. “No! Don’t!”

He lunged towards her before the others could react. They watched as he slowed down reaching her, flowing in the air, his staff swinging in front of him just as slowly, Twilight’s expression shifting into surprise, then pain, as the piece of magical wood swept her off her hooves and launched her back. She flew away, suddenly gaining speed as she fell further from Obsidian, the staff sending her tumbling among the girls.

There was a sound like a bubble popping, and Obsidian’s body shifted. The Elements stared in horror as his flesh flowed like wax, stretching and shrinking, muscles growing and atrophying, coat flowing from dark brown to grey to milky white and back again, mane and tail growing, falling out and growing anew.

Then everything ended. Obsidian stood still, the last ripples of his form restoring it to his usual appearance. He slowly turned, angry dots of blue glowing in his eyes.

“Where were you going?” he growled.

Twilight rose from the floor, wincing in pain. “What was... that?”

“A trap spell,” said Obsidian. “This is exactly what I meant. You approached a door we haven’t checked yet, because you were too tired to pay attention, and what left you had was too absorbed with a new story to care.”

He turned around, and the staff returned to him, pointing at the mural again. “The rest is mostly stories of the notable kings and priests. I won’t be bothered to read it to you.”

“But… what was that?” asked Rainbow Dash. “It looked creepy.”

Obsidian glared at her. “Somepony got a bright idea to modify a preservation spell and turn it into a trap. A relatively simple spell, but backed with a lot of power. It must have drained a lot of magic from Nevercrest. You were lucky somepony got sloppy, and the effect leaked outwards.”

“So, the reason the mural is so well preserved…” asked Twilight.

“It was aging at roughly one fourth the rate everything else was. And rather than just protect it from the flow of time, the spell accumulated the rest, ready to explode at anypony careless enough to walk into it.”

He looked back at the door. “Now, this at least gives us some new information. Whatever the reason for all this, the sanctum hasn’t been opened since roughly the time Arrogance and Envy came to power as princesses.”

“How do you know that?” asked Applejack.

Obsidian walked up to her slowly, until he was nose to nose, looking down at her.

“Because I’ve just taken seven centuries to the face. Now, girls, since you’ve already had your bedtime story, I think it’s high time for you all to go get some sleep.”

***

Twilight was too tired to remember what happened after. She slept like a stone, with no dreams to remember.

She was woken up by Scootaloo calling frantically, “Everypony! Wake up!”

She jerked awake, tangling in her sleeping bag. Around her her friends were doing likewise, including Pinkie Pie, who, as Twilight vaguely remembered, was supposed to keep the last watch; she was armored and not in her bag, but otherwise confused and tangled in her own legs.

“What’s going on?” asked Aurora and Dash, rising into mirrored combat stances.

“Where’s Obsidian?” asked Applejack.

“He’s back downstairs, I think,” said Scootaloo, “checking the wards or something.”

“But that’s not important” piped in Sweetie Belle. She reared, pointing her hoof at the magical mirror on the wall.

“Something’s wrong with the sun!” exclaimed Apple Bloom.

Author's Note

Those of you who have read my previous works, might recognise the myth from my short story Adventuring Archeology. :twilightsmile:

The time trap idea is not mine - it originally showed up in the Tomb of Horrors, because where else. :coolphoto:

As always, any comments are welcome. :pinkiehappy:

Chapter 41: The Chaos

”What are we dealing with?” asked Obsidian. He had just run up the stairs, accompanied by Aurora who had gone to the ruins to fetch him.

The ponies gathered around the mirror looked back at him.

“It’s day AND night,” said Applejack.

“Something’s badly wrong here,” added Twilight Sparkle.

Obsidian walked to the mirror and examined the image within – the sky split in half between powder blue and velvety black, with a thin line of indigo through the middle, and both the sun and the moon hanging in the sky at the opposite ends.

“This isn’t supposed to happen,” he finally stated the obvious.

“But what IS happening?” asked Fluttershy.

“It looks like the sun and the moon have lost their way,” said Obsidian, “which most likely means they got some confusing signals. It seems their path has been influenced by mortals for so long, they actually got used to waiting for their cue to rise or set…”

Obsidian leaned forward, pressing his head against the mirror. Then, to everypony’s surprise, he snickered. “Busara would be speechless at the blasphemy, if he heard it,” he said. “Such an abuse of the voice of Gaia.”

“Now, what that means,” he continued, straightening and turning towards the Elements, “is that Envy must have lost control of the situation. She would never do something like this on purpose, not when struggling to maintain the façade of order. We need to find out what’s going on.”

They ate a quick breakfast, and armored up. In the meantime Obsidian activated Chrysalis’ mirror. She appeared in a flash of green fire, her face once again disguised by the visage of Bling.

“I don’t know what’s going on either,” she said when Obsidian explained the situation. “We’re underground, so I only learned about it when my scouts reported in. Whatever this is, it must be centered near Canterlot. There is some magical interference, and I have problems receiving reports from my agents there. Also, from the reports that did get through, the magic-sapping vines we had been using to hide our presence in Everfree have started growing rapidly, and are now encroaching upon Ponyville. We stopped suppressing their growth when we left, but they’d never been so aggressive before. They might be a part of the problem, perhaps the reason behind the interference. Although I can’t imagine how they could be the reason behind what’s happening with the sky.”

“Anything that is bad news for the Shattered might be a good moment for us to strike,” said Obsidian. “If you learn more, give us a call. Better yet, if you have any agents that could aid us in the field, we’ll be going to Canterlot shortly.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” replied Bling. “It’s getting harder and harder to contact Canterlot, but I should have an expert available. “

The mirror stopped glowing. Obsidian moved towards the stairs. “I’ll prepare a circle,” he said.

“We’re going to Canterlot?” asked Rarity.

“What about Ponyville?” asked Applejack.

Obsidian stopped, and raised an eyebrow at her. “What about it? There are still no ponies in Ponyville.”

“No, but my farm is,” replied Applejack.

“Irrelevant,” huffed Obsidian. “There’s so much more at stake here than an orchard. Now follow me. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get the full picture of the situation. And take your sealing crystals with you. The chaos could give us some unique opportunities if we know when to act.”

Reluctantly, the ponies started leaving the room, following Obsidian down the stairs.

“What about us?” asked Scootaloo as Fluttershy, the last of the adults, was about to leave. “Are we staying with Aurora, or what?”

“Wait a moment, Darling,” said Rarity over Fluttershy’s back. “We’ll decide that in a moment.”

Obsidian went all the way into the ruins, almost to the spot where their presence had activated a crystal guardian the previous night. The rubble and shards had been swept towards the walls, and here and there glowing lines had been traced into the stone floor.

“You’ve been busy,” noticed Rainbow Dash.

“I don’t really need sleep,” said Obsidian. “I didn’t want to tackle any defense spells in your absence, but I used that time to do some cleaning, and to mark off the unchecked or dangerous areas. It is safe to move as long as you stay inside the lines,” he explained.

“So, what do we do with the children?” asked Fluttershy.

“Honestly,” said Aurora, “I’d rather go with you.”

“They should be safe here,” said Obsidian over his shoulder, as he started to draw a circle, “as long as they don’t cross any lines. But you, Aurora… For all your bravado, you aren’t strong enough to fight the Shattered.”

“She did help a lot last time,” said Twilight, “Even if she couldn’t land a hit on Hate.”
“I think I know how to help too,” said Rainbow Dash. “Since she used to be the bearer of Loyalty, there’s something I thought we might try.”

“Oh?” asked Obsidian, “You were never big on magical theory before. What do you have in mind?”

Aurora stood next to Rainbow Dash. “We’ve actually thought of it together,” she said. “The power of Loyalty is to inspire others. But if I used to be attuned…”

They struck an identical stance, one hoof in the air, and closed their eyes. Loyalty flashed brightly, and when the light cleared, there was a point of intense red light on Aurora’s chest. The two pegasi looked at each other, their mouths curling into identical smiles.

“Is it working?” asked Aurora.

“It was your idea,” said Rainbow Dash. “Try it.”

Aurora inhaled deeply, then swung her wing, splaying the pinions. There was a soft buzz of magic, and a second set of pinions, made of red light, spread out from the wing.

“You’re using her latent connection… to spread your power over two ponies,” said Obsidian with disapproval.

“This thing has more power than I know what to do with,” said Rainbow. “If I were some great master with it, like Fluttershy, it would be better to just focus. But if we can get both of us powered, it’s better if we work as a team.”

“That’s… very unorthodox,” said Obsidian. “I hope you won’t find yourself starved for power at just the wrong moment.”

“You said Aurora is still connected,” said Twilight. “We might as well use it. What I’m more amazed by is how they managed to get it to work so quickly. You didn’t really have the time to practice, did you?”

“Well, “ said Rainbow Dash, scratching her head. “To be honest, we did get some help. That Verba guy dropped into my dream, to make sure I’m sane.”

“As I told him to,” confirmed Obsidian. “That explains a lot, though I haven’t seen him so active in ages.”

“He used to be the Element of Magic, “ continued Dash, “So I asked him for help. He worked on it and gave us a working formula last night.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Pinkie Pie. “Does Aurora get to come with us?”

“It’s not like you would listen if I said no,” replied Obsidian. “But I think it’s a bad idea.”

“I’m tempted to agree with them just because of that,” said Rarity.

“The bad thing is,” said Twilight Sparkle, “That we don’t really have the time to test it.”

“I know we need to stay close,” said Aurora. “So if anything happens, we’ll fight as a team. I won’t get as much power as she does, but I’m more experienced with it.”

“In that case,” said Obsidian, “I have nothing left to do but hope it works.”

“In that case,” said Rarity, “I’ll go tell the children that they’ll need to stay under the protection of the sanctuary for a while.”

“I’ll be done with the circle soon,” said Obsidian. “I only need to focus it enough to get us past our own wards. Beyond that, the Elements can power the jump with little trouble.”

***

“You know, I know how Laughter’s supposed to work, but I feel you could have picked better disguises,” said Aurora from behind her huge fake moustache.

The bespectacled bale of hay shrugged. “Hey, I’m doing what I can. It was Obsidian who decided I should practice. He could’ve just transformed us again.”

“He won’t always be with us to help,” said Twilight behind her, “But I must say I’m concerned with how effective this is. A two-pony dragon costume might not be what what I'd have chosen to avoid attention.”

“It’s working so far, isn’t it?” said Applejack from under a large cardboard box.

“Only because everypony is too busy panicking, I think,” said Rarity’s voice from inside the dragon.

The street in front of Canterlot castle was filled with the sound of running hooves. There were no panicked screams, at least yet, but everywhere one looked there was frantic activity, ponies trying to get food and other supplies, rushing to get everything ready before barricading themselves in their houses while others seemed ready to pack up and escape the city. The panic was quiet, almost eerily so, a city full of ponies trying not to show how they were scared out of their wits.

Obsidian slowly turned his rock disguise, to point its eye holes towards the gate. There were two guards stationed there, still and disciplined as always. But once one took a moment to have a better look at them, their eyes weren’t as still as usual - the two were nervously watching the situation unfold, the outside stillness failing to hide their growing worry.

“Unless there’s an official proclamation, we’re unlikely to learn more just sitting here and watching,” he finally said.

“So, what do we do?” said Applejack, twisting uncomfortably in her black suit, the sunglasses already pushed off her eyes up onto the forehead.

“We could start with tweaking the disguises, just a bit,” said Rarity. “Then I guess we’ll move around and try to learn more.”

“Wait,” said Rainbow Dash. “Are you going to transform us again in the middle of the street?”

“Yup,” said Pinkie Pie. “Trust me. I have a good feeling about this.”

“Then start with me please,” said Rainbow, “I don’t think pink is my color.”

The bale of hay ruffled in a way that was clearly a pout. “You don’t like it that much? But it is a good disguise. Nopony will recognize you.”

“A ball gown, no matter how breathtaking, is definitely not the right choice of attire for a covert mission,” said Rarity. Let’s just give it a bit of a tweak... “

There was a brief flash of purple. Rainbow Dash found herself wearing shorts and a flowered shirt, a wide white hat hiding most of her mane, and a pair of sunglasses hiding her magenta eyes. There was now a camera around her neck too; she could feel the familiar power emanating from the object, and knew the lens at the front of the device would be red.

“There,” said Rarity. “It’s still… unusual enough for Pinkie’s charm to work, but no longer quite so… challenging to move around in.”

“And it seems nopony noticed,” said Twilight.

“So, who’s next?” asked Rarity.

“I can wait,” said Fluttershy. “I kind of like being a cat.”

“Alright then,” said Rainbow. “You guys finish getting dressed, and I’ll take into the air and…” She looked down at her clothes. “Do tourist stuff. Be back in a minute.”

“Wait, we shouldn’t split up,” said Twilight behind her.

“You’ll have to grow wings then,” said Aurora to her.

Rainbow Dash was already soaring above the city towers. She made sure to stop every once in a while, pretending to take photos with her camera. What she was really doing though was taking in her surroundings. From what she could see, the mood they had seen near the castle was prevalent in the whole city. Everywhere there were nervous ponies running down the streets, carrying supplies, some even boarding up their windows.

What was happening in the sky was much more alarming. The sun and moon were still both in the sky, the uneven distribution of heat wreaking havoc on the intricately planned weather patterns. But as Dash turned to look around, she could see that it was getting much worse. There were anomalies, clouds of sinister shapes, or moving upwind, as if all of nature went mad along with the celestial bodies. Here and there Dash could spot pegasi far in the distance, trying in vain to bring things under control. And just like she had seen for a brief moment after her arrival, before the group went down to street level and disguised, the worst situation was in the direction of Ponyville; the sky there looked like it was boiling, and even from there Dash could see the Everfree forest move like a living creature.

There was a flash and a distant boom, and a mushroom of flame rose above the forest.

“You just missed them,” said Guilt. “They’re trying to get Envy free from the vines.”

Dash nearly missed a flap, descending good free inches before her inherited combat instincts kicked in. She whirred around, a blade of red energy extending from the wing she swung at Guilt’s neck level. The unicorn was not there though, already standing on the other side, several feet away.

“Don’t waste your time,” he said as Dash launched herself towards him, the camera on her neck glowing red. He was just an after-image when another blow went through him.

“You’ll blow your cover if you use anything strong enough to actually hit,” he continued, and this time, Dash hesitated.

“Ah, right, I need enough magic to slow your ability,” she said, as a foreign memory helpfully surfaced. She remained in the air facing Guilt, and flapping her wings angrily, ready to continue fighting. “What does it matter if I blow my cover? Aren’t we going to fight?”

“No,” said Guilt matter-of-factly. “I’m just a spectator today,” he continued, looking down towards the palace.

Dash followed his gaze. “Seriously?”

“Yes,” said Guilt. “I’m tired of this war. I’ve been for millennia. And today is not a day for me to fight in it.”

“Then why did you... wait...” Rainbow’s train of thought got sidetracked. “How are you standing on air?”

Guilt shrugged. “Constant shifting. Long story short, I’m not here long enough to start falling.”

“Neat,” said Rainbow Dash. “Do all the Shattered have tricks like that?”

Guilt shrugged again. “Air control, magnetism, momentum control, bio modification… flying is too essential to do without.”

“So, you’re saying the other Shattered are in Everfree, trying to save Envy from those… magic-eating vines?” said Dash. “How did that happen?”

“They tunneled under the castle and got her by surprise,” explained Guilt. “It’s a major disaster actually.”

“And you’re not doing anything about it?” said Dash.

“Hate and Arrogance are enough to handle the problem, I think,” said Guilt. “My powers are not well suited for the task, and I won’t get pulled into their games again. I get blamed for enough already.”

He didn’t mention Deception, noticed Rainbow Dash. Does it mean she’s still in that lab of hers? “How did you see through my disguise?" she asked aloud instead.

“Experience,” replied Guilt. “Increased intelligence and attention to detail that comes with my condition. Resistance to mind magic. Those disguises wouldn’t even fool Hate. Your illusionist needs some practice.”

I wish Applejack was here with Honesty, though Dash. She squinted at Guilt. “Whose side are you on, really?” she asked.

“I like to think ‘ponies’ side'," he replied. “But all too often it turns out I’m a side of one when the dust clears. Now…”

And he was gone. Dash looked around, but only saw a pair of delivery pegasi emerging from behind a nearby cloud, pulling a cart.

A few seconds of frantic flying later, Dash was sure she had lost Guilt. Wherever he went, he didn’t want to be seen. Another explosion echoed from the direction of Everfree, and Dash was reminded that she couldn’t afford to waste time.

“Time to go back,” she said to herself.

She flew back where she started, but found no sign of her friends. Frustrated, she started flying around from pony to pony, nearly colliding with a group of tourists moving slowly along the street.

Who goes sight-seeing at a time like this? she thought angrily. Wait…

“Is it you guys?” she asked, making a 180 degree turn, and stopping at face level.

A short, fat pony lifted the thick glasses off his face. “It’s me, Pinkie Pie,” she said in a conspiratory tone.

Dash quickly landed inside the group. “I’ve done some looking around,” she said. “It seems Envy got kidnapped by whatever has emerged in the Everfree. Hate and Arrogance are there, trying to put it down.”

“How do you know that?” said Obsidian.

“Eh… rumors,” said Dash. “But Arrogance must be there, because I can see the explosions all the way from here. It’s like she’s trying to level the forest.”

“We need to stop them,” gasped Applejack, staring at Dash over her sunglasses. “Our orchard is right outside the forest.”

“And the poor animals,” added Fluttershy. “They must be so scared.”

“It will be worse if we fight them there,” said Twilight. “You’ve seen what Hate could do. If they’re trying to bring those… plants under control, we’d only make matters worse trying to stop them.”

“Well, Envy being out of commission explains the sun,” said Aurora. “You think… something might be wrong with the Crystal Tree?”

“If so,” said Obsidian, “then it’s surprising it hadn’t backfired earlier. Now the question is, what do we do with this?”

“From what we know, Guilt still hasn’t re-joined his siblings,” said a thin, green unicorn passing by. “And there’s no indication of Deception leaving Canterlot.”

He then walked away, disappearing behind a moving cart before anypony got past the initial surprise. The ponies looked at each other.

“What was that?” asked Dash.

“I… think that was one of ‘Bling’s’ underlings,” said Pinkie Pie. “ I may have seen him before.”

“Well, good to know she can get things done even in this chaos,” said Obsidian under his breath, looking in the direction the unicorn had disappeared. “And the implication is clear too. Looks like our allies have just pointed us at today’s target.”

“So, while what is left of our home is threatened by a magical disaster,” said Twilight Sparkle, “we let the Shattered play the heroes, while we wreck their lab?”

***

The lab was full of frantic activity. Dr. Stone was standing over the biggest table, a thicket of glass tubes growing in front of her. Four other ponies, three emotionless assistants and Dr Bluebonnet, moved around her as she went, bringing in extra components, or taking vials of colorful liquids to be heated, cooled, or put in the centrifuge.

Pierce walked through the door, a box of glass tubes in his telekinetic grasp. “I’ve got it,” he said. "Where do you need me to connect these?”

“In a moment,” said Dr. Stone, “I’ll need to test this batch on the samples we’ve managed to capture before I know for sure how to proceed.” She pointed her hoof at a table to her right, where a set of vials was already prepared. “Take those to lab 2, and hit each specimen with one, in order. I’ll be there in a moment to check the results.”

There was a low rumble, and the floor vibrated slightly. Pierce, Stone and Bluebonnet looked around with worry.

“It’s back,” said Pierce. “Why?”

“It’s looking for magic,” said Dr. Stone. It started in Everfree, around the Crystal Tree, then dug all the way here, ignoring everything else, to get to Princess Luna.”

The rumble repeated, louder, culminating in the sound of stone shattering, and a loud whine of alarm. Now even the assistants looked in the direction of the noise.

“What else is here that could be so magical?” asked Pierce.

Dr. Stone stared at him. There was a sound of metal ripping in the distance. “It’s going for the artifacts in the containment chambers,” she said. "They were screened well enough to get overlooked last time, but now-”

“If they get there…” started Dr. Bluebonnet, her sentence trailing away as her mouth hung open, her thought process grinding to a halt at the ramifications.

“Pierce!” said Dr Stone, “Take samples 6 through 10 and hit this thing! I’ll go with you! Bluebonnet, take over where I’ve stopped. Make the other variations as we discussed!”

“And you!” she shouted towards one of the assistants, turning in the door, “Shut off that alarm.”

Pierce looked over the box of samples, pulling out the middle row of vials, and attaching them to syringe-like darts he pulled from his bandolier. He then followed Dr. Stone out of the lab, and left into the corridor.

They turned the next corner just in time to see one a vine thick as a pony’s leg lash out of the corridor, grab one of the guardian armors, and smash it against a wall, sending pieces flying over the stone floor.

Without stopping, Pierce threw the first dart, hitting the vine before it could retract. It coiled to strike at him, but before it could lash out, the vine bulged around the point of injection, before bursting with black slime. The rest of the plant withdrew, the five foot section left behind decomposing rapidly.

“Too rapid,” commented Dr. Stone. “It bypasses immunities too well, and doesn’t leave itself the time to spread.” She continued running. “Skip number 7.”

They took another turn before meeting any further trouble. Meanwhile the alarm went silent, giving them better opportunity to hear the approaching vines.

Then the alarm started again, different in pitch.

Pierce looked up. “That’s the upper levels intruder alert,” he said. “There’s nothing there these vines would be after. What’s going on?”

***

Obsidian swung his staff, knocking an armored guard out of his way, before diving into another staircase leading down. The rest of the group tried their best to follow him, their disguises reverting back to armor the second they weren’t needed.

Dash looked towards the downed guard with a cringe. “Sorry,” she said as she ran by.

“You broke his shoulder!” shouted Twilight at Obsidian’s back.

He didn’t slow down. “We’re in a hurry!” he shouted back over the sound of the alarm. “I won’t take the time to hypnotize them all now! It’s pointless. You can heal them if we conquer the castle.”

They were already in the dungeons. Obsidian kept galloping, skidding on the stone floors when he took turns, led by whatever supernatural senses guided him towards the lab level.

Two more guards emerged from an adjacent corridor to bar their way, unicorns bearing spears with their power.

“You’ll only get hurt if you fight us!” shouted Applejack. The guards hesitated, and then ducked aside as Obsidian ran towards them, dodging away as the whole group ran between them and down another flight of stairs.

“We’re here!” exclaimed Twilight, stopping next to Obsidian as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Now what?”
“You should know this place better than me,” said Obsidian. “Where would you go first?”

They were interrupted by a loud noise, like an echo of a very heavy metal door getting ripped out of the frame. Twilight turned in that direction. “We’ll start by learning what that was,” she decided, taking the lead of the group.

She ran down the corridor, and as she got past the first intersection, the group found the first signs of combat; there were chunks of stone ripped out of the floors and the walls, and pieces of what looked like discarded plate armor scattered around.

Then Rarity winced as her horn sparked painfully. The floor rumbled, and a vine as thick as a pony’s neck burst through the stone, right in the middle of the group, trying to wrap around the unicorn.

“Whoah! Let go!” shouted Rarity as she struggled. She lit up in a purple aura that pushed the plant away before it could fully wrap around her barrel, but her barrier was uneven and spiky, causing her own mane to get fuzzy with static. Obsidian’s staff lashed out, piercing through the vine and pinning it to the floor before it could try to grab anypony else.

Applejack stomped on the vine so hard it burst, spraying disgusting juice over the floor. “Rarity, you okay?”

Rarity shook her head. “I don’t know. These things really do disrupt magic.”

“Let’s hurry!” called Twilight, resuming her gallop.

They ran into two more vines before they encountered lab security, a duo of animated armors. Applejack and Rainbow Dash rammed through them, breaking them against the edges of the holes the plants had left. Then Obsidian flung his staff in front of Applejack, the enchanted wood deflecting a dart that flew out of the door in a side corridor straight at Applejack’s right eye.

Applejack skidded to a halt, her barrier expanding in a half-sphere in front of her. Rainbow Dash flew by behind her, a blast from her Element flying through the doorway, turning the door itself into a cloud of splinters.

A small ball flew out of the doorway, hit the opposite wall and exploded in blinding light. Twilight instinctively expanded her own barrier. covering all of her friends at the front. She still couldn’t see a thing, but she felt multiple small impacts against her shield.

Obsidian’s staff flew forward, blowing off a large chunk of the door frame. There was a grunt of pain and a sound of a body falling. Then another vine, much thicker than the previous ones, emerged from a wall, littering the entire floor with rubble. A venus flytrap mouth opened menacingly at the end of it.

“Twilight, your barrier!” shouted Pinkie Pie before hitting the ground, pulling her helmet down and somehow fitting entirely inside it.
Twilight looked around, just in time to see her shield start to fluctuate. “Everypony, watch out!” she shouted. struggling to keep the spell under control.

The bubble exploded outwards. The plant was torn to shreds, nearby doors flew off their hinges, and the corridor filled with swirling dust. Twilight stumbled in a daze, trying to recover her senses and look around.

“Everypony okay?” she tried.

“I think so…” grunted Applejack from the floor.

“No… but I will be. Give me a second.” said Rainbow Dash, righting herself after hitting a wall, and straightening her wings.

More affirmations and painful grunts followed. As Twilight’s focus returned, she realised, to her relief, that everypony had managed to avoid serious injury, if only barely.

“There!” shouted Obsidian suddenly. At the end of the corridor, visible through the swirling dust, there was Dr. Stone, standing in the doorway. She reared and ran aside, disappearing behind the doorframe just before a blast of force from Twilight went through the space she had occupied.

“After her!” shouted Rainbow Dash, springing into action, Aurora close behind. Finally with a clear goal in sight, everypony galloped forward, redoubling their efforts.

As Pinkie, the last in the group, was passing through the doorway, a dart flew at the back of her neck, just beneath the rim of the helmet. Pinkie’s head turned 180 degrees, catching the dart with her teeth, and spitting it out. Pinkie threw a custard pie in the direction the attack had come from. “ You stay put there!” she barked threateningly before running off after her friends.

Meanwhile, Twilight passed another corner in her chase. Dr. Stone proved a surprisingly fast runner, but seeing another black vine in the corner of her eye, Twilight didn’t dare teleport after her. She was brave enough to shoot though; when a white stallion in a lab coat charged at her at an intersection, she blasted him without thinking, the force of the spell pushing him off his hooves and into the wall. He hit it without even a grunt of pain, his facial expression completely blank.

In front of Twilight, Aurora and Dash made another sharp turn in the air to continue their pursuit. Twilight was doing her best to keep up when she heard a scream from Fluttershy - the downed assistant fell off the wall and into a low, inequine stance, legs bending at weird angles. The thing pounced like a leaping spider, but before it could reach Twilight, Obsidian’s staff hit it like a baseball bat, sending it flying back into the wall.

As the rest of the ponies ran ahead, Obsidian stopped next to the stunned creature, briefly looking into its eyes. “Not Deception,” he proclaimed coldly. His staff stabbed, piercing through the assistant’s barrel and pinning the body to the stone.

Twilight continued on. Her pursuit had taken her into a large lab, Deception disappearing behind a heavy metal double door at the other side of the room. Some of the lab equipment had already been smashed, Dash and Aurora were trading blows with two assistants. Dr. Bluebonnet was there too, doing her best to get out of the way while avoiding the broken glass on the floor, and whatever chemicals it had contained.

Twilight didn’t waste any time. She grabbed one of the ponies with her telekinesis - only to turn pale in the face when Aurora used the occasion to take the assistant’s head clean off. Dash dodged over a table bucked at her, flying over a mass of flying vials, and finishing with a spin, landing a hoof on the other assistant’s temple, sending him flying across the room. “They’re no ponies!” she shouted at Twilight. As if to confirm her words, the white stallion sprang back to his hooves, seemingly unaffected by a blow to the head that would land an ordinary pony in a hospital.

Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy ran into the lab just in time to see the end of the fight: Aurora and Dash flying together around the disoriented assistant, knocking him off balance, and then kicking his barrel simultaneously from both sides. There was a crunch, and the creature collapsed, its face still emotionless as before.

“That should do it,” said Dash, but Aurora did not stop. She formed a spike of force at the tip of her hoof, and drove it through the creature’s head. Dash opened her mouth to speak up, then looked at Aurora’s face, and backed away in silence.

Applejack skidded to a halt in front of Bluebonnet. Looking around the room, she addressed the engineer: “What are you doing here?”

“I work here,” replied Bluebonnet reflexively, her eyes darting left and right, absorbing all the destruction around her.

Applejack groaned. “Not what I was asking. Get out of here, now!”

Bluebonnet looked around one last time, then skipped over the broken glass, and dashed towards the exit without another word. As she was about to run out, she stopped, a wooden staff aiming at the center of her chest. Obsidian walked into the room, with Pinkie Pie close behind.

“That was thoughtless,” he said, before pushing close, staring Bluebonnet in the eyes. He inhaled, and for a moment the mare swayed, her gaze losing focus. A faint image of her face separated from her and disappeared in Obsidian’s mouth.

“Not Deception,” he declared. The staff swung, causing Applejack and Fluttershy to cry in alarm, but it only struck the ground next to Bluebonnet.

“Run,” said Obsidian. He then pushed past her before she could oblige, running up to Twilight. “Which way did she go?” he asked.
Twilight pointed at the heavy door. “This way,” she said.

The ground trembled, and there was a sound of more stone cracking.

“These plants are getting more aggressive,” said Obsidian. “Let’s hurry.” He sent his staff at the door, striking it with an echoing clang, but despite deforming from the impact, they remained shut.

Twilight took a deep breath. She focused, but her horn sparked painfully. She exhaled, took another breath, and focused at her tiara directly. The purple light fluctuated for a moment, but she finally managed to turn it into two tendrils of force. She grabbed the double door, and pulled them open, and out of their hinges.

Inside there was a long room, much larger than the lab, filled with lines of glass pods. In the middle, there was Dr. Stone, standing next to Dr. Stone.
And another Dr. Stone.
And over a dozen others.

The identical ponies pounced as one, much farther than they seemed capable of, clearing the distance in a second, their bodies bending and deforming, claws and spikes emerging from under their skin.

“Fight!” shouted Obsidian, but nopony needed telling. The room became utter chaos. ponies and ponylike creatures mixed in a messy battle, almost impossible to keep track of.

Twilight prepared to cast another spell, when one of the Stone’s opened her mouth, a long tendril wrapping around her tiara. Rather than be separated from her Element, Twilight held to it with her power, allowing herself to be pulled in; the two crashed into each other and rolled on the floor.

Around them, Obsidian, Applejack, Dash and Aurora took the brunt of the attack; Obsidian cleared the space in front of him with a wide swing, while the others fought one of one, doing their best to not let the other monsters surround them. Rainbow Dash projected a triangular shield in front of her face, an instinct of some past bearer, just in time to save her eyes when one of the Stones spat a spray of acid at her. She kicked away, and the monster went flying, but another jumped into its place like a cat, her hooves splitting to reveal sharp claws. Beside her Applejack was swarmed by four creatures, barely keeping their poisoned spikes from reaching her flesh. She was turning around, stomping, and bucking, the monsters clinging to the outside of her force field until she finally screamed, throwing them all away as her armor expanded into a bubble.

Rarity and Fluttershy stayed behind at the first moment, but when Obsidian and Pinkie rushed in to prevent Twilight from getting swarmed, the two found themselves exposed. Soon, two Stones, thrown through the lab by the other Elements, rose from the ground, and approached them from both sides.

“A… a little help?” called Fluttershy, but the others were too busy fighting for their lives, utterly wrecking the lab in the process. As the first of the monsters pounced, Rarity projected a large, flat shield, then another, when the beast grabbed the edge of the first one and launched her body over it. Fluttershy tried to fire a beam, but the other Stone sidestepped it easily.

“You’re no fighter,” she said matter-of-factly, before her jaw unhinged, showing extra rows of sharp teeth. She ran towards the yellow pegasus, preparing to bite through her neck.

“No, I’m not,” said Fluttershy calmly.

A silent wave spread from her chest. The monster froze, inches from her face. So did everypony else, all suddenly surprised by their drive to violence ebbing away. Fluttershy turned around, watching as her friends disentangled themselves from their enemies, forming a circle around her, with the Stones surrounding them.

“So, you’ve broken up the fight,” said one of the Stones, her envenomed mandibles retracting back inside the skull to let her mouth move properly. “What are you going to do now? This place is warded against teleportation, and we’ve learned a lot since last time.”

“Chrysalis made me phase through the rock last time,” said Twilight.

A Stone closest to her nodded. “We learned from that too.”

“Why do you think we’d run?” said Obsidian. “We’re on the offense here.”

“If so, you’re running out of time,” said another Stone. All of the orange mares smirked at that.

“So, what do we do?” said Aurora.

“Give me a moment to check something,” said Obsidian. He planted his staff in the ground, and then closed his eyes, the runes from his weapon casting streams of light all over the room.

“You can’t harm us while Kindness is in effect,” said a Stone. “This is… a scanning spell, isn’t it? What are you looking for?”

Obsidian kept the effect up for five more seconds before opening his eyes. “Abnormalities. Pattern or magic. But there are none. Your spirit presence is all identical… just enough emotion to maintain activity, and programmed behaviour. I’ve seen chimeras more pony than you.”

“Then what’s the point in insulting us?” asked one of the mares.

“None,” said Obsidian. “Just informing my companions that they don’t need to hold back. Now, we start again, but this time, you have no element of surprise.”

Twilight was the first to cast, before Fluttershy’s spell even fell, projecting a bubble of magic around all of her friends. The constructs pounced at it, their claws piercing through the barrier, but Twilight expanded the shield just enough to keep them from reaching anypony inside. Her friends were already charging up, adding their powers to hers. A second later, the barrier exploded, a flash of white that swept all the creatures off their hooves, tossing them against the walls.

Silence fell. As the Elements looked around, ready for a fight, not a single opponent moved to oppose them.

“So, they’re all out. What now?” asked Applejack.

Obsidian lifted his staff above his head. It flashed bright blue when he slammed it into the ground, a ring of magic expanding from the point of impact a foot above the ground. It passed harmlessly through Twilight and her friends, but everything else it touched, it cut right through, until it left a deep, horizontal line in the walls.

There was silence again, this time one of shock.

“Why… did you…” started Rainbow Dash.

“I told you not to hold back,” said Obsidian. “They were just constructs.”

“Even I don’t buy that,” said Aurora, looking at the growing pools of blood around the room.

Rarity turned around and retched, emptying the contents of her stomach over the broken lab equipment.

Then a rain of confetti fell.

“What in tarnation?” asked Applejack.

She was answered by a loud yawn. Discord strolled into the room, stretching himself, loose bits of stone dust falling off his fur.

Chapter 42: The Mob

Discord closed his mouth and looked round the lab, taking in the destruction.

“Oh, I see the party has started without me,” he said. “And it’s an old-fashioned one.” He paused, looking at Aurora. “Oh, Celly. That is interesting. Are you Aurora again?”

The Elements all turned towards him, their foci beginning to glow.

“I was never ‘Celly’,” said Aurora with a glare. “Arrogance trapped me and leeched my power.”

Discord stared at her. “Oh my, I really did miss a lot. Looks like getting turned into stone again was not such a good idea after all. Anything else I should know about?”

The floor rumbled, and some dust fell from the ceiling.

“Are these plants yours?” asked Twilight.

Discord looked around, just in time to see one of the black vines burst out of the wall behind him, coiling threateningly. “Plundervines? Oh, yes, of course. You think I’d let Celly and Luna turn me to stone without having a plan to break free when they grow weak? I’m the Lord of Chaos, not the Lord of Stupid. You of all ponies should know that.”

“We’ll see,” said Twilight.

The Elements flared up, and Discord’s eyes widened as he realised what was to come. He snapped his claws, but the magic flooding the room extinguished his teleport spell. A large green gemstone flew at him, and when the rainbow beam hit, the draconequus found the stone embedded in his chest and sucking him in.

“Hey! What… wait-” he managed to shout before disappearing with a loud pop. The emerald fell to the ground, but Pinkie dove in, grabbing it with her teeth before it could hit the floor. She tossed it up and let it fall inside her mane. Around them, the wave of white spread down corridors and through the walls, burning the vines to dust.

“So this was the infamous chimera in person,” said Obsidian. “That was very… efficient of you.”

“We don’t have the time to deal with him too,” replied Twilight. “He can monologue at somepony else, some other time.”

“Speaking of time…” said Rainbow Dash.

“There’s no way firing the Elements at full power wasn’t visible all the way to Ponyville,” said Aurora. “We’ve just lost our element of surprise.”

“It’s time we get out of here,” said Applejack.

“But what about Deception?” asked Rarity, finally recovering enough to speak.

“We’ll never find her in time,” said Obsidian. “And the vines seem to have wrecked her lab enough without our help. I say it’s time to retreat. Today’s mission is a failure, let’s not make it worse by suffering losses.”

Everypony nodded, and started running, back the way they came. Now with no enemies in sight, it was easier to navigate the tunnels at a gallop. They’d almost reached the stairs up, when another vine burst from the wall, aiming at Pinkie Pie.

“Hey!” shouted Rainbow Dash, leaping over her friend to crush the offending plant. “They’re growing back! I thought they’d be gone with Discord.”

“They were made to stay when he was gone!” shouted Twilight, galloping on. They reached the stairs, and then ran up, the sound of cracking stone following them. Evidently the plundervines were growing back, and very quickly.

“Do you think they’ll follow us?” asked Rarity, as they reached the second flight of stairs.

“Unlikely,” replied Obsidian, “They don’t seem to target us specifically, and you six have done a good job sealing Discord; I don’t even feel the stone when I’m not focused.”

“So, now we only need to get far away from them and out of the dungeon, and we should be able to teleport out -” Twilight projected a shield in front of herself, two blasts of magic bouncing off it. They were now on the ground floor of the castle, and the shots came from unicorn guards barring their path outside.

Twilight pushed, sending the half-sphere of force flying forward, knocking down the two unicorns in her way, and sending them out through the front door. She followed, the rest of the group in her wake.

It was dark outside; it seemed sealing Discord had jutted the sky a little, pushing it towards the night. The main courtyard was filled with over a hundred ponies. About half of them were guards. The rest seemed to be courtiers, servants, and even some ponies from the streets outside the castle; Twilight vaguely recognised some of them. They were all armed, the guards with their weapons, the others with whatever they could find - kitchen knives, hammers or gardening tools. Everypony looked at the Elements, and in a moment, angry shouts filled the courtyard: “Murderers! Monsters! Traitors!”

“What’s going on?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“They think we’re evil,” whispered Fluttershy from behind her. “They’re scared… they’re all scared out of their wits. But they are even more angry.”

***

Pierce looked into the corridor, listening intently. The whole lab echoed with cracking stone, as if the whole complex were in danger of collapsing. But he was looking for a different sound. Shaking his head to get some dust and custard off his ears, he listened again. There it was, a faint sound of hooves on the stone floor. As quickly as he could, he ran in that direction. He heard a scream just before passing the last corner: Bluebonnet was there, cornered by a vine with a fly trap jaw. Pierce reached under his cloak for a pair of knives. He had already used up all of the special darts from the lab, and his normal poisoned needles didn’t have much of an effect on these plants.

One knife flew at the jaw. It narrowly missed, the magic interference affecting Pierce’s aim, and bounced harmlessly off the wall, but got the monster’s attention before it could strike at its prey. The other however, found its mark, the magically sharpened steel cutting the vine where it emerged from the wall, the stone around the plant acting like a chopping block.

The vine spun to lash out at him. Pierce charged forward, skidding on the stones to slide under the jaw as it snapped at him, holding his breath when the plant exhaled a cloud of foul gas. He continued his movement until he reached the base of the plant, and then kicked, his whole weight striking the handle of his knife embedded in the vine.

The stem broke, and the vine fell to the floor, thrashing. Pierce stomped on it several times to make sure, and then recovered his knives. “Are you okay?” he asked Bluebonnet.

Bluebonnet took a deep breath to calm herself. “I… I think I am. What’s happened?”

“That blast passing through the walls, that was the Elements of Harmony. There is no doubt about it,” said Pierce. “Any idea what they used them on? I heard them backtracking, but had no means to engage.”

“I don’t know,” said Bluebonnet. “Unless we’re really lucky, and they ran into Discord. I think he was what the vines were looking for in the containment area.”

“Let’s go and find out,” said Pierce. “We need to find Dr. Stone.”

He run towards the lab where they had been working when the alarm started. When he reached the place, he nearly lost his lunch. Gesturing for Bluebonnet to stay in the doorway, he slowly walked through the room, careful not to step into any of the pools of blood.

“Are these… constructs? Spare bodies? I have no idea if the real one is among them,” he said, walking through the room and into the pod chamber ahead.

“I don’t know either,” said Bluebonnet, doing her best to keep her eyes level and focused on Pierce. “These were made to look just like her. And I’ve never seen her die before."

There was a click, and one of the empty pods in the chamber rose, revealing a secret tunnel. Dr. Stone ran out of it, a syringe in her teeth.

“Her a am,” she slurred through the object in her mouth. She nodded her head at Pierce, who took the syringe from her. “I think I’ve figured out the proper formula,” she continued. “But we need to deliver it to the main root system, otherwise it will only kill a part of the plant.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Pierce.

“The Elements pushed the vines back for now,” said Dr. Stone. “They’re growing back now, but some of the bigger cracks could still get us access. Follow me,” she finished, taking off towards what used to be the high security containment area.

When they got there, it became obvious that Dr. Stone’s instinct had proven true; white the rest of the facility had cracks in the walls, the containment area was half-collapsed, a five foot wide chasm open through the floor, as if from an earthquake. Bluebonnet looked worriedly at the cracked ceiling above them. Dr. Stone meanwhile, stood at the edge, and looked straight down.

“Light,” she commanded.

Pierce reached to his bandolier, and produced a small ball, like an egg. When he twisted the top half, the whole thing began shining brightly. He dropped it into the chasm, and looked. The inside of the hole was moving, vines twisting, and stretching, crawling along the walls back into the chamber.

“We don’t have much time,” said Dr. Stone. “Do you see the thick one at the very bottom?”

“I do,” said Pierce. “But that’s an impossible shot. Too many moving vines in the way.”

Dr. Stone reached under her coat, and passed Pierce three more syringes. “It’s the fast acting version we used earlier,” she said.

Pierce took a deep breath, and looked down again. The light ball had fallen all the way to the bottom, marking the spot he wanted to reach, its light flickering on and off as the moving vines got in the way.

I can get rid of three vines, he thought, and by how fast they’re growing, only for several seconds. I’ll only get one shot at this…

***

“What do we do?” asked Rarity, looking around. She sent a tendril of magic towards Twilight, who covered her whole team with a bubble of magic.

Obsidian closed his eyes, and his staff glowed. “We’re still inside wards,” he said. “They must have added some new ones since last time.”

A blast of unicorn magic hit the barrier, and as if it were a signal, the crowd attacked, dozens of shots coming from all directions. Those who had no access to magic were flinging spears, or improvised weapons. Those who had none were flinging insults.

“Fluttershy?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Can you do something about them? We can’t fight them, and we need to get out… or stop them long enough for Obsidian to get around this blocking spell.”

Fluttershy looked around with her pupilless, pink eyes. “There’s an awful lot of them,” she sighed. "I'l see what I can do.”

She inhaled purposefully, and then exhaled slowly. The hail of projectiles stopped, and for a moment silence fell over the courtyard. It didn’t last. While no further attacks came, the silence turned into an angry murmur, then shouts again.

“This is no Kindness at all!” shouted one of the pegasi officers. “Fight through her influence, and attack! For Celestia! For Luna!”

More shouts followed. Nopony was able to attack, but sweat started appearing on Fluttershy’s face.

“We better keep moving,” said Obsidian.

They tried to, but found the ponies surrounding the barrier rush to stop them, forming a living wall of stomping hooves and beating wings, the shield stopping inches from pushing through them.

“It’s not fair!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash, looking for a way out. “Can’t they see we’re on their side?”

“They can’t,” said Obsidian. “It’s a drawback of herd mentality. They’re making each other angry.” His voice was calm, but his stance betrayed growing tension. He kept looking at the sky beyond the angry crowd.

“You monsters!” screamed some young mare dressed in a maid outfit, tears in her eyes.

“Murderers! Traitors!” shouted some guard, visibly struggling against the power that prevented him from direct violence.

“How could you!?”

“You’re not ponies! You’re monsters!”

“Go away and never come back!”

“I wish you disappeared!”

“I wish you were never born!”

“It’s not true… we aren’t…” stammered Fluttershy. Her power held fast, but tears appeared in the corners of her eyes.

“It’s not true!” shouted back Rainbow Dash. “Won’t you listen for a moment!?”

“It’s no use!” shouted Aurora. “We need to get past them somehow.” She looked around, but of all the ponies inside the shield, only Obsidian remained calm. The Elements were being pushed back, trembling, ears going flat, as if trying to block out the voices.

“All those deaths because of YOU!” shouted some old mare from behind the first line.

“It’s not like that,” replied Applejack, grinding her teeth. “It’s… Your Princesses! THEY’RE MONSTERS IN DISGUISE! THEY ALWAYS HAVE BEEN! It’s them who are the villains!”

The voiced echoed around the courtyard, louder than all the crowd combined. There was deathly silence after that.

And then screams. The wall of angry ponies turned into a disorganised mass, neighing, running in panic, tripping over each other. Some just slumped where they had stood, sobbing helplessly, others tried to escape to safety, but didn’t seem to have an idea where to.

“Well, that could have used some context,” said Obsidian with a sneer.

Applejack looked around in shock. “I… I didn’t want to… I didn’t want that.”

“It has cleared us the way,” said Obsidian. “Let’s get out of here while there is still time.

There was a sound of breaking glass somewhere, and fire appeared in one of the palace windows.

“We can’t just leave it like this,” said Applejack firmly.

There were more shouts from the streets. It seemed some of the ponies had run out through the front gate. Twilight looked around, trying to get the grip of the situation. “We need to stop the panic from spreading, or it will be a disaster. Fluttershy, can you calm them down?”

“I… I don’t think I can,” said Fluttershy. “I could reach all the ponies in the courtyard, but I don’t know where the others are.”

“I assure you, you could, with some more practice,” said Obsidian.

“We don’t have time for practice,” said Rainbow Dash.

Twilight bit her lip, looking around frantically. “What to do, what to do? We can't just live this chaos behind, or we really will be the bad guys here.” She turned around, taking in the situation. "we need something to calm them down. Or something to give them direction. Something familiar they can all grab onto."

“I know!” she suddenly exclaimed. “We can raise the sun!”

“What?” Obsidian was genuinely surprised.

“Raise the sun,” repeated Twilight. “It won’t be as bad with the sun in the sky. And you said we’re much stronger than Celestia.”

“We don’t have time for that!” growled Obsidian.

“We have no choice,” said Fluttershy, with firmness that was unlike her.

“But let’s be quick about it,” added Rarity. “We really don’t have much time.”

“Yea, there’s no telling how much longer the Shattered will be busy with those vines,” said Pinkie Pie.

“Everypony, join me,” said Twilight, bracing herself, the others quickly forming up around her.

The sensation came rapidly. One moment she was connected to her friends, the Elements glowing together, filling her with power. The next, something was there, on the other end of the spell, something unbelievably distant, and unbelievably huge. Twilight almost broke contact for fear of being crushed. She remembered the vision seen in the Amaranthine, of the uncaring goddess, always on the move, her innumerable hooves trampling a path through the skies. Um… hello… she tried to say in her mind, I don’t know if you hear me… but we’d like to have the day now, please.

Twilight gasped, her mind overwhelmed with a sensation of what she could only guess was a nod. Then dawn broke over Canterlot. Twilight broke the spell, observing the results of her actions. There were still frightened ponies running, but without the stumbling in the dark, they had one less reason to panic; a new day started, and some of the ponies were stopping in their tracks to try to understand what had just happened. Until today, it would be their princess who would bring them the light, but now, with Applejack’s revelation, what were they to think of it?

“It seems to be working,” said Fluttershy.

“You have much more power than needed for that,” commented Obsidian. “I could feel you almost make contact with her.”

“Aaaaaand we’ve just ran out of time,” said Pinkie Pie, looking up.

There were three winged figures in the sky above the courtyard; Princess Luna, Spitfire, and a huge, black, red-armored pegasus, who could only be the newest face of Hate.

Luna was the first to descend, a halo of lightning forming around her. She looked tired, her coat bearing the signs of a recent battle, but her moves were as precise as ever, as she prepared for the fight.

“EVERYPONY!” she shouted, her voice reverberating around the courtyard, “THIS IS OUR BATTLE ALONE TO FIGHT! GET TO SAFETY AT ONCE!”

The ponies that were still in the courtyard did start to ran away, but not the way she had expected. As she watched, some of the ponies turned towards her, fear and revulsion on their faces.

“What is going on?” she asked nervously.

A maid who had got stuck in the courtyard when the crowd panicked, fell backwards, trying to get away from the descending alicorn. “Don’t… don’t come any closer!” she shouted panically.

Luna stared at her, then the other ponies, the Elements, and finally Obsidian. Her eyes widened as understanding of the situation hit her. “What… have you done?” she gasped.

“What you deserve, MURDERER!” screamed Twilight. A blazing bolt of white light shot from her gem, skidded off a wedge of lightning Luna projected to shield herself, sending her spinning sideways, and then flew into the sky, turning some unlucky morning cloud into fine mist.

The next second Twilight saw Hate flying at her like a cannonball. She was about to project a shield, hoping it would be strong enough to stop him, when something yellow flew in front of her - Fluttershy spread her wings wide, staring down the Shattered.

Twilight flinched away instinctively - awakened bearer or not, she fully expected her friend to die there and then. When the expected splatter of blood didn’t hit her, she opened her eyes to find Fluttershy unharmed. Then there was a deafening crash behind them - Hate had veered off course, missed Fluttershy, and plowed through the base of one of the castle towers. The tall spire was now toppling like a felled tree, directly towards Twilight and her friends. They scattered to avoid it. Then the first of Spitfire’s explosions hit the courtyard. Windows shattered, and the last of the castle staff ran for cover, while the combatants shielded themselves how they could.

Luna was the next to strike, shooting a bolt of lightning before the dust even cleared. It went straight for Twilight, but Obsidian’s staff flew in its way, grounding the charge harmlessly. Pinkie Pie hopped into the air, throwing two custard pies; one narrowly missing Luna, the other hitting Hate straight in the face, just as he burst from the pile of rubble he had created.

He pounced towards her, the horseshoe that had been inside the pie dangling on his faceplate for a moment before sliding off. He fell short, but as he landed, he stomped the ground, causing bits of rubble to shoot into the air, forcing Pinkie into a desperate dodge. “I don’t need to see you!” he growled. He then turned and bucked, forcing the charging Applejack back in a clash that blew the rest of the dust away.

Twilight used the time Obsidian had bought her to project a proper armor, and strike again. She felt her power surge, and she knew Rarity was behind her, boosting her magic. Rainbow Dash and Aurora flew by, speeding through the flames of another explosion, as they went for Spitfire.

“How can you both use it?” she exclaimed, dodging in the air, the wind around her pushing her attackers aside.

Dash took the brunt of the wind blast, and pushed back, giving just enough free air for Aurora to slip through. The white pegasus flew past Spitfire, leaving a long gash along the side of her barrel with the blade of force extended from her wing. “Sharing is caring, you sow!” she shouted with a grin. Dash just stared at her. Then she had to shield herself with her own gust of wind, as Spitfire tried to fill her lungs with poison.

“What do we do!?” shouted Twilight towards Obsidian. She was sending shot after shot at Luna, but only managed to blow off chunks of the buildings across the yard, as the alicorn dodged or deflected incoming spells. Obsidian sent his staff to intercept another lightning, then jumped to the air, the cobblestones under his hooves exploding as Hate flew low through the place where he had stood.

“I can’t fight him in the air!” shouted Applejack.

“Just keep him busy!” shouted back Obsidian, landing, and somehow rolling back to his hooves in one fluid motion. He tried to say something more, but his voice was lost in another explosion.

Twilight’s eyes darted left and right, as she tried to keep Luna and Hate in her view at the same time. It looked like Pinkie had at least managed to get Hate’s attention. The giant pegasus seemed oblivious to the stones bucked at him by Applejack, letting them shatter uselessly against him, as he kept flying in straight lines around the battlefield, swooping low whenever there was a chance to catch anypony by surprise; he would have squashed Rarity if Twilight hadn’t teleported her out of the way, and then he went after Obsidian again. But when Pinkie Pie worked her magic, a weird, shaky dance that apparently involved painting a target over her cutie mark, he went straight at her.

That’s where things stopped going to plan. She tried slamming the door in his face - it appeared out of nowhere in front of him, but its magic weren’t nearly strong enough; Pinkie was flung away in a shower of splinters, hit a wall, bounced off, and disappeared behind the rubble from the collapsed tower. “I’m alive!” she called from behind her cover, just as Applejack used the opportunity to clash with Hate again.

Meanwhile, Twilight was doing her best not to get fried. Teleporting Rarity had saved her, but left Twilight herself exposed, and worse, briefly denied the magical boost from Generosity. Luna wasn’t going to waste the opening, shooting a continuous stream of lightning that left Twilight blinded and holding for dear life, her hastily erected magical defenses crumbling around her.

Just as her shield was about to collapse, the pressure suddenly disappeared. Twilight found herself in a solid pink bubble of energy, the lightning pushed away from her. She also felt a pleasant warmth from the new barrier, quite unlike the scorching heat she had felt seconds before; it seemed to relax her, and banish the pain, and when she chanced a look down on her front legs, she could see her coat smoothen, and some of the cuts start to close. She didn’t dare turn away from Luna, but she knew without looking that Fluttershy was now standing behind her.

Firing another blast at Luna, Twilight tried to get a general picture of the situation. Rarity was back in action, now supporting Obsidian who apparently switched from blocking Luna to helping Dash and Aurora fight Spitfire. Makes sense, thought Twilight. She’s the least durable of the three. The three pegasi were zipping around the castle grounds like swifts, exchanging blasts that knocked off balconies and blasted the tower tops to bits as they dodged around them trying to get into the enemy’s blind spot.

There were more ponies in the air beside them. Twilight saw four Canterlot guards rise into the air around Luna. At first she prepared to knock them about with another spell, but then she realised that they weren’t focusing on her at all. “No! Don’t!” she screamed, but it was too late. The four pegasi charged at Luna from behind. The princess didn’t turn, but her face became an image of fury; there was a flash of lightning, and the four guards fell to the ground, charred and lifeless, their natural resistance to lightning powerless to save them from the Shattered’s power.

Luna shot again, then again. Some shots aimed at Twilight and Fluttershy, crashing against their new barrier, others striking seemingly randomly around the courtyard. What is she doing? thought Twilight. The Shattered don’t do ‘random’. When the answer struck her, she gasped with horror. “She’s targeting ponies hiding among the rubble!”

Luna met her gaze, and her expression turned from rage to smug superiority. “What did you expect, turning ponies into traitors!?” she shouted. “That I’d be as merciful as my sister!? The time for mercy is over!”

“Below!” yelled Pinkie Pie.

At that moment Luna exploded with white light. Everything became a blur of pulsing red circles. Twilight had enough sense to heed Pinkie’s warning; she teleported blind some six feet ahead. She heard the ground exploding behind her. She quickly cast a spell Obsidian had taught her during training, expanding her perception; she was still blind, but she could feel the tall stone spike rising from the ground where she had stood. There were more of those around. Twilight felt Rarity lifted into the air - the spike had missed her vitals, but ripped through the side of her armor, catching the metal and pushing her up off the ground. And now there was an invisible line of not-magic stretching towards her.

“Rarity!” shouted Applejack somewhere. Twilight sent a spell of her own towards her trapped friend, knowing as she did that she would be too late. Somepony else was faster though; Rainbow Dash swooped in, smashing the tip of the spike and pushing Rarity out of the explosion.

“Dash!” shouted Twilight. The pegasus crash-landed, and rolled to a halt, the tips of her blue feathers burning. A bubble of pink magic enveloped her before anypony could deal a finishing blow.

“And now for you,” said Spitfire, turning around looking for Aurora. However, the white pegasus was nowhere to be seen, only Obsidian continuing his attack, sending a barrage of low power shots at her.

An explosion of rubble announced that Pinkie had managed to set Hate up for another kick from Applejack, but the Shattered simply flew straight through the pile he collided with, with no visible damage beyond a new dent on his armor.

Twilight resumed her bombardment of Luna, this time using telekinesis to pelt her with blocks of broken masonry, attracting her attention, and forcing her to defend herself at least for a moment.

“How does he keep doing that!?” shouted Applejack in frustration, “That was a clean hit!”

“Guess,” sneered Hate, bucking a large piece of a broken wall at her, forcing her to defend by kicking it into pieces. “You may have powerful magic-” He lunged forward through the dust, accelerating from standing still to cannonball speed in the space of a breath. This time it was Applejack who was sent flying, pieces of armor falling off, but she blocked enough of the impact to roll with the rest and recover, armor plates of orange magic patching the gaps in her protections. “-but you’ll never match me in a brawl, see?” grinned Hate.

Meanwhile Twilight fully recovered her sight, and realised that Luna wasn’t exactly where she appeared. Through some trick of light she was moving her image, which explained why all of Twilight’s initial attacks had missed - it was the perception spell that let her find her target. Now, that the attacks were more precise, Luna had switched from lightning to a magical force shield, better suited for blocking solid projectiles. Then she teleported above Twilight, firing a powerful beam straight down. It partially penetrated her barrier, and Twilight screamed with pain, as it left a red-hot spot on her metal shoulder pad. Twilight teleported away, shielding herself again, this time with a reflective barrier - the next beam strained it, but bounced off.

We need to get out of here, she thought, screaming in pain again, as she ripped the hot metal off her shoulder. Wait, there was no resistance when I teleported. We must have broken the wards. She deflected another shot, this time purposefully back at Luna. The alicorn dissipated the beam, and shot another one, this time at Rarity. Luckily, Rarity remembered her training and her shield absorbed the shot.

Something zipped in Twilight’s peripheral vision. Hate slammed into her shield from the side, breaking it with one blow. Twilight was sent spinning through the air flying towards the building opposite the palace. She saw, with horrible clarity, the bricks of the approaching wall. Instinctively, she teleported; she was still hurtling through the air, but now away from the wall, the spells on her armor dissolving one by one as she hit the ground and kept rolling, finally coming to a painful stop in a pile of rubble behind the collapsed tower.

The world kept spinning. Twilight knew she was sprawled on her back, hooves in the air, but she couldn’t catch enough of a breath to roll over and get up. Her ears were ringing, her ribs protested to every move, and she now had a coppery taste in her mouth.

Spitfire was above her, looking down on her. Their eyes met, and Twilight knew that whatever was coming, she wouldn’t be fast enough to dodge it. Why was there aurora borealis above her?

The shockwave hit, taking the rest of her breath away. She saw Aurora fly by, making an impossible turn just before she would hit the cobbled courtyard. Spitfire was pushed aside before she could strike, the air around her in a visible swirl as she used her powers to keep herself from spiralling out of control. While this kept her from crashing, it held her in one spot for a precious second.

Obsidian’s staff flew at her, wreathed in a double magical aura of Obsidian’s blue and Rarity’s purple. It struck the pegasus in the side below the left wing, dislocating the joint and deforming the armor; then it discharged its power in a magical explosion, sending Spitfire flying out of sight, her wing nearly torn off.

Twilight closed her eyes. She would live, at least for a second. She quickly projected a barrier, a crude, simple spell that enclosed her in a solid, opaque bubble of purple while she recovered enough to get back on her feet. Two left, she thought, but we can’t keep at it much longer.

Throwing on just the most basic armor spell, she weakened her bubble enough to see through it. She found the barrier half buried in rubble already, the battle not stopping during the couple seconds she needed to catch her breath. She teleported across the yard to get a better view of the situation. Applejack and Pinkie were still struggling with Hate, keeping him busy, but unable to deal a decisive blow, one for lack of flight, the other - direct attack power. Meanwhile, the rest were facing Luna; Dash was too injured to fly, but kept fighting, shooting beams from her focus while Fluttershy was doing what she could to protect everypony, and Obsidian alternated between attacking Luna and thwarting her counters. Rarity was behind, still backing Obsidian. Twilight looked around for Aurora, and was scared for her fate for a moment, but then noticed her standing behind Fluttershy, protected by her barrier. She was holding one wing pressed to her body, and had a pained expression on her muzzle; also, she was no longer glowing, her power apparently returned to Dash.

“You know you can’t win this!” called Luna, dodging a pair of shots from Obsidian and Dash, while firing some of her own - It seemed Obsidian had used some metal from broken window frames for make in improvised fence, enchanted to ground Luna’s lightning.

“We can. and we will!” shouted back Dash.

“It’s you who can’t win!” shouted Aurora from her covered position. “We’ve already exposed you! Now we’ll get Aquila back, and then we’ll get rid of you lot for good!”

“Aquila?” Luna made a mock pout, a gesture that delayed her just enough to almost get her hit - she saved herself by projecting a reflective barrier that bounced the two incoming shots back towards the castle, while she herself was launched backwards. “You mean the brat you sealed away along with me?" Luna grinned vengefully. “She was delicious.”

Aurora trembled. So did Fluttershy. Even Dash and Obsidian ceased firing for a moment.

“What did you say!?” asked Aurora angrily.

Luna kept grinning. “What did you think was going to happen when you put us both in the belly of a goddess for a thousand years? There was nothing there, no magic or pattern, nothing but us two and our wills. Except I was an immortal warrior, thousands of years old, and she was a pathetic little filly. There is NOTHING left of her, but the power that is now mine!”

Aurora’s scream of desperate disbelief was lost in the noise of colliding powers, as Dash and Obsidian fired their spells together. Luna deflected Rainbow’s shot with a wedge of lightning. Obsidian’s attack, charged over several seconds, was too strong to block, but Luna got out of the way - it peeled her right cheek to the muscle, and took some of her mane off, but she didn’t even stop grinning, as she bombarded their shields with rapid-fire beams.

“You murdered her!” she shouted. “You got her killed with your self-righteous, stupid rebellion, just like all the other ponies you claimed to care about!”

“STOP GLOATING!” roared Twilight, firing her own spell. She had been charging it since the exchange began, and she could feel the tiara turning painfully hot on her forehead. She couldn’t see herself, or anything but her target, but a part of her mind knew that her eyes had to be blazing white now. The rest of her didn’t care. Luna saw the spell coming, but was too late to teleport, and most of her defenses were already committed to other threats. The blast hit her in the barrel below the wing, and launched her into the front of the palace, an explosion of debris and crashing sounds indicating as she pierced through wall after wall, finally disappearing from sight.

The battlefield seemed to freeze; suddenly there was just one opponent left. Everypony looked in Hate’s direction, just in time to see him rebound off a wall, fly past Applejack, and into Pinkie, finally catching the pink pony off guard. Pinkie seemed to be doing the hula at that moment - the powerful headbutt sent her flying in a trail of loose fruit and discarded leaves, smashing her into the tower on the other side of the yard.

“Pinkie!” shouted Rainbow Dash in horror. Everypony followed her gaze, including Hate himself, a predatory grin visible through his busted face plate - all except Obsidian, who struck the ground with his staff, the spell causing the pavement underneath Hate to erupt, bursting into a muddy tentacle that managed to snag the pegasus’ leg before he could take to the air again. Hate shot up anyway. The earth couldn’t hold him, but it could slow him down; before he could fully break free, Applejack pounced at him, landing on his back, and sending him crashing back to earth. Obsidian wasted no time, turning the extra power he received from Rarity into spell after spell, this time not shots, but strands of energy that wrapped around Hate, tying him down tighter and tighter.

“Pinkie…” gasped Twilight. She tried to teleport towards her friend, but her powers failed her, her stamina spent of spectacular feats of magic she had performed. She could see her friends running towards the tower, Fluttershy the fastest of them. Twilight stumbled after them, trying to stay upright.

She saw movement ahead, a dusty pink mane. Pinkie stumbled through the rubble in a daze.

“Pinkie, you alright!?” shouted Dash.

Pinkie flashed him a crooked smile. “You...kiddin?” she slurred. “You ever played dodgeball with my sisters?” And then she swayed, and fell on her face.

Twilight tried to continue towards her, when she heard a loud crash behind her - Applejack was stomping on Hate, again and again, while Obsidian was keeping him tied in strands of magic. With Rarity having run towards Pinkie, he only had his power left to draw upon, but it seemed to be enough now that Applejack could land a clean hit, and start doing serious damage.

“No!” called Twilight, gasping for breath, “don’t… you’ll kill him!”

The two stopped, and stared at her with puzzled expressions.

“That’s the point,” said Obsidian.

“No…” repeated Twilight, stumbling towards them. “He’ll come back. You’ll just kill another pony.” She stopped, and inhaled deeply. “Luna was right, we can’t win today. We’re too tired to continue, or to seal any of them now. And we need to help Pinkie. Luna will be back here any minute. We need to get out of here, now!”

Obsidian and Applejack looked at each other, then at Hate, who was still conscious, and glaring angrily at them from underneath his bindings.

“Let’s get out of here,” said Obsidian.

They ran towards their friends, Twilight following the best she could, and once they were standing in a group, Obsidian started an emergency teleport spell, not even bothering with the circle.

Seconds later, the only one left in the courtyard was Hate, slowly rising to his hooves as his bindings dissolved, overpowered by his pattern aura. He had just enough time to stand straight, and spit out a broken tooth, when the whole front wall of the palace collapsed, covering everything in white dust.

Chapter 43: The Healing

Twilight opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. She was in a cave, surrounded by softly glowing , blue crystals. She could feel the warm blanket over her, as well as something soft and rubbery underneath her. Changeling resin, she thought, and instantly the events of the morning started coming back to her.

I must’ve been really exhausted, she thought to herself as she rolled over to take a look at her friends.

They were in a changeling hideout close to Canterlot, a place Obsidian had learned about during their stay in the hive, and which he had, with some help from the changelings, attuned a retreat spell to. It wasn’t much, but it had food and shelter. It was warm, thanks to a ball of hot air Obsidian periodically conjured in the middle of the cave, and it had enough ambient aura to mask their presence as long as they didn’t do anything spectacular. When they arrived there some hours before, with a collection of cuts and bruises, a shot wing, some deep burns, a dangerous concussion, and what amounted to a total of eleven minor fractures, they gave healing magic priority, and then decided to rest; even with the life-threatening injuries taken care of, they were in no shape to teleport long distances.

Twilight looked down on her shoulder. It no longer hurt, but it was still ugly, as if sloppily branded. She was fairly sure Obsidian could show Fluttershy how to smoothen her hide later, but for now she would have to deal with a nasty, hairless scar.

She looked around, and found her friends looking no better. Dash hadn’t yet finished regrowing her lost feathers, Aurora was sitting stiffly, trying not to move her wing, and Pinkie was sitting in the corner, away from others, muttering something, and giggling to herself.

“Do you think she was telling the truth?” asked Aurora suddenly. “About Aquila? Do you think, she’s really… gone?”

Her friends shifted uncomfortably on their spots.

“I dunno,” started Rainbow Dash.

“I am sure she only said that to cause you pain,” said Rarity.

“That doesn’t mean it’s not true,” said Aurora. “What if I really got my sister killed?”

“You didn’t know that would happen,” whispered Fluttershy.

“We still don’t know if it happened,” said Applejack.

“Obsidian?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Obsidian took a deep breath and blew, exhaling another ball of swirling hot air to replace the previous one that had just disappeared. “I honestly don’t know,” he answered. “There is no precedent for that. It has literally never happened before. Rarity is right though. Whether it is true or not, Envy only said it to cause you pain. She knows your sister is your weakness, and hoped to provoke you to some reckless action she could exploit. I know I will be disliked for saying this, but it might be better if you assume she was telling the truth. I know grief, and how painful it can be, but doubt can be a fatal distraction, fatal for you or your friends, just as Envy has planned.”

Aurora avoided his gaze, instead staring into the heat ball in front of her. “You expect me to just…”

“I expect you to try,” said Obsidian. “I don’t know if you can. But a lot depends on you, and nopony can do this for you. Either you do it, or you don’t and… I have only seen Aquila in your memories, so I can’t claim to know her, but-”

“But what!?” snapped Aurora, finally meeting his gaze.

“But from the little I’ve seen,” continued Obsidian, “she wouldn’t have wanted you to lose this war on her account. There is too much at stake.”

“I think I’m rested enough to continue with the healing,” proposed Fluttershy, eager to change the topic. “I could take a look at your wing now.”

Sighing, Aurora turned and slowly extended her wing, a visible wince on her face. Fluttershy sat next to her and put her muzzle over the wing elbow joint, where missing feathers, and inflamed, scarred skin marked the spot where the tendons were damaged. Fluttershy looked at it with worry. “This will take some time,” she sighed, lighting up Kindness. Rarity and Rainbow Dash moved to her sides, ready to support her with their Elements. “I’m not experienced with burns.”

Rarity looked over her shoulder, and judging by her expression, instantly regretted it. “Ugh, I’m so glad we have the power to fix this,” she said, gently projecting her energy towards Fluttershy. “Does it always end up like this?” she asked.

“Quite often,” said Obsidian with a nod. “It is only logical.”

“How so?” asked Twilight, finally joining the conversation.

“You’ve all seen how long ordinary ponies last against the Shattered,” said Obsidian. “They’re exceedingly deadly. But you, with the magic saturating your bodies, are extremely tough. You can survive attacks that would crush or fry almost anypony else. So, coming home injured is the logical result, and much better than the alternative. You’re actually tougher than the Shattered, because their powers don’t offer any inherent increase in resilience. They can dampen magic with their pattern aura, but beyond that, they need to use their abilities actively to defend or toughen themselves. They are much more likely to fall in battle than you. But then again, they keep coming back, learning new tricks all the time, while if you slip up, we’ll have to look for another bearer.”

“We already know that part, thank you,” said Rarity.

Obsidian looked at her over Fluttershy’s shoulder. “No need to be so glum. We didn’t win today, but you did very well supporting us, and keeping yourself alive. I know how much you doubted yourself after the test. I doubted you too. But it seems the heat of battle has tempered you. Your connection to the Element might be imperfect, but your combat skill is already much better than one would expect from a hastily trained civilian. You’re actually earning my respect.”

“Well, we’ve had our deal of adventures before,” said Rainbow Dash.

Rarity clenched her jaw and looked away. “I’m not that good,” she said. “I would never have come back in one piece if not for Twilight, Dash, and Fluttershy protecting me.”

“That’s what teamwork is all about,” said Twilight. “We all saved each other there. Although… Fluttershy, you needn’t have jumped in front of me like that. I can teleport, you know. And that was horribly scary. Please don’t do that again.”

“We were all lucky you could stop Hate with your powers,” said Applejack.

Fluttershy looked up from the wound she was trying to heal. “I… I don’t think I did. I think he missed me on purpose.”

“What?” asked her friends in astonishment.

“I could feel him hesitate,” said Fluttershy. “He didn’t struggle against my aura, he just hit something else instead. And then...he never attacked me again. He tried to crush Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie and Twilight, but he never targeted me again, even though I was there in the middle, healing and protecting everypony.”

“He didn’t try to hit me either,” pointed out Dash.

“You were busy away from him,” replied Obsidian. “And this is indeed strange. It’s unlike Hate to not hit ponies.”

“Perhaps it has something to do with how he called me Gentle Touch?” asked Fluttershy.

“You never did tell us who she was,” said Rainbow Dash.

“A pegasus from our unit,” explained Obsidian. “Hmm… she was yellow too, but a lighter shade than Fluttershy. She also had a shorter mane, and she had fangs, as pegasi used to have in our times.” He paused, and looked at Fluttershy. “So, she didn’t really look anything like you.”

“On our very first day together,” continued Obsidian, “Lightbringer got into a fight with another pegasus named Dusk. Gentle tried to break up the fight, and got a black eye for her trouble. That should have made her avoid him, but somehow she and Lightbringer became almost inseparable later on. Everypony could see that she was no soldier material; she wasn’t a coward, but she was far too meek and kind hearted. But she managed to make some friends who supported her, and then we started practicing with the foci, and it turned out she was highly compatible with Kindness. I think that’s the only reason they kept her in the program - better ponies than her dropped out.”

“So, she and Lightbringer liked each other?” asked Fluttershy.

“Yes,” said Obsidian. “I never learned if they ever became lovers, but she was the first friendly face he found there. The only times I ever saw him relaxed and content were at her side.”

“And then she was one of the Elements, and he became one of the Shattered,” finished Twilight sadly.

“Oh, she never got to be an Element,” said Obsidian. “She used Kindness back when it was still an ordinary focus, but when we finally went to battle, she died on the very first day. From what Lightbringer told us, she’d tried to help an injured enemy soldier. The griffin regained consciousness, and clawed her through the throat.”

Silence fell, with nopony able to think of anything to say. Finally, it was Rainbow Dash who spoke. “And all of that happened before the whole Shattered business even started? No wonder Hate has issues.”

“Issues?” piped in Pinkie. “He’s got a subscription.”

“Pinkie…” said Applejack, “That’s not a laughing matter.” Behind her, Rainbow Dash snickered.

“Nothing here is,” said Pinkie, frowning at her. “I’m working with what I have. And besides, it was me he nearly squashed today. If anypony has the right to make jokes about him, it’s me.”

“It is true, that the story of the Shattered is tragic,” said Obsidian, seemingly ignoring Pinkie’s comment. “All that has just been a huge, awful mess. But don’t let your guard down. Whatever their past, the Shattered have destroyed whole civilisations since. And sympathy for the enemy is precisely what got Gentle Touch killed.”

“Speaking of enemies,” said Twilight. What should we do with Discord?”

She looked at Pinkie Pie, who flashed her a smile.

“I’ll put him somewhere where nopony will find him,” said Pinkie.

“Which is where?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“I won’t tell,” replied Pinkie.

“Why not?” asked Twilight, puzzled.

“Easier to keep a secret if fewer ponies know it,” replied Pinkie Pie. “We’re doing it Obsidian’s way this time,” she finished, poking out her tongue.

Obsidian looked at her for a moment, considering the situation. Finally, he chuckled softly, and as he did, so did the others.

***

Spitfire’s eyes shot open. She was inside a glass jar, suspended in clear liquid.

As her senses adjusted, informing her that she wasn’t drowning, she calmed down. One of Eve’s healing tanks, she registered. That means we have won. There are rising bubbles, I’m being woken up. Probably after surgery. I was damaged in the battle.

She returned to the last memory she had. The fight destroyed a large part of the palace. I was hit. Eve must have brought me here to fix me. Or one of her assistants did. Twilight and her friends used the Elements before we arrived. Was Eve captured? They also used Honesty on the palace staff. This is a major setback.

She closed her eyes, trying to remember more details. How many ponies escaped the courtyard in the confusion? As the memory replayed in front of her mind’s eye, she analysed the scene, paying special attention to unfamiliar faces and cutie marks.

It won’t be enough, she finally conceded. There were ponies from outside the castle, and some had already escaped before we arrived. We will have to quarantine the whole city.

The level of liquid was falling slowly. By the time it receded enough for her hooves to touch the bottom of the tank, Spitfire was fully awake and angry, her brain churning out a detailed plan for containing the situation. She had hoped against hope that it would not be needed, but she was prepared - this was not the first time Honesty had done something like that, and though the objectives were now different, with Libra no longer in charge, the principles of the plan remained the same. She only needed to know the exact situation, and adjust accordingly.

The last of the liquid swirled away through the holes underneath her hooves. She bent forward and focused her pattern inside, cancelling the magic of the liquid, and then pushing it out of her system, her custom-modified lungs smoothly re-adjusting to breathing air, sparing her the coughing fit an ordinary pony would experience. With a soft hiss, the tank was lifted off her, leaving her on a small metal platform, facing a solemn-faced assistant.

“Where is Dr. Stone?” she immediately demanded.

“Busy in lab B," replied the stallion. “We’re experiencing a severe staff shortage.”

So, she’s okay, thought Spitfire with some relief. But then, what were the Elements used on? Lab B is where the Wonderbolts are. They are being healed and modified. What a bad timing to be attacked.

“What are our losses?” she asked. Her first order of business was to establish if the other Shattered made it through the battle.

“Seven guard golems,” recited the stallion, “five assistants, thirteen of Dr. Stone’s constructs, and eleven modified specimen. Also… we’ve lost miss Tourmaline’s body. The plants were attracted to the emergency power source, and the life support failed.”

That’s half of our work force, realised Spitfire. And one full lab of replacement bodies. But the girls would never murder ponies. Was it Obsidian? Or perhaps the fight caused a power outage?

“What exactly happened while I was away?” she asked.

The assistant took a moment to formulate and answer. “We were attacked, twice. First, twenty minutes after you left for Ponyville, the plants responsible for abduction of Princess Luna invaded again, breaking in from beneath. They caused significant damage through the complex, breaking through structural elements, draining magic from power sources, and attacking staff. Their main target were the containment cells and the magical objects secured within.”

“Discord,” breathed Spitfire.

The assistant nodded. “The second attack, five minutes later, a group of eight ponies, including the Elements of Harmony. They fought their way through the palace grounds into the labs, targeting Dr. Stone. After a battle against her constructs, they apparently confronted Discord, and unable to locate Dr. Stone, retreated towards the surface. Soon after, Dr. Stone was able to create a formula that killed the vines, stopping their attack.”

Spitfire took in the information, her plan readjusted with new variables. “What happened to Discord?” she asked.

“He’s not here, and he hasn’t penetrated the outer wards,” replied the assistant. “Also, he hasn’t manifested anywhere else since. It is a reasonable conclusion that the Elements must have sealed him and taken him away with them.”

“Let’s hope so,” replied Spitfire. “And what of Dr. Bluebonnet? Is it possible to replace Tourmaline?”

“Sadly no, she was the one who discovered the malfunction, as soon as the battle was over. She’s currently taking part in operating the lab. Agent Pierce is guarding her, watching for any unusual behaviour.”

“What about Luna and Lightbringer?” inquired Spitfire.

“Both suffered some injuries in the battle. Princess Luna returned to the surface after receiving the most basic healing. Lightbringer joined her half an hour ago, as soon as his body was fully healed.”

“What is the situation in the city?” This was the question Spitfire dreaded to hear an answer for.

“There have been riots. Unfortunately, most of the castle garrison has been exposed to Honesty. At Dr. Stone’s advice, Princess Luna decided against culling those affected - reinforcements from Cloudsdale have been brought in to contain the situation.”

“It’s time I rejoined them then,” said Spitfire, evaporating the rest of the liquid from her coat.

The assistant turned, pulling out a piece of paper. “Before you go, there are parts of the complex that have become unstable. Dr. Stone requested your help in securing those.”

Spitfire looked at the list. It looked as bad as she had expected from the initial description.

“Priorities are priorities. I will help. But then, I’m needed elsewhere.”

***

“That’s the last of it.”

North Star looked at the table with disapproval. His gaze slid over the titles of the gathered tomes. “That’s not what we’re looking for,” he said with a scowl.

“Perhaps they took them when they escaped?” suggested the soldier. “That’s really all we have found.”

North Star turned slowly, glaring at the unicorn. “Then go back to looking,” he barked.

The soldier looked at him in fear, saluted, and galloped out. North Star turned towards the table once more, growling in frustration.

The first time they discovered a secret compartment behind one of the tower’s bookshelves, he was drunk with excitement. But everything from that point onward had been a bitter disappointment. The tower was riddled with secret passages and rooms, old spells and clever tricks concealing them even among the smooth crystal walls.

But nothing they found within justified the effort put into searching. The magical trinkets - barely anything sinister, and even then, unrelated to what they were seeking. The books of dark magic - simple and boring, merely older versions of what could be found in the restricted section of Canterlot castle library. The most interesting things they found, the history books that Shining Armor had used to justify his treachery, were not even hidden at all; they found them by the night light in the royal bedroom. The musty tomes were now at the side of the pile, displayed as if to mock North Star’s efforts to redeem himself.

“You really scared him, sir.”

The voice came from the other side of the table. North Star looked over the books, only now registering the presence of his pegasus adjutant.

“He’s doing what he can,” continued the soldier. “We all are.”

North Star realised, to his annoyance, that he couldn’t remember the pony’s name.

I used to know everypony in the palace, he thought. Is he a Kicker? Probably. Sometimes it seems half of them are Kickers. Have I even asked his name… Probably not. He’s not important. We have a job to do. Once we’re back in Princess Luna’s good graces, I can make a list, and learn everypony’s names.

For a moment he imagined himself standing in the Canterlot throne room, Princess Luna smiling at him benevolently, his past mistakes erased, his shame replaced by glory. He felt a pleasant warmth on his chest, spreading through his body. His eyelids closed slowly, and he smiled underneath his moustache.

“... Sir, are you listening to me?”

The return to hard reality was a sudden shock, like falling out of bed in the middle of a pleasant dream. North Star struggled to maintain a neutral expression, hiding his annoyance. He was to be an example to his ponies after all. “Please repeat the last part,” he said calmly.

“This gemstone,” repeated the adjutant, pointing his hoof at the gorget around North Star’s neck. “You’ve been angry a lot since you started wearing it. The soldiers are worried. And even I must say it does look a bit sinister…”

In his mind’s eye North Star lashed out with a tendril of magic, scattering the books as he lifted the pegasus by the neck, squeezing him until he heard a whizzed apology. But a commander couldn’t do such a preposterous thing. He silenced the adjutant with a gesture, and watched the vision in his head for a couple more seconds, calming himself down.

Finally he spoke, slowly, with emphasis that added an unspoken threat to his words. “The gem is a gift. From Her Majesty. A tool for me to use in this task, and a token of her trust. You badmouth her by warning me against it.”

“I... apologise,” replied the adjutant.

“That’s it for now,” said North Star. “I won’t be needing you anymore this evening.”

“Yes, sir,” said the pegasus, saluting North Star before flying out through the balcony door, slightly faster than it was polite.

North Star was left alone, facing the stack of books. What now? he thought. He had no further plans for the evening, and no ideas for how to break the impasse. With a sigh, he picked a book from the table. It was one of the ancient history books. For a moment he considered burning it. It offended him just by existing, and it was something his princess wanted destroyed. But right now he couldn’t afford to destroy anything that could provide him with a clue to his investigation.

I need to kill some time before I go to sleep, he thought. Perhaps reading about the past of ponykind will give me some inspiration for tomorrow. Who knows, I might even learn something useful from this wretched thing.

***

“What’s taking them so long?” whined Apple Bloom for the fifteenth time.

She was in the main chamber of the sanctuary, just below the gatehouse, trying to play hopscotch with Sweetie Belle. A bunch of crystal growths illuminated their vicinity with a soft, moon-like glow.

“I told you, I don’t know,” said Sweetie Belle. “The sky is okay again. That means they fixed whatever was wrong, doesn’t it?”

“And what if it was… Princess Luna that fixed it?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Oh, come on!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle, rolling her eyes theatrically. “Do you really think Pinkie Pie would let them go there if she knew they were going to lose?”

“Well,” hesitated Apple Bloom, “She did say her Pinkie Sense was getting wonky recently, didn’t she?”

Before Sweetie Belle could retort, there was a sound of beating wings. Scootaloo had jumped out of a window overlooking the gate. Beating her wings, she descended at an angle, finally touching down, tipping forward, and rolling before coming to a halt on her back, all hooves in the air. “Eh!” she sighed loudly. “I almost had it this time.”

“No, you didn’t,” stated Apple Bloom, looking down at her.

“Hey, she is getting better,” protested Sweetie Belle. “She hasn’t landed on her face for an hour.”

Scootaloo picked herself off the ground. “If only I could spend more time as a bird, I’m sure I could work it out. I really am getting better...” She looked up towards the window. “Anyway, just wanted to tell you that the sun has set.”

Although the light inside the cave didn’t change, the statement itself seemed to chill the air. The three fillies looked at each other uneasily.

“So… what do we do?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“We should have supper,” said Apple Bloom, “And then…”

“I don’t know about you,” said Scootaloo, “But I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight. I guess I’ll keep training, unless one of you has a better idea?”

They looked around the cavern pensively.

“Applejack was very clear,” said Apple Bloom, suddenly stern, “No going over the chalk lines.”

“Hey, we’re not stupid,” protested Scootaloo.

“We don’t want to end up as chalk outlines,” added Sweetie Belle, rolling her eyes again. “And besides, I don’t think it’s a good night for Cutie Mark Crusaders ruin explorers. I’m nervous enough as it is.”

“Then what do we do?” asked Apple Bloom.

“We could tell stories,” suggested Sweetie Belle.

“Stories?” asked Scootaloo.

“Well, yes,” explained Sweetie. “We’ve already told each other about what’s been happening to us. But you said you got to see what Aurora’s past used to be like.”

“Yea,” replied Scootaloo. “She’s a great hero. Though I’m not quite sure it’s the kind of story you’d like to hear right now. A lot of it is about the Shattered, and really creepy.”

“It’s not like we have anything better to do,” said Apple Bloom.

“We just need something to keep our minds busy,” said Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo shrugged her wings. “Ok... if you're sure. I can tell you. But first, let’s go eat something.”

“Agreed,” said Apple Bloom, “Let’s go.” She headed inside the gate house, her friends following her upstairs.

Sweetie Belle stopped at the door and sighed. “I really wish they were back already.”

***

It was the middle of the night, but the corridors of the ruined underground complex still echoed with the sounds of work.

Bluebonnet felt an onset of a headache. She hadn’t really spent much of the day in close proximity to the drills and hammers the assistants were using, but in the tunnels there was no escaping the noise.

This will take whole days, she thought. Her gaze went towards the ceiling, the eyes of her imagination pushing through rock towards the ruins of the palace, where Luna and Spitfire were busy keeping appearances, trying to repair the damage and restore order.

It would have taken Spitfire mere hours to fix everything in the lab. But dire as the situation was, the ex-princess could only spare enough time to restore the corridors that were in danger of immediate collapse; less than a quarter after emerging from her healing tank she went upstairs to support Luna. The remaining lab assistants were left to struggle with the rest in her absence, finding all the other high risk spots, fixing or disconnecting systems that could destructively malfunction, and propping the unstable parts. You don’t realise how many things are inside the walls until you need to get to them in a hurry, mused Bluebonnet as she walked. Her own steps, muffled by the protective lab hoofwear, were almost inaudible now.

No, focus! You have a job to do!

She shook her head to clear it, then reached to her side pocket, found a small pill, and swallowed. She stood with her eyes closed until she felt the drug take effect. I better hurry, she thought. I really can’t go on much longer without sleep.

Bluebonnet checked her watch. It was almost time. She walked purposefully towards the containment area, where the noise was the worst. She passed carts filled with moved rubble, then pieces of broken equipment, some of it priceless artifacts now turned into worthless junk, either drained of their magic, or simply smashed by the vines. This was where the plants had wrought the most destruction, piercing through solid rock and ripping solid metal doors off their hinges in their zeal to get to their prize.

Bluebonnet walked past an empty frame left of a tall magical mirror, now shattered and useless, and turned left into a corridor leading to her goal.

The large room had once contained over a dozen heavy doors leading to magically warded cells, a containment area for the highest security magic phenomena. Now it was in ruins, most doors hanging off their hinges, the door frames cracked, exposing the magical runes embedded in the walls. A trio of assistants toiled there, among deafening noise, working by the light of three lamps put there to replace the broken lighting system. As she entered, they all paused and looked at her.

“This is an unstable area,” said one of them.

“Dr Bluebonnet, Agent Pierce was supposed to accompany you,” said another.

Bluebonnet forced her face to remain calm. She had expected this issue to come up. She had left Pierce in the staff room, having washed the cuts on his body with an extra dose of Dr. Stone’s detoxifier formula - enough of it to counteract the zebra elixirs he had been using to keep himself upright for the last day. By the time she finished changing the bandages, he was fast asleep, and would likely remain so for hours. She knew he would feel horrible about failing at his duty, but it was the only way to get rid of him that she could reasonably get away with.

“He has already retired for the night,” she said firmly, “So need I. I came here, because I need you to take over while I rest.”

“This is a high priority task,” protested the last assistant.

Having succeeded in changing the topic, Bluebonnet pressed on. “Her Majesty has already contained the most dangerous… objects, has she not?” She allowed the impatience to be audible in her voice; the assistants didn’t really care about emotions, but were designed to react accordingly. “There are procedures that can’t be left unsupervised.”

They looked at each other, as if communicating wordlessly. Finally the closest one spoke. “Where are we needed?”

“Biomodification labs B and C,” replied Bluebonnet. “I have been keeping watch over both for the last hours, but right now the muscle growth sequence is approaching stage three. One of you is watching them right now, but he won’t be able to complete it alone. Two staff per lab room are required to finish the procedure.”

This they surely understood. The assistants were far from imaginative, but the technical knowledge required for their work had been hardwired into them. They knew she wasn’t lying.

“This is indeed urgent,” declared one of the assistants, putting away the drill he was using to pry a damaged runestone out of the wall. He took a close look at it, making sure nothing was unstable, and satisfied with what he saw, backed off. The others were doing the same, securing their workplaces to make sure the situation wouldn’t deteriorate in their absence.

They walked towards the exit together. Bluebonnet could see their nostrils move as they walked past her. She knew what they would smell; a mix of chemicals and sweat, high levels of stress hormones, and the dangerous mix of stimulants and calming drugs in her blood, accumulated effects of long hours of trying to both keep herself awake and not freak out. This only supported her story - she really needed rest badly.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

Bluebonnet froze. She slowly turned to look at the stallion who had spoken. His face was solemn, quite indistinguishable from his default expression.

No, you’re not, she thought angrily. You’re just following some Sun-forsaken algorithm. If Dr. Stone could make you really feel, the others wouldn’t need to murder real ponies each time they come back.

Outwardly, she just gave a sad smile. “This… is a loss… I have already suffered. I know Dr. Stone was keeping the machines active for my sake… but my daughter has already been gone for some time.”

The assistants nodded their heads. The one who had given her his condolences stopped by her side as the others walked away. “I will escort you to your room,” he said. “There might still be hazards along the way.”

“Yes, of course, thank you,” replied Bluebonnet, but inside, she cursed. This would be a fifteen minute delay. She was pressed for time as it was. With no other solution in sight, she picked up the pace following the white stallion as he chose the most efficient route to her quarters. The primary security grid will be back online by tomorrow. This night is my only chance.

She finally reached her room, walked in, and closed the door, mumbling a quick thank you to the assistant. She then waited with her face pressed against the door, as the sound of his hoofsteps disappeared in the distance. Once he was gone, he wouldn’t come back - the procedure in the lab would require his constant attention, and he would not defy orders. But she needed to get back to the containment area, and past the remaining security systems before anypony noticed her absence - or stumbled upon agent Pierce.

She looked into the harness under her lab coat to once more recheck her equipment - a mix of lab tools, her own inventions, and even some gadgets made by her daughter. Satisfied that she had everything, she waited until she decided that enough time had passed. She slowly opened the door. There was much less noise in the complex now, but still enough to conceal her hoofsteps, even at a trot.

When she returned to the containment area, she checked the time, then looked around the chamber, reading the markings over the doors. Just as she had expected, there it was: behind all the destruction, there was a section of the room conspicuously undamaged. The vines struck there too, but only got as far as eating into the magical security systems. They did not pierce deeper through the stone, or ripped the door open, because behind those there was no strong magic to be felt. These cells did not contain dangerous artifacts, but something Bluebonnet had discovered by checking through the lab files - Dr. Stone’s own top secret archive.

Bluebonnet approached the rightmost door, and pulled out a thaumometer. She waited for the device to give her a definite reading, watching the small indicator twitch. She gave a small smile despite herself.

I was right. The binding runes are broken. With the alarm system offline, I just need to get past the locks. Unless she’d risk contaminating the lab by filling the vault with poison. How paranoid are you, Dr. Stone? And what are you hiding there? I will find out your secrets, even if I have to translate ancient Equestrian to do it.

***

”No awakenings this time.”

“No, but we have made progress nonetheless.”

“They’re powerful. More powerful than they should be after such a short time.”

“Things change. Rules do too.”

“I think it’s time to move onto the next stage then.”

“Do not worry. It’s already on the way.”

Author's Note

Merry Christmas everypony.

As always, any comments are very welcome.

At this point, You pretty much have all the pieces of the puzzle - if any of you has any theories, I'd be happy to hear them.

Chapter 44: The Revelations.

It was late at night when the Elements of Harmony returned to Nevercrest. They appeared in a flash, on the patch of bare rock where the improvised barrier had split the descending avalanche. Fluttershy’s barrier spell expanded immediately, shielding everypony before the night mountain wind could chill them to the bone.

“I wish we could’ve just teleported directly into the cave,” said Rarity, looking around, lighting up her horn to light the way.

“Perhaps when we’ve done cleaning,” said Obsidian. “We’ll look into finding a smooth path inside. For now,” he said, pointing his staff upwards, “we have a climb to make and a blizzard to go through. It should be easier now that you know the way.”

It was. With a couple spells to make their climbing faster and Applejack actually knowing what she was looking for this time, it took them less than ten minutes to navigate the slope. Obsidian approached the gate, and checked the alarm spells he had set. “Nopony went in or out in our absence,” he announced before pushing the gate wing open.

They walked in, instinctively shaking their withers, even though Fluttershy’s magic hadn’t allowed any snow on their coats. They managed to get into the cave proper, when something small and fuzzy pounced at them from behind the corner.

“Rarity!” screamed Sweetie Belle, hugging her sister tightly. “I was so worried!”

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom appeared from behind her. While they were more subdued in their reactions, their relief was almost palpable.

Rarity returned the hug. “I’m so sorry Sweetie,” she said softly. “We intended to come back sooner, but some of us got hurt in the fight, and we needed to get properly healed before we could cast a spell to return.”

“Hurt?” repeated Sweetie with worry, breaking the hug to get a good look at her sister.

“I had a cracked skull!” screamed Pinkie cheerfully, pronking past them.

Twilight facehoofed. “We’re more or less okay now, and that’s all that matters. I think we could use a bit more rest, and return to work tomorrow. Except you, Obsidian. Don't you ever need to sleep?”

“Not really,” replied Obsidian. “It costs me some extra energy to stay awake, but it’s not like I’m going to run out of power in here.” His staff pointed at the glowing crystal growth closest to the gate.

“I’d be grateful if you could try to restore the vegetable garden while we sleep,” said Twilight. “If it can really grow plants with magic, that would save us a lot of trouble with getting food up here.”

Obsidian nodded. “Indeed. The power flowing through the Sanctuary has powered a lot of wonderful things. But for now we need to prioritize. I will restore the garden, some lighting and some more heating, but the rest of the magic will have to go into the Void Passage ritual. The quicker we get our access to the Amaranthine back, the better.”

***

“This is wonderful!" exclimed Applejack the next morning, staring at the garden patch in front of her. It was deceptively small, a ten by ten yards square in a side alcove of the cave, illuminated by a glowing relief of the sun at noon. Right now there were some carrots planted in a part of it, growing so quickly she could almost see them move. “Even I couldn’t make them grow that fast.”

“Actually,” said Obsidian, "the power of this place is very much like earth pony magic, only more focused.”

“And this could feed the whole town?” asked Applejack in amazement.

“As long as you change the soil from time to time. The spell doesn’t conjure food out of nothing,” explained Obsidian. “Now, with that done, we can get to work,” he added, heading off towards the spot where the team had fought the crystal spider construct.

Applejack looked towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Can ya take it from here, Apple Bloom?” she asked.

“I think so,” replied the filly. “It really does grow itself. But don’t expect anything fancy; we don’t have any real tools here.” She pointed towards the remains of the garden shed - they had tried to open it first thing in the morning, but the ancient wood crumbled to pieces when disturbed.

“We don’t need fancy,” said Applejack, before turning to follow Obsidian. “Just dinner that isn’t cold hay.”

***

The part of the plaza in front of the inner sanctum gate had been cleaned and prepared for the ritual, a large circle drawn on the floor, the remains of the spider construct’s crystal legs arranged around it to help focus the energy.

“Everypony ready?” asked Obsidian.

The six ponies standing in a circle around him all confirmed their readiness.

“So, the changeling mirror only needs to be tapped with a hoof, yes?” asked Aurora, who was standing just outside the circle.

“Yes,” answered Twilight. “The spell I cast will provide the power. So if Chrysalis wants to talk, you’ll be able to hear her out without needing any of us.“

“Of course, with her spy in the palace lost in yesterday’s chaos, she’s unlikely to have much to report,” added Obsidian. “So mostly we just need you to keep an eye on the mirror watching the outside.”

“And the fillies,” added Applejack.

“We’ll take turns, don’t worry,” said Rainbow Dash. “We just need all the Elements the first time, to make sure it works.”

Aurora waved her off with a wing. “It’s not a problem at all. I can handle a bit of foal sitting.”

“Let’s not delay then,” said Obsidian, tapping his staff into the floor. The six Elements of Harmony activated their powers, and soon everything disappeared in swirling colors.

***

The Void Passage was just as they had left it. Obsidian immediately approached the flower, while the Elements gathered around him, taking their spots on their cushions.

Twilight closed her eyes for a moment, preparing a spell, which she then cast on a notebook in front of her.

“What are ya doing, sugarcube?” asked Applejack.

“It’s a transcription spell,” answered Twilight, visibly proud of herself. “This notebook is a reflection of the real one I had with me in the waking world. The spell connects them, so now the notes will stay with me when I come back. Since today is all about learning, and not just watching the story, it is important that I write down everything that I discover.”

“So, we’re ‘researching’ today?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Sounds boring to me.”

“Don’t say that,” said Twilight. “This really is important. This war has lasted as long as it has because the Shattered could never be defeated for good. They keep coming back. But if I can learn about how they were created, perhaps I can find a way to undo whatever gave them their powers, and end the war once and for all.” She looked around the chamber. “If you do still get bored, you can always ask Verba to conjure an extra room and train with you.”

“So, where do you want to start?” asked Obsidian.

“I think I’ll start with the second ritual,” said Twilight. “The one where the Shattered were created. That’s the most obvious place to start.”

Nodding in agreement, Obsidian lowered his face over the Amaranthine, his form blurring a little as the mystical plant fed off his essence. The magic of the flower flowed upward, spreading over the ceiling and the walls, which soon began to shift and change. Everypony looked as the swirling images around them coalesced and fell apart again and again. The process lasted long minutes before it gradually dawned on everypony that nothing was going to happen. It wasn’t even a particularly dramatic nothing.

Twilight looked at the jumbled mess of images around her, then at Obsidian. “What’s going on?” she asked impatiently. “Why aren’t we seeing anything?”

“You think they removed it?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Obsidian shook his head, and stepped back from the flower, cancelling the vision. “It is not within their power to do,” he said. “Dissonance echoes. Once something gets there, it will remain there forever in one form or another. For there to be no vision at all, the event would have to never reflect in Dissonance in the first place. Which is not much of a stretch. The event flooded the sanctuary with a massive amount of pattern energy. And the only ones to witness the ritual were the ones who took part, the Shattered themselves, blocked from becoming one with the Dissonance by the fate they brought upon themselves. I’m sorry to say it, but the Amaranthine seems unable to show you what you want to see.”

“So, what do we do now?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Perhaps there is something else we could see that would help us?” proposed Rarity.

Twilight scratched the floor with her hoof in thought. Her ears perked up when she got an idea. “I think there is,” she said. She turned to Obsidian. “You said the Shattered were created when their ritual went wrong. We can’t see what the problem was, but perhaps we can at least see what they were trying to do? Can you show us the ritual where the Elements of Harmony were created?”

Obsidian did not reply at once. Twilight kept looking at him, and for the first time since she met him, she found him averting his gaze. Soon her friends too were staring at him.

“Is there something wrong?” asked Fluttershy.

“It may have been fortunate for Aurora, that the Equestrian army interrupted our last vision,” said Obsidian, looking askance at her. “She had to go to battle, but she didn’t have to watch the rest of the worst day of her life. I would much rather go to battle now than show you this, but it doesn’t look like we’re going to be interrupted by anything.”

A series of short gasps followed, as one by one the Elements all understood the implications.

“For you, that was the worst day of your life,” said Fluttershy softly.

“I can’t rightly say,” said Obsidian, turning once again away from the Elements and towards the wall. “I have been through many horrible days in my life. But this one was special in how it focused so many hopes, and instead planted the seeds of so many disasters.”

Twilight looked down into her notebook, as if it could hold the solution to their current predicament. "Perhaps you don’t need to do it? This is something you have seen with your own eyes. That means the Void Passage should already know all about it. Can’t you have Verba show it to us?”

“Do you expect me to remember every detail?” replied Obsidian. “The Passage may filter my memories to recreate everything that I as much as skimmed through, but it will fill in everything outside my field of vision. And I wasn’t one for technical details back then. Verba was, but in his current state…”

“Hey, give him some credit!” interrupted Rainbow Dash. “He figured out how to help me and Aurora share our powers. You say he’s just a spell now, but he’s more alive than you believe.”

Obsidian turned slowly to look into Rainbow’s eyes. “I have known him for several thousand years longer than you.”

Rainbow returned the gaze. “And how often were you in the mood to really talk to him? You were crazy, remember?”

Obsidian flinched, as if stung, his jaw clenching. “In that case… it still has to be me. If he’s as alive as you claim, you wouldn’t want him to suffer in my place, would you? In any case, he’s unable to use the Amaranthine, and you do want every detail, in case it turns out important. I’ll let my memories drive the vision, but lend a bit of my essence to the flower to fill in the gaps. Once it is complete, you can check the technicalities with him. If he can explain anything to you, all the better.”

He looked around the room, as if waiting for somepony to challenge him. What he received instead was looks of worry. Seconds passed, but nopony came up with an alternative solution. Finally, Twilight slumped onto her cushion with resignation, preparing her notebook.

Obsidian inhaled deeply and leaned over the Amaranthine again. This time the vision came almost instantly: the whole wall disappeared, opening into an image of the sanctuary they had just left. It was mostly as they’d remembered it, but some details showed that it was another time - the surrounding buildings were free of the weight of ages, instead bearing signs of recent use. The glowing crystals were more abundant. There were also armored ponies there, carefully picking their way through what was clearly the remains of a recent battle. Dead ponies littered the ground, their bodies covered in cuts and scorch marks. Around the gate to the inner sanctum, three ponies stood embedded in ice, their faces stuck in the final gasps of mortal terror.

“What kind of magic did that?” asked Twilight, pointing with her hoof. ”A windigo?”

“Yes,” said Obsidian bluntly. “They had one trapped there for research, and unleashed it on us when we broke through. And contrary to what your stories tell, getting frozen solid by a windigo is irreversibly fatal.”

“There you are,” called out Rainbow Dash from her seat.

And indeed, there was Obsidian among the ponies examining the battlefield. His dark coat was mostly hidden beneath a silvery armor, but the staff flying at his side was the same, only different by channeling the orange light of Honesty on his chest, the light that also flowed on the outside of his plates, surrounding him with protection spells.

“So, there are the first Elements,” said Rarity, looking at Obsidian’s companions. “I remember seeing some of those faces before, when you brought in chimeras to fight Celestia for us. And these other ones must be the Shattered?”

There were ten ponies moving around the sanctuary; five unicorns, two pegasi, Obsidian - the only earth pony present, and a pair of alicorns, who seemed to be in command. One was a white mare, who Twilight quickly recognized as Vengeance - she was armored, and covered with dust from the battle, and her body lacked the eery perfection it would develop later, but she was unmistakably the same pony. The other was a navy blue stallion, who could only be Verba; even though his focus was a necklace, like the others, Twilight instantly recognized the gemstone within as Magic.

Each of the ten ponies was wearing a focus around the neck, and they kept them all alight, keeping up the protection spells as they checked every nook and cranny around the inner sanctum, careful to cover each other in case of an ambush. Twilight watched as they entered inside.

The inner sanctum was a round temple, dominated by four alicorn statues opposite the entrance, two of white marble, and two of black granite. The floor was covered by a mosaic of spiralling stars, converging on the symbol of the moon in the middle, while the ceiling was painted with spiralling swirl of clouds, centered around the sun. Stairs ran around the circumference of the chamber, extending down to the levels below and up towards the top of the mountain.

Right now though, it was no place of worship. The temple was littered with strange devices, some destroyed in the battle, some still beeping or flashing with their crystal displays. In the center of the chamber, over the moon symbol, there stood a round container, the size of a large cider barrel, but made entirely of metal, and reinforced with silver bands bearing runic inscriptions. The top looked partially open, thin mist still seeping from the hole. As the team split up to check the stairs up and down, Verba walked in to examine the devices, disconnecting them, and clearing the middle of the chamber.

Pinkie Pie hopped up from her seat, and walked closer to the vision, looking from pony to pony. “Pegasi with fangs look so weird,” she stated to nopony in particular. “So, these are Verba and Libra. The white one that flew up is Surprise, The big orange one must be Lightbringer. The green unicorn with a goatee is Absynthe, he’s princess Luna now… and the shy, orange one must be Evening Embrace. She didn’t really change that much.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” said Obsidian. “Being able to change one’s shape comes with many benefits, like being able to choose your identity no matter how life changes you.”

“So, the yellow one must be Gloria,” continued Pinkie. “Am I right?” As Obsidian nodded, she went on. “And those will be Winter Gem, and Diamond Dust,” she said, pointing towards two fair mares bearing Kindness and Generosity.

“Winter Gem?” asked Applejack, her ears perking up. “Was she an apple farmer?”

Obsidian turned slightly, to look at her without breaking connection with the flower. “Her parents were. The war took that from her too.”

“Pinkie, how do you know all these names?” asked Twilight, quick to change the topic before it became uncomfortable.

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Obsidian keeps talking about them whenever he feels nostalgic. You’ve all been there for most of his stories. I just remembered the details. I would be a poor party planner if I couldn’t remember a pony’s name. So, who’s the red pegasus over there?” she finished, pointing at the vision again.

Rainbow Dash squinted. “I thought that was Loyalty, but that crystal is a different shade of red.”

“That’s Courage,” explained Obsidian. “There were thirteen foci users among us at that point. There had been more foci initially, but some of them were lost to the enemy as their wielders died. Dusk… was the last one left who didn’t end up as either an Element or a Shattered. He wasn’t very good at making friends, and though he learned to work in a team, he never really bonded to either group. He died soon after my disappearance, a victim of circumstance to the mad scheming that saw the Empire burn. If you’re looking for Shooting Star, the bearer of Loyalty…”

The vision shifted back to the main cave. Obsidian pointed his hoof towards the main entrance. “There he is.”

Three ponies had just entered through the gate, and started moving towards the inner sanctum. Two of them were pegasi, pulling small chariots packed with strange metal contraptions that were obviously more lab equipment - one of them was red, with Loyalty on his chest, and a glowing crystal replacing a missing eye; the other was dark grey with matching armor, seemingly designed for hiding in dark clouds, his face stern and vigilant.

Between the two there walked a white unicorn mare. She was delicate and beautiful, long mane flowing from under her winter hat. Though her overcoat was clearly military issued, designed to ward off cold, one would be forgiven for mistaking her for a rich filly heading to the opera. Alone among the present, she wasn’t wearing a focus. Neither did she look ready to fight, instead keeping pace with the carts, to keep them between herself and any potential threats. She was barely containing her revulsion at the sight of the bodies sprawled before her, even as she tried to project an aura of confidence and professionalism.

“Ooh, and who is that?” asked Rarity, eyeing the newcomer curiously.

Obsidian lowered his gaze. “That’s Indicina. She was the daughter of the scientist who came up with the whole idea. After he was killed, she was the only one with the knowledge of what to do, so the Emperor made her the new head of the project.”

As the three ponies joined the group, they started preparing for their work. Excess equipment was brought out of the inner sanctum, most bodies moved out of sight, the contents of the two chariots unpacked. Twilight watched with curiosity as the various metal and crystal components were connected, trying to sketch them in her notebook, listening intently to every word as Verba, Gloria and Evening Embrace discussed the technical details with Indicina during assembly. Despite her earlier misgivings, Rainbow Dash kept observing too, having exchanged her cushion for a thought-up cloud for a better view, though she seemed to focus more on watching the heroes than on technical details.

The array started taking shape - a five-pointed star with standing spots for six ponies, and multiple metal prongs extending upwards, Twilight made several attempts to draw it, before coming up with a new idea - she stared at the contraption intently for a couple seconds, and then a miniature of it appeared next to the notebook in front of her. She started sketching the model, still keeping an ear on the conversation - the group had just come up with an idea to use the enemy sealing container as an extra failsafe - the metal barrel was set next to the ritual circle, thick cables connecting it both to the array, and to the control console Indicina was going to use.

They were dividing now, the future Elements of Harmony preparing to take their place in the circle, removing their armors, and any magical items that could interfere with the ritual, leaving only their foci, as Indicina was making the last adjustments on the instruments, while the remaining seven retreated to the main cavern to protect the experiment from any enemy interference.

Shooting Star tapped the side of his head with a hoof, removing the crystal eye, and pulling the fringe of his mane over the empty socket. Obsidian took his staff and set it outside the door, and then went to hug Indicina before taking his place in the circle.

Twilight froze with a pencil hovering over the page. The hug had only taken a second, two ponies standing with their necks entwined, and their muzzles over each other’s withers, but there was no mistaking it for anything else. Despite the brevity, the hug was as intimate as it was reassuring.

“Oh,” stammered Twilight, her mind stumbling over what she was supposed to say next. “You mentioned losing your… love.”
Suddenly everypony was looking at Obsidian again, eyes full of softness that wasn’t usually directed at the grumpy old soldier.

“So… it was her you meant…”

Obsidian turned back towards the vision, giving no reply to her comment. Everypony had already taken their places in the contraption, five focus bearers standing around Verba. Indicina put on a pair of protective goggles, and threw the first switch on her console. As first nothing happened, but as the six ponies in the circle started concentrating, the crystals in the array lit up with a soft glow, strands of multicolored light spiralling up towards the ceiling.

“Mind if I accelerate it?” said Obsidian. “It took us hours to do it the first time, and I don’t want to link to the Amaranthine for that long. You can watch it later at normal speed if you want.”

“So,” asked Twilight, as the images started flowing faster and faster, the array slowly glowing in brightness, “What exactly is it doing? It looks very much like what we did when you summoned the chimeras, directing the power from the leyline to pierce into Dissonance. But if the mountain is supplying most of the power, why is it taking so long?”

Obsidian smirked. “You still don’t realise how powerful the Elements are. The leyline is a great source of magic, but they are a great source of magic that can be precisely directed. If you were there, even at your current awakening level, this would have only taken minutes. And yes, the idea is the same, but we were trying to punch a much bigger hole.”

The perspective of the vision shifted, following the beam of light through the ceiling, to the meditation chamber above, then through the layers of rock, and finally over the mountain and into the sky.

The girls gasped. What was visible inside the sanctum didn’t do justice to the whole event: outside, the mountain top was on fire with ghost lights, a pillar of light stretching into the sky, clouds for miles around slowly spiralling around it. Far in the distance, airships battled over the mountains - clearly the magical display had attracted attention from the enemy forces.

“Well, that looks ominous,” said Pinkie Pie.

Then there was a loud noise, like a boom of thunder, and the clouds exploded away, as the sky above Nevercrest literally ripped open. There was a giant hole there now, the alien stars of the Dissonance visible within. From the hole, a wave of multicolored light, like a liquid aurora borealis, cascaded down onto the mountain. The snow melted, coming down the slopes in avalanches, and the rock itself seemed to pulse and writhe under the overwhelming magical power. And in the center, the beam that had been reaching into the sky was now a spinning funnel, a storm of magical power coming down into the sanctuary.

The vision followed the beam down, reaching the inner sanctum just as the array exploded with blinding white light. The six ponies were hanging in the air, glowing white silhouettes, their foci blazing six colors in front of them, points of light freed from the constraints of their amulets. Indicina was ducking behind her console, screaming over the noise as she flipped the switches, trying to prevent the raging power from reducing her friends to cinders.

A powerful pulse came down into the chamber, splitting in the air over the array - the six colors became blinding light. The sealing barrell lit up too, its binding runes glowing blue as the excess power was directed there. It glowed brighter and brighter, suddenly turning red hot, but the cables melted first.

Indicina rolled away, curling into a ball, and instinctively shielding herself with magic, as the console exploded with sparks. The array stopped glowing, its task already completed, but the remains of the magical vortex still hung above it, and were now discharging in a slow motion explosion of multicolored balls of magic, shooting uncontrolled energy in all directions, causing the walls it hit to shift and deform. The ones that flew down were harmlessly grounded by the array, which protected the ponies standing within. But the last pulse of magic turned, as if alive, flying straight at Indicina.

Her shield was too puny to withstand magic of this magnitude. It couldn’t even stop Obsidian, when he dashed in, just before the anomaly could hit her, tackling Indicina out of the way, and taking the brunt of the magical explosion on his own, improvised protections, the newly empowered Honesty creating an explosion of orange.

The vision broke, the last second becoming a freeze-frame projected on the wall: the light starting to fade, the Elements of Harmony looking around with their new, changed eyes, their foci transformed as they merged with their essence.

Verba’s magic was an elaborate helmet, with the gemstone sitting right above his horn. Shooting Star’s Loyalty became a half-mask, with the focus replacing his old prosthetic eye. The others’ were still gorgets, though each subtly changed to reflect its wearer.

All five were looking with fear towards the two inert bodies on the floor, away from the circle.

“What happened?” asked Twilight, looking from the vision to the real Obsidian, and back. “Did she...?”

“No,” said Obsidian sternly, stepping away from the Amaranthine. “That mercy was denied her.”

“Me… mercy?” stuttered Fluttershy.

“What do you mean?” demanded Rainbow Dash from her cloud.

Obsidian met her gaze. “Do you remember what happened to you, when you were thrown out of the Void Passage?”

The pegasus shuddered. “I got dropped into a sea of memories... that weren’t mine. I almost ended up crazy, but Verba... fixed me up,” she replied with some hesitation.

“What happened to us,” said Obsidian, “was both similar and different. While your experience was like being thrown into deep water, ours was like standing in front of a dam as it broke. Our friends were very relieved when they saw us alive. But they didn’t know what really happened. Unlike you, we were in our bodies. Honesty protected us from direct physical damage, and we seemed unharmed. But that only meant there was no clear sign of what had happened to us. There were pieces inside our minds that did not belong. And even we ourselves had no idea at first. We were busy with the aftermath of the experiment, ignoring the first warning signs as simple results of stress. I was stubborn, and strong willed, enough to suppress the foreign influence, at least while I was awake. Indicina… didn’t want to worry me. She felt something was wrong, but kept her facade for my sake, and then the Elements were sent to the front lines, and she was summoned to the Emperor’s side. I barely had a chance to see her, not enough to notice what was really wrong until it was too late. And at night, when we slept, when our minds touched the dreams of Dissonance, we were no longer protected. We dreamt nightmares that weren’t our own, anguished over things that didn’t happen to us. Eventually, I noticed. Perhaps it was my training, perhaps it was Honesty revolting over being bound to a mind that was no longer true to itself. But being aware of the problem seemed to only aggravate it. I tried to see my loved one. What I saw instead was…”

The six ponies released the breaths they didn’t realise they’d been holding. But Obsidian didn’t finish the sentence.

“Enough to say that it eroded my will to fight at the worst possible moment. Losing myself, I tried to protect everypony by sealing myself away, leaving Honesty behind. It took a century for my mind to recover some equilibrium. And when it did, it turned out all I had done was make sure I couldn’t help.”

“I tried to protect my love, but all I did was leave her. And without me, she was consumed by her madness.”

An awkward silence fell, the six mares around Obsidian buzzing with questions they dared not ask. Fortunately, after a moment, he continued.

“When I disappeared, she thought me dead. Though she kept maintaining the facade, using illusions when her own composure failed her, she went mad with grief, and blamed the Emperor for losing me. She… manipulated his pride to turn him against the Shattered, making sure they’d become the monsters everypony feared they would, all to destroy everything the Emperor had ever built. And when the war started… my disciples never knew, and I never used the Amaranthine to look… but I am certain she was the one who took the sealing container, and put the thing inside into Hate.”

“What happened to her?” asked Twilight, finally asking a question.

“According to Concilio, the second bearer of Honesty, she was in the palace when Vengeance burned the capitol down. She gave him Honesty, and pushed him through the portal just before the fire rained down. She had a soft spot for him, and that act of kindness was what allowed the Elements to… ‘win’ the war the first time.”

“For it to hurt so much after all this time…” whispered Fluttershy. “You must have really loved her.”

Obsidian smiled sadly. “Oh, you have no idea. We used to be one soul. If she had disappeared first, I might have been the one to burn the Empire down. And now, let us finish and recover. Your sisters must be waiting with the food, and I’ve had enough of watching my own past for the day."

***

Three days later, Dr. Bluebonnet found herself completely stuck.Three days later, Dr. Bluebonnet found herself completely stuck. She had managed her break in without being noticed, and the vault contained a hidden archive as she had hoped, but there was little there that seemed relevant. And the parts that did were a mix of crumbling notes, more fit for an archeologist to read than for an engineer. Also, only the more recent half was written in anything resembling Pony. As she moved back in time, the language changed, until she could no longer make heads or tails of it, before switching the alphabet to something she couldn’t even read. Sadly, it seemed that her resolution to find out the whole truth of what her employers were hit a major roadblock - she had no idea how to translate ancient languages. She ended up copying some schematics, putting them among the notes for her current projects, and was now sitting over them while pretending to work, trying to make sense of them without any sort of proper labelling.

“Where is Doctor Stone?”

Bluebonnet turned nervously, her hoof shutting a notebook she had in front of her, quickly pushing it deeper into the chaos of the deliberately cluttered desk. She turned her eye towards Pierce, who was sitting in the corner of the room, but he didn’t seem to pay attention to it.

I should have left it in my room, and worked on it during the night, she thought irritably, turning towards the source of the voice. There was somepony in the corridor outside, talking with a stern, soldier-like voice.

Bluebonnet left her station and peered into the corridor. There was a white pegasus guard standing there, outside the line on the floor marking the high security area. A guard golem and a white-coated lab assistant were standing in front of him, blocking his path.

“I need to relay an urgent message,” insisted the soldier.

The assistant’s expression remained unchanged. “The area is off limits,” he stated calmly.

At that moment the soldier noticed Bluebonnet, and his eyes flashed with recognition. “Dr. Bluebonnet,” he said loudly, “I have an urgent message to Dr. Stone. Do you know where I can find her?”

“Is there a problem?” asked Pierce from behind Bluebonnet.

She twitched nervously, and suppressed a yelp. She hadn’t heard him move from his seat.

He must have used magic to silence his hooves, she thought. He must still be angry over that trick I played on him…

“He claims to have an urgent message,” explained the assistant impassively. “But he has no authorisation to enter, and I have no authorisation to leave my post.” He eyed the soldier sternly. “And a truly urgent message to Dr. Stone would be given by Princess Luna personally. She can get down here faster than any messenger.”

The pegasus stared him down, and ground his teeth. “We’ve just set up the new teleportation wards up top. And the Princess doesn’t have the time for you lab…” He caught himself, seeing Bluebonnet’s eyes grow. “Uh… either way, it is a written report. Princess Luna requested that it be delivered. Urgently.”

“We can't let you through,” said Pierce with a sigh. “Not while the emergency security procedures are still in place. But we can relay your report to Dr. Stone.”

The soldier hesitated, looking from Bluebonnet to Pierce, and back. Finally he lowered his head under his wing, to retrieve a thin bundle of papers. Bluebonnet went ahead, and grabbed them with her teeth.

“Have it your way,” said the soldier as soon as his mouth was free. “I know you two are trusted staff, so I entrust it to you. I hope it will be okay.”

“It will,” assured him Pierce. “And it will be faster than getting Dr. Stone up here. Let us not waste any more time,” he finished before turning around to walk away. When Bluebonnet noticed that he stopped, she followed. It was obvious he would not leave her side, so that trip to the lower levels were for the both of them.

They walked down the corridors towards the high energy lab, where they knew Dr. Stone to be. Most of her remaining staff would be there, helping her install the new equipment to replace the devices wrecked by Discord’s plants. As she walked, letting Pierce lead the way, she chanced a look down her nose at the paper in her mouth. It was signed by Captain North Star, and the title described the report as pertaining to the search for the rogue Elements of Harmony.

An urgent report… has he found something?

She tried to flip a page to get a look inside, but she could not do it without breaking her pace. Glumly, she followed Pierce down another flight of stairs. She could already hear the voice of Dr. Stone, coordinating the efforts of her crew.

“Ten inches to the left,” said the scientist, as the two entered through the armored door. A bipedal clay golem, three times as tall as she was, moved its thick arms, lifting a heavy converter to the spot where it was to be attached to the floor. The rest of the crew were scattered around the room, wrench in mouth, attaching various bolts and cables to minor devices. In the center of the room, behind Dr. Stone, there was a metal star on the floor, surrounded by a ring of crystal spikes.

It’s a thaumic modulator, isn’t it? thought Bluebonnet. We haven’t had one since Twilight blew up our last one. But why would Dr. Stone need one now, let alone give it priority over other repairs? We have nothing down here to charge it with quickly. As it is, it would take months before it will be ready for… wait a moment. That’s what those schematics were! It was older, and way more primitive, obvious considering its age… but the basic principle was the same. It was made to harness great magical power and apply it in a predetermined manner. Was that how they were created? Magical splicing?

“Dr. Bluebonnet, please stop chewing the documentation,” said Dr Stone, turning her eyes away from her work. “What brings you here?”

Pierce stepped forward. “A report from…” he turned to look at the papers in Bluebonnet’s mouth. “Captain North Star. Princess Luna said to pass it to you. We were told it was urgent.”

“Put it over there,” said Dr. Stone, pointing her muzzle at an empty table near the door. “I’ll look at it in a minute, but our task requires my full attention now. Actually, you can help me while you’re there. I need to connect these couplings, and telekinesis will have an easier time reaching there than mouth tools.”

Pierce stepped closer to help her. “Please wait a second,” he said over his shoulder as he approached the devices by the wall, and looked in. The problem seemed to be a logistical one. All the machines had been designed for easy use by earth ponies, with all the relevant parts conveniently accessible. What they weren’t designed for was being clumped so closely together.

That’s right, remembered Bluebonnet. All the big lab chambers are either damaged by the fighting, already taken, or too close to the main lab. We don’t want the situation from the last time to repeat if anything goes wrong.

She had a quick glance around the room. Everypony seemed preoccupied, but they would only remain so for a couple of seconds. She leaned over the table, and flipped the page with her lips. The report was a list of items found while searching the crystal tower. It didn’t look interesting - apparently the search teams didn’t return with anything important.

However, the fourth page was covered with writing describing some discoveries from the history books found on the scene. Somepony had marked the most important parts with red ink:

“That ‘Nevercrest Sanctuary’ was mentioned several times, and seems connected to the history of the Elements,” wrote North Star. “If you could confirm its existence, and if it really is a unique place of power, as claimed, it might be worth investigating as a potential spot to search for clues.”

Nevercrest! thought Bluebonnet. It was in Stone’s notes. They had been there definitely, long ago. And it’s a place of power? If they used the modulator there, with it as the power source-

“Dr. Bluebonnet, we could use another pair of hooves here,” called Dr. Stone from her spot among the machinery.

Bluebonnet turned towards her, passing her hoof across the paper to close the pages. “Right away.”

That Obsidian… he would be old enough to remember. Luna must think the Elements are at Nevercrest. Is she right? She must be. Whatever they’re planning, it must require all the magic they can get, I’m sure of it!

***

It was already late at night when Bluebonnet finished her preparations. She looked once again at the items gathered on her bed. There was a backpack filled with food and basic survival equipment, a saddlebag with one pocket full of emergency gadgets, and the other with her notes - she opened it for the last time, cramming in a thick black book with a swirling stars pattern on the cover.

That’s all I can manage to take, she thought. I hope it is enough.

She put on her coat, pulled all the bags on on top of it, then checked her pocket for the map -- the mountain wasn’t hard to find once she knew exactly what she was looking for, but it took a lot of her precious time to do so discreetly.

Finally she took a helmet, and put it on her head. It was white, with a soft cap inside, like a like a fancier version of a construction worker’s hard hat. But on the inside, between the cap and the shell, there was one of her own inventions - a thin layer of pattern-infused tinfoil. She was very proud of being able to make it hold a charge - it wasn’t enough to shield her mind from magical attacks, but it would be enough to hide it from magical detection.

Have I remembered everything? she thought, suddenly frantic. She checked a small side pocket in her backpack, making sure she had packed her pills, a drug made to let her sleep easily, with a convenient side effect of making her nights dreamless.

Everything’s ready. I can’t stop shaking. Did Tourmaline feel like that? If they find out before I get far enough away… She took a gadget from her nightstand and stuck it to the door - a round box with a suction-like bottom. She put her ear to the device and listened intently. There was nothing. Nopony’s there, she thought. So Pierce finally went to sleep, and there was no assistant left to take over, just as I thought. It is now or never.

She put two pairs of slippers on to muffle her steps on the stone floor, took a deep, deliberate breath to calm herself, and slowly opened the door. To her relief, there really was nopony there. Carefully, with her ears constantly turning in search of suspicious noises, she closed the door behind herself, and started sneaking away from her room.

For the first time in days, the compound was silent, even most of the tireless assistants ‘asleep’ in the healing tanks for maintenance. Bluebonnet walked purposefully past the main labs and towards the cellblocks. She paused as she was passing her own lab. Should I take the pattern gun with me? No. I wish, I could, but I can’t carry anything more. It’s ‘travel light’ or not at all, and the notes are more important.

She walked past the cells and towards the big elevator connecting the lab level with the hangar far in the mountain top.

And what if I’m wrong? What if Luna is mistaken, and the Elements are not there? I’d be stuck in the mountains with no help or… No, I must not think like this. Princess Luna may be wicked, but she isn’t stupid. And she’s experienced. If she thinks they’re there, she’s probably right. So, how much time do I have before she gets there? After the last time with Lightbringer, I don’t think they’d just sent him alone. They will want to examine the situation carefully, and then go in there in full force. I should be able to-

Bluebonnet froze. There was a sound of hooves approaching.

Who’s there? she thought, her heart racing. It's coming closer.

She looked around, but there was no hiding spot in sight that she could reach in time without making noise. And whoever it was, there was just the corner of the corridor between them now.

Making a quick decision, Bluebonnet reached to her saddle bag. She found what she was looking for, just as the white muzzle of the assistant passed the corner. The stallion looked at her in surprise, his mouth opening to ask a question she couldn’t lie her way through. Bluebonnet swung her neck, tossing a small wood and metal disk. It landed under his hooves and opened, shooting up with metal tapes that wrapped around the assistant’s barrel. There was a crackle of a charge released, and the stallion fell with a gasp, his legs twitching. Bluebonnet leapt over him, and galloped, not even trying to be silent anymore. She reached the elevator, and pulled the door shut behind her. She pressed the button, and then slumped to the floor, as the small room started moving upwards.

So, they’ll know immediately, she thought. I upped the charge, but these guys aren’t ponies. I have no idea how long he will be out. He’ll trigger a secondary shock once he tries to free himself, but now I have very little time. I hope my authorisation will be enough to get me past the air patrols before a full alarm is sounded. Oh, this is not working out at all!

She stood up, trying to control the rising panic, as the elevator reached the top floor. When the door opened, she found herself standing face to face with a guard golem.

It was one of the animated pony armors, only slightly bigger than her, but designed to look imposing, and right now there were two points of red glowing in its eye slit, making it all the more menacing.

“Emergency override access, Doctor Bluebonnet,” said Bluebonnet quickly, almost shouting. The magical construct hesitated. “Code red emergency password… strawberry cake!”

The armor stood still, taking in her answer. After two excruciating seconds, the eyelight changed to orange - using emergency override password put the golem on high alert, but it would not hinder her. She pushed past it quickly, exhaling in relief. The passwords haven’t been changed. Now I just need to find the right machine.

She walked away from the elevator, picking up pace, past the ruined chamber, still not fixed after the battle that claimed the life of her daughter. Suppressing the temptation to pause there and reminisce, she went into the next hangar, filled with flying machines. There were several blimps there, but they were not fast enough for what she had in mind. She went right past them towards one of the prototypes - a sleek machine with multiple propellers, a simple magical engine replacing the need for pony muscle power. Bluebonnet got inside, checked the engine, and tried to start the propellers. They worked fine - it seemed Discord’s vines hadn’t caused any problems here, and the power crystal would not need to be replaced. Relieved, Bluebonnet turned off the engine, dropped her bags into the cockpit, and got out.

Now I just need to get the hangar door open.

She rushed along the hangar towards the large, sliding gate that served as the exit. Right next to the gate, there was a heavy winch protruding from the wall. She reared, to press upon it with all her weight.

A needle flew from behind the nearest blimp, zipping in front of her face, and embedding itself in the wall. Bluebonnet flinched back with a yelp, lost her balance and fell backwards. Who? My gadgets are left in the bags!

She rolled back onto her hooves, and got up, turning towards the attacker. A familiar face looked back at her.

“So, I risk my life in battle, go for days without sleep to stay at your side, and do all in my power to keep you safe from harm, and you… What. In. Tartarus. Are. You. Doing?” barked agent Pierce.

Author's Note

Happy New Year to you all :twilightsmile:

The final pieces of the puzzle are falling into place, and I'm curious to hear what you all think. :twilightblush:

See you in 2020 :pinkiehappy:

Chapter 45: The Connections.

Aurora took a deep breath and tried to think rationally. The day had started like any other, but had now been getting progressively weirder for her.

It started with the breakfast; they ate the slightly burned vegetable stew that the kids had managed to make out of the contents of the garden. But then a fresh set of plates was set, and Pinkie Pie announced that she wanted to show off a new trick she had learned during the night. She snapped her… hoof? Aurora wasn’t quite sure what happened. And in a flash of light the plate in front of her filled with sweets.

“Edible illusions,” explained Pinkie Pie, beaming. “They’re not really real, but really yummy, and you’ll never be full, so you can try everything and never have upset tummy.”

“Haven’t you tried this thing before, Pinkie?” asked Applejack.

Pinkie just beamed wider. “I did! But It’s even better now. Come on, give it a bite!”

“Well, as soon as we get any…” said Apple Bloom, who was sitting beside Applejack.

Pinkie’s expression turned into a sheepish grin - the only plate that had been filled was Aurora’s. She quickly repeated the trick for everypony. Aurora looked around in suspicion, then leaned in and smelled the piece of cake in front of her. It smelled of chocolate and whipped cream. Slowly, hesitantly, as if expecting the cake to pop out of existence, she took a small bite. It had all the right texture, and tasted real too, but…

“Pinkie?” she asked after quickly swallowing the first bite, “Why does it taste like strawberries? I can’t see any here.”

“Because it’s a surprise,” replied Pinkie with a giggle. “I told you it was an experiment.”I already knew knew how to make illusion cakes. But I was trying to see if I could make them taste different and still keep them real.”

Aurora took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. “That doesn’t seem to make much sense.”

Pinkie tilted her head, and stuck out her tongue. “And where does it say it has to make sense to be funny? We’re just trying to make you feel good here. I mean all of you. I mean I.”

Aurora raised an eyebrow. Pinkie ignored the unasked question, and dug into her own plate, filled will strangely colored muffins.

***

“What are you doing, Rarity?” asked Aurora an hour later.

She was just about to go into the Dissonance - Obsidian had just made sure that with two awakened members they could complete the spell without the full set, and Twilight insisted that Aurora and the kids accompanied them this time. But just before starting the ritual, Aurora decided to double check if Rarity, who was staying on guard, knew all the tricks to operating the magic mirror. And so she returned to the guards room, only to find Rarity sitting over her suit or armor, brow furrowed in focus.

Rarity yelped and tried to cover her work with her hooves. Then, realising that it was already too late, she withdrew her legs. “Oh, nothing big, darling. It’s just that I always make some nice things for my friends to wear, but I have very little to work with here. So I thought I could at least make your armor match your mane a bit better.”

Aurora looked down, and found that her armor had already been partially transformed with magic; the color shifted into white with a distinctive, pearly sheen.

“Um… that’s very nice of you,” she said, “I’m sure it will make me look great. But could you do it in your free time? We’re leaving you on guard duty here.”

Rarity turned pink. “Of course, of course! I was just trying to make it a surprise, that’s all…”

“Do you know how to shift the perspective?” asked Aurora, pointing her wing at the mirror on the wall.

Rarity got up to her hooves hastily, and approached the artifact, giving Aurora a quick bird’s eye view of the slope on their side of the mountain.

“You can move the point of view higher,” said Aurora, “as long as you keep it directly above the mountain top. The mirror is here, but the viewing spell originates from the inner sanctum. It is useful for checking the sky,” she added.

“Thank you," replied Rarity, still pink in the face, “I will make use of it.”

“Um… we’re about to start,” said Fluttershy, poking her head in from the staircase.

“We’re ready,” replied Aurora with a smile, following the yellow pegasus down the stairs.

They entered the main cave, and opened their wings to fly the rest of the way.

“Um…” asked Fluttershy suddenly, “I was meaning to ask… have you ever had a pet?”

Aurora looked at her in surprise. “No, never.”

“Would you want to have one, one day?” asked Fluttershy.

Aurora considered the question. “I’ve never thought much about that… hey! What is it with you guys all day?”

Fluttershy looked taken aback by the question. “Um… nothing?” she tried weakly.

Aurora tried to establish eye contact for a couple of seconds before finding her attempts futile. Rolling her eyes, she followed Fluttershy towards the sanctum.

***

As the spell sent them into Dissonance, they found themselves in the familiar chamber of the Void Passage. Immediately Twilight approached the wall where the still image of the previous day’s story was still displayed. She focused, and the picture shifted, slowly rewinding backwards. Twilight watched intently for a moment, taking out her notebook, before pausing the picture and turning to Obsidian. “Will you stay here with me in case I need some more details or explanations?”

Obsidian pulled one of the cushions towards the Amaranthine and sat down. “What else could I be doing with my time?” he asked.

“Checking for any more traps in the ruins?” supplied Applejack helpfully.

“I think I could use the Amaranthine myself,” said Twilight.

“You probably could,” replied Obsidian, turning away from her to look closely at the flower. “But it is still dangerous to you, and you are an easily obsessed kind. Better to not let you drain yourself when every day might end in a battle.”

“And what about us?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Did Verba do what you-”

At that there was a jingling sound, as if somepony had disturbed a crystal chandelier. Verba flew into the room, took a pony shape, and pointed his horn towards the door that would lead them out of the room if it really were the Crystal Tower.

Pinkie Pie hopped to the door and pushed it open. Behind it, there was a beach.

***

“What is this place?” asked Aurora, looking around. She had already taken into the air for a better look, leaving behind the pleasantly warm sand under her hooves. From what she could see, they were on a small island in the middle of a calm ocean. The Sun was shining in the sky, and a pleasant wind was blowing, swaying the leaves of the nearby palm trees rhythmically. There were some huts among the trees, and close to the edge of the water, a line of beach chairs set on the sand.

“It was Twilight’s idea,” said Rainbow Dash, beaming, “We’ve spent weeks training, or fighting for our lives. We need a day to chillax.”

“And then Twilight got the idea to spend a day here,” said Applejack. “She made this place with Verba yesterday before we left.”

“We have a whole day to spend here!” said Pinkie loudly, trotting towards the water, the Cutie Mark Crusaders close behind her.

“And when the evening comes,” continued Applejack, “We’ll bring Rarity here to us. Obsidian doesn’t care about having fun, so he’s agreed to stand watch, and Twilight will help us make a fire. There will be snacks and singing.”

“Hey, this water isn’t salty!” called Scootaloo loudly.

“Yup!” agreed Pinkie Pie. “You won’t have to worry about swallowing any!”

Aurora looked around the gathered ponies, from Applejack, to Fluttershy, to Pinkie Pie, who was already playing in the water, to Verba, who had already abandoned the pony shape, instead spreading his runes across the sand in a rectangle, finally to Dash, who was fluttering in the air slightly above her.

The pegasus met Aurora’s gaze with an uneasy grin, and pointed at the sky. “So, how about a flight?” she asked. “Our wings are already healed, and the air is great.”

Aurora swatted her wings downwards, launching herself up to Rainbow’s level. Dash was already flying away, flapping backwards, still grinning at Aurora. “How about we race to that cloud!?” she shouted, pointing at a distant clump of white on an almost clear sky, before turning around and flying there, a rainbow contrail stretching behind her as she built up speed.

Aurora glared after her and followed, steadily building altitude. It didn’t take her long to notice that Dash wasn’t really racing - she was flying faster than most pegasi could, but it was still a fraction of what Aurora had seen her capable of - this was her ’leisurely speeding’, just enough to enjoy the rush of air without straining herself too much. For a moment, Aurora allowed herself to do the same, just soaring into the sky. The wind in her feathers, the warmth of the sun on her coat. It was the perfect summer morning, a still image gathered from some old memories and assembled like a puzzle, meticulously, to touch every sense in its own special way, a dream that could make a pony wish it would last forever.

This isn’t real.

Aurora folded her wings and plunged, swooping down towards where Rainbow Dash now was, rapidly building up speed. She saw Rainbow look over her shoulder, and see her - then accelerate as she realised that she was being chased for real now. But Aurora had more altitude to turn into speed - she felt the pressure in front of her build up, then disappear, just as Dash was seconds away from reaching the cloud she had set as the goal - the rainboom launched Rainbow forwards, propelling her head-first into the cloud bank.

Aurora made a sharp turn upwards, turning a full circle before shedding her momentum and landing.

Rainbow Dash emerged, still slightly dazed, a white beard of cloud stuff hanging from her face. “Hey,” she said, chuckling, “You don’t need to be so rough.”

Aurora stood in front of her, the dream cloud obediently becoming semi-solid to let her stomp for emphasis. “Perhaps I do. What in Tartarus is going on here? You’re all behaving weirdly.”

Dash shook her face clean and met Aurora’s gaze, but leaned back defensively. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Aurora flapped her wings impatiently. “Don’t what do you mean me, okay? I’m not stupid. Or do I need to list it to you? Just what are you trying to achieve here?”

Dash turned slightly red, scratching the back of her head with a hoof. and sitting down on the cloud. “We… just thought you too could use some time to chillax. Okay? It’s been a really rough week, and…”

“Nopony told me about this, but all of you knew,” interrupted Aurora. “And Pinkie made those illusion cakes for me. And Rarity… this is all about me. Why?”

Rainbow Dash hesitated. “Because… you’ve had it the worst,” she finally said. “You’ve lost everypony. All your friends. And we made you show it to us like some Hearthswarming play. That was horrible of us.”

“Perhaps,” replied Aurora. “Perhaps it was. But you needed to see what had happened. And I still need too. I’ll need to finish the vision, and have Obsidian pull it further with that flower of his. We need to find out what happened to Vengeance.”

“Are you sure-” started Rainbow Dash.

“Yes, I’m sure,” replied Aurora, pushing into her personal space. “We have a war to win. And I want no special treatment, not from you, not from anypony. Get it? You all have got your share of pain, and there will be more before it's over. I’m not special.”

“That’s not special treatment,” protested Dash, rising from the cloud. “We always do such things for each other. We’re just finally treating you like one of us, as we should’ve.”

Aurora’s expression softened. “You do?” She looked around. “Fair enough. I’ll play along, but…” Her face grew stern again. “Never say that I lost all my friends, get it? They’re all here,” she said, punching her own chest, “always with me, as long as I fight to finish what they started. That’s what you learn when ponies die around you. If your friends die, that doesn’t mean they’re lost, that means they are your friends for life. A friend is never really lost, unless you abandon them. Remember that.”

There was a moment of tense silence. Then Aurora grinned. “Another race? For real this time.”

Dash responded with an awkward smile. “Sure, why not?”

And so they raced, until they couldn’t feel their wings, and then swam with PInkie, until all they could do was rest on the beach chairs, absorbing the warmth of the afternoon sun. Then Obsidian brought in Rarity, before grumbling something under his breath, and leaving to guard them in the waking world. Twilight and Verba made the sun set, and Pinkie started a fire on the beach. They sat on the sand and baked dream potatoes until late at night, and all of them wished that day would never end.

***

“Hey, wake up everypony! We’ve got company!” shouted Applejack.

Aurora snapped awake, rolling from her sleeping spot onto her hooves in one fluid move, ready to fight before she fully woke up. Around her, others were waking up in much less coordinated manner.

“Who is it?” demanded Dash. “Are we under attack?”

“Not yet,” said Obsidian, entering the roo. “But the uninvited guests are right at our doorstep.”

He pointed his hoof at the magic mirror behind Applejack. Everypony was already awake enough to see the three shapes standing in the swirling snow in front of the main gate.

“That’s Mrs Bluebonnet!” called Scootaloo out loud, “and that Pierce guy!”

“And that’s Enigma,” added Obsidian, glaring at the figure in the middle.

“What are they doing here?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“And how did they find us?” added Rarity.

“I can feel the protections straining,” said Obsidian. “Guilt is testing the spells using his pattern emanation. Do you see? The snowstorm is less severe around him. He’s dampening the spell just by being there.”

Twilight looked around the chamber, before turning towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Girls, go to the house next to the garden and hide! We will go down there, and see what they want.”

“Well, what could they want?” asked Aurora, quickly strapping on her wing blades. “See that weird thing on the unicorn's side? It’s that thing that destroyed Celestia, isn’t it?”

“They haven’t used it to break down the door,” noticed Fluttershy. Everypony was already walking down the stairs, using their magic to armor up in a hurry.

“Perhaps they want to save energy,” suggested Twilight.

“Or maybe they just want to talk?” proposed Rainbow Dash. Her friends looked at her strangely.

“Hey, I’m not saying he’s trustworthy or anything, but he’s supposed to be super sneaky, isn’t he? He wouldn’t just stand in front of the door if he wanted a fight.”

They got down the stairs, and faced the inner side of the gate, Rarity sparing a moment to look back towards Sweetie Belle and exchange reassuring nods. As the sound of the three fillies’ hooves disappeared in the distance, the Elements braced themselves, the lights of protecting spells spreading across their armors and coats.

Twilight took a deep, calming breath. “So, what now?”

Rainbow turned to look at Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie?”

Pinkie closed her eyes in focus, and for a moment her body twitched weirdly. “No clear reading,” she finally said with a shrug.

“That… might be good news,” said Rarity hesitantly. “Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy took a step towards the door.

“I… I’m not sure about Enigma, but the other two are not angry,” she said. “I can project some peace, just in case.”

“You do that, Fluttershy,” said Twilight, “And the rest of you, prepare yourselves. Applejack, use Honesty too. We’ll find out what it is all about.”

With a push of magic from Twilight’s horn, the ice barrier was dispelled from within. The gate swung outwards, the six Elements standing in the doorway, Aurora and Obsidian behind them, facing the newcomers.

“So, you have found us,” said Twilight Sparkle in a formal tone, trying to look confident, but still eying both Enigma and Pierce’s pattern gun nervously. “What are you looking for here?”

“We’re here to warn you,” started Enigma. “This hideout is no longer safe.”

“We’re also here to join you,” added Pierce.

“What?” asked Twilight in surprise. She made no gesture to invite the three ponies in, but her magic extended outwards, creating a bubble of calm weather outside the gate. She looked from one pony to another. “Dr. Bluebonnet I can understand, after what Applejack had told me. But you?” she eyed Pierce suspiciously. “You’re supposed to be one of Celestia’s best agents, aren’t you? What happened to change your mind?” She took a closer look at him. “You aren’t a changeling, are you?”

“He’s been my agent before he was Gloria’s,” said Enigma. “Since I was the one who designed her original screening procedures, I could tell him how to act to be recruited. He was my insurance in case she wanted to trick me, which she did. When I left the palace, I tasked him with keeping an eye on Dr. Bluebonnet. Last night she finally decided to escape Canterlot, so he contacted me, and I facilitated their escape.”

“And how did you find us?” asked Aurora from the second rank.

“North Star did,” said Pierce. “He found some old books describing Nevercrest, and wrote about it to Luna.”

“The Shattered despise this place,” added Enigma. “They prefer not to remember of its existence. But once reminded of it, they would check. We passed their high altitude scouting team on our way here.”

“I didn’t see anypony,” protested Applejack.

“They’re good at their job,” explained Enigma. “They didn’t need to get too close either. That avalanche site on the slope below is rather hard to miss.”

Obsidian’s jaw clenched. “I take it you didn’t take them out?”

“Not much point,” replied Enigma. “Their not returning would be a message just as clear. Either way, you need to get out of here.”

“How much time do we have?” asked Twilight. “There are things I still need to learn here.”

“Depending on how much extra support the Shattered want to bring,” replied Enigma, “I’d say about six hours.”

Dr. Bluebonnet stepped forwards. “If… if knowledge is what you seek, I think I can help. I’ve worked with Dr. Stone for years, and… when I left, I took some of her old notes from the archives. I can’t translate all of it, but between Mr. Enigma and Obsidian…”

“You have them with you!?” Twilight’s eyes widened with excitement. “This might be exactly what I’ve been working on! If you can help me, that’s great news.” She turned her head back inside the cave. “Oh, I need to use the Void Passage more than ever. We cannot afford to waste a second more.”

“Stop,” said Obsidian sternly. “There are other things we cannot afford to do.” He pushed between Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, into the front of the group. “Let’s get them tested first.”

“You,” he said, pointing his staff at Bluebonnet. “Are you the pony you claim to be, Bluebonnet the engineer?”

Bluebonnet looked taken aback, but when Applejack looked at her and nodded, she met Obsidian’s gaze. “I am.”

“You have come here to aid us in our battle against the Shattered, and not as their agent?” continued Obsidian.

“Yes,” said Bluebonnet sternly. “I’m here to help you, and this is no trick.”

“Fine,” said Obsidian. “I’ll use my magic to scan you later. There might be things about you you’re not aware of. The Shattered are capable of all sorts of tricks. Now, what about you?” he said, turning towards Pierce.

”I’m here as an agent of Enigma, to help you fight the Shattered, but above all to fulfill my duty of protecting Dr. Bluebonnet,” said Pierce, glaring at Obsidian. “Know that, and never make me choose between the two.” He exhaled and turned towards the Elements. “I’m the same pony you met before. You can call me Pierce.”

“It’s Pincushion though, isn’t it?” asked Rainbow Dash.

The unicorn’s face turned stiff. “How do you know that name?”

Rainbow Dash smiled. “It’s a long story, but you could say I had a dream about it.”

Pierce looked around. Enigma and Obsidian were unreadable, but Bluebonnet looked suddenly tense. The rest just seemed confused.

Finally, Pierce sighed. “That name used to be mine. But I haven’t used it for years. It is of a pony I have left behind. I now bear whatever name Enigma gives me.”

Obsidian sneered. “I see Guilt chooses the most appropriate underlings. Very well, you can come in and do your duty.”

His sneer disappeared as he turned to face Enigma. “But you won’t. I will not allow you inside.”

“Why not?” said Applejack, alarmed. “He said he’s here to help us. He’s already helping. I can tell he’s being honest about it.”

“Because his honesty isn’t worth a spit,” said Obsidian slowly. He was now standing on the forefront of the group, facing Enigma, his staff twitching at his side, ready to leap between him and Pierce, who checked his weapon nervously.

Twilight looked sideways towards Fluttershy, who returned a nervous glance and sent more power through her gem.

“You were honest when you vowed your loyalty to the Empire, weren’t you?” said Obsidian. “And yet, it didn't stop you from changing your mind later, spitting on your duty, performing that crazy ritual along with the others.”

“You know that’s not the whole story,” replied Enigma. His voice was still calm, but his nostrils flared slightly.

“We’ve been told in detail what happened,” continued Obsidian. “You had your reasons. You always do. Don’t you see this is where the problem is? You had reasons to fight for the Empire, you had reasons to disobey orders, you had reasons to destroy the Empire, fighting alongside the other Shattered.”

“The Empire betrayed me,” barked Enigma, suddenly no longer calm.

Obsidian snarled in return, baring his teeth. “Oh, I’ve heard that one too. Slaughtered over a false accusation. The fastest pony in the world can never get an alibi. All the Elements of Harmony who defied the Emperor to defend you, who didn’t go to battle until they had to protect everypony from your rampage. All the civilians Vengeance turned to ash when you lured Verba away so she could burn the capital. You must have felt so betrayed by all of them.”

“You…” Enigma ground his teeth. “I acknowledged my fault, and suffered punishment for it.”

“Oh, right,” replied Obsidian. “Three hundred years sealed in stone, before the Shattered freed you. How steep is the price of your justice. A day’s time out for every life taken? And then you were broken out by the Shattered, and you instantly rejoined them.”

“Obsidian, stop it,” hissed Twilight behind his back, but he didn’t react in any way.

“Are you going to list my sins until you waste the chance of getting my help?” asked Enigma. “Are you so stuck in events from thousands of years ago that you can’t see the present past your own grudges?”

“Obsidian, this really isn’t helping,” said Rainbow Dash.

Obsidian barely glanced back at her, before facing Enigma again. “Oh, so you don’t like hearing about your past sins? You prefer we focused on the present? Let us move to more recent events then. After you were freed and rejoined the Shattered, you changed your mind, and left them. Then joined them again. Then left them again, and are now actively scheming against them. I’m sure you had your reasons every time. But how can I know you won’t have a reason to turn against us next?”

Enigma’s eyes no longer glared in anger. He seemed to shrink, not mad anymore, but tired and frustrated. “I rejoined the Shattered because I saw them as the only family I had left,” he said, “ then left them when I had enough of their madness, hating the sight of what they had become. I rejoined them again hoping to save a life of a little girl. And now I have become their enemy because they abused my goodwill to betray me.”

Obsidian looked at Enigma, silently considering his statement. Then he turned his eyes towards Bluebonnet. “Ah, I understand. It was her daughter, wasn’t it? The girl who attacked Arrogance to ‘free everypony?' And now she fulfills her daughter’s dying wish, while you are finally free to act? A curious story. Tell me, Guilt, how is it that the fastest pony alive couldn’t make it in time to stop such a tragedy from unfolding? You won’t tell me the situation blindsided you?”

Enigma’s eyes widened, his face changing so rapidly that everypony took an instinctive step back. Only Obsidian remained where he had stood, looking at Enigma with a sneer.

Finally, Enigma forced his expression to calm, and closed his eyes. “That is enough. I don’t need to be here. Dr. Bluebonnet wants to help you. I have brought her here. But I don’t need to bear the sight of you a second longer.”

And with that he was gone. For a moment there was no sound but the swishing of wind.

Then Pinkie Pie spoke. “Gee, nice going there.”

Obsidian snorted. “He isn’t exactly helping his cause, is he?” he said over his shoulder. “Well, it’s not like I expected a thank you from you anyway.”

Twilight pushed past him to stand in front of Bluebonnet and Pierce. “Please forgive us,” she said. “It seems he really has been stewing in that grudge for four thousand years.”

“Enigma had anticipated the problem,” said Pierce. “We talked about it and agreed that we would join without him if he isn’t welcome here.”

“You said some really horrible things,” said Fluttershy to Obsidian, disappointment ringing in her voice.

“He did some really horrible things,” replied Obsidian. “Have I told you how he killed Surprise, the first Laughter? He first attacked her with his words, breaking her until she could no longer laugh, and then-”

“Now is not the time for this!” interrupted Applejack angrily, the power of Honesty ringing in her voice.

“Come on, guys,” said Rainbow Dash. “Let’s all get inside, and prepare to get out of here.”

***

“Okay, I’m finished,” said Obsidian ten minutes later. “I can’t guarantee there are no tricks here, but there are no monsters hiding inside them, no deadly diseases, and no hidden compulsions to kill you.”

“Okay then,” said Twilight, pulling out a short list, and crossing off the first item. “In that case, let’s use the time we have left. First, we cast a spell to send me and Dr.Bluebonnet into the Void Passage. We’ll compare notes, and try to figure out as much as possible. Obsidian, you stay here, and make a teleportation circle - it must be powered up and ready to go when we come back. Aurora, you stay in the mirror room, and tell us if there is anypony coming. The rest of you, pack our things and bring them here.”

“What exactly are you going to do?” asked Dr. Bluebonnet nervously. “I’ve heard of the Dissonance from what I was told when you all returned, but I have no firsthoof experience. I was told direct exposure is dangerous.”

Twilight gave her a reassuring smile. “We’ll stay here physically. The spell will only send our minds to the Void Passage, a stable spot established within Dissonance. We can make thoughts into images and objects there, and also view some old memories. This will allow us to check things much faster, and Verba, guardian of the passage, can help us translate.”

Aurora nodded, and took to the air, flying towards the gate. Applejack turned around towards some of the already cleared houses in the distance. “Apple Bloom!” she called aloud.

A pink mane poked from the window. “We’ve heard everything!” shouted Apple Bloom. “You can count on us, sis!”

Bluebonnet watched as the three fillies emerged from the ancient ruin and galloped towards the garden. “You have the children here with you?” she asked, a hint of shock in her voice.

“We could think of no place safer for them than at our side,” replied Rarity.

“That’s… horrible, actually,” said Bluebonnet. “What about your families? They made it out of the Crystal Empire, didn’t they?”

The Elements exchanged meaningful looks. “They’re safe,” said Twilight. “But we can’t contact them right now.” She looked around. “Is everypony ready?”

The Elements took their positions around the circle. Obsidian stood aside, his staff planting itself in the very center. “Please, step inside,” he said to Bluebonnet.

The scientist looked down at the lines cut in the stone floor, and finally nodded in understanding. “This looks like a very high energy spell,” she said. “I hope your circle is precise.”

“We have used it before,” Twilight reassured her. “I only modified it a bit to make it easier to switch ponies. Everypony? On my mark.”

The six Elements closed their eyes, and the circle filled with swirling colors.

***

“May I have a moment?”

Rainbow Dash looked up from the bags she was packing. Pierce was standing in the doorway, looking in.

“What is it?” she asked, grabbing two sets of saddle bags, one her own, and one Twilight’s, and flinging them across her back.

Pierce walked in. He hadn’t dropped his own luggage since he entered the cave, and the pattern gun still hung at his side. “I need to talk to you,” he said, gesturing with his head towards the stairs.

“Just a sec,” said Dash, shaking her withers to set the bags evenly across her back. She took a glance at Aurora, who was standing at the magic mirror, her bags the last ones not packed. The mare nodded, a small gesture, but Dash knew it meant she would manage without help.

Satisfied, she walked out of the guards room, and down the stairs.

Pierce did not speak until they reached the ground floor and started walking into the cave. Dash knew what it was all about, and started formulating the answer before the question was asked. “So… what do you need?”

“You said you had a dream about me,” said Pierce in a terse whisper. “What was all that about? And don’t tell me it’s a long story. I don’t appreciate ponies randomly knowing my secrets.”

“The truth is, we don’t know,” replied Dash. “Remember when you found us asleep in those changeling pods? Turns out the changelings weren’t the ones who put us to sleep. Applejack asked them, and they didn’t know who did it.”

“Yes,” said Pierce with a nod.

“Well,” continued Dash, “While we were asleep, we got into this place called the Void Passage. It’s like a magical maze that messes with ponies’ minds to find if they're good enough to be the Elements. You were in my dream there, as a military officer or something. I don’t remember much of it, the place messed with me something fierce. So I didn’t recognize you right away. It was only when I searched your pockets, and found the sunglasses, that it clicked.”

“You searched me?” asked Pierce.

“Hey, you were paralyzed with venom, remember?” said Dash defensively. “You had a lot of stuff with you, and I was trying to find something that would help.”

“How could you have dreamed about me?” asked Pierce. “You’d never met me before.”

“Obsidian says you can find everything in Dissonance,” said Dash. “Except for the Shattered. It spits them out. But… he said the Void Passage reads the minds of those inside it to make its stories. And that’s weird because none of us had known you before.”

“I had seen you all before,” said Pierce. “But you hadn’t seen me. And even if you did, none of you knew anything about me. Perhaps there was somepony else there with you?”

“I don’t think so,” said Dash. “The Void Passage is very hard to get into. There was just Verba, but he’s like, a part of that place. He doesn’t even have a body anymore.”

“So, nopony else was there, that you know of,” said Pierce glumly. “Something is not adding up here. Like those girls that disappeared from the castle. It wasn’t Enigma that took them. The changelings?”

“Not them either,” said Dash. “We tried to see who did it, but he masked himself even from Obsidian’s magic.”

They were almost back to the group. Pierce stopped, and looked Dash in the eyes.

“If you find out anything more, let me know,” he said. “Also… call me Pierce.”

“O… okay?” replied Dash confusedly.

Pierce gave her a stern look. “This… has brought back some painful memories. Things I’d rather not remember. So… Pierce. Not Pincushion, and definitely not Pin.”

***

“So... this is the Void Passage.” Bluebonnet looked around. They were in the center of the temple, surrounded by the half-assembled ritual relay, tended to by still images of ponies long gone. She poked the image of past Verba curiously, and flinched when her hoof went through him.

“It’s a vision of the ritual the first Elements of Harmony performed,” said Twilight. “I’ve been trying to piece together what exactly they did, in hope it would let me find out what went wrong for the Shattered. But I can’t see inside the equipment they’re using, and I can’t feel their spell, just see it. So my data is incomplete. You said you had some notes from the Shattered?”

“Yes, yes.” Bluebonnet turned to reach for her saddle bags. “Wait a moment, if this is a dream…”

“This is just a reflection of you,” said Twilight. "The notes won’t get damaged, even if something happens to them. I actually had to make a spell to let me take proper notes here that I could take with me.”

“So…” Bluebonnet pulled at a thick stack of papers with her teeth. They nearly fell apart, but Twilight managed to grab them with telekinesis. She banished some of the images, and made the papers levitate in front of her in neat rows.

“You’re right,” she said. “This looks very similar to what they did. It’s like… a number of versions, created over passing centuries. We’d just need to know the language to make sense of all the descriptions. Verba!?”

There was a jingling sound, and Verba emerged out of nothingness right beside Bluebonnet, who first flinched away, and then stared with fascination. “Is this… Verba? What’s happened to him?”

“A longtime exposure to Dissonance without having a body,” explained Twilight. “His ghost kind of… dissolved. These runes are old protection spells he used to have, keeping him together. Verba, could you take a look at this for us? We could really use a translation.”

Verba walked to Twilight’s side. He didn’t make any move to indicate that he was reading, just standing still for a moment, but then sparks of light appeared on the pages, lines of foreign symbols morphing slowly into legible text.

Bluebonnet looked over Twilight’s shoulder. “He’s going to translate the whole thing? But we only have a couple of hours.”

Twilight smiled. “Fortunately, time is a bit relative here. We should manage. In the meantime, let us look at what we have learned so far.”

***

Twilight looked at a large sheet covered with notes. It was an enlarged version of what she had put in her notebook, tiny cribbles that wouldn’t be possible without magic, enlarged to easily legible form.

“So, I think we have the whole schemata. The way it looks, the first stage works much like the circle we used to get here. The combined powers of the focus users create a funnel that harnesses the magic of the leyline into a single spell meant to reach the Dissonance - these prongs serve a similar purpose to what Obsidian’s staff does in our circle, directing the magical energy. But once the breach appears, and the magic of Dissonance comes crashing down into the sanctum…”

“The flow is reversed,” continued Bluebonnet. “It’s so much power, the leyline becomes irrelevant. The magic hits the array…”

“And is separated into frequencies,” said Twilight, eyes glowing with excitement, “each flowing down one of the prongs, based on how they had been attuned by the console. With one pony at the base of each prong, receiving the magic through the focus… it would be empowered by matching energy, and welded to their own aura. Yes! That’s how they did it.”

Bluebonnet looked at the image of the ritual preparations around them. “With the sixth pony gaining energy from each conduit, as the magic of Friendship could synergize all five frequencies. So, the six ponies performing the spell gained the powers of Honesty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, Loyalty, and Friendship, while… the rest was channeled away from the circle…” she fell silent, looking at the sealing container. “And you say that barely held.”

Twilight followed her gaze. “Yes. They were very lucky it worked as it did. But what about the Shattered? None of it explains what happened to them.”

Bluebonnet sighed. “I had hoped the notes would have some more clues for that. You said the containment device wasn’t there, so they must have modified the array to just vent the energy outside.”

“Or create a smaller tear,” interjected Twilight, “but a smaller phenomenon might create less power output.”

“We also know there were just six of them there,” continued Bluebonnet. “That means nopony at the console to adjust the settings on the fly if anything went wrong. It was extremely foolhardy of them.”

“So, that creates a very dangerous scenario,” said Twilight. “But unless they made some other modifications, this doesn’t explain the pattern splicing in the least.”

“The rest does make sense though,” said Bluebonnet. “Let’s assume something is wrong with the spell itself. Or… perhaps it was repeating the ritual in the same spot that caused it? Like trying to inject into a vein that’s already scarred from a previous attempt?”

Twilight squinted skeptically. “Can you even damage Dissonance? It’s supposed to be endless.”

“Let’s focus on what we know for now,” said Bluebonnet. “We can theorize later.” She stopped, and looked at Twilight. “You know, we could've learned a lot by just asking, if Obsidian hadn’t kicked Enigma out of here.”

“I didn’t mean for that to happen,” said Twilight. “But it’s not like I can persuade him. All of his friends died fighting the Shattered. And… when Vengeance burned the capital of the Alicorn Empire, the mare he loved was there too.”

Bluebonnet shook her head. “There is no winning this one, is there? So, we know something goes wrong with the ritual, and the sanctuary is flooded with pattern instead of magic. An event of this magnitude would likely… wipe all the spirits around the mountain.”

Twilight looked with worry, as Bluebonnet’s face contorted with sorrow. Not knowing what to say, she stayed silent until the scientist composed herself enough to continue.

“But here, within the sanctuary, it would be different. There would be a powerful spike of magic going upwards against the flow of pattern. The energies are antithetic to each other. Some would be cancelled out. A lot of it would disperse explosively. Probably devastate the sanctuary in the process. But there would be more pattern than that, so finally the descending energy would reach the array… and it would conduct it the same way as it does magic.”

“It would?” ask Twilight, visibly surprised. “I didn’t think it would be compatible.”

“It is,” assured her Bluebonnet. “Although, with nopony to cut the power… the conflicting energies would likely blow it up. Since the Shattered survived, it must have held long enough for the procedure to be complete… the next in line would be their foci. These would definitely be destroyed.”

“Is that why they called them ‘Shattered’?” asked Twilight.

Bluebonnet raised an eyebrow. “Is it? I assumed it was about their souls, but that makes a lot of sense. The foci would be the last thing shielding them. And the array still filtered the energy into frequencies. So, if they were shielded enough to walk out of there…”

“They would receive much less power,” said Twilight. ‘But it would be welded into their beings all the same. Obsidian said that it isn’t about the power they have, but the power they can call upon - their minds are living conduits for pattern.”

“How are they even alive?” said Bluebonnet.

“Barely?” replied Twilight. “This must be a big part of what is wrong with them. A lot of their emotions are lost, and the rest is magnified because that’s all they have left. This makes them all crazy.”

“I have seen them being emotional,” said Bluebonnet. “Perhaps the effect diminished over time as their minds adjusted.”

“They’re not emotionless,” said Twilight, “but they can do horrible things and not care. If they didn’t care about something before, it… you know Enigma much better than I do. What is important for him?”

Bluebonnet considered the question. “I must say, I don’t know. Sometimes he’s quite pony, and sometimes he does things I don’t understand at all. He does seem to care the most when he feels guilty about something.”

There was a shimmer of light, and Aurora appeared behind them. “Hey there. I’m here to tell you that we’re almost ready to evacuate. Also, I wanted to use the Amaranthine one last time before we go. Are you two finished here?”

“Not quite,” said Twilight. “But I have noted down how the original spell worked, and that has given me some ideas. Now that I know how the pattern has been bound to the souls of the Shattered, I think I could devise a spell to reverse the process. Problem is, it would require an absolutely massive amount of power.”

Aurora stared at her. “You could really do it? After just a couple of hours of work?”

Twilight blushed. “Nopony before me had all the data to work with. And it’s still not finished. I will need to work on it when we have a bit of peace. So, what do you want to use the Amaranthine for? I’m surprised Obsidian allowed you to use it.”

“He said we can’t all be here if the enemy could show up any minute,” replied Aurora. “But there is one more thing we have to find out.”

“Which is?” asked Bluebonnet.

“Vengeance,” said Aurora. “We need to find out what has happened to her.”

“Do we?” asked Twilight. “If nopony knows where she is, nopony will free her. And we can look for her resting place after we’ve dealt with the others.”

“Obsidian said so too,” said Aurora. “We argued about it for almost an hour. But then Pinkie got all shaky, and said it was important.”

“It’s the… Pinkie Sense phenomenon, isn’t it?” asked Bluebonnet.

“So, you know about it?” asked Twilight. “If she says it’s important, it probably is.”

“Truth be told,” said Aurora, “I’m not sure if she’s really had a premonition, or just played it in front of Obsidian for my sake. She’s been weird...ever since that last battle. I could hear her mutter to herself whenever she thought nopony was listening.”

“Let us not waste time,” said Bluebonnet. “What do you want to do exactly?”

“She’s going to use the Amaranthine, Obsidian’s scrying flower,” explained Twilight. “Verba, could you bring it here?”

The guardian of the Void Passage dissolved into a cloud of runes, and flew away. Twilight approached Aurora. “Pinkie is always strange, more than many ponies would believe. But if you are worried… we might repeat the healing spells on her. Perhaps that concussion left some lasting effects…”

There was a jingling sound above them, and Verba descended into to room, bringing with him the pot with the red flower in it. He set it in the center of the room, the visions around it disappearing until the chamber was almost empty again. He then flew away as the three mares approached the flower.

“So, what does it do?” asked Bluebonnet.

“It filters the images flowing through Dissonance,” said Twilight, “finding visions from specific times and places.”

Bluebonnet looked in fascination. “It can look into the past? Why didn’t you use it to learn more about the Shattered?”

“We did,” explained Twilight. “That’s how we learned most of what I’ve shown you. We’d use it more, but it is very draining to use, and Obsidian insists we need to be ready for a fight at any time.”

She turned towards Aurora. “So, where do we start?”

Aurora approached the flower cautiously. “If I had the time and power, I’d watch the whole of history after I was trapped, find out what happened to the rest of the Resistance. But what we need now is Vengeance. I need to find out what happened to her.”

She leaned in, and sniffed the flower. “So, how do I use this thing?”

“It almost uses itself,” said Twilight. “That’s the danger, actually. You need to let its magic touch you, and flow through you. It will feed off your essence, and in return, it will show you what you want to see.”

“The thing is,” said Aurora, “I don’t really want to see that.” She stared at the flower, sighing softly, as the plant pulled a translucent image of her face out of her. The walls pulsed, transforming into an image of a demolished penthouse.

***

The floor exploded with girders and stone, half the penthouse collapsing in seconds. Aurora felt the stone tiles give way under her hooves, but spread her wings and recovered, taking to the air, while staying inside Aquila’s protective shield. She sent a pulse of wind, pushing away the dust, clearing her field of vision just in time to see Vengeance flying towards them, her gleaming silver armor surrounded by a vortex of metal shards. A beam of power from Aquila went straight at her, but the alicorn shifted out of the way, sending a salvo of shards against their barrier.

Aurora braced for impact. In never came. The shards shifted away before they hit, and Vengeance herself disappeared too.

Where did they go? Aurora looked around frantically. Not only couldn’t she Vengeance anywhere - she realised that the initial explosion had divided the team; Whisper was nowhere in sight, and Jingles…

Jingles was standing several yards from them, swaying on the uneven ground, blood dripping from under his clothes. As Aurora watched, something small and metal appeared right next to him, flying at such speed it went straight through his barrell and disappeared from sight. His protections had already dissolved, and the light of Laughter faded around his neck. He looked down on his chest in surprise, then briefly towards Aurora, before turning his eyes towards the stormy sky.

“There are no comets seen…” he rasped, a trickle of blood appearing in the corner of his mouth.

Aurora opened her mouth to scream his name, but her voice was lost in a roar of thunder. A pillar of lightning fell from the sky upon Jingles, turning his body ablaze, and making the blades embedded in his body glow white hot. As Aurora’s eyes recovered from the flash, she saw the rest of his body get stripped off and disintegrate, the half-charred Laughter clanking to the ground uselessly.

“BOW!” called the voice from the skies. Vengeance was above them, wings spread wide, blinding radiance glowing from her.

“You bow!” growled Aquila, eyes blazing with white light, a wide cone of power shooting upwards to envelop the Shattered. Aurora could see her try to shift, fail to when her power was disrupted, and then, just as Aquila’s magic was about to get a solid hold of her, something big and metal fell from the sky.

“Then turn to ash,” said Vengeance.

Aurora could feel the pulse of the Shattered’s power. She braced for impact, Loyalty enveloping her in a cocoon of magic. The explosion took out the rest of the penthouse, sending a shower of stone to the ground beneath. It took the floor from underneath them too, though it made no difference this time - the remaining Elements stood their ground in the air, no longer relying on the treacherous footing.

Some kind of bomb, Aurora managed to think before they were attacked again - a whole girder flying at them like a javelin, infused with enough pattern to pierce through the barrier and strike Aquila. Aurora saw her lose balance, and the barrier falling, She’ll kill her, she thought panically - she caught a glimpse of white feathers in the corner of her eye, another girder flying in to exploit the opening.

“NO!” screamed Aurora, A pulse of red expanding from her as the desperate surge of magic from Loyalty launched her to from still to rainboom in a split second. She collided with the side of the second girder, bending it and knocking it of course, rebounding herself towards Vengeance. She could feel her power dampened by the pattern aura, her momentum absorbed by the ability she had earlier experienced from Hate.

It was not enough. Her hoof found its mark, nearly breaking itself from the impact as it tore through armor, flesh and bone, sending Vengeance spiralling towards the mass of rubble beneath. The alicorn hit the building in a spray of blood. Aurora herself plowed through the ruined floor next to her. She got up, her armor field reassembling around her as she recovered from the crash.

“Now, get her before-”

Everything exploded. Aurora’s magic protected her, but she still recoiled, a piece of grit hurting her eye despite her aura. Then there was lightning all around her, burning her coat, and cramping her muscles, forcing her to her knees.

Vengeance emerged from the rubble, levitating herself up, her broken foreleg righting itself, as her muscle and skin flowed like wax, reknitting. “Such arrogance… to think you worms can challenge me…”

A curtain of metal and stone rose in front of her, shielding her as Aquila struck at her with a wide beam. The lightning around Aurora disappeared, a bubble of power from Sauti protecting her and healing the burns. She looked at the clash of power just in time to see the barrier melt - Aquila’s magic powered through the pattern protection and transmuted the stone into water, sending it flying in all directions before blasting the rest away.

Is she still there? I need to hit her the moment she emerges, she thought. Spreading her magical senses, she started looking for a spot that would resist her the most - Vengeance couldn’t hide herself while fighting at such power level.

There were two points, one clearly Vengeance herself, the other was swirling in front of her, a point of density she funneled her power into.

“AQUILA!” shouted Aurora, her voice reaching her sister over the noise of battle, their magical connection bringing the full context of the warning through. Aquila dropped a spell she was about to direct at Vengeance, instead casting a portal that spun around itself, taking out a large chunk of stone, sending the anomaly…

A second sun erupted in the sky, far above. It was too far up for them to even hear the noise, but Aurora still shuddered, instinctively shielding her eyes. A pony made of stone in Aquila's likeness exploded from the floor in front of her, absorbing a spray of metal projectiles that would have hit her barrier. She sprung up and spread her wings. Around her more stone ponies appeared, all leaping towards Vengeance, trying to dogpile her to hold her still for a precious second.

We can’t let her teleport again, she thought, as the Shattered spun a blade of pure lightning around her, cleaving through the golems, Aquila needs a clear shot.

“Together!” she shouted, the light of Loyalty intensifying. This time she did not charge into close combat; instead her power spread in strands of red, enclosing the area around Vengeance, a net of magic to dampen her pattern powers.

A long iron nail appeared in the air, inches from Aurora’s face. She felt Aquila’s magic yanking her away in a teleport effect, a split second before it could embed itself in her eye. The spell dropped her in the air above Vengeance. From her position she could see Aquila’s next spell shoot and spread out like a spider web of lightning, catching and disintegrating more projectiles, as they kept appearing around her to strike from different directions. Aquila herself was almost too bright to look upon, the crystal upon her forehead enveloping her in a blazing halo. Vengeance was in front of her, trying trick after trick to bring her down.

I need to weaken her, she thought. She dove down, expanding her magic as she descended. A spike of rock shot up to meet her, transforming into metal as it missed her by inches - but Aurora wasn’t foolhardy enough to try a straight charge - she would not catch her enemy off guard a second time - rather than try to strike Vengeance directly, she exploded with magic, a ball of red that enveloped the Shattered, as Aurora hit the ground next to her.

Aquila focused her spell. Vengeance looked into her eyes, and suddenly her gaze was beams of light. The barriers held, but the spell still dissolved, as the unicorn fell down screaming.

The rubble erupted from underneath Aurora, another spike blunting itself on her protections, but still hitting with enough force to knock the breath out of her, dispelling her magic armor, and sending her rolling. Vengeance turned to look upon her.

Something teleported right next to her - Sauti lunged forward, grabbing the alicorn with her forelegs.

“No more violence,” she said.

Vengeance pulled, but the blind mare held her with supernatural strength, belying her size and age. Kindness shone like a star, bathing the both of them in pink light.

“You think this can stop me?” said Vengeance coldly.

“Not for long, but it can,” replied Sauti. “You will not hurt another pony.”

Aurora got up with a grunt. Her first instinct was to charge into battle, but the power emanating from Kindness stopped her too - it was not within her power to interfere with the two mares. “Aquila?” she called weakly.

Aquila righted herself, eyes squinted shut, no longer glowing white. It was obvious she was not okay, but she still managed to point her horn at Vengeance - standing the furthest away, she could act, at least to an extent.

“Oh, you are mistaken, mule,” said Vengeance. “I can’t escape you, but hurt you? For all your power, you’re holding me down. Your Kindness is imperfect, and so is your protection. I can strike back against you.”

Sauti just held tighter. “I know.”

Aurora saw nothing, but her magical senses screamed in warning, about the buildup of pattern. Something was radiating from Vengeance, suffusing both mares.

“Sauti!” shouted Aurora.

Something small and black flew at Vengeance, embedding itself in her chest plate. Aquila finished her spell, and everything was bathed in blinding light.

“Murderers get no protection at all,” said Aquila.

The black diamond seemed to grow, or rather, the space around it seemed to fold in fractals. Vengeance hissed in anger, as her body shrunk, slipping out of Sauti’s grasp, before collapsing upon itself and disappearing. As the light faded, the gemstone fell among the rubble, sparks of red now dancing underneath its surface as its magic strained to contain the foreign energies.

Sauti stood still for a while, as if surprised that it was all over, before falling forward. Aquila’s magic caught her before her face could hit the floor, lifting her suddenly limp body into the air, and bringing her to the unicorn’s side.

Aurora flew to join them. Aquila’s eyes were still closed. She was covered in cuts and bruises the Elements' magic had had no time to heal. However, Sauti looked much worse; despite few visible injuries, she was clearly in pain, her breathing quickly becoming shallow.

“Sauti?” asked Auila., another spell growing at the tip of her horn.

The blind mare smiled sadly. “Too late for that… I’m afraid she knows her tricks well… I can tell, I’m already dead inside. Better use it on yourself. You can still be healed.”

Aurora looked at her, absorbing the statement, a death sentence her friend had pronounced upon herself. There was no changing the truth of that…

Truth!

“Whisper!” shouted Aurora in sudden horror. Moments before all of her energy had been devoted to winning the fight, keeping herself and her friends alive. Now with the adrenaline levels falling, her stomach clenching from the sudden surge of stress it had undergone, she was beginning to once again think clearly.

He disappeared after the first blast. Was he buried under rubble? But we blew up the next floor or two when we fought! Where is he?! Is he…

Her thoughts becoming more frantic by the second, Aurora rushed around the ruined tower top, scouring the rubble for any signs of life or magic. She caught one signal, and rushed towards it, her throat clenching when she recognized Laughter. Tossing it aside, she kept looking. There was nothing more there.

“WHISPER!”

“Aurora?”

The voice called from behind her. It sounded out of breath, but definitely alive. Whisper crawled from among the rubble and stood, taking in the scene, a weak current of magic pushing the dust out of his coat.

“She dropped me down the shaft,” he managed, his eyes widening as he comprehended the situation. “Had to climb back up. I’m… too late.” He stared into her eyes. “Is it over? Did we get her?”

“Yes,” managed Aurora before galloping at him. She almost collided with the stallion, their amulets clanking together as she grabbed him in a desperate hug. “She got Jingles… and Sauti…” She felt suddenly torn between the comfort of his hug, and her friend breathing her final breaths behind her.

“We… need to get out of here,” she whispered.

Something stung her in the shoulder. She barely noticed at first, her coat, marked with burns and scratches, indifferent to another prickle of pain. Was it a sharp piece of debris that got… no. She was getting numb. She turned in surprise, and saw Whisper withdrawing his left foreleg, a tiny stinger hiding in the frog of his hoof.

“What…” She could say no more, her mouth refusing to obey her brain. Whisper released the hug, running past her to join Aquila at Sauti’s side. She turned after him, an awkward pirouette that left her unable to keep her balance when her legs went soft underneath her…

Within seconds it was over, Whisper standing over three limp bodies. He looked around, and sighed. “So that’s what you call ‘pulling your punches’? You really made it look like you actually wanted to burn everypony to ash.” He turned around, scanning the surrounding rubble. “Now… where are you?”

The diamond was not there.

***

“Where did it go?” asked Twilight. She was standing over Aurora’s shoulder, looking at the vision, than at Aurora’s face, her worry increasing as the pegasus was getting visibly paler.

“Vengeance,” said Aurora between laboured breaths. “Where is Vengeance?”

The vision shifted, meters below, onto the side of the now crumbling tower, towards a small, dark shape flying down almost vertically, sticking close to the wall to remain hidden; a black pegasus filly with a evilly glowing gemstone held in her teeth.

“Who is it?” asked Bluebonnet.

“Charcoal,” gasped Twilight.

“I told her to go to safety,” said Aurora. “She must have got to the top at the same time Whisper did. We were both too busy to notice, and then she knew not to trust anypony… where?”

She took a deep breath, and stared at the Amaranthine. “Where did she take it? Where is Vengeance now?”

The chamber around them went dark, and then a new vision appeared: a group of ponies, tired-looking unicorns with sunken eyes, standing in a magical circle around a small stand, with a conspicuously empty indentation in the very middle. Everypony was channeling their magic, the lines of runes around them slowly filling with light.

“This looks like a sealing spell,” said Bluebonnet. “The principles are similar to… wait.” Her eyes widened. The field of vision was quite narrow, but it still covered the concentric lines of stars on the floor underneath the runes.

“It’s here,” she said. “It’s the same room the ritual took place in!”

A black pegasus mare entered the circle. She was changed, older, and way more serious. But there was no mistaking her for anypony else. Slowly, solemnly, she dropped the black diamond onto the stand. Instantly the circle came to life, new lines of magic spiralling out, forming layer after layer of wards inside the room.

“That’s why the inner sanctum was sealed!” gasped Twilight. “The power of the leyline maintains the spell, keeping Vengeance from eroding her bonds. But… that will seal them in!”

Bluebonnet stared at the vision. “They didn’t have the Elements, or even foci. These are normal unicorns trying to make a binding way beyond their skill. They had to give it their all to make it work the way they wanted…” She swallowed loudly, and stepped back, as if trying to stop herself from throwing up. “So horrible… why did they?”

“To get the job done,” said Aurora. “To keep Vengeance trapped here forever. And Charcoal?”

The pegasus was still standing in the circle with the others, the growing magic casting multicolored reflexes against her skin.

“Why isn’t she running away?” asked Twilight. “She’s not a unicorn.”

Aurora jerked her head back, breaking off the link with the flower. The vision grew dark, and disappeared.

“She… I think she chose to stay. She did all she could. She had to be the last, because nothing she’d do would work better than just keeping this place secret.”

She slumped to the ground, face struggling to stop the welling tears. “So she could escape, and never mention any of it, live and grow old pretending all of her friends never existed. Or she could stay there with them, and… keep watch.”

“We've found out what we needed,” said Twilight, instinctively turning towards the door. “We should get out of her before-”

She stood still as a statue, until both mares turned to look at her with worry.

“No,” said Twilight. “No. She’s here, and the Shattered are coming here.
If Vengeance is here, we cannot leave.”

Author's Note

This late chapter brought to you by the total collapse of my sleep schedule. :ajsleepy:

Rather than the usual request for comments, I have a specific question to you this time:

Do you use the music links in my chapters, or are they redundant? Finding the music adds a fair amount of work to final editing, so I'd like to know. :coolphoto:

Chapter 46: The Stand

“Is everypony ready?” asked Princess Luna, entering the underground chamber.“Is everypony ready?” asked Princess Luna, entering the underground chamber.

The ponies within saluted at her approach. They were mostly Wonderbolts, or had been, she corrected herself. When Eve healed her servants injured in the siege of the Crystal Empire, she did more than just fix them. She worked some improvements into their bodies, making the whole team faster and stronger, and while she was at it, made some aesthetic adjustments as well.

If that had happened a month ago, they would have all been made white - Celestia did like the aesthetics that Libra had picked for her chosen knights. But now, with the
Princess of the Sun dead, there was only one pony that stood for the kingdom - with the exception of Spitfire, who retained her original coloration, the entire unit’s coats and wings were colored midnight blue, to match Luna’s.

Eve must have done some work on their brains too - there was no talking when Luna entered the chamber, and the faces that turned towards her did so with an identical gesture, as if rehearsed. I hope she didn’t go too far, she thought. We need these ponies for who they are.

“We are,” answered Spitfire aloud. The giant, armored figure of Lightbringer shrugged his wings.

“Let us go then,” said Luna confidently. “The spell has already been prepared to transport you.” She walked past them to the door on the far end of the chamber and through it into a small, circular room, where a tangle of metal contraptions surrounded a seven foot wide metal ring.

“Oh, so that was the power I felt,” said Lightbringer, his voice echoing inside his helmet. “I thought we didn’t have enough magic for a long distance teleport.”

“Not if we wanted to fight at full capacity,” agreed Luna. “But since it’s pointless to send in anypony but the most elite against the Elements, the unicorn corps could contribute their magic to charging our capacitors. The portal will bring us within ten miles of our target, where we will meet with the rest of the strike force.”

A couple seconds passed in silence. As soon as it became obvious that the princess had finished talking, all the pegasi but Light saluted. Luna approached the portal, bringing it to life with a pulse of magic from her horn - the contraptions filling the room started humming, and the space inside the ring collapsed upon itself, becoming a tunnel of swirling, blue light.

Luna looked over her shoulder. “You two enter last. The portal has barely enough power, and your magical resistance might collapse it behind you.”

“Do you think we’ll get them?” said Lightbringer to Spitfire, as Luna entered the portal. “Or will they see us coming, and scram?”

Spitfire watched as the soldiers started following their princess one by one. “With some luck, they won’t. Worst case scenario, they will, and will try to ambush us, using the sanctuary’s magic against us.”

“No,” replied Light, “Worst case scenario is they flee, and we’re back at square one looking for them, isn’t it?”

Spitfire nodded. “You’re right. The stalemate works against Equestria. The longer this lasts, the more they can destabilise it. And against an ambush we at least have a counter-plan.”

The last of the pegasi disappeared inside the ring. Spitfire approached next, with Lightbringer close behind.

“One more thing,” she said. “Fluttershy.”

Lightbringer stopped. “What about her?”

Spitfire looked back at him over her shoulder. “During the last battle… Luna is too self-absorbed to notice such things, but I did. Kindness is the anchor of their defence, and it’s important to eliminate her early. What made you hesitate?”

There was a moment of silence. Spitfire slowly turned around to face her companion.

“I don’t hesitate,” said Lightbringer finally. “I always do exactly what I want. And you’re better suited to fighting Kindness. I’ll scatter them and take out whoever I catch. You can take her out yourself, once she’s unprotected.”

“Lightbringer…” growled Spitfire. “We have a battle plan to follow.”

Lightbringer pushed past her towards the portal, bumping her shoulder guard with his side. “And you have a contingency plan for when I don’t follow it, don’t you? Now, let’s get in before the gate closes and we have to fly all the way there.”

***

“Here?” Obsidian pointed his hoof towards the inner sanctum door. The others, gathered around the already prepared circle with their bags, followed his gesture, staring at the ornate door.

“I should've checked it earlier,” continued Obsidian. “I could’ve undone the wards if I had enough time, but I was too busy clearing the rest of the cave, and now… Why here? Of all the places they could’ve put it?”

“You said it yourself, didn’t you?” said Pierce. “It’s a powerful leyline that the Shattered don’t like visiting.”

“That doesn’t explain it,” grumbled Obsidian. “Under their very noses… that’s so reckless!”

“Perhaps they didn’t know?” proposed Twilight.

“That’s true,” said Rarity. “This place had been a secret for centuries, hadn’t it? They probably found some dusty, old book that mentioned the place, but how many ponies ever knew that this was where the Shattered were created?”

“It’s a miracle it worked as long as it did,” said Aurora. “But it won’t work anymore.”

“Is she really inside there?” asked Scootaloo softly. “I mean… Charcoal.”

Aurora just nodded with a sigh, trying not to look at the filly.

“So, what do we do?” asked Applejack, ignoring the exchange. She waved her hooves at the bags gathered around the circle. “We’re ready to go, but if we do-”

“We cannot leave,” said Aurora. “We have to stay and fight.”

“Fight?” asked Sweetie Belle. “But if they know we’re here… they’ll be prepared this time, won’t they?

Rarity gave her a worried look. “She’s right. Last time the fight was really chaotic, and it worked in our favour in the end. But the last time they were fully prepared to face us, we didn’t do so well…”

“Perhaps our situation isn’t quite so hopeless,” said Bluebonnet. “This place is filled with magic, even with the wards that are still in place draining a lot of it. The pattern-based effects will still work here, but their effect will be diminished, while you should find it easier to draw upon your magic.”

“So if we do have to fight them…” replied Twilight.

“This is the best place to do it,” finished Aurora. She then looked at Bluebonnet and Pierce. “Can you two fight the Shattered alongside us?”

“I do have the gun,” replied Pierce, leaning slightly to show the contraption off. “Whether I can survive long enough to get a clear shot is another matter. Dr. Bluebonnet is a non-combatant.”

“We should get her somewhere safe then,” said Twilight. “Along with the children.” She then turned towards Pierce. “I think we could keep you under our barriers… Wait, no. You’d dispel them when shooting.”

“While we’re at it,” said Aurora. “What will happen if you shoot a Shattered with a pattern gun? Will it snuff out their souls?”

She looked at Obsidian, who shrugged. “To that I can honestly say, I have no idea. One one hoof, they have very little life left in them, they should be more vulnerable than anypony else. But then again, they have a degree of control over their power. They could be able to mitigate the effects. Worst case scenario…”

“They might seem destroyed, but then show up again centuries later,” said Bluebonnet. “Or stay immortal, but not sentient, bouncing back into new bodies and causing them to die, over and over until we contain them. Still… eliminating one of them like this could be worth it, if it buys miss Twilight enough time to come up with a truly permanent solution.”

“Hey, let’s think of the important things now,” Interrupted Applejack, “We need to keep the kids safe! And that cave won’t be when we start fighting.”

“She’s right,” said Rarity. “There are a lot of hiding spots here, but when we fought in Canterlot, we nearly levelled the castle. These buildings won’t stand either.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Perhaps we can just send them away to where we were planning to go,” proposed Obsidian. “That would get them out of the way entirely, and the Shattered shouldn’t be able to track their destination.”

“You want us to go without you?” asked Applebloom.

Applejack smiled at her sadly. “We don’t want to, but it might be the best way.” She turned towards Bluebonnet. “Mmm… do you think you could go with them, to keep them safe?”

Bluebonnet considered the question. “That depends on where you’ll be sending us. I can keep an eye on them, but if I have to fight, I don’t know if…”

“They’re here,” said Pinkie suddenly. She had been standing away from the others in silence, as if listening to something only she could hear. Now she was looking towards the main gate. Everypony looked where she was looking, just in time to see Fluttershy flying towards them at full speed.

“They’re here!” shouted Fluttershy. “And they have a dragon!”

“A dragon?” asked Aurora. “What would a dragon…”

There was a loud explosion from the direction of the gatehouse.

Applejack was the quickest to react. “Girls!” she shouted towards the fillies. “Go, hide over there!” She pointed her hoof towards one of the niches to the right, where several houses had been drilled in the rock. “We’ll fight them here!”

The three girls nodded their heads and ran, not wasting a moment on looking back. After a moment of hesitation, Bluebonnet grabbed the bags she had her data in, and followed suit.

Pierce took a look at her and bolted in the opposing direction, towards the nearest house.

“Where are you…” growled Obsidian after him. “They’ve already broken through.” He gazed towards the entrance to the cave, which right at that moment exploded with dust. “They must’ve flown through the blizzard at full speed… form up!”

The Elements were already in a circle behind him, Aurora staying there next to Dash, a multi-layered bubble of defensive spells growing around them. Meanwhile, the cloud in the gateway expanded, and then exploded - the Elements braced themselves as the shock wave washed over their shield.

Then there was a blinding flash of lightning.

“They’re coming!” shouted Obsidian. His staff sprang forward, shooting a burning beam of magic at something only he could see. Winged shapes zipped under the ceiling. The girls regained their eyesight just in time to recognize two Wonderbolt formations, one of them already a pegasus short, aiming to encircle them. There was Luna too, keeping further away as she prepared her attack.

Spitfire was leading the first formation, the air around her roiling as she unleashed another explosion. Twilight reacted by conjuring an extra layer of barriers, this time wide enough to cover Obsidian as well.

“Twitchy Tail!” screamed Pinkie Pie in a warning. Twilight had just enough time to look up, and see Hate plow into the ceiling, causing a huge chunk of rock to come crashing down upon her.

Twilight smirked. “Not this time.” Her barrier pulsed, a crest of magical force extending upward from her bubble, cutting the descending rock clean in two. Six pairs of eyes glowed with one light, and then the cave was filled with rainbow colors.

With Lightbringer out of sight after the first impact, Spitfire was the closest target. The rainbow beam went straight at her, curving to stay on target when she went into a desperate dodge, shaping the air around herself to propel her with unnatural speed and grace. She dodged once, twice, the beam chasing her hitting a group of Wonderbolts who failed to get out of the way, sending three pegasi tumbling to the ground, their faces frozen in surprise as the spell sealed them in blocks of crystal.

A giant beam of silver light struck across the cavern, hitting the Elements’ barrier. Everything was lost in a loud explosion, and the spell unravelled, the last of its power hitting a barrier of rock Spitfire hastily threw behind her as she crash-landed.

Twilight looked around, trying to to reorient herself in the situation. Obsidian was still in front of her, dazed, but kept safe thanks to his own spells, even as the outer bubble unravelled. Then she looked past him, and saw the source of the attack.

A dragon, black with vermillion spots and bigger than a barn, had squeezed his way through the gateway. He was now in the air inside the cave, looking down towards them. And in front of his chest, strapped to him with a huge harness, he hauled the pattern siege engine. He squeezed something at the side of the chassis, and the device came to life again, bathing the entire sanctuary in silvery light that made colors dull and details sharp.

“Watch out!” shouted Twilight, gathering as much power as she could manage in the moment she had left. It wasn’t quite enough. The Elements had overcome the machine before, and now they were far stronger; but the spell that combined all of their powers required precious seconds - seconds they did not have.

Obsidian teleported out of the way. The beam struck the Elements’ force bubble, blew up several layers of it before skidding off and continuing inside the cave, trailing a wide line along the floor before finally hitting the inner sanctum entrance. It broke the protective wards with such force that it blew the ornate metal doors off their hinges.

The Elements pushed, and the rest of their shield expanded forward, cutting off the beam, and pushing it away as the magic gained strength. But in doing so, they made the barrier asymmetrical, creating weaker spots that could be exploited.

The attack came from both sides at once; a blinding stream of lightning from the left, and a wave of rippling rock from the right. Twilight could feel that it was more than mere brute force - the Shattered were pushing their pattern against the barrier to further weaken it. She saw Hate fly towards them, catching a boulder bigger than himself that Spitfire had launched in his path, and driving it in front of him like a ram.

Many things happened at once: the barrier broke, the Elements scattered to avoid Hate crashing down on them. Obsidian’s staff struck the floor beside them, grounding Luna’s lightning long enough for them to get out of the way, but then the pegasi soldiers charged in from all sides. Twilight saw a wing blade flying at her face and desperately teleported when it was an inch from her eyes. The spell, suppressed by the powerful pattern discharge, only took her a couple meters, the beam passing between the Elements as they scattered, Luna’s soldiers barely avoiding its lethal touch.

There was another beam of silver, but it wasn’t directed at her - thinner and more precise, it shot from one of the windows at the side of the cave, and struck the dragon in the side.

The mighty monster gasped, his eyes going blank as the hit dimmed his lifeforce. Suddenly the giant body was many tons of deadweight, the membranous wings laughably small for the task of keeping it aloft. It came down with a crunch of breaking bones, the pattern beam fizzling out as the cannon chassis was crushed beneath the enormous bulk.

Luna turned her attention to where the attack had come from, a blast of magic piercing the stone, collapsing a large part of the wall. Twilight hoped Pierce was able to get out of there on time, but she had no time to think of anypony but herself. The beam was gone, but the magic of the cavern had been distorted, no longer able to suppress pattern as she had hoped. The weapon the Shattered had brought with them had managed to level the playing field, if only for minutes.

A dark-coated body fell at her feet. She flinched away, already forming a personal bubble of shields. The pegasus, his side pierced by Obsidian’s staff, looked vaguely familiar to her. In the corner of her eye, she saw Dash and Aurora high-hoof, coating their bodies in red light, then take to the air together. Pinkie had apparently managed to get Rarity and Fluttershy out of harm’s way, but Applejack was still in the middle of the cave, hind hooves scraping against the stone as she was trying to wrestle Hate to a stop. Twilight was about to help her when the ground around her erupted upwards, stone spikes grabbing her shield bubble tightly. She teleported away and retaliated against Spitfire, her beam only missing because a pair of pegasi soldiers chose that moment to ram into her barrier.

***

Rainbow Dash clenched her teeth to suppress a scream. She had no time to look behind her to confirm, but she knew. The pegasus that had charged her a moment before, that Aurora cut down without hesitation, was Sun Chaser. The dark blue coat couldn’t hide the looks Dash had memorised so long ago. And now she was gone and Dash…

… had no time to think about it. Luna had just avoided a pattern shot headed her way, a teleportation taking her across the cave and closer to Rainbow’s ground bound friends. Dash fell backwards, flipping herself over with a quick flap of the wings, and dove down towards her, narrowly avoiding the other Wonderbolts trying to keep her busy in the air.

There’s only three of them! We need to take them down now!

Twilight had managed to get Arrogance out of the way, forcing her to dedicate her abilities to avoiding harm. Rarity was doing her best to shield Applejack from Luna’s lightning attacks, but missed a Wonderbolt, who managed to slip past, narrowly penetrating Applejack’s barriers to cut a line just above the collar of her armor. Though she wasn’t seriously wounded, she cried out in pain, and lost some traction, Hate instantly pushing her back.

Dash flew over her, holding back her instinct to dive down and help - she had to trust the rest of her friends to help Applejack, while she did her part. She dropped lower with a barrel roll that put her at hoof’s reach from the offending Wonderbolt. She kicked away, doing her best to not recognize the face, then continued her flight horizontally, straight at Luna. Her magic flowed around her face, a reflex not her own forming a protective visor just before the Alicorn exploded with blinding light. Dash kicked again, this time creating blades - she felt herself striking metal, Luna rolling in the air to deflect the hit away, and send Dash flying past her. Dash extended the magic around her wings, recovering instantly, ready to strike from another direction. As she did, she got a brief, upside down view of the battlefield; It seemed Pinkie had managed to produce something slippery under Hate’s hooves - the huge pegasus could still use his power over momentum to make himself immobile, but against Applejack’s magical strength, it wasn’t enough to keep him where he stood without traction.

***

“What’s going on there?” asked Scootaloo, peering through her hooves. She was curled on the floor of a house, with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle at her sides. Dr. Bluebonnet, who was curled closer to the window, raised her head, but did not peer out; there was nothing she could learn that would justify the risk of being seen.

“They’re fighting,” she just said instead.

The cave echoed with another explosion. The fillies shuddered, and huddled closer together. “I wish we could do something to help,” whispered Scootaloo.

“Are you crazy?” whispered back Apple Bloom. “Even if there was something you could do-”

“It would be too dangerous,” said Sweetie Belle, “You can’t do that.”

Lightning flashed, thunder cracked. The ponies cowered.

“It’s not about the danger at all,” said Scootaloo. “It’s never not dangerous. See, they’re all there, risking their lives for us, and we’re just…” A sudden tear appeared in the corner of her eye. “Hiding here and shaking with fear. It shouldn’t be like this! I’m tired of not being able to do anything when my friends are in danger!”

There was an explosion, so close that the shockwave blew in some dust and grit through the door and the windows. Both the girls and Bluebonnet yelped in sudden fright, squeezing into opposite corners of the room. “We’re still too close,” said Bluebonnet, forcing herself back onto her hooves. “We need to find a safer place.”

Slowly, the three fillies rose. Bluebonnet was right.The building they were in wasn’t the safest around, just the furthest they’d managed to get to before all Tartarus broke loose in the main cavern. They hit the ground after the first big explosion and hadn’t risen since.

But the room they were in did have another door, one leading further away. Bluebonnet peered in there, making sure there were no chalk lines indicating any hazardous areas, before pointing the way to the children. “This way.”

Something hit the building directly, somewhere above them. With a deafening noise, the ancient stone walls started to crack and give way. Bluebonnet managed to swipe Apple Bloom with her foreleg, and lunged forward. Scootaloo, who had been the slowest to rise, saw the doorway crack out of shape over Sweetie Belle’s head. Without thinking she pushed, hitting her rump with both front legs, sending her friend rolling forward after Bluebonnet, while causing herself to roll backwards onto her back.

Everything disappeared in swirling dust as the doorway broke down. Scootaloo beat her wings frantically, skidding on her back away from the cave-in.

The wall had been the strongest point of the structure, and when it gave way, most of the ceiling followed. Scootaloo clenched her teeth to not scream in fear, squeezing her eyes shut to protect them from the dust while wishing fervently that she could see through tons of rock and find out if her friends had gotten out safely.

She had just managed to scramble back to her hooves when somepony fell in through the broken ceiling. Scootaloo could only catch a glimpse - the room was a huge pile of rock slabs, with just three feet of space between it and the wall, just where the filly ended up. But she saw a glimpse of orange light atop the pile - Applejack was there, fighting Hate, the two exchanging blows that shook the rubble, making pieces slide down a bit every couple of seconds.

I need to get out of here! thought Scootaloo in a panic. Keeping her head down, she half-crawled along the wall, towards the remains of the broken window. Flapping her wings once to help her jump, she climbed over the window sill. Landing outside, she heard a primal scream from the ruin - perhaps Applejack had realised what building she and Hate had hit. Scootaloo had no more time to think of that - she just ran away from the house, pieces of rubble falling behind her.

She finally stopped, realising that in her panic she started running straight toward the main fight.

Where to go? Scootaloo looked around. The building behind her had collapsed completely; being carved out of rock, it had been superbly stable, but Applejack and Hate had collapsed the top floor, and its weight caused each level to give way in turn. Scootaloo thought of running deeper into that part of the cave, where hopefully her friends had gone, but before she could, the remains of the building exploded, as Hate and Honesty brought their fight back into the open. While Applejack had so far avoided serious injury, it was obvious she was losing the fight.

As Scootaloo turned towards the main cavern, one of the buildings on the opposite side blew up, clouds of dust and smoke bursting through the windows. Spitfire turned around to return to the fight, Aurora, Twilight, and Pinkie chasing her around the cavern, one in flight, the other teleporting, while the last bounced into the air like a rubber ball. On the other side Luna was trying to take part in the fight, but Fluttershy was keeping her in check: supported by Rarity’s magic from the ground, she would follow the alicorn, keeping up with her while keeping her within her pacifying aura, even teleporting to follow her when the princess tried to confuse her.

Obsidian seemed cut away from the fight by a bunch of soldiers, but there were just three of them left, and it didn’t look like they could stop him for long. The last one, a young mare leaving a lightning contrail as she flew, was exchanging blows with Dash, keeping her from rejoining Aurora.

The good news was, the Elements seemed to have an advantage. The bad news was that there didn’t seem to be anywhere to run - in her haste to escape imminent danger, Scootaloo had inadvertently herded herself into the open.

Scootaloo wanted to cry for help, but bit her tongue before she did - attracting attention to her would put her in even more danger. Instead she ducked towards the closest cover - a ridge of stone spikes that had burst from the ground earlier, probably created by Spitfire. It went across the field, but seemed to point in the only direction that didn’t lead towards the fighting, at least as long as she followed it quickly. She crawled alongside it, eyeing nervously the cavern wall on the other side. The house across the cave was still smoking from the explosion, but there was a small branch of the cave next to it, partially obscured by large crystal formations. If she could get in there before another big blast hits the floor, she would be safe… relatively. She started crawling forward, doing her best to stay behind the stone spikes, hoping that those fighting in the air would be too busy to look in her direction. She fell flat on her belly when a loud explosion sounded overhead. She couldn’t linger there.

She was near the end of the ridge now, preparing for a desperate run towards the cover of crystals. She looked around to see if the moment was right, and saw something she did not expect. The inner temple… the door is open!

Scootaloo’s brain, so far focused on getting to cover alive, ground to a halt. The door is open. That means the spells are broken, doesn’t it? They can get in now, and if they find Vengeance, she’ll be free! I have to do something, but what? She looked up, at Dash, who had just got rid of her opponent and joined the fight against Spitfire. What would…?

The conversations of the previous days replayed in her mind, distorted snippets of her friends begging her not to put herself in danger. They’d be sad without me. I don’t want to be like Minty. Or… was Charcoal like Minty? She felt her jaw clench. I can’t stay here! I need to move now, and… somepony has to make sure!

She got up to her hooves and ran, as fast as she could, but not towards safety. She dashed through the open field between the ridge and the doorway, leapt over the threshold and skidded to a halt on the dusty stone floor inside.

The round chamber was surprisingly cold and silent - it almost seemed like the sounds of the fierce battle outside were muffled despite the open doorway. Scootaloo stopped, her confidence that she was doing the right thing melting away rapidly. The black diamond was there, on the dais in the middle of the room, just like Twilight and Aurora had described, its red glow illuminating the whole chamber in blood-colored halo. The four alicorn statues cast sinister shadows over the back wall. And around the dais… Scootaloo shuddered. There were bones, crumbled remains still dressed in what had been ceremonial robes, but would become clouds of dust at the slightest touch.

Swallowing loudly, Scootaloo approached the dais. There was one skeleton different than the others, right in her path. A pegasus skeleton with still visible outlines of black feathers. Suddenly the filly was sure she wasn’t alone in the sanctum. There was nothing to be seen… or was there? The dust, disturbed by Scootaloo’s breath, seemed to draw shapes in the air, as if outlining something invisible and elusive. With every step she took, the filly experienced a sensation of being watched. She carefully stepped between the bones, and looked close at the diamond.

“Uh… is anypony here?” she risked. There was no reply. Scootaloo reared, putting her front hooves at the edge of the stone. She felt a jolt of power that made the hair on her back stand on end, but nothing more dramatic happened. She looked around once again. Just then something exploded just outside the door, the wind disturbing the bones, and filling the sanctum with swirling dust. Scootaloo clenched her mouth shut to stop herself from a coughing fit. “I’m very sorry, but it’s not safe here anymore. I need to take it,” she whispered, and then grabbed the gem with her teeth.

***

Applejack was in pain, and her bleeding was only a part of it. When it turned out the Shattered were trying to divide them, she volunteered to keep Hate busy, so that the others could turn their enemies’ plan against them by ganging up on Arrogance. She was doing a good job of it too, until Hate managed to surprise her by breaking the ground beneath their feet, launching Applejack and himself into a house at the edge of the battlefield.

As they crashed through wall after wall, Applejack realised that this was the house Apple Bloom and her friends had run off to. Were they crushed under tons of rock? She couldn’t tell, and Hate wasn’t going to let her find out. She could not see his face under the helmet, but she could feel he relished her suffering, mercilessly exploiting her distraction. Applejack knew, with certainty that only the power of Honesty could give her, that Hate wanted her broken, in despair, and then dead.

Another blow broke through her shoulder pad, bringing him closer to his goal. She could match him in pure strength and durability - even without the fancy tricks others had learned, the awakened Element granted her immense raw power. But Hate was both more experienced and more vicious, the greatest expert in the world in breaking pony bones. And she could not focus properly on fighting him, not when every fiber of her being screamed at her to abandon the fight and search through the rubble for Apple Bloom.

The shoulder pad flew through the air, landing on the ground with a rattle. Applejack had managed to move out of the way enough to avoid a dislocated joint or torn tendons, but the edge of Hate’s hoof still managed to rip through her magic and her hide, leaving behind a bleeding gash. She jumped away, turned, and bucked, sending two spectral horseshoes flying at him - they managed to dent his armor, but not enough to even slow him down. He pounced, forcing Applejack to jump out of the way, her body protesting painfully at the vigorous movement. Then he laughed, a horrible low sound distorted by his helmet into something that sounded like the noise of breaking metal.

Applejack tried to strike him again, but he met her head-on with a blow of his own, then swung his wings inward, trying to box her ears; she barely got out of the way, the tips of the tattered feathers swatting her with the force of metal bars. She saw the next attack coming, but had no time for anything but a desperate block - her spectral armor became a tight ball, and the kick that would have compressed her ribcage sent her flying instead. She was aware of hitting a wall; something collapsed around her, and her shield went out. She looked around in a daze, trying to find somepony who could help her. Her gaze found Rarity across the cave from her - the tailor was using her powers to support Fluttershy. But as Applejack focused on her face, she saw the matching expression of despair - she too had seen the building collapse.

Hate pounced again, intent on catching Applejack against the rock behind her back. In response, the floor erupted in spikes - they broke uselessly against the pegasus’ armor, his pattern aura nullifying the magic that hardened their tips, but they did slow him enough for Applejack to roll out of the way.

“Focus!” shouted Obsidian, following his first spell with a charge, a spear tip of crackling energy forming at the end of his staff. Hate saw him coming, and managed to dislodge himself from the wall just in time - he jumped out of the way, and then came crashing down, breaking the floor underneath into a fan of stone shrapnel.

“Tie him up like last time!” shouted Applejack, as Obsidian dodged the shot by turning into a cloud of blue smoke. But Hate wasn’t having any of that; he charged in, kicking Obsidian’s staff away, and then followed up with a kick after kick, forcing him to dodge back into cloud form whenever he was about to reform. Then Applejack saw a splatter of blood appear out of nowhere, when Hate punched through the cloud.

He’s hurting him! she realised to her horror, He’s breaking the spell somehow.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she charged back into combat.

***

Gloria transformed the air behind her. The explosion threw off her pursuers while propelling her forward, but there was only so much she could do with hydrogen. In the corner of her eye she could see her companions tied up in their respective battles. Lightbringer was winning his fight, and clearly having fun, but Absinthe was unable to fight at all, and getting more frustrated by the minute.

We cannot let them play their game here, she thought. Twice already had Pinkie Pie almost got her tangled in streamers. She seemed to have gotten rid of the traitor Pierce, but with her retinue already eliminated, that still left her one against four; Twilight kept following her persistently despite all the attacks sent her way, and the duo of Aurora and Dash were keeping constant pressure on her. Sharing Loyalty between the two of them, they lacked the power to face the likes of Lightbringer, but Gloria wasn’t nearly as durable as him - Eve’s upgrades made her stronger and tougher than an ordinary pony, but not nearly to the level magic was capable of. She had to rely on her powers to stop or nullify attacks, and on her magic-resistant composite armor to stop those that got through.

And right now it was not enough. The two pegasi flew at her from opposite sides, leaving her too little space to form an explosion, or even dodge - she ended twisting awkwardly in the air, flying between them, while trying to deflect both at once. Dash was easier to defend from, though she struck harder. Aurora… Gloria felt the pain as a spectral blade trailing the tips of Aurora’s wing slid over her armor, clipping some feathers as only a last second turn prevented her from losing the whole wing at the joint.

The was close, she thought as she went into a spin, leaving behind a cloud of nitric acid to force her pursuers apart. She could have… no, she could have struck the neck if she wanted. She had enough of a window. Why would she try to cripple and not kill? The answer was obvious. They are not trying to kill me. They are setting me up for a sealing spell.

She needed a solution, and fast. The attack did cost her some maneuverability, and Twilight was already neutralizing the acid. Gloria flew up, under the ceiling, causing a line of stalactites to emerge behind her, forcing Rainbow Dash to expend her magic on crashing through them, as she was too fast to stop her own momentum.

She needed a second to think of a plan.

Centuries of battles flashed before her mind’s eye, strategies she had tested and rehearsed in the past with the other Shattered. She looked around the battlefield, and the right solution clicked into place. She avoided one more spell from Twilight, and turned upside down in the air, her hooves briefly hitting the ceiling, as she transformed a long line of rock above her.

“LUNA! Indirect bombardment!” she shouted at the top of her lungs.

Their eyes met, just a couple subtle moves needed to pass the information about positioning. Luna flew towards Rarity, then up, as Fluttershy followed her again, keeping her away from the battle. Gloria couldn’t see the rest of it because right at that moment Pinkie caught up with her again, a toy pig snout across her face snorting in Gloria’s next cloud of gas before she could detonate it. They collided in the air, and Gloria had little choice but to follow the impact, launching her away until she realised she was being pulled back - a long string of bubble gum connected her chest plate to the Element of Laughter.

“Not good enough,” she growled, and flew up, two sheets of rock erupting from the ceiling like giant scissors, cutting the tether off, and shielding her from a salvo of glowing rings that Twilight had shot at her to tie her up.

Meanwhile, Luna had got into position. She could not attack anypony directly with even her cold mind affected by the power of Kindness. But she could overcome the effect to small extent, and that was all Gloria’s setup needed to work. A thin line of lightning struck the ceiling. Luna flew aside, switching to magic to project a protective bubble around herself, as a part of the ceiling exploded, the rocks that had been dislodged from their positions by Hate's first charge coming down.

Pinkie saw it coming first. Gloria saw her grab Twilight, and push her out of the way. The others weren’t quite that fast. Aurora and Dash managed to swerve out of the way, despite the sudden shock wave that hit them. But Fluttershy and Rarity hadn’t expected a successful attack from Luna. Fluttershy managed to shield herself, but her hastily erected bubble only barely stopped the falling rocks, knocking her out of the air, and making her barrier bounce like a rubber ball, with the frightened pegasus tumbling inside, until she rolled to the ground, stunned, her aura of peace flickering out. On the ground, Rarity had to break the link that supplied her friend with power, instead forming a tiled roof of barriers to try to stop the tons of rock falling over her. She strained, but just before the shield gave way, Aurora flew underneath it, swiping the unicorn along as she passed her.

That is better.

Gloria wasted no time. With everypony else distracted, either rescuing their friends or being rescued, she could focus her attention on Rainbow Dash. The swirling dust in the air rose towards the pegasus, the power of Arrogance transforming the silicon into tiny glass shards. Rainbow’s eyes were protected, but for one breath she was taken by surprise, inhaling the irritant, which sent her into a coughing fit.

Lightning flashed behind Gloria, casting bizarre shadows across the cavern, the thunder booming deafeningly. No longer restrained by Kindness, Luna rejoined the battle with her full power, strands of electricity lashing towards her foes. One struck towards Fluttershy, breaking through her remaining defenses as she was trying to get up, and sending her reeling. The other struck at Aurora, who barely blocked it, and then arced aside towards Rarity, forcing her to hide behind her shields again.

Gloria caused another rock to fall from the ceiling at Dash, then, when the still coughing pegasus swerved to dodge it, flew into her , kicking her in the chest with her front legs. As the magic and pattern collided, the defensive spells on the armor were dispelled and the chest plate broke apart; Gloria couldn’t transform it into jagged shards as she liked to do, but she did manage to send Rainbow Dash falling. She followed her, forming a maw of stalagmite teeth where the pegasus was about to hit the ground.

Something washed over her, making her head spin, a wave of magic that didn’t originate from any of her opponents. It came from the center of the mountain, from behind the broken doors of the inner sanctum. She could see the world around her gain color, and lose its edges, and she could feel her powers wane rapidly.

They’re all here! What did they do?

A cupcake flew through the air, falling inside the stone maw. Against all logic, it closed, and started chewing, Rainbow Dash bouncing off the front of its teeth. On the other side of the cave, there was a loud explosion, the duo of Obsidian and Applejack somehow pushing Hate off his feet and into a wall. Rarity erupted with a purple halo, her magic stretching in thick strands to reach Aurora, who rapidly accelerated, colliding with Luna.

This is bad. The balance has shifted sharply towards magic. Should we retreat?

Her brain filled with calculations. It seemed that, overwhelming as it felt at the first moment, the current level of magic was just the cave’s ambient aura. It wasn’t a magical attack - something had been blocking all this energy and must have been removed. Have they planned it? she thought, To draw us in and spring the trap when we thought we had the advantage? Unlikely. If they had, they wouldn't have waited so long to do it. There must be a factor at play here that is beyond their control. Is this the mysterious ally supporting them that I have hypothesized about? I must know.

While she was thinking, she didn’t stop fighting for a second, reflexes honed through millennia guiding her out of harm’s way. A ring of force closed around her, but she managed to disrupt the spell before it could ensnare her. She clashed with Rainbow Dash again, causing a burst of freezing air to ice over her visor, then buck her in the face just as she reflexively dismissed the outer layer of barriers to clear it. She followed with a cloud of flammable gas, but Pinkie dispersed it with a giant paper fan before it could be detonated.

Gloria flew straight at her, dodging an ice blast from Twilight in the process, but as she struck with her front hooves, she already knew she had missed - the blow only shattered a wooden cutout of Pinkie.

How is she so powerful?, she thought, she should not be able to operate on this level without awakening. She is thwarting my every effort. Is there something I have missed?

Behind her, there was another clash. Fluttershy was unconscious, but Rarity did a good job protecting her from getting finished off, while Aurora engaged Luna in close combat, boosted by Generosity’s power.

She only has one serious opponent to face, thought Gloria. If she eliminates just one of the two, the other will not be a challenge. With her access to magic, she is not as hampered here as I am. She could get rid of all three of them, as long as nopony else interrupts. In that case…

She dove down towards the floor, trailing a stream of gas behind her, before setting it on fire. Dash managed to get out of the way with a barrel roll, staying on target. Gloria tapped the floor with her hoof in a fly-by, causing two rock pillars to shoot out of the ground; one that got in the way of Twilight’s spell, the other shooting out at an angle to knock away Pinky's anvil that was about to fall on Gloria’s head. She swerved, flying low and using rubble as cover. With her three opponents chasing her, she headed straight to the inner sanctum, flying through the doorway at full speed, before flying up to get a bird’s eye view of the chamber.

The sanctum had changed little since she last visited it. The passage of ages couldn’t really do much to deteriorate the stone statues, ancient even before her time. The one thing that did change was a ring of crumbling pony bones scattered over the floor, and a conspicuously empty dais in the middle. Something had been placed here, she thought, and then it was removed. Was it a sealing ritual? That would reroute some of the magic here, and once the binding was broken, it would be released.

She had no more time to analyse. Dash flew into the sanctum, a burst of magic shielding her from the spikes that erupted from the doorway like wicked teeth, then Twilight teleported in, her battle-ready expression melting into panic as she surveyed the room.

“The gem!” she shouted, “It’s gone!”

Dash stared at the dais, then at Gloria. “We won’t let you take it!”

I didn’t, Gloria almost said aloud. What is she talking about? Who could be sealed here that Twilight would be so panicked about?

The realisation of the obvious answer hit her like a physical blow. Here!? Of all the places? How could we have missed it? How did the rebels know about the sanctuary? We had destroyed all the historical-

The pie appeared out of nowhere. Gloria tried to shape the air to deflect it at the last second, but it was charged with too much magic. It hit her face, and for a moment her whole world became custard.

“Now! Seal her!” she heard Pinkie Pie scream. She reached around to shield herself, but the magical mess sliding down her face dulled her pattern senses. She managed to feel the floor underneath, but before she could form it into a shield, Dash sprang forward, and tackled her into a wall. She pushed away with her hooves, freeing herself for a moment, but a beam of magic hit her before she could recover.

How are they doing this? she thought in sudden disbelief, as two more beams converged on her. Is this place making them so powerful? None of these three is even awakened yet…

There was a brief moment where she shook the custard from her eyes, and saw a large, yellow topaz floating in front of her chest. Then her world started to fold upon itself.

***

Aurora was flying faster and faster. Luna was growing more frustrated by the second. Of course she was fighting alone against the two, but neither of them had access to their full power, while she had a superior alicorn body with the power to shift between magic and pattern. They should have been dead by now, and yet, she was still being opposed, Rarity standing over Fluttershy, shielding the both of them, while Aurora kept up with Luna in the air.

Luna split into mirror images, but Aurora followed her unerringly. Then she used a blast of light to blind and burn her, but Aurora used her magic to turn her barrier mirror-like. Luna turned to swing at her, a coruscating line of lightning extending from the tip of her horn, but Aurora weaved around it, returning the attack with an energy blade of her own forming at the tip of her wing, forcing the princess in turn into a desperate dodge.

“A thousand years, and you haven’t any new tricks!” jeered Aurora, striking a blow after blow while Luna blocked.

“I’ll show you a new trick,” growled Luna in return. She shifted her body’s balance towards magic, and teleported from the corner Aurora had driven her into, across the cave, coming up behind Rarity.

She could see Aurora turning around, rushing back towards her, but she couldn’t possibly make it in time. The Shattered charged in, shifting modes again, Rarity’s protective barrier popping like a soap bubble at the touch of her horn.

Rarity and Fluttershy weren’t there. The princess was briefly surrounded by scattered pieces of images, as if she had just broken a huge mirror.

“Where are you?” she turned around. Now that she knew of the trick, she could feel the true source of magic concealed against the background magic of the cave, two faint sources of electricity that she knew were neural systems. Rarity wasn’t standing very far - indeed she might not have moved at all, instead using illusions to play a perspective trick.

Luna could feel Aurora approach, but not soon enough to avoid her. She only had the time to project a simple barrier when the angry pegasus collided with her in an explosion of light colored like her namesake. The shield was broken, and Luna was sent tumbling, finally coming to a stop in a pile of rubble. She tried to get up, but Aurora rammed her again before she could reestablish her shields.

She could see Rarity standing in the distance, radiating more power to help the former Element of Loyalty. Further in the distance Obsidian and Applejack had managed to bind Lightbringer, wrapping him in ropes of living light that slowed him down until they finally dragged him down to the ground. She blocked a hoof blade coming her way, only for it to emit a pulse of magic on impact, disrupting her own magic before she could teleport - no running away for the next couple of seconds. She struck back, forcing Aurora away with whipping strands of lightning, Then the entrance of the inner sanctum erupted with multicolored light.

A sealing spell?

Luna froze, staring wide-eyed. The next blow from Aurora hit her in the chest, breaking the gorget of her armor, and sending her to the ground again. Her response was a surprised yelp. She came to a stop, and gazed up into Aurora’s eyes, a soft and confused expression on her face. “Aurora… is that you?” she stammered.

The next blow didn’t come. Aurora threw her wings wide, stopping her momentum, and came to a halt at hoof’s reach, staring at the Moon Princess.

“A… Aquila?” she gasped in disbelief.

A blade of lightning extended from Luna’s horn, piercing the battered armor and sinking into Aurora’s chest.

“No,” said Luna. “I told you she was gone, you moron.”

Then her horn exploded with lightning, filling the cavern with blinding light. A stream of energy washed over Aurora’s body, then arced towards Rarity, catching her off guard and overcoming her defenses.

Luna lunged, coming back to her hooves in a flash, her customized neural system ignoring the pain signals as she pushed her damaged body to the limit. She could hear Obsidian curse loudly as he abandoned his attempts to capture Lightbringer alive, driving a glowing spear his staff had turned into through the restrained pegasus before rushing towards her, disappearing in a puff of blue smoke.

Not fast enough.

Luna rammed into Rarity. The unicorn was still stunned - she reflexively wrapped herself in multifaceted shields, diverting the lightning blade away from her vital spots, and cutting it off before it could fry her, but it still went through her shoulder, sending her reeling in pain. Luna landed where Rarity had stood. She could feel the spell that had been barring her from teleporting had already unravelled. As Obsidian appeared above her, swinging to strike, the alicorn grinned triumphantly, and reached down.

***

Seconds later, Twilight, Dash, and Pinkie Pie emerged from the inner sanctum. They found Obsidian fuming with anger, Applejack screaming her head off as she searched frantically through the far end of the ruins, and Rarity shocked and injured, sitting over Aurora's smoking body.

“Aurora!” screamed Dash, flying to her side, slowing down and slumping to the ground as it dawned on her what she was seeing. “What…” she started weakly, her ears dropping.

“It was Envy,” explained Obsidian. “She tricked her, injured Rarity, and escaped.” He turned angrily towards the exit. “More importantly…”

Rarity swallowed a sob. “Fluttershy… she took Fluttershy.”

Chapter 47: The Wake

Author's Note

It took longer than expected, but there you have it. :twilightblush:

As always, any comments are appreciated.

Also, a shoutout to Mindblower for introducing me to that song back in the original Envy and Arrogance.

Chapter 47: The Wake

"Apple Bloom!" screamed Applejack at the top of her lungs. Her body ached all over, eyes stinging from the dust that had gotten around her barriers, but she didn't even notice. Her little sister was there somewhere. Or perhaps not anymore, an incessant thought repeated inside her head.

She turned around, scanning the ruins, when her ear caught a faint noise, a voice that wasn't just a distorted echo of her own screams. Her ears swivelled towards the source; one of the houses cut in the cave wall further back, nearly spared from the destruction of the battle.

"Over here!" The voice was weak, as if the pony calling was out of breath, or struggling with something. Applejack rushed in that direction, her enchanted hooves moving deftly over the rubble.

The house had only suffered a single hit – a boulder sent flying in the fight struck the front, caving in a part of the wall just above the front door. There was now a stone slab resting across the entrance, slowly leaning in. Behind it, there was some audible movement.

"Sis!" called Apple Bloom from inside.

"Apple Bloom!" yelled Applejack. She moved closer to the slab, then stopped, unsure what to do. Her sister was in there, alive, which was an enormous relief, but also clearly scared. And Applejack was on the wrong side of the obstacle to push it away.

"I... can't hold it much longer..." called Bluebonnet from the other side.

Applejack had to act quickly. She looked at the stone. There was not enough space between its edge and the wall to grab it with her teeth. Could she just break it? She was sure she could, but that would send the pieces towards the ponies behind it and... She looked up. There didn't seem to be any more rubble resting on top, so at least not much risk of a further cave-in.

What to do? "Just give me a second!" Applejack called out loud. She looked behind her, but all of her friends who could be of help were across the cave, and out of her sight. She turned towards the slab and tried to project tendrils to grab it with. The constructs wiggled in the air, but then wilted away. Applejack supressed a word her grandma would have scolded her for using. Why do they make it look so easy? I need to try something else. She looked at her legs, reared, and put her front hooves on the slab. A spell she had been using to keep her footing during the battle was just an extension of her earth pony powers. It didn't need to reach far out of her body. As soon as she felt her hooves stick to the smooth stone, Applejack tensed and pulled. The slab gave way, a little too abruptly. She found herself tumbling backwards, pulling the stone over herself. "I'm okay, I'm okay!" she called from underneath. "Get over me and out, quick!"

She felt some weight shifting over her, once, two, three times. Over the edge of the slab, she could see the shapes of three ponies leaving the building. Once she was sure nopony else was coming, she breathed in, and pushed. She held her breath as the stone fell off her, sending dust flying everywhere. Then she rolled to her side and got up, leaving the ruin before anything more could collapse.

Outside, Apple Bloom, Bluebonnet, and Sweetie Belle were sitting in a small opening, catching their breaths. Applejack barely recognized them, their coats grey with dust, dark trails on their faces, where it was caked with tears. Something clicked in her head.

"Scootaloo!" she called aloud. "Where is she?!"

Bluebonnet stared at her, eyes huge and tearful. "We didn't get far enough. Not nearly far enough. I shouldn't have stopped..."

The fillies at her side just looked aside towards the huge pile of rubble where their original hideout had been, their lips trembling too much to say anything. Applejack paled, her eyes following theirs.

"No... it can't be..."

She ran towards the collapsed building. By the time she and Hate had finished fighting there, the whole cave wall had gone down, leaving only a solid rock wall with stumps of the floors and the walls lining its surface. Underneath there was a mass of stone pieces, some two floors tall.

She swallowed loudly, trying not to let her mouth say aloud what was going through her head. If she really is underneath all this, there is no way in Equestria she'd be... What do I do? Should I dig through this, or...

She didn't turn back to look at the ponies behind her. She was supposed to be the strong one now, the one who knew what to do. If only I had Winona with me... Applejack blinked. That was it. It wasn't much, but it was something she could try. She took a deep breath and imagined her dog, her build, her movements. She imagined how her animal best friend perceived her surroundings. She let the magic flow into her face, and suddenly her perception widened.

Applejack had always had a good sense of smell; it was natural for ponies in general, though she had never got it to the level of Pinkie Pie. Now the world was different, the smells painting a picture around her, pointing her to hundreds of things at once. She could smell the three ponies behind her, all the different kinds of dust filling the cave, her own blood drying slowly on her fur where she had been wounded. But there was no sign of another pony anywhere nearby.

Where is she? Applejack moved forward, pushing her nose between the slabs of stone. She expected to smell blood, perhaps lots of it. But there were just splatters from her fight with Hate, and beyond that, just stone.

"Move back," she said over her shoulder, before digging her hooves into the pile and pulling, pieces of rubble larger than herself falling out of her way.

She did it once, twice, three times, pushing through the rubble like a machine, holding her breath until the dust settled, and then sniffing again. There was nothing. Where are you? she thought, a heavy clump growing in her stomach. You can't just be gone. Or can you? Could you have got out? If only I hadn't let Hate throw me this way. I was supposed to keep you all safe...

***

"What did you say?"

Obsidian glared at Twilight, his face twisted in a mix of anger and disbelief.

"The gem is gone," repeated Twilight. "This is what gave us the extra power in the fight – somepony had taken Vengeance away from her spot, and the sealing spells ended."

Obsidian looked around angrily. "But they didn't even know she was here, did they? Or had they get tired of her madness and pretended not to know? Who took it?"

"We don't know," threw Rainbow Dash angrily over her shoulder. She was sitting over Aurora's body, muttering under her breath.

"There was only Arrogance there, and we got her sealed," explained Pinkie, pulling a bright yellow gem out of her mane.

"So, that leaves... who?" Obsidian turned around, as if his glare could force an answer to reveal itself. "There are only three of them left if you trust Guilt. They wouldn't risk taking Deception with them, and the rest of these are just lackeys! Fodder!" His staff swung around, and a snaking stream of blue flame shot across the cave, hitting the nearest dead Wonderbolt. The flame clung to the body, incinerating it in seconds before jumping to another.

"What are you doing!?" yelled Rarity, momentarily distracted from her shock and grief.

"Cleaning," answered Obsidian. "Now, think hard. Was there anypony else? Where is that... unicorn that came with Guilt?"

"I... I think he was in that house over there," answered Twilight weakly, looking at a half ruined building across the cave.

Obsidian followed her gaze, and his eyes glowed blue for a moment. He inhaled deeply. "He's still there. Alive, but barely. Find him," he barked towards Rarity. "Is there anything else? Does any of you remember anything at all?"

Rarity got up, and rushed towards the ruins, yelping in sudden fright as the incinerating flame jumped onto a body she was running past.

Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Pinkie looked towards Obsidian. "I... I think I remember seeing somepony," started Rainbow Dash after a moment's pause. "I was in the air, and I only saw it in the corner of my eye, but somepony ran in there just before Arrogance..." She furrowed her brow in focus, and suddenly her eyes went wide. "Scootaloo!"

"What!?" said Pinkie and Twilight together.

Behind them, the dragon's body burst into blue flame.

Obsidian closed his eyes, and looked towards the sanctum. "The pegasus filly? Why would she do that?"

"Perhaps she thought she was helping?" proposed Pinkie Pie.

"She kind of was," answered Twilight. "But where is she now?"

Obsidian sighed. "If it really was her, she wouldn't have the means to go far. She's probably skulking somewhere. I'll look for her, while you gather everypony here. We need to decide our course of action.” He turned around to walk away, but a wisp of Twilight's magic grabbed him by the shoulder.

"First, stop this thing," she demanded, pointing at the flame – it had already consumed the dragon, unable to incinerate it completely, but leaving behind a giant pile of charred bone.

"Why?" asked Obsidian.

"Because this is no garbage disposal," answered Twilight. "These were ponies."

"Enemies, mostly," replied Obsidian. "And now they are no more. These are just empty shells, and I don't want them to be a distraction.

"Mostly?" Twilight gave him a look of shock. "Were you going to do it to Aurora too?"

"Nothing abnormal about it," said Obsidian. "Back in my time-"

"Not like this," growled Rainbow Dash, landing in front of Obsidian. "Whatever they did in your time, I'm sure it wasn't like this." She opened her wing for emphasis, pointing at the few bodies that were still left. "And also... these are not enemies. Not villains. These are brave ponies who got duped into fighting against us. If you forget it, you're no better than the Shattered."

Obsidian's staff twitched. Dash stepped back, instinctively taking a defensive stance, but a blow did not come. Obsidian huffed through the nostrils, and the magical flame went out. "Have it your way then. You can haul them to the catacombs yourself later. Right now, make sure everypony else is here. I'll go look for our missing filly."

***

"What have I gotten myself into?"

Scootaloo was sitting in the darkness, shaking from the cold. Whatever spells Obsidian had cast in the main cave did not reach here, to the tunnels beneath the inner sanctum where the young pegasus had run in search for a hiding place. Now she was skulking in an empty space between two stone statues, the black diamond underneath her hooves casting sinister shades with its red light.

She looked up at the shadows on the walls, and shuddered. She instinctively covered the gemstone with her hooves. Now it didn't cast as much light, allowing her to be unseen, and preventing her from seeing too much of her surroundings – long lines of solemn-looking statues and name plates, obviously marking graves in an underground cemetery – but if she covered it completely, it would leave her in pitch black, cold darkness. She knew she would panic if that happened.

As she listened for the sounds of further battle above, she allowed herself to return to the memory of what had happened when she removed the gem from its dais. Suddenly, there was a feeling like a stretched rubber band releasing, and the filly was thrown away, the stone slipping from her mouth and flying across the room. There was power that was released, so obvious even a pegasi could feel its magnitude, despite it casting little light – it washed over her as it filled first the sanctum and then the cave. She remembered herself screaming in fright, first at the discharge of raw power, then at the guardians of the gem, now briefly visible, gaunt figures outlined by the flowing magic, who looked at her sadly before being blown away, their centuries-long vigil finally at an end.

"Forgive me, Charcoal," whispered Scootaloo. "I shouldn't have taken it."

She looked down at the gem.

"What was I thinking? Now I'm stuck here, and if Rainbow Dash and her friends lose, I won't even have a way out of here. I'll... freeze here."

She felt tears forming in her eyes. She didn't know what was going on anymore. Did her friends make it? Did Rainbow Dash? Was the battle won, or would she spend the rest of her short life hiding here, waiting for the cold to exhaust her, or the Shattered to find her? That spell was supposed to hide Vengeance, so she wouldn't be found, wasn't it? Or was it to hold her trapped?

Slowly, Scootaloo lifted a hoof, and looked at the gemstone. It was big, the size of a tangerine, and intricately cut, its own red light reflecting through its facets, making it seem bigger on the inside, like a tiny hall of mirrors. It was slightly warmer than its surroundings, and for a moment, Scootaloo was convinced that it was glowing slightly stronger than when it was resting on the dais.

She looked again. Indeed, the light had got a bit stronger, irregular lines of red marking the otherwise black surfaces of the gem. These almost look like... cracks? Has the spell grown so weak?

She looked closer, almost pushing her nose to the gem. There was something there she could feel now. She couldn't put her hoof on it, but there was a feeling of wrongness emanating from the gem, a cold that had nothing to do with the temperature in the crypt, a feeling that made her skin crawl. Suddenly panicking, she fought the urge to throw the gemstone away from her.

Is she breaking out? What do I do? Do I go for help? Where? Should I keep hiding down here? Or drop it and run to the exit? Oh, why did I take it!?

Something swooshed past. Scootaloo screamed, no longer able to control herself.

A tendril of blue smoke wrapped around her mouth, muffling her piercing shriek. She fell backwards, as more smoke coalesced in front of her, taking a form of a pony with the gem underneath his hoof.

"There you are," said Obsidian. "Quit screaming." His staff appeared beside him, illuminating the tunnel with its runes. Obsidian leaned low, staring at the gemstone. "It took them too long to properly contain it," he muttered. "She's almost ready to break free. But I can remedy that, for a while at least." He focused on the gem, streams of blue light flowing from him into its surface until the red light dimmed. He then levitated it in front of himself, and turned to leave.

As he took a couple of steps down the corridor, he stopped and looked back. Scootaloo was still where she'd been dropped, with her back to the wall and eyes wide. Obsidian sighed. "Get up and come with me. You've had more luck than brains to take the gem, but it turned out in our favour in the end. Now, put yourself together and follow me. You'll freeze here if you stay."

***

"How is he?" asked Applejack with worry.

They were all gathered in the middle of the main cavern, the place where their teleportation circle had been, now turned into a maze of deep gashes and stone spikes. Pierce was on the ground, wrapped in some blankets they had managed to salvage from under the rubble, Rarity, Pinkie, Dash, and Twilight focusing their powers together to heal his wounds.

"He'll live," replied Bluebonnet with a sigh. "He's suffered some severe burns in addition to the injuries from the explosion, but we have more than enough magic to keep him stable, and hasten recovery. Sadly, since he's not an Element, he's not as conductive to their magic, and with Kindness... missing, we don't have our full potential in healing. There is magic aplenty here, just not enough tools for using it as we'd like."

"Meaning?" asked Applejack again.

Bluebonnet lowered her gaze. "There will be scars. Your friends saved his eyes, but some of his fur won't grow back. Perhaps if I had access to my lab... but that's out of the question right now."

She turned to look at Pierce, who stirred with a groan. He lied for a moment with his eyes close, then decided it was not worth it to try to get up. He just turned his head a bit, looking at Bluebonnet with the one eye that wasn't bandaged over.

"The gun... needs work," he croaked.

"Quickly, water," said Bluebonnet, turning to the fillies. Apple Bloom stepped forward with a canteen of water, pulled it open with her teeth, and slowly lowered it next to Pierce's face. He grabbed it with his lips, and drank a couple small sips, before pushing it away.

"How are you feeling?" asked Bluebonnet, leaning over him.

He closed his eye, tried to take a deep breath, and shuddered painfully. "I... can feel my body. I'm not in shock. Magical healing? I'll live, but it will take time." He opened his eye, and looked at her again. "You... ve, been crying. Over me?"

Bluebonnet looked at her own nose, still covered with dust. "N... no. Not over you. I mean..." she broke off, clearly not sure how to end the sentence. "Not just you."

Pierce slowly released a breath. "Who did we lose?" he was talking in a whisper, but much more clearly and lucidly than at the beginning.

Bluebonnet sat down next to him. "Aurora. They captured Fluttershy too. And... for a moment I thought we lost Scootaloo, but she turned out okay."

"What about... them?" asked Pierce. Around him, Applejack joined her friends' effort to cure him, the five now bathing him in a steady wave of soft light.

"Luna escaped," replied Bluebonnet. "We managed to seal Arrogance, and... everyone else fell in battle."

"We have a couple of soldiers sealed over there too," added Applejack, pointing her hoof at the side of the cave, where several Wonderbolts stood encased in blocks of crystal. "What about them?"

"I'm not sure," answered Twilight. "It was an accident. But they don't seem conscious, just sort of kept in stasis. What do we do with them?"

"I say we leave them here," said Rainbow Dash. "They'd fight us if we released them, but they're not bad guys. If you say this spell is holding them without hurting them, let's just have them sit this one out."

Pierce took a slow, deep breath, much less painful than the last one. "Where's Obsidian?"

"Off to the Void Passage," answered Pinkie Pie. "He's trying to find where they took Fluttershy."

"If Hate is dead, and Arrogance is sealed, that would be a good moment to counter-attack," whispered Pierce. "I don't think I could go with you though."

"Focus on recovering for now," said Bluebonnet. "We're in no shape to fight anymore today either. Especially you," she added, turning towards Applejack. "You should be resting."

"I'll rest when my job is done," answered Applejack, though she did sit down next to Pierce. "We heal up, then I'll rest." She looked down on Pierce. "We picked your gun from the ruins, but it looks busted."

"It's nothing that can't be fixed," answered Pierce. "But we've no more ammo. I used up most of it, and had to dump the rest to escape. Pre-charged pattern batteries seem like a good idea, but I can't teleport with them. You could've warned me."

Bluebonnet turned red. "I... I didn't know it would be an issue," she stuttered.

"That's because you don't fight," said Pierce. "First rule for shooting from a hiding spot: Don't shoot twice from the same position. I had to relocate on hoof, and that wasn't fast enough for Arrogance. Not that it made a difference. I can't aim that thing at a moving target."

Bluebonnet's ears drooped. "I gave the harness as much mobility as I could."

Pierce nodded. "Yes. But moving my body and the handle only works if the enemy is as big as a barn, or conveniently not moving. If I could get a jump on a Shattered, or if they didn't dodge for some reason, it might work. But not against a flying target."

"You could aim it with your magic," suggested Twilight.

"Yes," said Pierce. "and it works right until I pull the trigger. When the gun discharges, it slips out of my telekinesis."

"I'm so sorry," whispered Bluebonnet. "I should've known better than to give you an untested prototype for a real fight. And now you're burned all over because of me."

"No," cut her off Pierce. "Burned because of Arrogance. You don't know if I'd have been fast enough to escape her either way. It was my fault for taking part in a fight way over my level. In the end, I wasn't of much use."

"Now, don't be ridiculous, both of you," said Applejack. Her gem, already glowing from the healing magic she was using, glowed a little brighter. "You both did as well as you could. And taking down that dragon at the start of the fight probably saved us all. So you both helped a lot. Now, relax, and let us heal you," she finished, looking down at Pierce. "Think of how you look when you're healthy."

***

Fluttershy woke up hanging from a wall. Her first thought was that it was horribly uncomfortable – her back was pressed against cold stone, and all of her legs stretched, and chained to it. It's like a scene from a Daring Do novel, came a second thought. But I don't know anything about-

Her eyes shot open. Where am I!? My necklace is gone!

She looked around her surroundings, and found that the walls around her weren't stone. They were black crystal. The room had no windows, or a source of light – the little illumination that was present came from little motes of red light slowly flowing inside the crystal walls.

I've been captured! But where am I? Suddenly she felt a surge of panic. What happened to the others?

She struggled against her bonds, but to no avail. Turning her head, she could see that the manacles were new and shiny, no wear and tear that could give her a hope of pulling the chain from a crumbling wall. This was no Daring Do story.

Giving up, she spent some time just hanging there, trying to calm herself down. Why am I alive? They have been trying to destroy us all this time. Did they think they needed me alive? That must mean the fight is not yet over. My friends must still be free. At least... I hope so. What if they got hurt? I'm their best healer.
She turned her head around, and looked closely at the walls. This is crystal. It kind of reminds me of what King Sombra made... does it mean I'm in the Crystal Empire? But if so, why is it all like this? The Shattered had made a point of not looking evil so far. What is going on?

She sniffed, but there were no smells she'd associate with a dungeon. The room seems completely clean. Is it freshly build, or has it been cleaned recently? she thought. Then, turning slightly red, she added, it might need cleaning soon, if they're going to leave me here hanging like this.

Her ear caught a sound of movement from outside the door. She froze, stopping the chains from jingling, and listened intently. Someone was walking the corridor towards her. There was a sound of another pair of hooves clicking, just outside the door. There was a guard there? thought Fluttershy. Why didn't I hear him earlier?

Slowly, the door opened. There was a guard there indeed, a pegasus with an emotionless face, that only briefly looked inside when he opened the door. In the relative darkness of the cell, she could see the red lights reflecting in his eyes. No. That wasn't it. His stiff and emotionless expression was the kind she had expected to see from Equestrian guard. But the red light was not reflected. There were definitely tiny dots of red light inside the stallion's eyes.

Then he stepped aside, and another stallion entered the cell, a moustached unicorn dressed in armor worn over an officer's uniform, a dark iron and ruby gorget around his neck. There was no doubt about this one – his eyes were burning red, matching the light emanating from the ruby.

"So, you've finally woken up," he proclaimed theatrically, scorn dripping off every word. "Now we can get to work."

He walked in, the guard returning to his position outside, as a wisp of magic from his master shut the door. The unicorn approached, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Captain North Star!?" said Fluttershy, surprised, suddenly recognizing the stallion. His moustache was unchanged, but his coat had darkened, and his expressions and demeanor were so different it had taken her a moment to recognize him. "What happened to you?"

A string of red light whipped around her throat. North Star bared his teeth at her, red lights burning in his eyes. "Silence, you traitor! You don't have the right to use my name, or to ask questions. The only things I want to hear from you are the whereabouts of the other traitors."

He moved closer, and the tendril of magic snaked upwards, wrapping itself around Fluttershy's mouth. As North Star touched her forehead with a horn, red light flashed before her eyes, and she felt a presence pushing inside her head. She tried to protest, but all she could manage was a muffled groan.

North Star grinned. "Finally, I can put a stop to your crimes. To punish the whole disgusting lot of you, and redeem myself for my naivete and lack of vigilance. And I will not let you open your mouth until I'm sure I hear no more lies."

***

"So, what have you found?" asked Twilight Sparkle anxiously, as Obsidian rejoined the group. Everypony had already cleaned themselves as much as they could, and were sitting around a magical flame she had conjured to keep them warm. The center of the cavern had been cleaned up, with much of the rubble removed, and a new circle drawn in the middle. The little equipment they had managed to salvage after the battle was there too, grouped in a small pile.

Obsidian nodded his head. "Yes, I did find Fluttershy. But, as I expected, it won't be so simple.”

He took his place at the fire, and cleared his throat.

"I have observed Fluttershy being moved. She was taken back to Canterlot, separated from her Element, and sedated. Right now, Kindness is sealed in Dr. Stone's lab underneath Canterlot Castle, while Fluttershy herself has been moved north, to the Crystal Empire. And as usual, this smells like a trap."

"And what about the Shattered? Where are they?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Hate has not reincarnated yet, but we can expect him to do it soon," said Obsidian. "Luna is in Canterlot. I tried to find Guilt as well. It seems he went to the far north, to talk with the Yak leader."

"So, this really is the best moment to strike," said Pierce from his blanket. "Since Deception never fights by herself, it's six against one now, isn't it? She would have some defenses in Canterlot, but between me and Dr.Bluebonnet, we have seen most of them."

Pinkie Pie cocked her head, as if listening to something only she could hear. Slowly, her expression turned angry. "I bet they'd use Fluttershy against us if we don't free her first," she finally said. "We need to go to the Crystal Empire."

"We are also aware that it's a trap," said Obsidian. "The Crystal Empire doesn't seem protected by any of the Shattered, but that doesn't make it easy to get in. The barrier is up again, but our changeling allies make it a non-issue. The problem is what's waiting inside."

"What?" asked Twilight. "What did you see?"

Obsidian leaned closer towards the fire. "I've seen many things, and none of it is good news. The first thing to be aware of is that the Empire is still cut off – as far as anypony is concerned, it is a place of dark magic being contained. That means the Shattered can fight as ruthlessly there as they did today. No need to care about appearances. Actually, the Crystal Empire seems to have been a problem for them for a long time – if it is destroyed in the course of springing a trap on you, all the better for them. In the meantime, there are still civilians there, and that is an obstacle for you – a lot of ponies you wouldn't like to see hurt."

"Would they really be so cruel?" asked Rarity. "I mean, I know they are. But they have Equestrian soldiers there, and so far they have at least tried to keep appearances."

"That was when Arrogance called the shots," replied Obsidian. "Now that you have her sealed, the command will naturally fall to Envy, and appealing as it is to be seen as a loving ruler, he's unlikely to hold such sentiment. Also, there is another issue concerning Equestrian army in the Empire."

"What is it?" asked Applejack.

"Has Equestria used large scale mind control before?" asked Obsidian towards Bluebonnet.

The scientist lifted her head from the gun she was trying to repair, and shook it in denial. "No, even as part of secret operations. We did some neural engineering with Dr.Stone before the attack on the Empire, to protect our soldiers from Honesty by making them unable to process speech, but that effect was temporary. Enforcing obedience would be much more complicated and needlessly risky on such a scale."

"So, unless something had been hidden from you, this is a recent development," said Obsidian. "There is a powerful obedience curse over the Empire, originating from the Crystal Tower. It is likely using the citizens' own emotions to power the effect. The tower itself is warded, but I've managed to get a glimpse of the inside, and the source of the spell seems to emanate from the commanding officer. Lacking any other master, the tower answers to him, and he is the one using its power to keep everypony in check."

"That doesn't sound like an Equestrian army officer," said Pierce. "Is it somepony from the secret service?"

"I haven't seen him before," said Obsidian. "But there is something I have seen, something that might explain his behaviour, especially in conjunction with what the tower does."

His eyes flashed, and a translucent vision appeared in front of his face: a gorget much like the Elements, made of black iron and adorned with rubies, the top part sculpted into an alicorn's wings and head.

"You surely remember how I told you about the origins of the Elements," said Obsidian. "They started out as magical foci, amulets that enhanced the wearers' magical powers by amplifying and focusing their emotions. Most of them were either transformed into the Elements, or destroyed by the Shattered in their botched ritual, but it wasn't all of them. It looks like the commander has got his hooves on a particularly dangerous one."

***

Bluebonnet connected the last wire, and shut the battered chassis of the pattern emitter.

"There. That should do it," she said to herself, before collecting her tools into a saddle bag.

She looked around the camp. Despite this being the middle of the day, most of the ponies were resting. With Pierce asleep, a quick lunch made of hay and imaginary condiments, and Twilight and Obsidian leaving for the crypts under the sanctum, there was little to do for the rest of the team but try to recover. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were sitting together by the magical fire, talking to each other in hushed voices: they had had no chance to get exhausted, but the emotions of the morning robbed them of will to do anything more active. Rarity and Pinkie seemed to be asleep. Rainbow Dash was outside – the Shattered attacking the gate dispelled the magical blizzard and broke the mirror in the guard room, so the stubborn mare insisted on watching the approach from the air.

Is she really guarding there, or just crying herself out with nopony watching? She was the one who bonded with Aurora the most...

Bluebonnet's workplace was well away from the fire – when she realised the others needed a nap, she moved away so as not to disturb them with the noise. As for her, she wasn't physically tired, but almost getting buried alive twice, and the horror of a child possibly dying under her care took its toll on her. She spent the two hours working on the gun to calm herself down with slow, methodical effort more than to repair the thing. The pattern batteries Pierce had dropped did not survive the explosion in the building, and without them she couldn't even properly test if the weapon still worked.

She turned her head when she saw somepony approaching. Applejack was moving towards her, a slight limp still visible in her gait. The earth pony had taken the most damage of all the Elements, and once the adrenaline dropped, she was in much more pain than she had anticipated. The magic had already healed most of it, but it would take a repeat in the afternoon to get her back to full fighting strength.

She walked to Bluebonnet's side, and sat down next to her.

"So, did ya fix it?" she asked with a small smile.

Bluebonnet looked at the emitter. "I think so. I've used the tools I had to check all the connections, and everything seems to flow where it should. I haven't got the batteries though, so I can't be quite sure if there is no hidden damage. Perhaps when everypony has had their rest, you could use your magic to help me stress-test it."

"No problem," answered Applejack. "Listen, I'd like to thank you for keeping Apple Bloom safe-"

"I did not!" Bluebonnet almost jumped to her hooves. "I didn't get far enough. I should've been faster. I should've anticipated the damage. I had seen how much destruction the previous fights caused, for crying out loud."

Applejack took a deep breath, a small mote of orange light appearing inside her gem. "Ya stopped a falling piece of rock, and held it long enough for me to come and save her. After all the ponies I thought I could save... that's enough for me."

Bluebonnet looked down on her hooves. "I see."

Applejack looked at her face. "And Bluebonnet... I'd like you to know..."

"Yes?" Bluebonnet turned, looking into the shiny pools of orange staring at her.

"I barely remember ya," continued Applejack, "but I know you're an Apple. And you know that too."

"It's not that simple," replied Bluebonnet, turning away.

"No, it is," said Applejack, more firmly. " I admit, I dunno the whole story between you and the family, but I say you're one of us. And if ya ever need help, I'll be here for you." She leaned closer, touching their heads together, a tiny wisp of magic pulling her hat out of the way.

"It... it might be too late for me," replied Bluebonnet. "I've made some bad choices, long ago."

"But you were never bad, were you?" asked Applejack.

"I don't know!" hissed Bluebonnet in frustration. "I worked for the princess. I did questionable things. I kept telling myself that it was for the good of Equestria, and that I was doing it to keep my daughter safe. But in the end, I made the weapon that got her killed. I made the weapons that toppled the Crystal Empire, both of them. And now, that I'm trying to make things better, my inventions aren't good enough."

"This one did save us," said Applejack, pointing at the emitter.

Bluebonnet sighted. "Yes. You said that already. And you used that power of yours to make me believe it. But it is not enough. Not against what we are facing."

"You're doing your best," said Applejack, "No backing off, no slacking off."

"I coul've-" protested Bluebonnet, but Applejack interrupted her.

"Your gizmo stopped the Shattered from destroying us. And you saved my sister from getting crushed. We can't always win, but now we're fighting together, and we will get through this together, as Apples. Do you understand?"

There was a moment of silence, the two mares just sitting, half-turned towards each other, staring into each other's eyes. Then Bluebonnet leaned in, and gave Applejack a hug.

"Thank you, cousin," she said, "I needed that."

She released a hug, and looked towards the wrecked main gate, beams of sunlight visible in the entrance. "When I chose love over family, against so many warnings, I thought I lost you all."

"Ya should've known better," said Applejack with a small smile. "We do not abandon our own."

Bluebonnet nodded. "I should've. When it all fell apart... I thought they were right all along. I was too ashamed to come back. Or was it pride? I was young and stubborn. And then Tourmaline got sick, and it looked like there was nothing my family could do to help. Enigma brought me to the princess, and... I think you know the rest."

"What matters now is that we're here for you," said Applejack. "As soon as we get Pierce back on his feet, we'll move to meet Chrysalis, and together we'll find a way to save Fluttershy."

She turned towards the campsite, where Pierce was still asleep. "What's your deal with him anyway?" she asked. "You acted a bit weird around him earlier."

Bluebonnet's face turned grim. "Long ago... he hurt me... horribly."

Applejack turned towards her with shock on her face. "WHAT!?"

Bluebonnet shushed her with a gesture. "We didn't even meet back then. It's complicated. He thinks I don't know. I think... that's why he's working with Guilt. He too is trying to make things right. But it hasn't been working out for him. He's trying not to show it, but he's as damaged as I am."

Applejack looked towards the campsite again. "So... you've forgiven him?"

Bluebonnet returned to looking at her hooves. "I don't know... no, I don't think I have. But to tell him that now to his face, it would destroy him. And I don't want that. He... isn't the stallion he used to be."

She looked Applejack in the eyes. "Could you promise me not to tell him I said all that?"

Applejack considered the question. Her gem flickered with an orange light again. "I'm not sure I'm very good at keeping secrets, now that I'm Honesty. And I'm not going to do the Obsidian thing with being all misleading... but I promise not to talk to him about it. Is that okay with you?"

Bluebonnet nodded, and gave a small smile. "It is. Thank you, Applejack."

***

"Let there be light."

Obsidian's staff tapped on the floor at the base of the stair, the light spreading along the floor, the spell scattering all over the tunnels in motes of light, bringing a gentle, ambient illumination to the ancient burial site.

Twilight walked past Obsidian, and looked around. The chamber underneath the inner sanctum was a crossroad, four tunnels extending from it in cardinal directions. The stair descended spirally around the walls, gently enough to allow a procession to walk down it with a measure of dignity, touching the floor right next to the northern exit.

"This place is huge," said Twilight, looking down the tunnel, and then around her. Looking closely, she could see long lines in the walls, indicating the places where they had cracked and were repaired with magic, a reminder of a past earthquake.

"Well, it was already in use for centuries before it became the crypt of the Elements," said Obsidian. "If you want to bury a body, a snowy mountain top doesn't exactly present many options."

He spun around slowly with his eyes closed, and then headed to the southern tunnel. "This way." As he moved, the ambient light followed him, gently illuminating the way ahead of the two ponies. Twilight followed, curiously looking at everything they walked past.

At first, the walls of the tunnel were carved with pictures, a mural depicting the four alicorns she had already learned to recognize. Though she could not read the writing, Twilight could guess a lot from the context: the images once again followed the story of the creation myth, before adding more details, the circle of life in which pony souls circulated between the spiritual realm of Indigo, and the physical world of Gaia.

Then the tunnel widened, making space for two lines of stone slabs, one of either side of the path. Twilight shuddered. There were life-sized statues there, standing vigil over most of the graves, some crumbling, others so well preserved, she half-expected them to turn their heads and look at her.

"The tomb of the high priests," explained Obsidian. "The tombs in the other tunnels aren't nearly as elaborate, but with the leaders usually lasting at least a couple years, making a statue for each was not a big deal, even if the tradition demanded they be made without magic."

"Why so?" asked Twilight, casting a nervous glance at a stern-looking unicorn statue, eerily reminiscent of one of her old school teachers.

"Few ponies think to question the origins of a tradition," said Obsidian. "I never gave much thought to this one, but from what I understand, this was supposed to be symbolic – the last purely physical gift for a soul departing to the realm of the spirit. Of course that was just one of the many burial traditions employed through the ages. I've already mentioned that cremation used to be popular. Not really in the Empire, but very much so among the pegasi communities. You can't dig a grave in the cloud, and their original ground-bound cities were at mountain tops, where digging without magic was also very hard. Easier to fetch some wood from the base of the mountain, and return the departed to the wind."

"And then the Elements took over, and buried their heroes here?" asked Twilight.

"Not just heroes," replied Obsidian. "Anypony who lived in the sanctuary could expect a burial here." His staff turned in the air, pointing at an intersection they were just passing. "That whole wing is dedicated to low rank staff and guardponies."

He stopped in front of a big metal double door, adorned with a symbol of six jewels. "But this one really was meant for the heroes; the crypt of the Elements. Could you? I don't want to break it down."

Twilight approached the door. It seemed to be made of brass, and she could feel the magic flowing through it, resonating with the gem around her neck.

“It… requires an Element to open?” she asked.

“Yes,” confirmed Obsidian. “I’m not even sure why they thought it would be needed. Probably another tradition.”

“Probably,” agreed Twilight, a nimbus of purple light spreading from her forehead towards the door, and then flowing along the lines in the metal. With a soft creak, the door opened, revealing another tunnel lined with statues.

Twilight walked in, moving from statue to statue. There were some she recognized, mares and stallions from her visions. “Diamond Dust, Surprise, Verba? I've seen Verba, and he wasn't nearly as imposing."

"That's because by the time they were ready to bury him, nopony remembered what he had really looked like," said Obsidian. "The place where he had sealed Vengeance was filled with so much poison, it took centuries before anypony could go in there. They didn't know what the situation was exactly, so they didn't want to send in a golem, fearing they might accidentally unleash her."

"And I see there is an unmarked grave without a statue," noticed Twilight. "Was it for you?"

"Yes," replied Obsidian. "Many of these tombs are actually empty. There were many instances where there was nothing left to bury, just a broken and charred Element waiting to reform around a new bearer's neck. But with me... they didn't know what had happened to me, and they postponed the statue until they at least had a clue. And then... well, they figured that one day I would die one way or another, so they left me a spot in their little hall of fame."

Twilight was already walking further in. There was another alicorn statue in the fifth pair of graves.
"And who is this?" she asked.

"Concilio, the youngest son of the Emperor, and the second bearer of Honesty," replied Obsidian. "He fought alongside Verba and others to seal the Shattered for the first time. He was also instrumental in building the new order after the dust of the great war cleared. He probably changed the world more with diplomacy than he did with his magic."

"I'll be delighted to hear each of these stories when this is over," said Twilight, picking up pace, "but I can already see there are more ponies buried here than I have the time to listen about today. This is not what we are here for."

"Have it your way," grumbled Obsidian. "I was beginning to like giving lectures."

Twilight did not respond, instead walking deeper into the crypt. She finally found an intersection. She looked left and right, before sending a small ball of light ahead of her. After a minute or so, the ball appeared again, flying in from the left. Twilight nodded, and dispelled it, turning right.

"Oh, so it does turn eventually," said Obsidian. "I was wondering if it would just go straight through the whole mountain. It seems even with the appeal of following the whole chronology of their legacy, some ponies liked to have a quicker way back up."

"There," said Twilight from the end of the corridor. The tunnel continued ahead, but there were no more statues, just an empty space reserved for future tombs. Twilight studied it for a while before turning towards Obsidian.

"You said they wanted to keep the chronology?" she asked. "I have no idea who the next Elements were, but I'm pretty sure they didn't get to be buried here."

She closed her eyes, and her tiara erupted with light. There was a grinding noise, and the stone underneath her flowed, the floor reshaping to form two lines of stone slabs.

"So, you're keeping them the place until you can figure who they were?" asked Obsidian. "But you're going to break the tradition yourself just a bit further ahead."

"No, I'm not," replied Twilight. "Though we don't have the time to craft the statues by hoof."

"Well, this is supposed to be the crypt of the Elements," said Obsidian.

"This is the crypt of the greatest protectors of ponykind," said Twilight. "A magical artifact does not define a hero, no matter how powerful it is."

***

It was just before the supper when everypony gathered at the gate of the sanctum. Pierce could already walk on his own, though he opted to leave the bandage over his eye for the moment. In front of the door, there was a line of oblong, opaque crystals, vague shapes visible inside. Some of them bore names. Others, just pictograms cut on the top to mark who they were.

Twilight looked at her friends, then at Obsidian. As they nodded to each other, the ancient stallion tapped his staff on the ground, summoning his illumination spell once again. Twilight used her magic to levitate the coffins off the ground, walking slowly inside the temple, her friends following in two files on either side.

They walked through the inner sanctum, passing behind the looming alicorn statues, and slowly descending into the crypts, spreading out to fit the width of the stairs. Twilight took the southern path again, leading everypony deeper and deeper. Nopony said a word, even the fillies walking in silence, but she could hear the small gasps of amazement momentarily distracting her friends from their purpose. It really is impressive... another time, she chastised herself, focusing on keeping the line of crystal coffins steady.

She approached the double door to the crypt of the Elements, and stopped. "Applejack, Rainbow Dash?" she asked softly.

The two mares walked to the fore, focusing their Elements. The door opened, this time silently – Twilight had made sure of it. She walked in, slightly slower this time, giving the rest of the procession some time to take in the statues of the previous Elements standing vigil over their final, or symbolic resting places. She kept moving at an even pace, getting all the way to the intersection, and this time heading forward, taking everypony along all the tombs in the crypt; she hoped she would only have to do this once, and if so, it deserved to be done properly.

The stone floor echoed with the steps of many hooves. Twilight's magic cast the surrounding statues in eerie purple light. Still nopony spoke a word, not until the procession walked the full length of its path, coming to a stop at the end of the tunnel.

Twilight disengaged her spell, allowing her burden to slowly lower to the ground. The path before her was a wide, black tunnel, but the part she intended to use had already been prepared – empty stone graves waited on either side.

She passed the first twenty or so, waiting for the still unknown bearers the Shattered must have defeated before Aurora’s time, stone slabs waiting to be inscribed with names. The next five were also closed, though already signed. Twilight stopped at the first empty one, and turned towards her friends.

"We are gathered here today," she started speaking "to honor the victims of this terrible war." She didn't raise her voice much, speaking more like a teacher giving a lecture, than a leader giving a speech, just loud enough to be well heard without it being jarring in the echoing tunnel.

"These ponies fought and died before we did, fought by our side, and some of them were tricked into fighting against us. But all of them sacrificed their lives for what they believed was the good of Equestria. And even though they are no longer at our side, their courage and dedication will stay with us, alive in our memories.

She turned aside, and aimed her horn at one of the empty slabs. A beam of purple light hit, erupting into a crystal growth that quickly formed into a shape of a statue – a sleek unicorn mare with slitted eyes.

"Crystal, bearer of Generosity, who sacrificed her life twice, and defied the nature forced upon her," intoned Twilight.

Another beam, another statue; a serious-looking pegasus wearing a coat and a bowler hat.

"Jingles, bearer of Laughter, who kept ponies' spirits high through the darkest of times."

Another beam, a smiling earth pony stallion.

"Whisper, bearer of Honesty, a trusted friend where trust was sorely needed."

Another beam, a statue of a hooded mare, the veiny crystal giving an appearance of stripes.

"Sauti, bearer of Kindness, soothing the pain of others despite her own."

A dark blue crystal statue of a unicorn.

"Aquila, bearer of Magic, who chose her own name, and made a name for herself, a hero we wish we had met," said Twilight, before turning to the next grave. This one was open, a hole in the ground waiting to welcome the fallen mare. Twilight levitated the crystal coffins again, moving them forward, as she placed the first one in the grave, covered it with a slab, and conjured a statue of white crystal on top of it.

Twilight stopped, closing her eyes, her tongue suddenly stiff and uncooperative in her mouth.

Focus, Twilight, don’t stutter. You have it prepared. She wouldn’t like you to stutter...

"Aurora, bearer of Loyalty. A brave warrior... a loyal friend, and a loyal sister," she finally said.

"The best wingpony I could have ever asked for," said Rainbow Dash, stepping up beside her. Twilight noticed that Dash had summoned a visor over her face, concealing her eyes. "I owe my life to what she taught me."

"We had little time to get to know her," said Pinkie Pie, "but she became one of us."

"She will not be forgotten," said Applejack.

"She fought for her friends," said Rarity "Even after all this time. It is our turn to fight and win for her."

Twilight took a deep breath, and the coffins moved once more. The next two graves were bigger than the previous ones. Twilight started with the one to her left, placing a single coffin inside it; it contained everything she had managed to gather from the floor of the inner sanctum – the crumbled bones of the ponies who had died there together. When she cast the spell, no names appeared on the slab, but the statue was larger, a group of hooded figures made of dark crystal, with solemn pegasus mare standing at the front.

"Charcoal, and her companions in the Resistance," said Twilight, "who gave their lives to keep the horror of Vengeance contained for centuries. It is through their sacrifice that Equestria we know was created."

"We could be who we are thanks to them," said Scootaloo walking forward, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nodding silently at her sides.

Twilight turned to the grave on the right. It was the deepest one she had made. She put the remaining coffins there, stacking them on top of each other before putting the lid on top. When she cast the spell, no names appeared either; the grave was meant for more than the few bodies they managed to recover, even after Rainbow identified some of them. Everypony would get an equal treatment in this regard. The only exception was the statue – when Twilight cast her spell, causing a formation of blue crystals to form into a flock of pegasi, there was one in the forefront of the group that was clearly recognisable, marked by a burst of yellow, one that, though undeniably dead, was not among those buried underneath.

"The Wonderbolts," said Rainbow Dash, her face now uncovered. "The greatest flying team in Equestria, heroes who fought bravely for their homes and families, killed by lies that took advantage of their loyalty." Anger flashed in her eyes. She closed them, and when she opened them again, there were red lights in her pupils, but her face and voice had calmed. Glowing with the red light of her Element, she continued. "We will fight for the world they defended, to create the future they were fighting for."

Silence fell. There were no more coffins waiting to be buried. But further on, beyond the two large statues, there were four more stone slabs waiting. Twilight approached the first one, Bluebonnet coming to her side.

Twilight turned her head towards Bluebonnet. The spell left the tip of her horn, and floated towards the earth mare, briefly touching her forehead - as it did, it changed, the purple light shifting to deep blue, matching her mane, the round ball of energy getting more facture and life. As it landed on the slab, the spell blossomed into green crystal, forming a much smaller statue; an earth pony filly with a pair of goggles on her head, captured mid-move, her front right hoof raised, as if about to reach out and touch something, a smile of vibrant, childish curiosity adorning her face.

Bluebonnet opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly her composure broke, the unspoken words choking in her throat, as she stood there helplessly with trembling lips.

Everypony waited in silence. Tears welled in Bluebonnet’s eyes, then flowed freely down her face.

“Tourmaline…” she finally managed. “my only child. My precious little filly. There was so much more I wanted to show you, to teach you… so many things to do together…”

Sweetie Belle stepped forward, standing close to the statue. “Minty,” she said with a sniffle. “A great friend. We had so many adventures together.”

“You always had so many ideas,” said Apple Bloom, sobbing. She almost hugged the statue, then, realising what she was about to do, she stopped and awkwardly leaned against Sweetie Belle instead.

“You even tried to make me fly,” said Scootaloo. “and you saved us all… even though nopony asked you to,” she suddenly blurted out.

There was a moment of shocked silence. Pierce walked up behind Scootaloo. “She never once thought ‘I will be a hero,’” he said. “She just saw what had to be done, and did it, no matter how we might hate it. I was too slow to stop her. Believe me when I say, I would have taken her place if I could.”

“Tourmaline,” intoned Twilight, “a loving daughter, a brilliant, young mind, a great friend, a hero. She will be remembered by all of us.”

As she turned away towards the remaining three graves, Twilight felt tears welling in her own eyes. She picked the one opposite Tormaline's and focused.

The spell went through a rainbow of colors, bits of colorful crystal growing out of the slab, forming a picture of a bed of gemstones. Then the magic circled back to purple, and a small shape began to emerge on top. Just like Tourmaline's, Spike's grave was nothing like the others in the crypt. Rather than standing on the slab, solemn and dignified, the little dragon was curled into a ball, sleeping with a content smile on his face, his claw grabbing a heart-shaped gem on top of his bed.

Twilight shuddered. It was her turn to struggle with words. Suddenly, the whole speech she had prepared fell apart in her head.

"Spike," she finally managed.

Rarity walked up to her side. "The greatest little assistant anypony could dream of. Always so eager to help. So loyal and patient. So brave. A great friend taken from us far too soon." Then she too choked a bit, and closed her eyes. "I wish I... had appreciated him more."

Applejack took a position on the other side of Twilight. "He always had time for us," she said. "A thing more precious than any dragon treasure."

Twilight looked around, but nopony else spoke. Clearly, her two friends had already managed to encompass what everypony was thinking. It was up to her to finish the eulogy.

"He was my stable rock," she said, "Always there to support me when the world was too much to handle. I'd never have got to where I am now if he hadn't been there for me."

She took a step forward and leaned closer to the amethyst figure. "Sleep well," she whispered, a tear flowing down her face.

And so it was finished, way too short for Twilight's liking. They all were. Twilight closed her eyes and silently ground her teeth at the injustice. They all deserved more words, more attention. But there was only so much time the Elements could spend in the crypts. There were living ponies out there, waiting for them to decide the fate of the world.

And she wasn't even half way through her pain. There were two more graves to fill.

Touched with a sudden thought, Twilight changed her plan. She left the last grave unused, instead turning towards the one to the left. The spell she cast created another large statue; two ponies cuddled together side by side on top of the slab, their horns crossed as they nuzzled each other with their cheeks.

“Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard,” said Twilight a bit too forcefully, straining to keep her voice even, “my Big Brother Best Friend Forever… a hero of Equestria… a loving husband… protector of the Crystal Empire… ready to defend what he cared for until his final breath.”

“A brave soldier, and a wise commander,” said Pierce.

“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” continued Twilight, “Cadence… a loving wife, and a loving ruler… A light of hope that could dispel the deepest darkness. Caring, brave and… great with children. I was honored to have her as my sister in law.”

“A cheerful pony, and a great dancer,” said Pinkie. She sniffled, but managed to finish. “I was honored to organize her wedding.”

“She was a true beauty that shone beyond mere looks,” said Rarity.

The crypt fell silent after that, nopony else knowing what more they could contribute. They were looking at each other, or at the statues, each look hammering in the feeling of loss. Applejack and Apple Bloom hugged Bluebonnet silently. Rarity hugged Twilight, with Sweetie Belle joining in after a while, and Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie embraced Rainbow Dash. Only Pierce and Obsidian remained alone, standing stiffly and solemnly, like soldiers would, eerily similar to the surrounding statues.

Finally Obsidian tapped his staff on the floor. “And so it is done,” he proclaimed. “The brave departed have been honored. Now it’s time to leave this place to those it belongs to, and return to the urgent matters of the living. We will eat supper together, and then return north. It’s time we meet the changeling queen again, and plan the rescue of your friend.”

Nopony protested, though it took them a while to break their hugs. The procession turned around, and left in silence, this time taking the shortest route at the intersection.

They were already on the stairs up, when Pinkie Pie suddenly reared, clapping her hooves together. “That’s right! It shouldn’t end like this! That’s not how it’s done, not at all.”

“Pinkie, what are you talking about?” asked Twilight, turning to look at her.

Pinkie squinted at her. “You’ll see,” she said. “I’ll start with you. Let’s just get back to the camp first.” She then resumed her walk, much more lively than before; she wasn’t pronking, but she was no longer dragging her hooves, and there was much more of a sense of purpose to each of her steps.

***

They emerged from the temple, and walked into the camp. It was already prepared for departure, with a new circle drawn, and the bags set together next to what remained of the food.

Twilight looked sadly at the cavern. For the last couple of days it had been getting more and more lively, pieces of its former glory restored by their efforts. Now it was a place of a recent battle, marks of destruction everywhere: most of the light and heat spells had been dispelled, the houses carved into the cave walls partially collapsed. At the entrance to the cave, there lay a charred skeleton of the dragon, still clutching the broken pattern cannon; they did not know if the dragon was a hero or a villain, and Obsidian claimed that dragons had no funeral rites either way - a dragon’s final resting place would be either on top of his hoard, or on the field of his last battle.

Twilight stepped aside as her friends walked past, then, as everypony left, she cast one more spell. The broken doors of the inner sanctum righted themselves, and closed, broken pieces of stone fitting themselves back into the damaged frame.

“Rest in peace,” she sighed before turning and following the others.

***

The supper passed in silence. They had already eaten all the hay, and Pinkie didn’t conjure any pastries this time. Everypony focused on their food, eyes red, faces gloomy, nopony saying a word, all staring into their food, except Pinkie Pie, who watched the others intently.

Finally the last sounds of chewing stopped. Obsidian tensed to get up, and give everypony a signal to move out. Pinkie Pie was faster. She jumped up, and hopped in front of Twilight.

“Now, that we’re done eating,” she said loudly, “there is something I need you to do.”

Twilight looked at her in confusion. “What? What is it, Pinkie? We don't have much time.”

“We’ll start with you,” said Pinkie Pie. “Tell us about Shining Armor. Start with the happiest memory you have of him.”

“What?” asked Twilight again.

“A story,” replied Pinkie. “Tell me a story about him that will make you smile, even if it also makes you cry a little.”

Twilight averted her gaze, clearly taken aback, but Pinkie wouldn’t budge.

“You know it isn’t right like this, don’t you?” said Pinkie. “I get the whole military funeral thing, but they were our friends and family. We don’t say goodbye like this. They wouldn’t want it like this, all stiff and sad. I mean, yes, we all are, but they wouldn’t want to see us all gloomy. They’d try to cheer us up if they could. So give me a story.”

“Well…” started Twilight. “If you put it that way…” She closed her eyes, and fell silent. “There are so many. But the happiest one would have to be Shining Armor’s wedding. We were all so scared when Chrysalis showed up, and back then I feared all was lost. But then, Cadence shook him out of the mind control spell, and you could just say, looking at them, that their love would save the day.” She averted her gaze for a moment more. “Of course, back then we didn’t know Chrysalis was on our side… but she was playing so well… And when the city was saved, everypony was so relieved and happy. Even when the spell passed, they looked like they were glowing, so beautiful together. Sharing the happiest day of their lives with all their friends…”

***

Twilight Sparkle: When it’s time to say goodbye
Even to your dearest ponies

Pinkie Pie:
In your heart, you will find
All the precious little moments

Rarity:
Pictures of love, bonding for life
All the precious little moments

Sweetie Belle:
See them back, right before your eyes
All the precious little moments

Pierce:
When it’s time to say goodbye
Live without your dearest ponies

Bluebonnet:
Treasure those memories
Keep them safe inside your heart

Scootaloo:
Ponies who made your brightest days
Keep them close inside your heart

Applejack:
What made you love those passed away
All the precious little moments

Rainbow Dash:
Always will they stay with you
All they brought into your life.

Apple Bloom:
Always will they stay with you,
Memories of happy days

Chapter 49: The Gift

“So, this is it?”

Twilight looked at the hole at the end of the narrow tunnel. It was a ring of crystal barely wide enough for a pony to squeeze through. And right now it was pulsing between black and red.

“It would get filled by the barrier if it were any bigger,” explained Chrysalis. “We had to be very careful excavating it.”

She climbed forward and entered the hole, transforming into a monstrous centipede to get through smoothly.

Twilight followed her, but rather than move through physically, she teleported herself, Applejack and Rainbow Dash through the hole, coming up in an empty space in the tunnel on the other side.

As Rarity approached the passage next, visibly unsure what to do, Pinkie Pie flashed with blue light, and with a mischievous grin she pounced at her from behind, the two squeezing into the hole together, and then shooting out on the other side with a loud ‘pop’. The girls looked behind them as the changeling reinforcements following them in a long, chittering line, then at Chrysalis.

“So, what do we do now?” asked Rarity.

“Now we take the tunnels back to the stadium,” explained the queen. “The main strike force is already topside, and-”

The light of the wall crystals intensified suddenly, and there was a slight vibration going through the tunnel. Pinkie Pie looked wide-eyed towards the ceiling, mouth agape.

“We’re too late,” she said, to nopony in particular. “It has begun.”

Everypony followed her gaze. The changelings rushed forward, their lithe forms pushing through the hole with ease. Dash spread her wings, but before she could rush up the tunnel, Twilight caught her with her magic.

“No time for that!” she shouted. “Everypony around me! Pinkie, you aim us!”

Her friends wasted no time forming around her, and Queen Chrysalis quickly followed suit. Pinkie closed her eyes in concentration, and after a second everypony vanished.

***

The spell landed them in the main plaza, right in front of the palace balcony. As they looked around their surroundings, cast in the red light of the barrier surrounding the city, the night air was shaken by a deafening roar. Above them, two huge black clouds clashed: one a shifting monster of black and purple flame, the other a swirling mass of black shadow shot with red lightning.

“It’s Hate,” gasped Twilight. “And… is that thing North Star?”

“They both kind of look like Sombra,” said Rainbow Dash. She looked away from the struggling monsters and towards the tower, where a large, irregular hole gaped in the wall above the balcony. “Fluttershy!” she called in sudden fright, leaping into the air to fly there, her magic forming a glowing armor of red light.

Twilight wanted to stop her, but right then the two clouds clashed violently, and Hate was sent flying towards the ground.

“Look out!” called Pinkie Pie, an umbrella of blue light popping over the group, pushing away a black fireball that would have landed on Applejack. Hate himself fell over the city, outside the square. Buildings exploded into burning crystal shards as the giant flame beast churned back into a four-legged shape. Everypony froze, staring at the devastation.

Then Rarity pointed her hoof between the buildings and screamed: “There are ponies there!”

“They keep everypony close to keep an eye on them,” explained Chrysalis. “The plan was to get them out, but-”

The cloud of shadows pulsed, and a rain of black lightning fell upon Hate. The beast responded with a roar so loud it hit his enemy as a visible shockwave, blowing past him, and slamming against the tower, shattering the palace balcony and sending it to the plaza below. Twilight formed a bubble to shield her friends as it came crashing down, pieces of crystal flying everywhere.

“Why are they fighting each other!?” shouted Applejack over the noise.

“Doesn’t matter!” replied Twilight. “We need to stop them before they destroy everything! Chrysalis? We need to act now!”

“Agreed,” nodded Chrysalis, spreading her wings and taking to the air.

“Halt right there!” came a shout. Three Equestrian soldiers were charging at them through the plaza, oblivious to the surrounding chaos, red lights glowing in their eyes.

Chrysalis sighted, cast a spell that surrounded her muzzle with green light, and then threw up in her mouth and spat three times. Three nets of stretchy resin flew at her assailants, sending them rolling back hopelessly tangled in sticky strands. Chrysalis rose higher, wings vibrating, and called in a loud, reverberating voice.

“CHANGELINGS! THE SITUATION HAS COMPLICATED, BUT YOUR ORDERS STAND! WE PROCEED AS PLANNED!”

Instantly there was a loud buzz, and dozens of changelings appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Wherever Equestrian soldiers were out in the open, they were tackled by black, chitinous shapes.

“We need to get everypony out of here!” shouted Pinkie Pie, looking up.

“That’s our job!” shouted back Chrysalis. “You focus on Fluttershy first!”

Above, the monsters clashed again. It was North Star’s turn to take a blow, but he didn’t crash to the ground, instead flattening and stretching over the buildings like an angry storm cloud. A moment later, the houses underneath exploded - over a dozen of them turning into a cloud of crystal blades that went flying back at Hate.

“We need to get rid of them NOW!” shouted Applejack, her desperation infusing her words with the power of Honesty.

Chrysalis looked down at her to answer, but before she could, there was an explosion of red light above her.

Rainbow Dash emerged from the hole in the tower wall, pulling along Fluttershy wrapped in a cocoon of Loyalty’s magic.

“She needs help!” she shouted, swooping down, landing her burden in the middle of the group.

Twilight looked down on Fluttershy, then closed her eyes in focus. From her tiara, a beam of white light shot, solidifying the cocoon spell. Inside, Fluttershy’s breathing calmed.

“What did they do to her?” asked Twilight, casting an angry glare towards North Star, just in time to get a glimpse of him - a blackened shape of a pony floating in the center of the dark cloud, which just sprouted a bunch of shadow tendrils, forming it into a blade, and chopping off one of Hate’s giant claws, sending the flaming appendage falling towards a thankfully empty street. Hate roared loudly in response, but did not seemed weakened otherwise, his aura replacing the limb with clump of giant snakes of living black flame. One of them instantly lashed out to swallow whole an unlucky changeling that found itself too close to the fight.

“Can you seal them!?” called Chrysalis from above.

“Three of us got Arrogance,” replied Twilight, “But she was nothing like this. We might manage to beat one… perhaps… but not both! We need the Heart!”

A changeling flew towards the group, stopping in the air above them and bowing to the queen. “Your Majesty!” it called. “We need help. The ponies are panicked and resisting. We haven’t planned for… this!” it finished, waving its leg frantically towards the titanic clash that had just passed to the other side of the tower.

"I understand,” said Chrysalis. She looked around at the battle, and then down at the Elements. “The Heart team is in position! We can begin now, but my warriors need your help saving the ponies! The guards are under strong mind control, but perhaps you can at least get throigh to the prisoners!”

“That we can do,” said Pinkie Pie with a smirk, looking Rarity in the eye. She then whipped out a giant megaphone. Rarity nodded and focused her power, channeling it into Applejack.

Applejack took a deep breath. “LISTEN EVERYPONY!” she said into the megaphone. “WE’RE HERE TO SAVE YA! FOLLOW THE CHANGELINGS, THEY’RE HERE TO LEAD YOU TO SAFETY!”

“I hope this helps,” she said as Pinkie Pie packed the megaphone away.

“Girls…” said Pinkie Pie, looking up, her ears drooping. “I think he heard us too!”

A shadow fell over the plaza. The dark cloud that was North Star wrapped itself around the top of the tower, a pair of giant, burning red eyes glaring down on the Elements.

Twilight had just enough time to to pull up a barrier, her friends adding to her power as Chrysalis and her changeling soldier ducked for cover inside. Then the attack came: a pulse of red light that washed over their shield like a tidal wave, assaulting all the senses, painfully bright even through closed eyelids, a command turned pure energy.

“SERVE.”

Twilight felt her legs buckle. It was more than a royal order, or one of a beloved mother, or even that of a strict teacher. All of those could inspire instinctive obedience, making one act without thinking, but this power grabbed all of those instincts and wrenched them; there could be only obedience, for to defy such an order was a thing of pure terror.

Twilight fell herself sink to her knees slowly, and then something else exploded outside her shield. It was unbearably loud, first like a deafening roar, then growing in pitch, resembling the sound of a giant fog horn. The crushing presence disappeared, and Twilight looked up, only to see something that made her reinforce her shield frantically.

Above her, North Star was falling down, wreathed in a corona of fire, surrounded by pieces of crystal the size of houses. A blast of magic from Hate's mouth had hit the tower, a stream of purple fire that focused and brightened into blazing crimson, now cutting the night sky in two. As Twilight’s shield turned from a dome to a spike, turning aside a huge crystal chunk falling right at her, the bright fire disappeared, and with her eyes recovering from the dazzle, she could get a glimpse of the devastation.

The entire top one third of the tower was simply gone. The part that was the current top was glowing white hot, and thin streams of lava were trickling down the walls. After a moment, she also realised that she could now see the stars - the barrier surrounding the city had fallen as well.

“We can’t let them destroy the tower!” shouted Chrysalis frantically, bringing everypony to their senses. “Quickly, to the Heart!” she continued, pointing her hoof at the spot underneath the building, marking the very center of the city.

“Serve…”

Without turning, Chrysalis bucked. The changeling pouncing at her back was flung away and rolled among the rubble, red lights going out in its eyes as it came to a stop. Chrysalis wasted no more time, casting a spell that teleported her and the Elements straight to their destination.

The moment they appeared, a dozen changelings emerged from their hiding spots to join them. Three crawled out of an underground passage hauling the Crystal Heart with them. The leading officer, a female changeling wearing an elaborate helmet, bowed to their ruler. “We’re ready, your Majesty, but there’s trouble incoming.”

“Yes, Maska?” asked Chrysalis.

“Report from Obsidian,” replied the officer. “He just called. Luna is on her way here. Teleport, unattended.”

Chrysalis furrowed her brow. “Even with a series of jumps, she’ll be here in moments. We can’t fight her too. We have to-”

She was interrupted by a powerful explosion. The two giant monsters rolled over the edge of the plaza, exchanging blows. This time Twilight could see little pony figures running away from the conflagration.

“Finish this now!” shouted Chrysalis. “Maska, take Fluttershy underground. Protect her with your life. I will help Rarity use the Heart to take over the Empire. You…” She looked at the four remaining Elements. “...Keep these two off our backs. The tower can’t fall.”

Silence fell as the ponies processed the gravity of the demand. Then there was another explosion. As one, the girls nodded their heads, their armor auras intensifying in brightness.
“You can count on us,” said Twilight Sparkle.

***

Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Applejack were galloping across the plaza, Rainbow Dash flying above them.

“It will be hard without Rarity,” said Applejack.

“No helping it,” replied Twilight. “She’s the best choice for using the Heart.”

“Why is the barrier gone?” asked Pinkie Pie. “Did they blow it up?”

“I don’t think so,” said Twilight. “The Shattered couldn’t destroy it for a millennium. I think North Star ended the spell to conserve power. He’s losing.”

“Well, we can’t wait for Hate to beat him!” shouted Rainbow Dash from above. “By then there will be no city left to save!”

“North Star is using the city’s power,” said Twilight. “They’ll both notice when Rarity replaces the Heart. I hate to say it, girls, but we’re gonna have to keep them focused on ourselves.”

Applejack nodded her head with a sad smile. “Let’s try to keep them to the parts of the city they’ve already wrecked.”

***

“So, no going back now,” whispered Rarity, as Chrysalis prepared to put the huge gemstone in its proper place.

“Yes,” replied Chrysalis. Maska’s team had already left with Fluttershy, only two adjutants left.

“Observe the South,” said the changeling queen. “Inform the Elements and us when Luna arrives.”

The two changelings saluted, and took off into the night sky.

“Now we begin,” said Chrysalis. “I’ll support you.”

Rarity swallowed loudly, and nodded. Then she grabbed the Heart with the magic of her horn and put it in the center of the city. Instantly, two stone spikes extended towards it from above and below. Rarity’s Element glowed, and the Heart shifted color to match its magic, glowing soft purple as it started to slowly rotate. Then it stopped, and turned black, and Rarity’s head exploded with piercing pain.

***

The city shook with a primal scream of anger and fear. North Star spun around, facing the tower, shooting a stream of black lightning at the small figures underneath.

A wooden cutout of the tower fell back and caught fire. Pinkie stepped away from it and grinned.

Applejack looked at her sideways. “That’s mighty powerful.”

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Well, I’m trying my… incoming!” She rolled aside as the next black lightning lashed at her, ripping a long trench through the crystal pavement.

North Star charged towards the tower, pulling his shadow body with strands of lightning, like an enormous, malformed spider on long spindly legs. Before he could get halfway there though, a monstrous horse head made of black flame grabbed him with its teeth. It pulled him back, flames gushing from between the teeth as it bit down, dragging him back towards Hate. The fallen guard captain retaliated by swinging his tendrils back at his foe, the two rolling over one another, levelling what was left of the ruined buildings in their path.

“Everypony DUCK!” screamed Pinkie. An enormous crystal duck sculpture erupted from the ground in front of her, Applejack and Twilight quickly joining Pinkie behind it. Rainbow Dash was too far up, so she just opted to fly upwards instead, getting out of range just as Hate roared and exploded in North Star’s grip.

The blast consumed both Hate and North Star, and everything around them, from the ruined buildings to the last ponies that hadn’t managed to flee the area yet, including some unlucky, webbed guards that the changelings hadn’t yet managed to drag to safety.

As the giant purple fireball dissipated, the two combatants could be seen for a split second, two stallions wreathed in swirling darkness that was already expanding to once again form their monstrous bodies. Then the air rushed back in, and everything disappeared in a mushroom cloud of hot dust.

Twilight peered from behind her improvised cover. The statue was not shattered, though it did get cracked, and some pieces fell off at the edges. “Where are they..?” She stared into the swirling dust, her magic forming a full helmet to protect her eyes and nose.

“Ahead!” called Pinkie.

And there it was, a giant black flame churning to life once again. It didn’t bother with an equine shape, instead turning like a twister, the top leaning forward to aim at the tower. Purple light appeared inside the funnel, growing in intensity.

“Applejack! Hit it now!” screamed Twilight.

Applejack dove behind the statue, and bucked it with all her power. The huge piece of crystal went flying, as if it weren’t attached to the ground, trailing the orange light of Honesty’s magic as if slammed into the giant maw, turning what would have been a destructive straight blast into an explosion that sent a rain of fireballs over the plaza.

Hate twisted in the air, the mouth closing on the statue and obliterating it. It was now looking directly at the Elements, but before it could breath fire at them, North Star emerged from the dust cloud, shooting a barrage of black lightning through the flames.

Is he trying to hit the real body inside? thought Twilight Sparkle. Aloud she shouted: “Don’t stand in the open! Keep them where they are and let them distract each other!”

She teleported out of the way of a lightning bolt randomly deflected towards her. She was close now, well within reach of both North Star and Hate, if they could spare her their attention, but no longer between them and the tower. The two were still fighting, but the tower was safe for the moment, neither monster capable of sparing the power to either reclaim or destroy it.

This can change any second, she thought. We need to be able to react at any moment. She teleported again, to dodge one more fireball. It seemed Hate had changed his tactic, launching his fire in rapid bursts rather than powerful blasts. These were harder to stop, and many of them found their mark, but those that didn’t flew all over the city, some hitting the still undamaged areas. In the corner of her eye, she could see Rainbow Dash outrun one of the fireballs, dive into a street second before the impact, and come back into the air with some panicked crystal pony in her grip. One the other side, Pinkie Pie jumped high into the air with a huge tennis racket in her teeth, bouncing one of the projectiles back at Hate.

“Will you two stop that!?” shouted Applejack below, her voice amplified by her power. She was the closest to the two monsters, and though they didn’t stop fighting to acknowledge her presence, some red eyes within North Star’s form turned in her direction.

“You’re destroying the city!” continued Applejack. “Hurting ponies!” She took a deeper breath.

“That’s wrong! That’s not how a pony should act!”

The mass of red eyes was now focused on her. A blast of red light came, but Applejack didn’t flinch, burning with her own power. “If you command me to say different, it will still be wrong!” she shouted.

The eyes shrunk, and the light dimmed.

“It’s working!” said Twilight in disbelief.

But the fight did not stop. When North Star hesitated, Hate redoubled his efforts, ramming into him and pushing over him to get a clear shot at the tower. Three heads emerged from his mass on long necks, spitting fire towards the palace.

Rainbow Dash fell from the sky, an explosion of rainbow colors pushing one fireball off course. Pinkie Pie deflected another with her racket.

Twilight Sparkle teleported in the way of the last one, firing a blast of magic that countered the projectile while launching her backwards into the tower wall. At the last moment she teleported again, coming back to where she’d come from and rolling on the ground until she lost the momentum.

Applejack stomped on the ground, launching a chunk of the pavement into the air, then kicked it at Hate. “And you too! Stop doing that! You don’t have to be a monster! Nopony wants you to be!”

The heads reared back to spit again, but before they could, North Star struck back once more, and the shots went into the sky as both monsters rolled to the side. Applejack was about to shout something more, but then the black mass of Hate twisted, and a pair of flaming maws went straight at her, the long necks melting the ground underneath as they lashed forward.

“Applejack!” shouted Twilight. Her spell was instinctive, a teleport effect that grabbed Applejack and yanked her away from where the flaming jaws closed around her. The earth pony returned to existence at Twilight’s side and fell to the ground, screaming in pain - the black flame had eaten through her armor spells and was now consuming the coat on her back.

“Applejack, you’re reeeeeely hot!” shouted Pinkie Pie, landing next to her. Twilight looked at her in shock, but then chuckled involuntarily.

Applejack opened her eyes. “Pinkie… what…” she squeezed her eyes shut from the pain, but then chuckled too, and the flames went out. She sprang back to her hooves and looked at her back, still badly burned, but no longer hurting and quickly getting shielded by new armor. “That was so… crass. But it worked. Thanks.”

“Just don’t get hit again,” said Pinkie with a stern expression. “That joke gets old reeeaaal quick.”

***

“Why does it hurt so much!?” screamed Rarity, holding back tears.

“He’s resisting you,” replied Chrysalis. Her horn glowed green, forming a line of magic that flowed towards Rarity’s head. “Let me handle some of the strain. We need to hurry.”

“I don’t know if I can,” gasped Rarity, looking at the blackened Heart with a pained expression.

“You can, or everypony dies,” said Chrysalis. Her light intensified.

Rarity breathed in deeply, closed her eyes, and pushed. The Heart glowed slightly and started rotating slowly, but Rarity swayed, gritting her teeth against the pain.

“We’re moving…” said Rarity. “It was so much easier last time.” She pushed harder, screamed, and lost concentration, falling to her knees. The Heart stopped moving, and blackened again.

“Last time, there was no master,” said Chrysalis. There was a lot of strain in her voice, and when Rarity looked back at her, she was shocked to see tiny black crystals sprouting here and there across the changeling’s body.

“Now, he’s resisting you, and all the crystal ponies’ fear and pain is his to use as power.”

Rarity turned away from her, and back to the Heart. “You’re right, we need to win this.” Biting her lip, she tried again, ignoring the tears trickling down her face. “Move, you stubborn thing…”

Outside the tower, something exploded repeatedly. Rarity pushed on, but once more her efforts were futile. She fell to the ground, gasping for breath. “There’s so much pain there... too much for both of us. There must be another way.”

Chrysalis shifted shape for a second, hissing as she broke the growing crystals from her flesh. “What do you suggest?”

“I was supposed to be the best for it, because I’m Generosity, aren’t I?” said Rarity. “The tower gathers the feelings from the ponies, and uses them as energy, and my power is all about sharing. But I can’t share… this! We need something good here, something the heart could resonate with. Something I could resonate with.”

“You’re making a good point,” said Chrysalis. “But where do we get anything but pain and fear here? The only ponies here are either enslaved, or running for their lives… and your friends are too busy fighting to help us.”

“What about the changelings?” asked Rarity. “Can they… share love?”

“We can feed each other,” replied Chrysalis, “Not very effectively, but perhaps…”

“But I saw a changeling do that!” shouted Rarity suddenly. “When the Elements were trapped in that tower a thousand years ago! Their Generosity was a changeling, and she used her power to get them more energy!”

Chrysalis looked at her wide-eyed. “So you think we could -”

“We can loop it!” shouted Rarity, looking into her eyes with a wide grin. “If they only sway the tower enough that the Heart can give me any power at all, I can multiply it, and share it back!”

Chrysalis returned her grin. “You’re just the kind of crazy we need right now.” She turned around, and her wings buzzed. Soon, the sound was returned from all around - changeling soldiers answering their queen’s call to gather around her.

The first one dive-bombed underneath the tower, using his green aura to soften his fall, and slide across the crystal until he came to a stop in front of his queen. But when she met his gaze, he was the first to speak, bringing her news she didn’t want to hear.

***

“Envy is here!”

Rainbow Dash turned in the air, facing the changeling who had shouted at her as she flew by. The soldier met her gaze, making sure she had her attention, and then pointed South and up. There was a point of silver light there, high in the sky, one that had only just appeared.

Dash looked down on the battle underneath. She could see her friends down there, all still alive, some miraculously so, as North Star and Hate kept flailing at each other, obliterating everything that came between them. Hate’s advantage was growing with every moment, and right now all that was stopping him from tearing the tower down was the Elements desperately distracting him whenever he was about to get a clear shot. Last time they did, he almost got Pinkie Pie, Dash saving her with a last second dive to push her out of the way - it was so close, if Dash wasn’t wrapped in Loyalty’s magic, her pinions would have caught fire. And now, there was another threat that needed to be handled.

I can’t be in two places at once! We’re spread too thin! she thought, looking up and down, biting her lip in frustration. She looked up once more, and then at the changeling. If Envy gets to the Heart, it’s over.

“Tell my friends, I’ll handle Envy.”

She didn’t say anything more. There was no time to waste, and she couldn’t wait for a moment where shouting towards her friends would not distract them from the fight. I can only trust them, she thought as she flew towards the light in the sky. We all need to give our best to win.

She let her power flare outward, a bright orb of red trailing a rainbow contrail. Luna was still where she had appeared, looking around the battlefield to get the full picture of the situation. Rainbow Dash could see her eyes turn towards her as she approached, just as she wanted.

“Hey, you!” she shouted over the noise of the battle behind her. “Glad you showed up! You’ll pay for what you did!”

Luna raised an eyebrow, her mouth stretching into a condescending smile. “To you, little pony? Seriously?”

She leaned forward, pointing her horn at Rainbow Dash, who projected her defense in front of her, a stream of lightning striking her barriers, and spreading all around as it slid off. Rainbow glared at Luna, her anger clearly visible even despite the protective mask she created over her eyes. “Yes,” she said. “You have a lot to pay for.”

She flapped her wings, and lunged forward, clearing the gap between them in a heartbeat, but Luna teleported up, dodging the attack and falling at Dash from the sky.

“What did you say!?” she jeered, as Dash barely dodged her counter with a desperate barrell roll. “It’s windy, and I can’t hear you!”

“I said, you’ll pay!” shouted Rainbow Dash, using her power to bounce back, rebounding off thin air to swing her wing at Luna, a blade of red light projected from the feathers forcing the princess to block. She responded with an explosion of lightning, forcing Dash back as she prepared for another clash.

“And you think you can take me on?” she said, baring her teeth. “Alone? It took three of you to fight me last time. And now you no longer have Aurora. You left her to die, remember!?”

“You…” Dash charged forward, screaming in anger. Luna raised her head, and shifted her wings, moving slightly aside. A beam of lightning shot from her horn, but not at Dash.

What?

She hadn’t seen it before, but something in her mind stirred, a buried memory of some past Loyalty fighting the same foe. Breaking her angry charge, Dash acted on instinct, swerving away just as Luna swung her horn, the lightning still extending from it like a giant energy blade. Luna went into freefall, and twisted her body to instantly strike at a different angle, but Dash accelerated past her to get out of the attack arc.

That was stupid. She almost got me. I need to focus. Get her attention.

She turned around and lit up again, spreading wide spectral feathers to make herself bigger and brighter. It’s just for show… I hope it does make me more intimidating. “I’ll get you for Aurora!” she shouted. “And for Spike! And the Wonderbolts!” Come on… focus on me. Keep trash-talking back. Pay no attention to the Heart or my friends…

The air resounded with a loud crackle. Dash braced herself as her outer protections dissolved from the lightning strike. Some of the shock got through, but her pegasus resistance was enough to deal with it. She dropped down, leaving behind an empty shell of protective barriers, and propelled herself forward. This time she got to Luna and managed to strike a blow, a double front kick that the Shattered had to block. Sparks flew, as their powers collided.

Luna let herself be flung back, allowing her metal bracers absorb the impact. She decelerated, and fired forward a ball lightning, forcing Dash into a swerve that prevented her from continuing the attack. “That’s a long list!” she said loudly. “For a bearer of Loyalty, you just keep failing ponies, don’t you?”

“I didn’t fail them!” shouted Dash as she charged again. She saw the lightning blade extend once more and managed to turn in the air to dodge it, but it put her just slightly out of range as she flew by - the wedge of magic she extended from the tip of her wing broke harmlessly against Luna’s block. “It’s not over yet!”

“Oh, but it is!” shouted back Luna. “You weren’t able to save them, and now they’re dead! And you... you’re facing me alone!” Her lightning disappeared, but then she teleported. Dash had just a moment to reorient her defences, projecting a spell in the shape of a shield, right before Luna bombarded her with bolts of magic. “I’ve been doing this for millennia, and against better ponies than you! A failed Loyalty will never beat me!”

“I’m not a failure!” Dash shouted, and her Element flared up, launching forward a red beam of magic. Luna shot a beam of her own, and for a moment the two ponies were left suspended in the air, pushing back and forth.

“Of course you are!” replied Luna, the beautiful alicorn’s face twisted into an ugly sneer, the regal veneer of a princess all but gone. “Should I draw you a chart? Or better, should I show you?” She exchanged her beam for a shield, letting the incoming blast push her aside, then flew away, circling over the battlefield, teleporting away in short bursts as Dash tried to pursue her.

“Oh, would you look at this!” she shouted. “There are some ponies running away over there. And.. are these changelings!? Are they your friends too!?” She teleported once more, this time appearing behind Dash, a corona of lightning forming around her body. “Let’s see how many of them you will fail to save tonight!”

Dash turned and charged at her, but she knew she would be too late. She was fast, the fastest flier in all of Equestria. But she wasn’t faster than lightning. She saw a blinding light, once, twice, three times, the strands of electricity splitting above the ground to turn multiple moving shapes into blackened, immobile ones. She screamed, the sound lost in the roar of thunder, and she reached Luna, the two twisting in the air, as the alicorn expertly deflected the blade that extended from Rainbow’s hoof.

Strike after strike was exchanged, with Dash pushing Luna back, but unable to strike a clean blow. Luna said something again, but the insult was lost on Dash, her ears still ringing from the thunder. Finally Luna pushed back and teleported, leaving the Element swinging angrily. By the time Dash located her, another stream of lightning struck the ground. “How about these ones!?” she jeered.

She’s killing them! To get to me! And she keeps teleporting. I need to be faster! thought Dash as she chased after Luna, her rainbow contrail replaced by a streak of red as she picked up more and more speed. “Pick on somepony your own size, monster!” she screamed, as she once again missed Luna by inches.

Inside her head, the inherited fighting instincts connected to her senses, coldly analysing the situation: She hasn’t attacked Twilight, Pinkie or AJ. She must be avoiding Hate’s attention. She keeps switching powers. There’s a delay between teleporting and shooting lightning - she can’t use both at once. But those thoughts didn’t enter her stream of consciousness, the facts slotting themselves into the back of her mind.

“Hey, look at those!” shouted Luna, hovering over the plaza, where changelings were converging from all directions. “Looks like they’re still trying some last moment, desperate plan! Do they really think I’ll let them?”

The sky flashed. Dash sped forward, oblivious to anything else, the world blurring from the speed. There wasn’t even a rainboom this time - just a streak of red through the sky, as if a lightning bolt of her own, and then she was where she was needed. The fury of the thunderstorm struck right at her, flowing through the spell armor around her body, and into the earth, a bolt of white that left a small crater in the ground, but managed to miss every single changeling. Dash found herself flying blind, the magic that protected her eyes and ears momentarily cutting her from her senses. She could still smell though, and the familiar smell of ozone was joined by that of burning fur.

There was a source of energy above her. She swerved upwards to attack it, launching a red bolt of magic from her mouth. Luna deflected the spell, and then folded one wing, falling aside as Dash charged at her.

“Oh, that was loyal, I admit!” she jeered, “You make your own death long and painful, so they can live a minute more. Do you think you can do it again!?”

She teleported once more. Dash felt which direction she went. There were so many targets underneath her.

A swerve, magical acceleration, greater than flesh and bone should allow. The fury of the storm striking her once again.

Luna laughed. a cold, high-pitched laughter full of scorn, an aberration to the benevolent princess persona she had tried to maintain just days prior. “You’re getting better at this! I’d say you’ll become a legend, but the sad fact is, history is written by the victors! When all your friends are dead, I will make them all villains! And your name will be remembered as a curse, a supposed hero who betrayed and failed everypony!”

Keep talking, I need just a moment more…

Dash felt the power buildup before she saw it. There was a streak of red rushing forward. Then a blinding flash, and a deafening roar of thunder. The red aura protecting Rainbow Dash disappeared under the force of the blast, directing it safely to the ground, before flying apart in a shower of sparks.

Luna looked down, and cocked her eyebrow in surprise. The charred corpse she expected was nowhere to be found. The armor spell had been an empty shell.

“I didn’t fail anypony!” screamed Dash, flying straight at her, a new shield of red light already forming around the gemstone on her chest.

Luna grinned. The pegasus charging right at her, with her defenses down, was too obvious a target. She didn’t teleport or blast away with lightning this time, merely leaned forward, aiming with her horn, a straight spear of blazing energy erupting from its tip. It slid aside just a bit, off the glowing Element, and through the metal collar around it, piercing through with so little resistance, it didn’t even stop the two mares from colliding with each other. Luna’s grin widened as she parried the blow of Rainbow’s front hooves, the two now flying horizontally with the pegasus’ momentum. “And that’s game.” Her light intensified, sending a powerful electric charge down the energy beam.

It didn’t go anywhere. Luna looked down her horn, only to find her blade dissolve from Loyalty’s aura. There was still a hole burned through Rainbow’s gorget, but the spike of lightning was no longer sticking through it, the power lashing wildly in all directions instead. Dash pushed on, and met Luna’s gaze, a pair of glowing red eyes with no visible pupils.
“They’re here,” growled Rainbow through gritted teeth, a bit of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth. “All with me!”

The red light expanded into a ball, encompassing both ponies. Luna turned off her lightning to try to teleport away, but by the time she did, Loyalty’s magic was too strong to power through. The buildings below zipped past, as the struggling fighters flew like a bullet, away from the city.

“A friend isn’t gone when dead,” continued Dash, straight in her face. “Only when you abandon them!"

Luna struck a couple blows, but for all her skill, her longer limbs had too little space to strike a telling blow in a grapple. Desperate, she bit into Dash, trying to hit the artery in the neck, but Rainbow only twisted in her grip, leaving her with just some hair and blood in her mouth.

“YOU CAN’T KILL A SINGLE PONY!" Screamed Dash. “I CARRY THEIR DREAMS WITH ME!”

Something popped around the two of them, like a giant bubble, a ring of iridescent colors spreading in their wake. Luna turned away from the blinding light, trying to struggle free. The last thing she saw was the approaching glacier wall in their path.

***

“Everypony, get ready!” called Rarity.

The swarm had gathered around the Heart. Or rather, some fifty changelings did. Rarity wasn’t sure how many there had been at the beginning of the night. Some had to have returned underground, leading away as many ponies as they could. Some others were probably busy with subdued soldiers. That, or fallen in battle. How many changelings had Hate and North Star destroyed without even noticing? Rarity tried not to think about it. The battle outside still raged, the night sky roiling with storm clouds as the magical flames roared over the city. Chancing a glance towards where she knew her friends were, she spotted a wall of what looked like marshmallow, holding off the latest attack. Then a powerful bolt of lightning struck the plaza, briefly turning night into day. Rarity turned away and stared into the Heart.

“Focus on the Heart!” proclaimed Queen Chrysalis loudly. “Let it feed from your power! We will send it back to you! Keep going until she tells you to stop!” she finished, indicating her head towards Rarity.

The gathered changelings nodded in understanding, the same gesture eerily repeated by fifty heads. Chrysalis took a deep breath. “I’m ready too. It’s now or never.”

Rarity closed her eyes. She could feel the energies flowing around her. Behind her, Chrysalis, a beacon of power supporting hers, calm and focused. In front of her, the Heart, now a black blot in a pillar of darkness that was the tower. Motes of energy that were the changelings, dim and alien, surrounding her from all sides.

She tried to clear her mind, but there was only so much she could do. She clenched her teeth and focused. Instantly the flow of energy around her shifted. She could feel the tiny streams of power, warm and gentle, flowing towards the Heart from all directions. She tried to touch them as she began a struggle to control the artifact, and the wave of darkness nearly exploded in her face. Just before the pain and horror could overwhelm her, she felt it draining away, Chrysalis pulling at the black tendrils, and dragging them in, only just managing to give Rarity some breathing space. There was good within the Heart, she knew, and now it was a matter of reaching deep enough to grab it. The changeling queen had given her that chance.

It’s like threading a needle… that hurts horribly… I need to focus… just a little… there!

It was not much, but so much more than just minutes before. Rarity smiled through the pain, as the Heart started turning slowly. She tugged at the helpful power she had managed to touch and then sent it downwards into her Element.

“The greatest gifts… are multiplied when shared.”

The purple light spread in all directions, slowly at first, a gentle beacon among the horrors raging in the darkness around. Rarity tried to direct it at the surrounding changelings, but found it too hard to maintain focus; she could only hope they would naturally feed on what she was giving them, and be able to return enough of it.

“It’s working,” she heard Chrysalis behind her. The voice was raspy, and though Rarity could not turn around, she could clearly feel the pain in it. She spared just a bit of focus to feel the magic around her, and was horrified by what she felt - she had not realised it, because her own suffering did not increase, but she was meeting with resistance now, the evil suffusing the tower lashing back at them. Chrysalis was taking as much of it as she could, a black outline in the light dancing around Rarity.

“You’re hurt!” shouted Rarity over her shoulder. The light around her dimmed, and she realised that her focus had slipped a bit; the Heart didn’t stop turning, but the flow of power waned, and it took all of her remaining concentration not to lose it.

“Do your job, and I’ll do mine!” shouted Chrysalis back at her. “Everything depends on us now!”

“I’m trying!” replied Rarity. “But I don’t want you to-”

“Focus!” screamed Chrysalis. “This isn’t about me or you! The fate of the swarm rests on me, and I will not fail them!”

“All the ponies depend on me,” replied Rarity under her breath. She inhaled deeply and released a wave of magic, feeding the surrounding changelings with energy. Her body protested with splitting headache, but she managed to stay on her hooves and maintain the flow. Heavens, if it hurts me that much, what must she feel? We need to finish this fast.

Something exploded just outside the tower. Rarity could feel the changelings shudder instinctively, and the flow was disrupted once more, almost making the Heart slip out of her grasp. We’re running out of time, she realised, and the Heart is barely moving.

“We need more power!” she gasped over the pain.

“The changelings can’t provide any more,” replied Chrysalis. “We need to give them more power, or it won’t work.”

“I’m giving all I can!” shouted Rarity, desperation in her voice. “I don’t have any more to share!”

“Then we need to make more,” said the Queen. “I’ll show you how.”

There was a flash of green, and something hit Rarity from behind, a stream of energy that seemed to banish the pain from her mind. She was filled with a sense of purpose that wasn't entirely her own; it felt as if somepony was in the back seat of her head, looking through her eyes.

“Now, we will give them the greatest gift of all,” she heard Chrysalis whisper.

She wanted to ask what she meant, but an impulse of will directed all her attention to the link. Now that the pain had disappeared, all seemed obvious; the more she could give, the more she would get in return. Chrysalis expanded on her initial idea, showing her hidden reserves of her own strength she could draw upon, and instantly replenish, holding to just a spark of her own life at the core of her Element, while everything around her circulated through the changelings, the Heart, and back to her.

She gets it better than I do, thought Rarity, teaching me as if she were-

The understanding came in a brief moment, too brief for her brain to even put it into words. The Heart turned faster, shaking off a layer of black crust, and as it matched her energy signature, everything filled with purple light.

“Take good care of them for me.”

There was a loud roar outside, a monster realising that he had been defeated. The Heart spun like a spindle, and the light exploded in all directions, a solid wave of pure magic disintegrating the black crystals as it spread out. It washed over the gathered changelings, then the surrounding plaza, finally reaching the ruined buildings around it.

It slammed against Hate and North Star, blowing away the flames and darkness, and illuminating the two pony shapes within. They both hung in the air for a second, and then the power of the Heart overwhelmed them, their bodies breaking apart and turning into charcoal as the dark magic was forcefully purged through every pore. With a sound like breaking glass, the focus of Ambition shattered and disintegrated, its magic carried away in red wisps at the head of the expanding wave. As it reached the edges of the city, the magic turned solid, a purple barrier protecting all within from intruders.

Rarity felt it all, the power of the Heart now an extension of her own. She could feel the ruined buildings all over the city start to regrow, the magic causing the crystals to regenerate. She could feel the joy and relief of the ponies within, and knew that the magic she unleashed wasn't just hers and the changelings' – as soon as the light of hope shone, everypony instantly contributed to protecting their home. She could feel-

“Cristal.”

She turned around rapidly, stumbling slightly as she did so. Her limbs reacted weirdly, as if her legs had suddenly grown longer. Behind her...

There was a black crystal statue where Chrysalis had stood, looking back at her with a serene smile. It suddenly occurred to her the queen had grown shorter, no longer towering over her like she used to. Then, a breath later, the moment passed, and the statue crumbled to dust, blowing away in the wind and leaving Rarity alone, surrounded by a swarm of changelings.

“She... took everything into herself...” realised Rarity. She looked in panic at the crystalline bug ponies surrounding her. “I didn't mean to...” she said raising her hoof defensively.

It didn't look like her hoof. Her leg was longer and more slender than just moments before, and while it still had her snow white fur, now turned glossy and crystalline by the Heart’s magic, the hoof was dark purple, with slick chitinous shell extending all the way over the pastern, like an ornamental bracer. Rarity looked down on herself, and then whipped her head around, looking for anything she could use as a mirror, finally gazing at the Heart, now slowly rotating in front of her.

She was tall. Not as tall as Chrysalis had been, but slim and graceful like some of her prettiest customers. Looking at her reflection she saw that all of her legs had been similarly transformed. Her horn was dark purple too, longer and sharper, with a slight curve to it. Her eyes were glowing soft light to match the Generosity around her neck, two pools of purple with no visible pupils. And Generosity now had the shape of a heart. She turned around on the spot, to look at her rump. And sure enough, even her cutie mark had transformed.

“What's happened to me?” she asked to nopony in particular. “What has...”

“You have attuned the Heart to your will,” said one of the officers in the front row. She was transformed like all the others, but Rarity recognized her voice as Maska's. “As the Queen had predicted.”

Rarity considered the answer. “She knew it would happen like this? She knew she would...”

“We await your orders, your Majesty!” proclaimed Maska, kneeling down. There was a clink of hooves moving over crystal, and all the gathered changelings bowed.

Chapter 50: The Endgame

“We've won.”

Twilight slumped to the ground, exhausted. She wasn't terribly injured – by some miracle she had avoided a direct hit through the whole battle, and when the magic of the Heart washed over her, the transformation healed all the minor cuts and bruises as it gave her body a more perfect, crystalline form. But inside she felt burned out. There was only so long one could keep their mind in perfect focus, dancing and dodging around attacks that threatened to reduce them to ash. Now her stomach was twisted in a painful knot as the adrenaline levels slowly returned to normal, and her mind was screaming for rest.

She forced herself to look around. Applejack was trotting to her side, her amber coat uneven in hue, betraying the burns that Pinkie's magic had patched over. She had lost her hat in the struggle, and looked too tired to even try to conjure one with magic. On the other side, Pinkie had plopped onto the ground, swaying slowly from side to side. It was her powers that kept the three of them alive most of the time, leaving Twilight amazed at what the pink pony mare could conjure – but that also meant she was the most drained of the three.

Three?

“Dash!?” Twilight jumped to her hooves, and looked frantically around. Sometime during the battle, her friend flew off to prevent Envy from joining the fight. Now she was nowhere to be seen.

Pinkie Pie perked up and looked around, her ears swiveling. There was a slight blue glow coming from her gem. “She went...” Pinkie hopped up, pirouetted several times, and suddenly stopped, standing on one hind leg, one front hoof pointing forward. “... thataway,” she said. Then the light of her Element faded, and she faceplanted, the short grunt of pain instantly turning into a loud snore.

***

Enigma appeared in an empty tunnel. He extended his senses as much as he dared, taking in his surroundings. There were wards there, on the edge of his perception, waiting for an intruder to walk through.

They did get in and out of here somehow, he thought. He risked another shift, moving 20 feet down the corridor. And there it was; a hole through which he could reach freely with his senses, indicating the absence of magic – something had cut through the layers of the alarm spells as it it was a wire fence.

Obsidian knows what he's doing, observed Enigma before venturing forward. He didn't move his legs at all, avoiding the sound of hooves on the stone floor. Instead, he just kept shifting, several feet at a time, taking just enough of a break between jumps to make sure he wasn't about to touch another layer of alarm spells.

There should be some guards by now, he thought. And sure enough, his spatial awareness detected a clumped distortion on the floor behind the corner. There was a body there, one of Eve's assistants, apparently killed with a spell that burned through the artificial pony's chin, stabbing up through the brain. Killed before he could raise the alarm... But his death wasn't noticed either, so he wasn't on guard duty. He actually moved his head to look around. I shouldn't have got that deep without having to at least bypass sentries. Is Eve so short on personnel? In that case, I should hurry up before phase two comes into effect.

He kept shifting for another minute, locating another layer of alarm spells, with another hole cut through them, getting to the main labs level. There he finally detected movement; a pair of guards were walking down the corridor, the metallic clinking indicating the presence of armor. One sentry golem, and one assistant, recognized Enigma. Could Eve be in that body? It's time to start checking.

He focused, and a foot wide block of stone disappeared from the wall beside him. It reappeared on the ceiling and fell, disappearing again and again, and building up momentum as it kept falling. Now. Enigma shifted, moving around the corner and coming face to face with the pair. The block appeared over them and struck like a falling anvil, compacting the empty helmet of the animated armor sentry. The assistant looked at Enigma in surprise, before opening his mouth to scream.

Default programming, thought Enigma. The crash of bending metal had already alerted everypony within hearing range. This body was unlikely to be Eve. And with no true soul, it had very little pattern resistance. Enigma focused, and the white pony gasped, his scream cut short, as his eyes bulged. A tiny red ball appeared in the air in front of him; the blood that Enigma had pulled out of the body, replacing it with a bubble of air. The assistant wobbled and fell over, the blockage cutting off the blood flow to his brain, taking him down in a second.

Enigma didn't wait for the body to be still. He was already on the move, shifting through walls, the stone block following him, constantly in motion, crashing through lab equipment like a giant hammer. A pair of assistants showed up, taking fighting stances.

Not Eve. It would be a waste to run towards me, decided Enigma, shifting the falling block to turn its momentum sideways, slamming into one of the ponies' temple with a force that crashed their heads together, sending both to the floor. Enigma felt around himself and found an empty space below. He shifted again, and ended up in a medical lab filled with large glass tubes where ponies destined to become replacement bodies floated suspended in healing liquid.

Here is my target.

He closed his eyes and focused, spreading his senses all around him. Small pieces of objects were located, anchored to his pattern ability, and shifted out of position. The lab exploded in a splashing wave of liquid and broken glass, the unconscious bodies spreading on the floor, the ponies doomed to drown as their suspended animation spells failed. There was only one pony left moving.

Enigma turned around. Dr. Stone was standing in the door. “What do you think you're doing?” she asked coldly.

“Wrecking equipment you won't replace without Gloria,” replied Enigma. “Denying you pre-modified bodies. Hoping to catch you, if I'm lucky.”

Out of nowhere, syringes shifted in around Dr. Stone, flying at her body. They stopped without making contact, and flew away, pushed off target by an invisible force that embedded them in the walls.

That's magic, thought Enigma. Did she cover herself with amulets for protection, or is it just an elite guard? She is wearing something to conceal her aura, I can barely touch her.

“No such luck,” said Dr. Stone. “I’ve had enough intruders for tonight.”

She stepped forward, sighing in indignation at the sight of the twitching bodies around her.

“This ends now.” She splashed with her hoof, hitting the floor underneath the liquid, and then swung her leg forward. Enigma felt something detach from underneath her horseshoe as she did, and shifted well aside to dodge. But as the item, a small silver disc, stopped in the air and started glowing pale blue, Enigma's vision swam.

The lines!

He could feel them now, more magical wards embedded in the walls, all over the place, interweaved with the magic providing the lighting, or keeping the equipment in good maintenance. They hadn't been doing anything until now, merely a background noise of the lab. But now, the disk attracted them from all around, changing the setup completely, like a griffin child playing with a piece of string woven through her claws, revealing a new shape when she twisted her talons.

It was all a trap, and all set up for him. He felt he couldn't shift away anymore, his senses distorted, as if the space itself had folded with the magical lines. To attempt a shift in such circumstances would be a suicide.

“You do know I can just die,” he said, calmly looking at Dr. Stone.

“And explain to your allies just who you're wearing this time?” asked Dr. Stone. A couple of syringes, just like the ones Enigma had produced a moment before, emerged from her coat and flew forward towards him.

He darted forward, swatting them out of the air with his hoof, and actually grabbing one with his teeth. His power had been disabled, but he was still an assassin with millennia of experience. He cleared the distance in a heartbeat, and lunged forward, his pattern pouring forth to overpower the scientist's magical defenses. They rolled on the floor with a splash, Enigma ending up on top, with the syringe in his teeth pressed against Dr. Stone's throat.

Too easy... is she not the real one either? There should be claws and spikes, and more skill...

He pressed in, piercing the coat with the needle. But the liquid would not go in. For the second time in the minute, Enigma's senses went crazy.

The syringe backed out of the wound, held in pale blue magical aura, pushing back against what he thought was enough pattern to shut down any magic Eve could possibly wield. And now her eyes were glowing pale blue as well. Enigma felt himself lifted off her, wisps of smoke rising from his coat as conflicting energies collided around his body. He twisted, trying to buck at her face, but she pushed him away, holding him turning helplessly in the air.

He locked eyes with the mare as the rotation made him face her. Even with his senses distorted, he could now feel her magic – what he had thought to be inaccessible to him because of protective wards had actually been an overwhelming magical aura all along. And now she'd stopped trying to hide it.

“You're not Eve,” he said. “What are you?”

“Eve is gone,” she said, driving the needle into the back of his neck. He tried to expel the drug from his body, but the damn thing had been infused with magic. He instantly felt his vision blur, and his struggling weakened. “It's nothing personal, but I can't have you interfere at this stage.”

“You didn't answer,” managed Enigma. I can't lose consciousness, just a moment longer...

“I have no time to monologue now,” replied Dr. Stone. “You've done a lot of damage, and I have things to do.”

“I will do more,” smiled Enigma. Internally, he forced his heartbeat to slow, buying himself precious seconds.

There was a rumble in the distance. Dr. Stone tilted her head, looking up as if she could penetrate the many meters of rock with her gaze. Perhaps she could. “I see, you're not done.”

No, thought Enigma, unconsciousness overcoming him. It took hours of shifting rocks to do it, but right now, the river is flowing inside the mountain, and that sound means, that my dam has just broken.

In the floors above them, a thin wall gave way, the tunnel suddenly becoming a part of an underground river. It washed through the corridors, flushing away sentries and equipment, activating alarms, and smothering security measures. When it reached the stairs, it crashed down in a foaming waterfall.

“You didn't come here to do damage,” said Dr. Stone, looking down on him, “just to try to eliminate me. And now-”

The lights blinked. Enigma was too dizzy to smile, but he felt his chance. The water had done enough damage to disrupt some of the systems of the compound, cutting off power and ripping the intricate web. Enigma could no longer move, but in the last second of consciousness he could feel his way out of the trap. A blink of an eye, and he was gone.

***

Rarity blinked, trying if she could wake herself up. She had just spent a minute listening to Maska's explanation, but it didn't make sense to her.

“Wait... you mean Cris... alis planned all this?” she repeated her question.

Maska shook her head. “Not in detail. She couldn't have predicted all the events of tonight. But she was concerned that her lingering connection to Generosity might hamper your potential. She accepted the possibility that winning the war might call for her death, and prepared accordingly. Your transformation signifies that she'd left you all the power she could've.”

Rarity stared in stunned silence. She didn't just save me. She purposefully... why?

“Why me?” she finally managed. "I've never been a queen of anything.”

“I admit, this goes against all our traditions,” said Maska with a nod. “Normally, it would have probably been me, possibly with some ritual challenges if anyling objected. But the situation calls for the swarm to change and adapt, and the queen decided you could help in that. It is fortunate that she managed to pass some of her traits on you. You are now changeling by blood, which should prevent any dissent. And you're a pony by birth, perfect to facilitate cooperation with ponykind, the thing we need most right now. As for your inexperience, I was instructed to serve as your advisor.”

Rarity looked down at her hooves. Dark and chitinous, they were beautiful in a way, but they were not hers. Can I change it? She said I'm a changeling now. What do I do? I can't do it. I need to make some sense of this mess... mess. That's it.

“There are ponies here, scared and injured,” she said, meeting Maska's gaze. “We need to find everypony alive in the city, and make sure they're in no further danger. Can you do it?”

“We were already coordinating an evacuation effort,” replied Maska. "It's just a matter of changing the assembly points.”

“Make sure you find my friends too,” continued Rarity. She suddenly froze, and stared straight at Maska. “Fluttershy! Where is she? You were supposed to take care of her!”

The changeling nodded. “Still in the cocoon spell your friends created.” She turned around, and for a moment, her wings buzzed loudly. “The queen called me here because my power was needed, but my team kept watching over her. They'll bring her back to the surface now.”

She turned around, her wings buzzing again and again, in different rhythm. The changelings around Rarity scattered, flying away all over the city, with only four black armored ones staying around her, clearly standing guard. As Maska's soldiers brought Fluttershy back to the surface, Rarity took a moment to collect her thoughts. The fight was clearly over. She had returned the Heart to its proper place, and put a new barrier around the city. She didn't know how many ponies there were within the city, but just now she was beginning to feel their hope flowing through the Heart – many were in pain, physical or otherwise, but she had managed to give them something to hold on to at least.

And Chrysalis... Cristal is dead. How should I remember her? The pony, or the changeling? She died... no, she killed herself so I could succeed. Why does everypony keep dying? And she left me her swarm to take care of. Oh, what should I do?

Now that she had made her decisions, and left the rest to her new subjects, she no longer had the immediate problems to occupy her mind with. That left her enough freedom for her imagination to wander, horrible scenarios springing to her mind's eye one after another.

If I don't find something, anything to focus on, I'm going to break down and start crying in front of the changelings. If only I had my sewing machine... can I ask for a sewing machine? I don't think so. Perhaps just think of designs then? If I were to dress the changelings, how would I do it?

She turned away from Maska, and focused on the nearest guard instead. He was already dressed in a black armor that used to match his shell, but now stood out as the chitine was turned a deep shade of purple. The changes didn't end there; the holes covering the changeling's limbs had all closed, making him appear much less ragged.

If he kept looking like this, I could work with this. Perhaps a tailcoat? Of course it would have to have wing holes. I wonder if those would work the same as with pegasi wings...

Rarity's mind grabbed on the familiar routine, and she spent a minute in her own world, contemplating the design. She broke out of it when she noticed movement in the distance – there were ponies walking through the plaza, gathering around the tower.

Even with the effects of the Heart's pulse still beautifying them, Rarity could see they were in a miserable condition. Some were still wearing chains that had been used to keep them contained, many were covered in cuts and bruises, and some even burns, clear signs of having been caught too close to the battle between Hate and North Star. She saw a couple of guards, their armors dented and wrapped in strands of changeling resin, stumbling forward along with the rest, their faces frightened and confused.

She caught sight of a small colt, walking alone, his eyes at the ground. There was nopony to accompany him, and yet he wasn't looking around frantically for his parents, as she expected he would. That made her think that perhaps he knew full well where they were, and the thought made her stomach twist into a knot.

She walked out towards the gathering crowd, her guards moving with her in unison, then caused her Element to glow, attracting everypony's attention. “Everypony, please remain calm!” she said loudly, magic amplifying her voice. “The Heart has been restored, and you are protected again! The changelings will help you find safe spots to sleep in, but first, anypony who needs medical attention, form a line over there.” A ball of purple emerged from her horn, flying to one corner of the tower, and hanging there. Rarity turned towards Maska, who was busy receiving reports from returning changelings.

“You do have medics, don't you?” she asked. “We'll make a hospital inside the palace for now.”

Maska looked up towards the tower. The missing top was too large to be instantly regrown by the Heart's magic, but the building was no longer glowing with heat. “The lower levels are still stable, and it's a natural point for the locals to seek help. It will serve. We'll use resin nets to fly in the injured.”

“There is so much more they're going to need,” said Rarity. “We need somepony local, who knows where everything is.”

There was a buzz of wings, and a changeling landed in front of Rarity. Giving a brief bow, she spoke. “Your Majesty, your friends require your powers. Please follow me.”

***

It was three hours later when Rarity finally had the time to sit down. She was in a chamber on what was now the top floor of the palace, hastily converted into a hospital room. Pinkie Pie was asleep, snoring loudly on a small pile of blankets in the corner. The two simple beds were taken by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, both breathing calmly in a magically induced sleep. The rest of the furnishings was limited to three cushions they managed to grab while walking through the palace – Applejack, Rarity and Twilight were sitting on them in a circle.

“I have no idea how Chrysalis did what she did,” said Twilight. “It's a permanent transformation, not just a spell.”

“So... she did to me what Deception had done to her,” said Rarity.

“That's one way to put it,” replied Twilight, suddenly uneasy. “But... you didn't become a monster. You don't feel any... unusual hunger, do you?”

“No, I don't,” said Rarity. “But then again, I'm so charged up now, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep. I have no idea how I will feel in the morning.”

“Speaking of which,” interrupted Applejack. “There should be a morning in a few hours.”

They all knew what it meant. When they went to find Rainbow Dash, luckily in time to save her life, they also found what was left of Luna. Rarity didn't want to remember the image; there were two bodies there besides Rainbow. Twilight incinerated one, and encased the other in crystal, to be recovered later.

“We'll need to raise the sun,” said Rarity, her personal problems momentarily forgotten.

“Just the three of us?” asked Twilight.

“Well, Rainbow needs her sleep,” said Applejack. “So does Fluttershy. And I'm not sure if we can wake Pinkie up.”

“Fluttershy isn't seriously injured,” said Twilight. “at least physically. I'm not sure what North Star did to her mind, but connecting to Kindness might actually help her recover faster. The problem is we don't have Kindness, unless Obsidian manages to retrieve it.”

“So, it might really be just the three of us,” said Applejack. “At least two of us are awakened now. Do you think we can pull it off?”

“I do feel a lot stronger now,” said Rarity. “And if Luna could do it alone, why not us? I'm only concerned with how much power I can use. I don't want the shield around the city to disappear.”

“I don't think we'll be attacked anytime soon,” said Twilight. “Unless Deception attacks us by herself, but from what Obsidian said, it wouldn't be like her. So we should have a day or two until Envy and Hate return. Let us make the best use of it.”

There was a short buzz behind the door. Rarity turned her head towards the noise. “It's for me, I'm afraid,” she said, getting up.

There was a changeling standing in the doorway, between the two guards. “Your Majesty, Mr. Obsidian is at the edge of the barrier with Dr. Bluebonnet, awaiting permission to enter.”

Twilight and Applejack sprang up, joining Rarity at the door. “Finally!” exclaimed Twilight. “Are they okay?”

“They appear to be,” said the changeling. “Though Mr. Obsidian requested that the bearer of Honesty be present to verify their identity.”

“Can't be too careful,” agreed Applejack. “Okay then, lead us to them.”

“They will be at the main entrance,” said Rarity. “We'll find the way there ourselves. You can stay here with Twilight to keep watch over our friends. Don't worry, Twilight. We'll get back here to tell you everything.”

The two ponies walked down the corridor and towards the nearest stairs. The rooms they passed were full of ponies, most of them trying to get some sleep after the horrors the night had offered. Rarity could see many faces ruffled with dried tears. She passed by the colt she had seen earlier – he was sleeping uneasily, cuddled into the side of a pegasus mare, who was covering him with her wing. Rarity knew it wasn't so though – the pegasus was a changeling, one she had personally appointed for the task. She was in a hurry, but forced herself to keep an even pace. Everything was under control, and all the ponies could finally calm down; the queen would not be seen running.

***

The morning sun was shining through the window, casting rainbow reflexes on the walls as it filtered through the edges of the crystal window frame. Rainbow Dash turned on her side and groaned. She was wrapped in bandages, but she suspected it was more to prevent her from moving too much than to actually stop any bleeding – her last memory was a strangely distorted version of Rarity trying to plug a hole in her chest with magic. Though she could tell she was stable, every breath was painful; she could clearly feel where her left lung had been damaged, and then magically repaired. She was also so weak, even turning on her side was an effort. She could only guess that it was the result of blood loss.

There was movement on the other side of the room. Dash made the effort to look up, and noticed a flash of yellow and pink in the other bed, opalescent reflexes playing on the smooth fur.

“Fluttershy...” she said in a croaking whisper.

Fluttershy turned on her bed, and looked at her, her face instantly scrunched with worry. “Rainbow Dash, please, don't move.”

“She's right,” said somepony at the foot of the bed. A glossy, purple changeling walked slowly into Rainbow's field of vision. He had a stethoscope around his neck. “Your life has been saved, and further magical help will be administered, but you need to stay still for now to avoid further damage. How are you feeling?” he said, taking a careful look at her.

“I'll be back on my hooves soon,” said Dash in a voice that was supposed to sound tough, but came out another strained whisper.

“Thirsty, I can hear,” replied the changeling. “Here, have this. Drink very, very slowly,” he said, handing Dash a small cup with a straw from beside the bed. The pegasus took a couple of seconds trying to grab it, finally managed to get a hold of the straw, and sipped slowly. Whatever it was, it was both refreshing and energizing. It made her think of the elixirs Pierce gave them back when they woke up in the hive beneath Everfree.

The changeling stood still for a second, his wings vibrating loudly. He then stepped away towards the exit. “I have informed the Queen that you have woken up. Your friends will be with you shortly.”

“Huh, I thought he'd want to examine me,” said Rainbow Dash. She was still too weak to move much, and it hurt when she inhaled, but she was much more awake, and her voice sounded much clearer too.

“He already had, I think,” said Fluttershy. “He was already here when I woke up. Are you feeling alright? You look horrible.”

Dash looked back at her. “Don't mind me. How are you feeling? What did that monster do to you?”

Fluttershy looked down on her covers. “He... tried to dig through my head with magic, to find out where you wwere headed next. I kept telling him I didn't know, but he wouldn't believe me, and he got angry. He didn't really damage much... nothing permanent, I think... but that was really, really horrible.”

Dash fought an urge to jump out of her bed. “When I get my hooves on him...”

Fluttershy shook her head. “It's too late for that. When the Heart returned to power, it... destroyed him. There's nothing left of him... or that amulet that drove him crazy. He'll never hurt anypony again.”

Dash sunk into her pillow. “And I... Wait. I took down Luna. Does it mean we've won?”

“Not quite yet,” said Fluttershy. “We got the Crystal Empire back. And Envy and Hate are... gone for a moment. So, until they...” she paused for a sigh, “until they steal somepony else's bodies to return, we have a moment to rest and prepare.”

Dash turned her gaze away from her, the elation of having won a battle gone from her in an instant. “I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt anypony but her. I just wanted to protect you all.”

“Obsidian says, they have some ponies in their lab, ponies they thought nopony would miss, ready to be their new bodies.” said Fluttershy. “I... think it was too late to save them. Like those ones in Aurora's vision, they were already turned into something they weren't.”

Dash turned back to her. “I'll get Envy for those too. There are only three of them left, and we're together again. Next time we meet, we'll be sealing that monster for good.”

There was a moment when Dash was looking at Fluttershy with determination, the yellow pegasus returning her expression eventually. Then Dash did a double take. “Hey, you have Kindness back! Obsidian made it through!” Her eyes bulged, and she had to take a couple deliberate calm breaths as her chest reacted to her outburst of enthusiasm with piercing pain.

“Yes,” said Fluttershy. “And you awakened. And Rarity... we don't quite know what happened, but Queen Chrysalis died in battle, and she left everything to Rarity. Her power, her swarm. She somehow made her half-changeling. She's the new queen... and she doesn't really like it.”

There was a sound of hooves in the corridor. Pinkie Pie bounced into the room, pounced towards Rainbow Dash, who cringed in anticipation of being forcefully hugged, then somehow decelerated in the air, stopping inches from Dash, and nuzzling her muzzle with hers. “Oh, I'm so happy you're awake, Dash!” she exclaimed. “Everypony was so worried about you.”

More ponies entered the room. There was Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Obsidian, Bluebonnet and Pierce, all looking relieved, each in their unique way.

“We've risen the sun,” said Obsidian. “Now we can focus on getting the two of you back on your hooves.”

“Fluttershy has told me about Chrysalis,” said Dash. “What else did I miss? Where's Rarity?”

“She's walking around town, visiting the injured, and making sure they have all they need,” explained Twilight.

Something small pushed its way through the crowded room, and towards Rainbow's bed. Dash extended a hoof, stopping Scootaloo before she could press into her. “Dash! You're okay!”

“Soon, Scoots, soon,” replied Dash with a smile. “So, you three are here too?”

“Yup,” replied Apple Bloom, peering from behind Pierce. “Rarity thought it will be safer for us here, inside the barrier. Sweetie Belle is with her now.”

“What about our families?” asked Fluttershy. “Now, that Rarity is the queen...”

“I advised for letting them sleep some more,” said Obsidian. “At least until we make sure we have enough food for everypony here. Being hidden away from all the fighting might be safer for them.”

“As for the rest,” said Bluebonnet, “We were successful in our infiltration. Obsidian recovered Kindness for Fluttershy, and I... managed to get into my lab, and got some more parts. I have a new idea for how to solve the problem of aiming the pattern gun. I also managed to get some more ammo for it, though we had to hide it near Canterlot. The batteries wouldn't teleport with us.”

“So, after you're done patching me up,” said Dash, “what's the plan?”

“We now have all the Elements again,” said Obsidian, “As well as four awakened bearers, and a powerful leyline to work with, should all of that prove insufficient. I say it is time to test the theory Doctor Bluebonnet and Twilight have formulated, and try to end this war once and for all.”

“You want us to unsplice Vengeance,” said Twilight, looking at him.

“Yes,” replied Obsidian. “She has caused this world enough grief already.”

***

Absinthe awoke with a scream of frustration. The voice was male and it bettered his mood, but only slightly. The pod was already being emptied, the liquid draining away since he started taking over the host body. Outside, Dr. Stone was observing her instruments, checking some calculations and marking lines in her notepad. Absinthe tapped on the glass with both front hooves, noticing as he did that he had green coat. There was also a horn in his peripheral vision.

It has been ages since I was a green unicorn. It almost looks like my old body…

“I see... we’ve lost Luna?” asked Dr. Stone looking up at the pod.

Absinthe hit the glass hard with his foreleg. “Yes! And another one of them is awakened! I told Gloria not to do it! It’s all her fault! I should have personally fed them all to that dragon and found another way to get Lightbringer out. But no, she wanted her perfect story, her greatest enemies as her trusting disciples. Well now she can…” He stared down at Dr. Stone. “How long will it take?”

“I'm sorry,” said Dr. Stone, moving away from the pod, “but there have been some more setbacks while you were away. Enigma decided to make his move against us. I managed to repel him, but not before he flooded most of the compound.”

Absinthe's eyes bulged. “What!?” He turned around inside the pod, as if looking for something he could kick, but the hardened glass container didn't leave him enough space for a proper swing. “That stinking traitor. That does it. We don't need him anymore. Once we have things under control, we will see just how immortal he is.”

“Anyway,” said Dr. Stone, “the lab is operating at 10 percent capacity... but I managed to keep the most vital parts operational.” She leaned forward and checked some readings. “I should be able to… release you… momentarily. And speaking of immortality... Could you please… try to die?”

Absinthe looked at her in surprise, then closed his eyes and exhaled purposefully. Nothing happened.

“I can’t. But that’s not what you meant by ‘a body that won’t die,’ did you, Eve? I don’t need a shell that I’ll get stuck in when it’s broken,” said Absinthe angrily, his temper simmering back towards the boiling point.

“No, no… of course not,” said Dr. Stone, shrinking. “And please, don't call me Eve. Let me explain, while I finish the fine-tuning,” she added, avoiding his gaze.

“As long as it doesn't take long,” agreed Absinthe.

“Once you understand how the binding works, it is relatively easy to create a semi-permanent bond,” said Dr. Stone, checking the instruments around the pod. “Once you have connected to a body, if its energy signature is properly adjusted, it will hold you for as long as it lives in any capacity. But you said that's not what you need.” She was speaking more confidently now, slipping back into her Dr. Stone persona, as the habit of reciting research facts overrode the anxiety.

“The idea is much more advanced. Now that you are anchored, and the pony soul is no longer a concern, I can begin phase two. Multiple anchoring.”

“What does that mean?” asked Absynthe.

“Binding to several bodies at once,” explained Dr. Stone. “Connected to each of them, even if they are separated. That way you will remain bonded to the material world, as long as one of the hosts lives, and you should theoretically be able to shift your point of view from one body to another.”

Absynthe snorted. “That must be your craziest idea yet. And you can do it with nine tenths of your lab destroyed? How are you going to create the extra bonds though? We only bond when disembodied.”

“It's simple,” said Dr. Stone. “I'm going to split the original body. Do you see those droplets on your fur?”

Absinthe looked at his foreleg. What he had thought to be remains of the pod liquid was actually some kind of sludge his body was secreting. “What are they?” he asked.

“Just cutting your body into pieces wouldn't do,” said Dr. Stone. “I needed all the parts of you to remain alive. But I knew most simple organisms can divide and split naturally without harm, so... I set your body to simplify itself once possessed.”

Absinthe stared at her in disbelief. The silence stretched on until it became uncomfortable. Finally the unicorn managed to choke out: “What… so this thing is some kind of giant amoeba or something?” He shook his foreleg for emphasis. It made a squelching noise and bent at an unnatural angle.

Dr. Stone looked into her notes, then back at her patient. “Yes. As soon as it splits, your connection will too. You will really only be in one place at once, but as long as any one part of you lives, you will not die. Of course no brain means no brain functions.”

Absinthe slumped down, horrified as his limbs softened and gave way under him. He tried to blow the pod apart, but whatever was built into it grounded the first lightning bolt harmlessly, and by the time he charged up another, his vision swam and the power fizzled out harmlessly. Then his perspective shifted and he realized one of his eyes was slowly sliding down his cheek.

“Eve… why?” he croaked.

Dr. Stone sighed and shook her head. “You're such a waste. The pattern infusion gives your brain so much analytical power, but all the intelligence in the world won't let you notice things you don't care about. And you always took Evening Embrace for granted. What does a little heartbreak matter, if she kept making your toys?”

Absynthe tried to ram through the glass, but he only hit it with a loud splat, dislocating the last body parts that still looked vaguely equine.

Dr. Stone's eyes flashed pale blue, and the notes levitated away from her, towards the table.

“You spent thousands of years stealing bodies, breaking their souls as you took over, and never once did you think that it could work both ways? When a rigid, pattern-bound soul like yours breaks, it shatters to pieces. So did your ‘dear sister’ when Quartz broke her heart. First love after centuries of waiting, first love ever, a crushing disappointment. A tragedy born from her desperate attempt to fix it. And so busy you were with your games and your scheming, none of you even noticed.”

“It was easy to suppress her. I did her a favour, really. I lived her life for her when she was too weak to, I absorbed what was left of her into myself. I disposed of Quartz, making sure to complicate your life, so the great war could continue. I played my role for as long as it was required. But now, after four millennia, the war finally approaches its endgame. Soon ancient mistakes will be undone, and everything will finally be as it should be.”

The mass inside the pod made an effort to speak. It came out as nothing more than a gurgle, but the mare managed to see recognition in the one remaining eye. She nodded her head.

“Yes, I’m her too. She was the one who made me who I am. I must confess, I too made a horrible mistake. Blinded by anger, I created a monster that wouldn't die. It took all this time to figure out how to fix it. Now, all the pieces are in place, and I can't have you interfere. I could've just sabotaged the body to leave you in a coma, but there have been so many complications before, I just wanted to be thorough. That and there was still a part of Eve in me that wanted to see your face.”

She looked down at the goo filling the pod. The one eyeball still hadn't dissolved, but it no longer gazed at her with sentience. There were ripples on the surface of the creature, as if it was already preparing to split in two.

“Now, the transformation is almost complete. This pod’s plumbing bypass the filter station. The sewage pipes will carry you towards your new existence.”

She approached the console and pushed on the lever of the flushing system. “Farewell, Envy. You’ve helped me awaken the Elements of Harmony. Your services are no longer needed.”

There was a loud noise, and the Shattered disappeared, separated into multiple drains. Dr. Stone took a deep breath, and turned away from the empty pod, towards one that was still full, a large pegasus body floating unconscious in clear liquid.

“Now, it's your turn, Hate. As soon as the final details fall into place, I'll need you to go and rage one final time.”

Author's Note

And so we take our first steps towards the conclusion.
Hope you liked the chapter.

As always, all comments are appreciated. Tell me what you liked, and all the more so if there was something I could've done better. :twilightsheepish:

Chapter 51: The Disjunction

“It looks so beautiful from up here,” sighed Rarity. “If I didn’t know how much everypony here has suffered through…”

She was standing on top of the Crystal Tower, balanced upon a flat surface where the wall had been broken by Hate's blast. The half melted parts had long since cooled, but it took her a moment to find a place where she could take a look at the city without worrying about sliding off.

“The damage is extensive,” said Maska, walking up to her and stopping by her side to look. “But we are making steady progress. Your friends have been a great help so far.”

“I wish I could help more,” said Rarity with a sigh. Now that she had a moment to take a better look, she could tell where the power of the Heart had made the houses regrow. It fixed the city in appearance, to a point. But the spell would not remove rubble, nor replace the lives that were lost. Many new and shiny houses were really dead shells, devoid of everything their inhabitants would have brought inside.

“Your power maintains the barrier protecting this city,” replied Maska, cocking her head. “And you heal and help ponies with your magic as much as you can.”

“It’s the Heart that protects them,” said Rarity. “And as for using magic, my friends do that too. I just feel there should be something more I could do. As the Queen, I mean.”

“You’re a symbol of hope for them,” said Maska, “Believe me, for ponies, that counts for a lot. Right now they need somepony who looks like she has everything under control.”

“But I don’t,” scowled Rarity. “I just… smile and wave. You’re the one who does all the work.”

“A properly trained swarm is a well oiled machine,” replied the changeling, “It takes little micromanaging. You’re doing your part, and in time you will learn more. And believe me, if I could do better at what you’re doing, Queen Chrysalis would have left the leadership to me.”

“Instead, she left it to me,” said Rarity bitterly. “I’m not a queen. I’m not even a changeling. I…” she clenched her jaw in anger. “I never asked for this!”

If Maska had any feelings about the matter, it didn’t show. “No, you didn’t. That gift was not for you. It was for us, the best chance we’d ever get to change ourselves and start anew. The gift you received was her life.”

Rarity turned on the spot, staring at her subordinate. “I never asked for that either!”

“No, but that was what you needed,” replied Maska, unflinching. “To fully unlock your power. To bind with the Heart. To save your friends and all the ponies you’re trying to help now.”

“And now… I owe it to her to help you, don’t I?” said Rarity.

For the first time, Maska’s facial expression changed. For a second she looked taken aback, before returning to a neutral look. “You don’t want to help us?”

“I…” Rarity opened and closed her mouth. She turned away, and looked towards the city below. “It’s not that I don’t,” she finally said. “If you want to try a new life, with everypony, without having to hide, or… abducting ponies to feed on them, you deserve all the help you need. It’s just... “

She turned back towards Maska, and looked her in the eyes. “I wish it was my choice! It’ not generosity if I’m forced to help. Chrysalis sacrificed herself to save us all, but what she did to me was wrong.”

Maska returned her gaze, looking into her eyes until it became uncomfortable. “I think I understand,” she said at last. “Though it is not how we think. We’ve survived as long as we have by doing what it took to survive, not by being careful with ponies’ emotions. This will have to change too.”

“Chrysalis used to be a pony though,” said Rarity. “She knew how we feel.”

“Yes,” agreed Maska. “And you know how she felt too. You don’t have a swarm… not the way we do, even though you’re our queen now. But you do have a family. What would you be capable of doing if their future was at stake?”

“I know,” said Rarity, slumping in defeat with a deep sigh. “I know why she did it. This doesn’t make it right. I’m no longer a pony. I... “ She paused, and looked at Maska anxiously. “I’ve been meaning to ask. I’ve been eating like a pony so far. I don’t feel any weird hunger. Is that normal?”

“I’m not sure,” said Maska. “I haven’t felt hungry for love since the battle.” She lifted one foreleg and looked at it pensively. Even though it was no longer the iridescent crystal the Heart had transformed it into, it was still purple and smooth. “I’ve only eaten a little food. Also, my holes have remained closed.”

Rarity stared in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“It was not a problem that needed to be addressed,” replied Maska. “On the contrary, it was a benefit, simplifying our logistics. Since you were overwhelmed, I limited the issues I informed you about to the ones you could immediately handle. I did consult Obsidian on the matter though. He claimed that this might be a permanent change brought by the Heart, rather than a simple result of overfeeding. No changeling has ever produced such symptoms, no matter how much energy they absorbed.”

“So, you think you could stay like this for good?” asked Rarity. “I must say you do look better this way. But why would the Heart change you like this? I didn’t tell it to.”

“Perhaps it was something our queen did,” said Maska, ”Or perhaps it was us being in that energy loop with you. Either way, you became more like us, and we… the light of our magic has changed to match yours. If I could risk saying so, we might have become more like you.”

Rarity considered the implications. “If you no longer need to eat love, it would be very easy for you to live among ponies. It’s only your group that have been changed though, isn’t it? What about all the others?”

“We’ll experiment,” replied Maska. “If our condition proves permanent… and hereditary… we could restrict breeding within the swarm, replenishing our ranks with only our offspring. Eventually, all changelings would be free from the hunger.”

“That sounds… horrible, actually,” said Rarity. “What about changelings who want to set up families?”

“We don’t have families, your Majesty,” said Maska, careful not to sound condescending. “We might be closer to those we hatched with, but in the end, the swarm is our family. And loyalty to the swarm is what allowed us to survive as long as we have.”

“I see.” Rarity stood up abruptly. “We shall continue this conversation some other time. It looks like I really do have a lot to learn. And now, I think it’s time for me to do some of my queenly duties.”

“Indeed,” confirmed Maska trotting behind Rarity as she walked towards the center of the tower top. “Your friends are probably done with the preparations already.” She looked around. “Should I stay with you, your Majesty? Or would I be a distraction?”

Rarity considered the question. “You can stay. I’ve never done magic of this level on my own, and I could use some moral support. But do stand to the side for now. I need to start with the floor.”

She walked towards a flat spot near to where the remains of a ruined staircase had led them to this level. She could feel that she was standing in the very center of the Empire - even separated by all the tower underneath, she could feel the power of the Heart pulsing softly directly beneath her. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and drew upon the power.

It was subtle at first, a flow of emotions past her own mind, like a current of a warm, lazy river. She could feel the mood of the Empire, so different from what it used to be. There was still fear, and worry for what was to come, a lot of grief buried under other emotions while there was work that had to be done. But there was also hope to balance the fear, hope that grew in power each time the Elements showed their power while helping others. She let the current flow through her, and then visualised the floor underneath her as it needed to be.

There was a subtle feeling of rising, and Rarity knew the crystal started growing. She opened her eyes, and found herself standing in a circle of smooth floor, rising above the surrounding ruin, and connected to the lower levels with the now repaired stairs. Underneath her hooves there was a snowflake pattern visible in the crystal, which she knew matched the one at ground level where the Heart was located.

“That was the easy part,” she said. “You can join me now, Maska.”

The changeling flew towards Rarity and landed at her side, folding her wings, then stood in silence, waiting for her to continue.

Rarity took a deep breath, felt the power of the Heart one more time, and this time pulled at it slightly, directing the current into her.

The snowflake underneath her started glowing, first with soft purple, and then with the opalescent colors of aurora borealis. in seconds, all the tower underneath Rarity was aglow. She took a deep breath, exhaled purposefully, and then stomped her hoof.

The light extended upwards, and the crystal started changing, broken and melted parts reshaping themselves to match the rest of the structure. Lines of magic swirled and stretched in the air around the two mares, like a giant blueprint made of light, quickly filling up as the crystal started growing at astounding speed, making Rarity’s vision a reality.

Higher… like this. We need more stairs outside, but here the walls must stay thick. Now the columns must connect. We want a domed ceiling. A chandelier perhaps? No, Obsidian insisted not to. We need to keep the chamber practical, with no distractions. Now, the spire above…

She let the magic flow through her, and shape the rest of the design. With all her sense of aesthetics, she knew she wasn’t an architect - but the magic, fueled by the hearts of all the ponies in the Empire knew exactly what form to give to the tower. Satisfied that the spell would continue on its own, Rarity let herself relax, and just basked in the beautiful hues reflected in the walls around her. She could feel the mood of the Empire’s subjects lift as the familiar landmark was restored to its former glory. She could tell there was now a font of magic erupting from the tip of the tower, reinforcing the barrier.

It took a couple of minutes for the spell to end. Finally most of the light went out, though Rarity left the crystal walls glowing with just enough magic to provide ambient illumination. Just as decided her work was finished, and sighed in satisfaction, she heard the sound of multiple hoofsteps moving up the stairs.

Pinkie Pie bounced into the chamber, followed by the other Elements, Dr. Bluebonnet, and Obsidian. She looked at Rarity with a wide grin. “That was aaawesome! Did you sing a song!?”

“No, I did not,” answered Rarity. “What made you think so?”

Obsidian walked past Rarity, trotted around the chamber, and finally nodded in satisfaction.

“This is sufficient for our needs,” he declared. “Let us get to work.”

***

Twilight looked down at the circle Obsidian had just finished.

He had spent the last hour drawing it, not carving or burning as he had done so many times before, but using his spells to meticulously alter the structure of the crystal floor, building upon Rarity’s previous work until the intersecting lines beneath their hooves made it look as if the whole chamber rested upon a giant, multi-faceted gemstone.

“Isn’t it a bit excessive?” asked Twilight, looking askance at Obsidian. “We designed the spell to work even without a circle.”

“Do you want to take any chances?” asked Obsidian in reply. “You’ve seen what Vengeance is capable of.”

“I did,” replied Twilight hesitantly. “But with so much power dedicated to control-”

“We have power to spare,” replied Obsidian. “We’re standing on a powerful leyline, and four of the Elements are already awakened. We can use all this power to make sure every last little thing goes according to plan.”

“It does make sense,” said Dr. Bluebonnet, standing at the edge of the circle and studying it carefully. She had walked into the chamber while Obsidian was working, and though he insisted that only the participants remained for the casting itself, he agreed on her overseeing the preparations.

“What we’re trying to achieve here might be the most important event in the last four thousand years. I can hardly imagine an excessive amount of preparations for something like that,” she added.

Obsidian straightened himself and snorted with satisfaction. “Either way, I’m done. We are ready to begin the casting.”

As he walked out of the circle, Bluebonnet and Maska backed off too. Slowly, the Elements took their places along the rim, spaced evenly at the six points that had, an hour before, been the six points of a crystal snowflake.

Obsidian tapped the floor lightly with his staff. He inclined his head towards Maska. “You know your part,” he said.

The changeling returned his nod. “Our soldiers are already in positions,” she said. “You can count on us. Nopony enters the tower until you are done casting.” She then spread her wings, bowed to her queen, and flew away down the stairway.

Bluebonnet watched her go. “I really wish I could see it to the end,” she said, looking into Obsidian’s eyes.

He returned her gaze with a scowl. “We can afford no distractions.”

“She worked with me to create this spell,” said Twilight. “And she probably cares more about Arrogance than Vengeance. How about we unsplice Vengeance first, and if that goes off without a hitch, she can come here to watch us unsplice Arrogance? This way she’ll get what she wants, and we’ll have the hardest part behind us.”

“You would start with the harder one first?” asked Obsidian.

“She isn’t really harder to unsplice,” said Twilight. “Even though her pattern power uses several frequencies, the spell will break six weaker connections as easily as a single strong one. She’s just much more dangerous if she were to break free.”

“What do you say?” asked Obsidian, turning towards Bluebonnet.

The scientist said nothing, but her gaze said more than a passionate speech could have.

Obsidian released a long breath. “Then it is settled. You will rejoin us in a moment. And now, let us finally begin.”

As Bluebonnet walked away towards the stairs, Twilight lifted her horn and started focusing her power. One after another, her friends followed suit, the six colors of their Elements reflecting in the facets of the surrounding walls as the spell slowly grew in power.

Obsidian reached into a small bag hanging around his neck, and recovered a black diamond as big as a tangerine. He levitated it carefully in his aura, and then sent it floating towards the center of the circle, setting it gently on the floor.

“Now! It is time!” he proclaimed aloud, swinging his staff over his head. The spell he cast created a barrier around the circle, isolating the Elements and the spell they were casting from the rest of the room.

It started as all the other spells they had cast together. Manes and tails floating in the magical wind, six lights growing stronger, connecting to one another. They melded with the opalescent aura emanating from the circle, and then mixed together into blinding whiteness. The diamond in the middle slowly rose into the air, lines of light piercing through it at different angles. It was like watching a cyclone that didn’t have an up or down - with no funnel, but just a sphere of swirling power focusing into a point.

There was a burst of light, and a sound of shattering. Obsidian’s barrier unraveled, and the Elements were pushed away towards the walls.

A ragged-looking white alicorn dropped to the floor in the middle of the circle.

Obsidian rushed in, a trail of black smoke coalescing back into shape in front of Vengeance, the staff flying to his side. Twilight rose to come to his help, but he stopped her with a gesture, so she just projected a barrier in front of herself.

Vengeance stared him down with an expression of pure malice. He returned a savage, toothy grin. Seconds passed, and nothing happened. Obsidian closed his mouth into a sneer. “It worked”, he said. “After all the centuries, your power is broken.”

He was met with a loud scream, angry, savage, incoherent. Vengeance charged forward, madness gleaming in her eyes, trying to run him through with her horn. With almost contemptuous ease, Obsidian sidestepped the charge. His staff flashed with magic, the blue energy extending from the tip into a shape of a scythe blade. The two ponies passed each other, and then the alicorn’s head rolled across the crystal floor, sliding all the way to the wall before the body stopped and fell in a heap.

“The world has had enough of your villainy,” said Obsidian, looking down at the corpse. “This is not your story anymore.”

Silence fell. Twilight stared blankly at the droplets of blood slowly sliding off her barrier. Obsidian turned around, and with two blasts from his staff engulfed the body and the head in magical fire, quickly disintegrating them - the Elements backed away, expecting the smell of burning hair and flesh, but the flame consumed everything not even smoke left in its wake.

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” deadpanned Pinkie from her side of the room.

Obsidian turned to look at her. “Would you rather she broke free at the last moment, and killed half the ponies in the city before we put her down?”

Pinkie shrugged. “Of course not. I just thought there would be more.”

“Believe me, there was enough,” said Obsidian with a scowl. “And now -”

He turned towards the entrance, where Bluebonnet was slowly walking up the stairs. “We’re ready to start the second casting. I was about to call for you.”

“I know, I shouldn’t have come back uncalled,” said Bluebonnet. “But I knew you were finished with the spell. The whole city felt it. So, what has become of Vengeance?”

“She won’t be coming back,” said Applejack, pointing her hoof at a small blood splatter that Obsidian’s cleanup had missed.

Bluebonnet raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Just like that?”

“It was horrible, actually,” said Fluttershy softly.

Everypony was gathering back at the circle, careful not to step into anything, though the majority of the floor looked pristine. Obsidian looked down at the circle in focus, before producing the yellow gemstone from his pouch. “The circle is undamaged. Let’s do the other one now.”

“Yes, but not like this,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Not like this?” hesitated Obsidian.

“What do you mean by that, darling?” asked Rarity.

“We will unsplice Arrogance as we did Vengeance,” explained Twilight Sparkle. “But we won’t just lop her head off afterwards. I want her to stand trial for what she did.”

“Stand trial?” Bluebonnet turned towards Twilight, her eyes growing large. "Twilight Sparkle, are you crazy?”

“Not at all,” replied Twilight. “Vengeance was a mad monster. But -”

“Arrogance is a monster too,” interrupted Obsidian.

“Yes, she’s been for four thousand years,” said Twilight, “We all heard you. But for one fourth of that time, she was the protector of Equestria. She did create an era of peace. And even if she does deserve to be… destroyed, she at least deserves that her deeds, good and evil, be judged fairly.”

“And what judge do you expect to pass that sentence?” Bluebonnet almost screamed “What jury? My daughter died to rid the world of this abomination!”

“No,” said Twilight. “She died to free us all. Not to turn us into monsters like the Shattered. We are ponies of Equestria. When we meet villains, we punish them for what they did. Sometimes we seal them away if there is no other way. We take away their powers. But we don’t just put down defenceless enemy without trial, like… a rabid dog!”

“There are all kinds of things wrong with that statement,” said Obsidian.

“Not at all,” continued Twilight. “You keep telling us how your times were different, but that’s just the thing. Your times were worse. They were horrible. If... Gloria is the relic of those times-”

“She’s a monster,” interrupted Bluebonnet.

Twilight stomped her hoof, stopping in front of the scientist, face to face with her. “Then let’s make her a pony.” She turned her head around, looking at the surrounding faces. Nopony had spoken for her yet, indeed several of her friends looked like they were about to chip in in favour of Obsidian. But now she could see some doubt too, something she could latch on.

“When we cast the spell, Arrogance will be no more,” she continued. “Only Gloria will be left. She will be a pony like us, no longer immortal.”

“Wearing Spitfire’s body!” shouted Rainbow Dash suddenly. “She murdered her! Don’t you remember?”

Twilight looked down at the ground, but did not step back, even as the angry pegasus stopped inches from her face, wings spread wide in agitation. “I do. I remember what she did. This will be the last body she wears. For somepony who’s lived for thousands of years, it’s already like dying.”

“I don’t think you-” started Bluebonnet, but Twilight didn’t let her finish.

“I do!” she shouted, stomping her hoof again, a flash of her horn casting opalescent reflexes in the crystal walls of the chamber. “We were all in the crypts, we all know what… who each of us has lost! And we need to put an end to all this killing! There’s been enough death! Do you want the world Gloria created as Celestia, or the one she created as Arrogance!?”

“Darling…” said Rarity, the first to break the stunned silence. “I think you might be a bit biased on this subject.”

“I know I am,” replied Twilight. “That doesn’t make me wrong.”

“She never created anything good,” said Dash. “It was all lies, all stolen from other ponies.”

“Do you really believe it?” asked Twilight. Her magic snatched the yellow sealing gem away from Obsidian, and levitated it in front of her face. “That she’s nothing but evil, and deserves nothing but death?”

“I believe we owe her nothing,” replied Dash through gritted teeth.

“I think you have your trial right here,” said Obsidian, snorting derisively.

“Do you all feel like she does?” asked Twilight, looking at each of her friends in turn.

“I do,” said Bluebonnet. “And so will Pierce, if you care to ask him. We worked for her, we know what she’s like.”

“I want her dead, obviously,” said Obsidian. “But I guess this can be resolved without me. You here know more about Arrogance than almost anypony outside this room. You can act as the jury. I’ll be happy to just be the executioner.”

“I’m with Twilight on this one,” said Pinkie Pie. “We’ve changed a lot this week, but that’s not who we are. Besides, I don’t know if I could ever be a good Laughter again if I see another head rolling here today.”

“Well, I’m with Dash,” said Applejack. “All the stuff about princess Celestia has been a lie. Us learning that was how this whole mess really started. She’s been using ponies for millennia, lying to them while looking all reasonable. And blowing up those that didn’t buy it. That, and she threatened to blow up my family. I say the quicker she’s gone, the better.”

“That’s… really…” Fluttershy hesitated. “I’m with Twilight. Nopony is ever completely evil. Even… even Hate has some good left in him, and he really is a horrible monster.” She stepped to Twilight’s side, but said no more, and ended up almost hiding behind her, avoiding Rainbow’s angry gaze.

“That leaves you, your Majesty,” said Obsidian, turning towards Rarity. All the eyes in the room turned towards her.

Rarity swallowed loudly. It was now her turn to look at each of her friends, torrents of emotion exchanged through quick glances, even as she tried to keep her cool at least in appearance. Finally, she closed her eyes, and when she opened them again to look at Twilight, her gaze was cold.

“She used Spike against you from the start. It was Envy who killed him, and used him to kill your brother, but he was never anything but a tool for them both.”

“Even without me and Pierce, that’s four against three,” said Obsidian. “I guess the verdict has been passed then.”

“Not yet,” said Twilight, glaring at him. “The spell has been designed for the six of us. You can’t cast it without me.”

Bluebonnet gasped. Everypony moved a step away from Twilight. Obsidian just tilted his head in amusement. “You would stand against your friends, deny them their justice?”

Twilight met his gaze. “Justice? Or perhaps… vengeance? Let’s face it, none of us should be the jury. You’re saying I’m biased, but so is each of you.”

“There's a bit too late for that now," said Rarity. "Also, I don’t think there is a pony left in Equestria that would be unbiased in this matter. Everypony you’ve ever met, she has either hurt or deceived.”

Dash took the center, pushing between Twilight and Obsidian. “Twilight, will you help us end this war for good, or not?”

Silence stretched as the two ponies looked at each other. Finally, Twilight spoke again.

“I will. We will cast the spell together, and unsplice Arrogance. But after that happens… Obsidian doesn’t get to touch her. You will be the executioner.”

Dash hesitated, the growing anger on her face replaced with confusion. “What? Why?”

“Because that’s fair,” said Twilight. “Everypony deserves justice, or nopony does. And this is the most fair we can do. If we can’t make the trial as it should be, then we need to at least take responsibility. You pass the sentence, you swing the sword. No dropping the dirty work on somepony else.”

“She does make a good point,” said Applejack behind Rainbow’s back.

Rainbow turned towards her with a glare, before looking back at Twilight. Her lips kept moving silently, angry words not quite spoken aloud.

“If you don’t want to, I’ll be happy to do it,” said Bluebonnet.

“No, said Dash. “Twilight is right. It has to be me.”

***

It doesn’t feel as dramatic the second time, thought Twilight, as the magic of the six Elements filled the chamber once again. Is it because it’s not Vengeance, or am I becoming jaded so quickly?

No, focus! she interrupted herself. Whether she had done it before or not, it was a powerful spell, requiring all of them to cast properly. She had to concentrate on her target, the yellow gemstone in the middle of the circle, and funnel her emotions into one purpose - to separate the heartless power of the pattern from the soul of the pony sealed within. Everything else could wait.

She couldn’t spare a glance at her friends to see the emotions on their faces, but they were doing their job, their power flowing steadily, except for Pinkie Pie, whose energy fluctuated a bit, as if she hesitated on how much magic to use. The room was already filled with blinding light. She reached inside the gem with her will, and directed the spell to its target.

There!

The gemstone exploded, and the spell unravelled. This time the Elements were ready, and managed to hold their ground. They remained in the circle, standing around the yellow pegasus that used to be Spitfire.

So, now we will see, thought Twilight. She prepared a binding spell, just in case, and then cleared her throat loudly.

“Rainbow Dash? I think it’s your cue.”

This time they did step back. Rainbow Dash entered the circle. She still looked angry, but her moves betrayed hesitation. Even as her spells rose around her in a layer of armor, it was clear that she wasn’t comfortable with her current position.

“So…” she started… “Arrogance… Gloria, or whatever you’re called. For your crimes against Equestria, and ponykind, I… I mean, we sentence you to-”

Twilight tensed, the spell hanging unreleased at the tip of her horn. She was preparing for various scenarios, perhaps for Gloria to try to fight back with the strength and armor her body had left, or try to escape. Perhaps give a speech about her deeds as the ruler of Equestria, or perhaps just calmly accept the sentence, trying to maintain the regal poise she had held onto for so long.

When she didn’t expect her to do was fall to the floor, bawling. The pegasus collapsed, her battered armor clanking loudly against the crystal floor, tears streaming down her face, her mouth opening to speak, but failing to make coherent sounds among the cries of anguish.

“Death,” finished Dash lamely, looking at a wreck of a pony at her feet. “What’s going on?” she asked nopony in particular. “Is she trying to trick me, or what?” She raised a hoof, and a curved, red energy blade extended from the pastern, but she didn’t strike, just standing there on her remaining legs.

Fluttershy closed her eyes, and Kindness flashed briefly on her neck. “I don’t think she is,” she said, “I can sense a lot of pain from her. And other things. Lots of everything, really. But mostly pain.”

“What is going on, Obsidian?” asked Twilight.

Obsidian approached the circle.

“Now, this is interesting. I guess this is what happens when you suddenly feel again after four thousand years of having your emotions stunted. All you’ve experienced through that time, every memory is suddenly painted in different colors. The same must have happened to Vengeance. That would explain the screaming.”

“So, what will happen to her now?” asked Rainbow.

“I don’t know,” replied Obsidian, shrugging. “She might go crazy, and stay like this. Or she might recover by tomorrow. Or you could execute her like you agreed to. You girls have decided to make it not my problem, and frankly… you were right, Twilight. Arrogance is no more. I no longer care about this pony.”

“So…?” Dash turned around, looking for somepony else to give her guidance, at one point turning her back on Gloria, who did nothing to exploit it. “What do I do now?”

“You’re supposed to kill her,” said Bluebonnet from her corner of the room. “Or else step aside, and let me do it.”

Slowly, turning her head to not look at Gloria for as long as possible, Rainbow Dash turned once again towards her. She lifted her hoof, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

“You deserve this… You murdered Spitfire!” She spun and swung the blade. Fluttershy yelped.

Dash looked down her shaking leg at the blade. It had stopped less than an inch from Gloria’s teary-eyed face. The yellow pegasus was looking back at Dash, mouth half open. She was sitting perfectly still, the glowing red tip tracing circles in front of her running nose.

Rainbow stepped back, and slumped on her rump, the blade disappearing. “No, I can’t. Not when she’s looking at me like this.”

“It’s not about looking,” said Twilight forcefully. “It’s about you being a good pony. You’re not the kind to kill somepony defenceless.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Applejack. “Cause I’m pretty sure I’m not either. And neither is Rarity.”

“That leaves me, doesn’t it?” said Bluebonnet angrily, entering the circle. Rainbow Dash stood up, and got out of her way.

“Are you… that kind of pony, Bluebonnet?” asked Twilight.

“If you are, I can conjure you a blade,” said Obsidian. “I don’t think anypony here wants to watch you trample her to death.”

“I…” Bluebonnet turned away from Obsidian, and glared at the defenceless form of Gloria. With the initial wave of emotion subsiding, and the near-death at the blade of Rainbow shocking her silent, the pegasus was almost quiet now, sitting straight, and sobbing softly.

“All your treacheries… all your scheming… hurting ponies for your own ends… using me and my daughter…” hissed Bluebonnet, “it ends now. Do you understand?”

Gloria trembled. She blinked away the tears, and looked back at Bluebonnet, her gaze suddenly growing more lucid. “I…” she choked.

“You WHAT!” screamed Bluebonnet in her face. She raised a hoof as if to strike, but instead stomped it loudly in front of her, causing her to flinch.

“I really was a monster, wasn’t I,” said Gloria.

Bluebonnet paused, then leaned lower, getting down to Gloria’s level. “Yes, you were. You have no idea how-”

“I burned my home,” Gloria interrupted her, louder and clearer, despite her face still being a teary mess. “All of it. Killed thousands of ponies, poisoned the soil, poisoned the water until even the plants were dead. And I didn’t feel a thing.” She locked eyes with Bluebonnet. “And now I do! Everypony I ever cared for, dead, or worse, because of me!”

Bluebonnet rose, and turned away stiffly. “It would be a mercy to kill you now.” She walked away slowly, purposefully, heading for the exit.

“Was that sincere?” asked Obsidian curiously, turning towards Applejack.

Applejack shrugged. “I didn’t have my power on, but I think so.”

Obsidian rolled his eyes. “Well, that’s helpful.”

"So, what DO we do with her?” asked Rarity. “we can’t just leave her here on the floor.”

“Well, the chamber has one door, and no windows,” started Applejack. “But we probably shouldn’t.”

Twilight Sparkle sighed. “We will put her in a cell, under changeling guard,” said Twilight. “Applejack, you can take her promise not to escape. Since she’s no longer Shattered, she’s not the horrible threat she used to be.”

“You used to be just a pony, didn’t you?” said Obsidian. “Don’t underestimate her.”

“I won’t,” replied Twilight. “We have yet to decide what to do with her, but if she’s in pain over what she did, perhaps we should see if she’s able to do any good for Equestria. She does have a lot of experience-”

“With being evil,” interrupted Dash sourly.

“With lots of things,” replied Twilight. “And if all of this can do any good at all, it would be wrong to waste it. What do you think?” she said turning towards Gloria.

Applejack sighed, and this time turned on her power. The room was filled with gentle, orange light.

“Why…” started Gloria. “Why didn’t you… let Obsidian kill me? It would be so much easier…”

Twilight walked up to her, sudden anger in her eyes, her magic lifting Gloria off the ground, and to the level of her face. “Because… that’s not how you taught me.”

***

They took away Gloria’s armor, and led her to a cell, leaving her under guard and spells. After the initial outburst, the ex-Shattered became despondent, offering no resistance whatsoever, which only increased everypony’s unease. Rarity went so far as to call the whole affair distasteful, and even Pinkie said she wished to forget about the whole thing - but Twilight knew they couldn’t. The matter would have to be addressed again, sooner or later.

When she finally managed to fall asleep that evening, she spent a good part of the night struggling with visions of Gloria dying in various ways, killed by Obsidian, or by the Elements, sometimes turning into a monster, lashing out with claws just as they were about to let her go, and in one case, growing back into Celestia. It was only then that Twilight finally realised she was dreaming, and her experience allowed her to take control, reshaping her dream into something more peaceful. But even then, she couldn’t relax - she spent the rest of her sleep trying to call Verba to her side, but the enigmatic pony construct would not come.

Twilight awoke with a start. There was somepony outside her door.

Aside from the changeling guard, she corrected herself, as she flung the covers aside with her magic, the spells she had cast to guard her sleep returning to her, shielding her in an invisible cocoon of magic. She hopped out of bed, and walked out, just as Pinkie Pie was about to knock on her door.

“Trouble?” she asked.

Pinkie Pie nodded solemnly. “Soon. I’m waking others.” She then trotted down the corridor.

“I thought you were asleep,” said the guard, turning to look at her.

Twilight summoned the rest of her armor spells. “I sleep light.”

When has that happened? she thought, as she cantered through the dimly lit corridors towards the throne room. I used to be a heavy sleeper. Now, I just need a slightest thing amiss to wake up, and I’m instantly awake. I wish I could relax and sleep like I used to. Maybe when this is all over.

She entered the throne room. Obsidian was there, looking out of the balcony door, his staff floating in the air by his side.

“Pinkie felt trouble coming,” she said.

The earth pony didn’t turn to face her. “Yes,” he admitted. “And I can already see it. The southern horizon is burning purple. You know what that means.”

“Purple?” Twilight paused as her brain searched for the answer. When it hit her, she rushed forward, teleporting past Obsidian to get out onto the balcony. She channelled the magic from her tiara to her eyes, and sent her gaze past the semi-opaque barrier surrounding the city.

He was right. The night sky was discolored, the natural, starry blackness disrupted by darkness of a different kind, something far in the distance blotting out the stars, casting a purple shade across the clouds.

“What did I miss?” asked Dash, flying into the room and onto the balcony, the sounds of multiple hoofsteps echoing behind her.

“It’s Hate,” said Twilight, growing pale. “He’s burning again.”

“What?” Fluttershy’s eyes grew large as she followed Twilight’s gaze. “Where?”

“Somewhere in Equestria,” said Twilight. “Somewhere, where we’re not there to stop him.”

She turned around, and found all the Elements gathered around her, followed by Bluebonnet and Pierce.

“We’re all here,” said Pierce. “So, who is he fighting?”

“It doesn’t matter, does it?” said Dash. “We need to go there at once! Obsidian, do you have a circle ready?”

Obsidian shook his head. “It won’t be necessary.”

He was about to explain, but before he could, there was a buzz of wings. A changeling flew up to the level of the balcony, and stopped in front of Rarity. “Your Majesty!” he called. “Guilt is at the southern gate. He demands an audience with the Elements.”

Obsidian squinted. “What’s he doing here?”

“Demanding an audience,” said Twilight, firing up Magic to wrap everypony around her in a spell. “Let’s not keep him waiting.”

***

The spell delivered them straight to the barrier, the burst of bright light dropping them mere meters from the crystal pillars marking the gate. Twilight didn’t even take time to congratulate herself on the precise landing, at once turning towards the barrier, the changeling guards standing aside to give her a clear view.

Enigma was standing on the other side. He looked dishevelled, and moved somewhat stiffly, but his eyes were focused. He scanned the Elements as they approached, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Obsidian.

“You’ve changed a lot,” he said to the approaching mares.

“What do you want from us?” asked Twilight. Beside her, Applejack extended her aura.

“To talk with you,” replied Enigma. “This war has taken a turn I did not anticipate, and we may need to-”

“Hate is burning!” interrupted Rainbow Dash, flying above Twilight. “We have no time for chit-chat! Tell us, what’s happened. Where is he?”

Enigma looked up at her. “Canterlot. He’s burning Canterlot down.”

Author's Note

400 readers.

Yay. :pinkiehappy:

Also, we've passed the 300 000 words. :coolphoto:

Chapter 52: The Kindness

“Canterlot?” Twilight gazed towards the light illuminating the sky in the distance. Her friends only managed shocked gasps, their imaginations probably conjuring images matching the one in front of Twilight’s own mind’s eye. “But… why?”

“I can only guess,” replied Enigma, “I lost the best part of the last two days. But it seems the third player you’ve been looking for has finally revealed herself.”

“The third…” Twilight’s ears perked up, the horror of the situation momentarily forgotten in the excitement of the dawning realisation. “You know who sent us to the Void Passage?”

Enigma’s ear flicked with annoyance. “I think I do. Which means I should’ve been smarter. Ever since I learned it wasn’t Obsidian’s doing, I kept looking for someone with the power to cast such a spell. Very few creatures would have the ability, but I also searched for artifacts that could amplify magic. I disregarded the Shattered though. It would take something like combining alicorn magic with Ambition for them to succeed, and it was against their interest.”

Twilight pushed closer to him, almost passing the threshold. “But the device Deception used to try to transform me, it had that kind of power! And there could’ve been more than one!”

“Now I’m not convinced it was Deception at all,” replied Enigma. “I fought the ‘Dr. Stone’ occupying the lab, and she was nothing like her. I suspect-”

“Could this wait!?” shouted Rainbow Dash, flying over Twilight’s head to push to the front. “Canterlot's on fire! We need to go there, now!”

Enigma looked up at her. “I don’t think you’ll be in time to make a difference.”

“We need to try,” said Applejack from behind Twilight. “If we could seal Hate and dis… undo his Shattered thing, that would be three down.”

Enigma turned his head to stare at her. “Three? You mean…”

“We have a spell to undo the splicing,” said Obsidian. “Vengeance and Arrogance are no more. Gloria is still in our custody, but Libra is gone, and she won’t be coming back.”

Enigma blinked. “You… and I spent so much time trying to find you allies for the coming war. I guess I was wasting my time.” He turned back towards Twilight. “We have a lot to talk about. But if you can really end this, it is worth a try. In that case, time is of the essence.”

“Does it mean you’ll help us?” asked Applejack.

“Not much I can do,” replied Enigma. “There is nothing I can do to Hate in this state, and if I get too close, his magic will slow down my powers, and he’ll turn me to dust.”

“I think I can help,” said Bluebonnet over the crowd.

“Yes, Bluebonnet?” asked Enigma.

“I’ve been working on the pattern gun,” explained the engineer. “I used the parts from the lab to make a simple neural reader - enough to pull the trigger with your mind. It still has a problem of aiming, and the ammo interferes with teleportation magic. But for you, neither is a problem. You’re the best possible user for this weapon.”

“As long as I recover the ammo you stole from the lab, isn’t that right?” said Enigma with a smirk.

“Yes,” said Bluebonnet, nodding.

Enigma returned the nod. ”Fine. Bring it. I’ll help however I can.”

“Stand with me,” said Twilight. “I’ll send us to the palace and back.”

“So, we’re trusting him now?” said Obsidian, glancing from Enigma to Twilight.

“You know, so far he’s manipulated us less than you have,” said Pinkie from behind him.

Obsidian turned towards her, opened his mouth to speak, paused, then exhaled slowly through the mouth. “Have it your way.”

***

Once Twilight returned, it took them only seconds to prepare the teleport. Enigma moved ahead with the pattern gun, disappearing as soon as Bluebonnet finished fitting a metal ring around his head, connecting the wire to the gun harness. The Elements just formed a circle by themselves, Obsidian standing aside as they combined their powers.

“You’re not coming with us?” asked Twilight.

“I was thinking of staying behind in case anything goes wrong,” said Obsidian. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Twilight considered the question. “We can handle it on our own… but if something does go wrong, you won’t help us sitting here. Hop aboard.”

Obsidian smiled, and walked past Twilight inside the circle. The Elements flared up with power, and the barrier between the pillars marking the entrance opened for a second, allowing the spell to pass.

***

We’re here. No magic circles needed anymore. What?

Twilight was prepared for a fight. Her imagination conjured the images of the previous battle - buildings exploding, screaming ponies running away from a roaring monster.

She wasn’t ready for what she saw instead. The Canterlot castle was gone, the remains of its outer towers standing awkwardly, like half-melted candles. And half-melted was the right word, Twilight realised - the surrounding area was more reminiscent of a volcano than a ruined city, everything on the highest tier of the city turned into slag, red-hot rock providing illumination to the grisly scene.

Twilight looked around frantically, her magic whipping around with cool wind, forming an area of breathable air around her friends. She tried to see beyond the courtyard, and as she turned, she felt something crumble beneath her hoof. She looked down, and stared into an empty socket of a charred pony skull.

“We’re too late…” gasped Rarity. “Everypony is already…”

“Not everypony,” said Enigma next to her. “The city has been in turmoil for days, and when the palace exploded, everypony ran for the gates. Most of those on the lower levels outran the fire.” He pointed his head towards the lower city. Twilight couldn’t see over the piles of hot rubble, but she could see the smoke - clearly the rest of the city was burning. “But of those unfortunates still left in the palace? Very few made it to the gate.”

“Where is Hate?” asked Applejack. “He hasn’t already burned out, has he?”

Everypony looked around. Pinkie Pie closed her eyes, and stood on hind legs, front hooves to her temples. “No, he’s still raging somewhere.”

“He should have burned out by now,” said Enigma. “Ever since…Portus, his bodies are designed to burn out faster, to mitigate the damage. If his current body isn’t… we need to find him quickly.”

“It’s not like he’s easy to miss,” said Rarity. “Should we raise the Sun to get a better view?”

“Three hours early?” asked Twilight. “It might help... No. We don’t need more chaos, and we need to conserve our powers. Dash, take a look from the air, and -”

“Found him,” said Enigma. “He’s in Cloudsdale.”

“What!?” Dash jumped up into the sky, clearing the black smoke obscuring the clouds above them. She spun in the air, pointed west, and then looked down and shouted, “I can see him! We need to get there, NOW!”

“I’ll try to get his attention,” said Enigma, and disappeared.

The Elements all turned towards Twilight. She considered another teleportation, but after the experience of the first jump, she reconsidered.

“Rarity, help me, please,” she said, conjuring a translucent disc of magic underneath her hooves. As Rarity’s magic flowed into her to reinforce her, Twilight pushed gently, the disk soaring into the sky, with her and her friends standing on top of it.

“There he is,” she said, swallowing loudly.

And there it was, far in the distance, a stormcloud like she had never seen before, flashing with yellow and purple - the city of Cloudsdale in the process of being consumed by a magical conflagration. As her magic responded to the intent to see, expanding her sight forward, she could just make out the tiny silhouettes of panicked pegasi scattering in all directions, disappearing into the night.

“He isn’t just raging,” said Fluttershy, paling. “He could be wrecking the mountain, or burning Everfree forest, but he went there, on purpose. Why is he doing that?”

“Maybe somepony is guiding him,” said Applejack. “I didn’t think it possible, but, whoa!” she braced herself, as the disc accelerated. A bubble of protective magic formed around it as Twilight took it towards Cloudsdale, the night air rushing past them. Beside the sphere there trailed a streak of red - Rainbow Dash kept up with them as they rushed towards the battle.

“I’m having a twitchy tail,” said Pinkie Pie suddenly. “And you’re not gonna like it.”

“I hope Enigma can keep him busy as he promised,” said Twilight, staring ahead, trying to see a sign, any sign, that the Shattered joined a fight against his former companion.

There was a flash of pale silver in the distance, one she wouldn’t mistake for anything else, and then an angry roar that shook the clouds.

“Brace yourselves!” she shouted, as she prepared to teleport everypony ahead towards their destination. But before she could, there was another flash, and then the purple flame burst through the underside of the clouds. Hate was flying down, a twisted mass of churning blackness wrapped in purple flame, descending at an angle, like a burning airship about to crash. And then, in a moment of horrifying certainty, Twilight Sparkle knew where he was headed.

***

They teleported down towards Ponyville, landing just in time to see Hate crash into the town hall. The old building burst apart like a giant, flaming puffball, launching burning pieces of wood all over the neighbourhood. Some bounced off Twilight’s barrier before she dismissed it, her friends fanning out around her, their personal defense spells taking over.

“I once had a nightmare like this,” said Pinkie Pie.

“So had I,” replied Twilight.

No lights. The town is still empty. But that means there is nopony but us to-

A cloud of black swirled inside the burning building. A single eye, a ball of angry red light in the darkness, looked towards the Elements.

“Together!” shouted Twilight. She could feel the power of her friends flow towards her, and she shot it forward, a wedge of force that split the incoming wave of flame in two. Everything around them became fire, but the Elements were unscathed.

From the left, she saw a blue beam of power striking at Hate. It was Obsidian, firing a spell from his staff, and teleporting away just as a tendril of blackness lashed in his direction.

He can’t do a thing to Hate, she realised, he’s just distracting him for us.

The rest of the town hall had already fallen apart, leaving only Hate standing in the middle, a dark cloud with a vaguely pony-shaped head, and half a dozen limbs of swirling flame, illuminated by the much brighter regular fires from the buildings surrounding the town square. Did he… shrink? thought Twilight.

The monster slid forward, reshaping with every second, limbs sprouting out and being reabsorbed. It twisted to aim at a side of the wedge, and roared, and Twilight barely managed to reshape her barrier into a curved slope, directing the shockwave upwards, and over the town. Still she felt the soil beneath her hooves give way as everypony were pushed away.

Hate lurched forward, and what currently passed for his front hooves dug into the ground. Twilight could sense the buildup of power underneath her.

There was a blindingly bright blast - a beam of silver that seemed to drain colors from the world. It hit Hate in the neck, sending him reeling, and causing the arms to dissolve. Enigma was standing to the right, preparing for another shot.

“Now! Together!” shouted Twilight. She gathered the strength of her friends just as Enigma shot again, blasting a huge hole in the black miasma surrounding Hate. Twilight exploded with rainbow lights, sending the combined power of the Elements through that hole, unravelling the monster layer by layer.

The spell wasn’t perfect. Enigma’s shots had opened the way by dampening the magic, so the Elements weren’t at full power either. But they were enough. There he was, a large, orange pegasus with wild eyes and sharp teeth, lines of black flame clinging to his fur even as he half-emerged from the burning cloud. He looked at Twilight, and bared his teeth.

“So, you’ve came to end this,” he said, his voice hoarse, but defiant.

“We almost have him! Push harder!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

Twilight found herself hesitating. She looked towards Hate. “Why are you doing this!?” she shouted over the clashing powers. “Why did you destroy Centerlot!?”

Hate scowled, returning her look. “Because that’s all that’s left, isn’t it? I’m the last one.”

“What?” Twilight pulled back her spell. “The last of-”

“Libra is dead!” snarled Hate, “Gloria will soon be. Enigma has betrayed us.”

“Twilight!” shouted Applejack, “What are you doing!?”

“I need to know,” replied Twilight impatiently. “How do you know about Vengeance?”

“She told me,” replied Hate, the flames crawling on his skin increasing in intensity. “Dr. Stone. She got rid of Eve and Absinthe. She played everypony, pulled you into her game, and now I’m the only one left. The last rabid beast that needs to be put down.”

“Wait! Envy and Deception are gone?” Twilight was stuck for loss of words. “But that means…”

“It is over,” said Hate. “Just you and me now. I was told you have a spell that can kill me for good…”

His eyes erupted with purple flame, and in a blink of an eye he was once again wreathed in a monstrous cloud of deadly magic. “SHOW ME!”

He pushed forward, and his flames spread out, the giant maw opening to swallow all the Elements whole. Twilight felt her friends preparing to scatter, but held them together with her magic, teleporting the whole group out of the way.

“Why did you stop!?” screamed Applejack from behind her, as they reappeared in the air.

“I needed to know!” replied Twilight, “There is more going on than we know, and It may be too late to talk to him later!”

“And now you’ve wasted our chance of taking him down!” shouted Obsidian from outside their bubble. He was standing on a nimbus of blue smoke, his staff balanced on his withers. “How many shots does Guilt have left?”

Below them Hate faced up, coiling like a snake. He roared again. Obsidian teleported just in time, the smoke left in his wake blown away by the shockwave. But Twilight and her friends were sent flying upward, with nothing but air to brace against, the sphere spinning for a couple of seconds before Twilight was able to right it. She was just in time to see a giant fireball a split second from impact.

She felt the wave of heat wash over her, as the layers of protective magic barely kept the explosion away.

“Stay together!” she shouted, as she teleported the sphere aside, dodging the next two blasts. “Don’t let him split us up!”

“Two shots left,” said Enigma, blinking into existence close to her. “Then I need to go reload.”

He disappeared when Hate flew straight at them, trying to grab them with his jaws again. Twilight performed another dodge to get out of his way. He flew past them, the heat of his flames washing other their barrier.

Uh? I wanted to get further away… thought Twilight as she formed a spell to strike back.

Then Hate’s form split, the jaw lashing forward continuing with the momentum and slowly dissolving, while a new head shot from the torso at the right angle, straight at the girls. Twilight shot an unfinished spell, but the monster just opened his mouth and swallowed it. Then he inhaled, a hurricane wind pulling them in. Twilight tried to teleport away, but found her magic being pulled towards her foe - a pure instinct to devour turned into a spell that dragged his victims into his open maw.

There was a shot of the pattern gun from the outside, but the mouth would not let go. They were surrounded by roiling black and purple flames, the semi-solid shapes of the giant fangs crushing the protective sphere from all sides. Twilight struggled to break them free, and felt her power slowly winning the struggle. She was breathing heavily, struggling to keep her focus against the pain of the unbearable heat, her armor spells only enough to keep her lungs from being burned, while her nose filled with the smell of burned mane hair. But she could feel the jaws slowly getting pushed open. Hate was a monster like no other, a force of destruction that frightened even Discord. But there were six of them working together now, and the combined power of the Elements-

Then the light at the bottom of the gullet started getting brighter. Twilight’s heart froze, even in the overwhelming heat.

“We won’t make it in time!” she shouted in panic.

“We will,” said Fluttershy next to her. ”Make me the center of the spell.”

She didn’t plead, she didn’t sound scared. She made a request, as if she was stating the fact, and in that moment Twilight found out she had no way or time to argue. Her friend had a plan to save them all and no time to waste being scared.

All it took was a small shift. The white light changed to pink. Suddenly the pressure eased, and the heat became more bearable. Twilight stepped aside, allowing Fluttershy to take a central place. I haven’t seen her like this since… but this is so much bigger than some dragon. Is she using her own power to calm herself too?

“Stop it, Lightbringer,” said Fluttershy loudly. “You know you don’t really want to do it.”

The cloud around them kept struggling, but some of the fangs withdrew from the barrier. Slowly, with great effort, the giant gullet formed words that rumbled like a descending rockslide. “I… DO.”

“No, you don’t,” said Fluttershy. “You said you wanted to see if we can kill you. You’re raging, but it’s not really us you’re angry at, is it?”

The cloud rumbled again, and purple flames hissed from the gullet, but not strong enough to break the barrier; they merely washed over it. Fluttershy didn’t flinch.

“I think I know,” said Fluttershy. “You’re angry at being alone, aren’t you? At being rejected by those who feared you, and at losing ponies you couldn’t save. And then you become angry at yourself, but you can’t destroy yourself no matter how hard you try.”

“YOU DON’T KNOW ME.”

“No,” said Fluttershy. “But I listen when you speak, and I notice things. I know how it is when nopony listens. You keep bragging how much you hurt and kill, but you also keep talking about you being hurt. Harming others doesn’t make you happy.”

“STUPID MARE! I’VE KILLED MORE PONIES THAN YOU WILL EVER MEET!”

Fluttershy gave a sad nod. “You have. And it didn’t make you happy. But you always tried to fight for something, didn’t you? Even at your worst. There was always your side, somepony you called friends, or allies. And now you’re about to be alone for the first time, and you feel that all that death might have been for nothing. This is why you’re so angry, isn’t it?”

“THEN END IT! DESTROY ME!”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No, not you. The monster you became. I don’t want to hurt you. I couldn’t if I wanted. But I can help you find peace, if you let me. Get rid of Hate.”

The cloud shook with a deafening roar. The fangs closed in again, and the barrier flashed with sudden strain. Fluttershy shuddered, but did not back down.

“I AM HATE!”

“Do you want to be?”

Twilight could feel the spell start, weaving through her and her friends, and then flowing outward from Fluttershy. Lines of pink light stretched from the sphere and through the black flames, and Twilight realised she didn’t feel nearly the amount of resistance she was expecting. In seconds, the flaming jaw around them dissolved, letting in some night air. The spell kept feeling around with immaterial tendrils, as if searching for something.

And there he was, right in front of them, the knot of deepest darkness at the heart of the monster, the spot where the dark magic originated, tied to the soul of the pony stuck inside. Twilight couldn’t see it, but she could feel it through the spell, the moment his resistance ceased, the magic reaching through his essence. He’s not like the others, she thought. I can feel two powers inside him, but it’s different, even from Vengeance; these powers oppose each other, and the magic is dominant right now. It’s just like Obsidian said, like a living creature inside him. How do we disconnect it?

Now the black miasma was giving way, and Twilight could see more and more. She could already see the outline of the pegasus in front of her, framed by the pink tendrils extending gently like growing vines. The flames were disappearing, replaced by pink motes of light fluttering about like butterflies. But that was just a visible symptom of what was happening inside. Twilight could feel Fluttershy struggle with the asymmetrical connection, trying to disjoin both powers from Lightbringer at the same time; one inimical to magic, and barely perceptible beneath the overwhelming magical aura - the other sentient and terribly powerful, a ball of burning rage only kept at bay by Fluttershy’s Kindness oura supercharged by the other Elements.

“You can do it, Sugarcube,” she heard Applejack whisper reassuringly from behind.

“You’re doing great,” said Twilight herself, careful not to raise her voice above a soft whisper. She considered her own statement, and realized that it was true - more than empty encouragement, she was impressed with how Fluttershy was able to handle the spell, and the task before her, despite it being her first time as the focus pony. She was keeping her calm, and slowly making progress, getting closer and closer to achieving her goal.

As long as nothing interrupts us, we should - Twilight looked around frantically, but found both Obsidian and Enigma standing in the air outside the spell area, looking around vigilantly while waiting for the fight to resolve.

We’re technically attacking him, she thought, or at least attacking the thing inside him. How come it isn’t stopped by Fluttershy’s aura? Is she able to get past her own spell, or perhaps she doesn’t see it as an attack? Is it because she’s helping, or perhaps it’s what he thinks that matters?

There was a soft ping when the connections broke. Twilight was nearly pushed back as the spell retreated from Lightbringer, and then shot in all directions, the magic turning night into day as it cascaded over the town, extinguishing all the fires. The black flame went out, and there was a moment when Lightbringer was hanging in the air in front of the Elements, a strange, pained smile on his face. thin lines of bright red appeared under his coat. He looked straight at Fluttershy.

“Thank you,” he said, and then burst into flames.

It wasn’t like when he ignited before. There was no spreading blackness, but a short burst of red and purple, blindingly intense, exploding upward and flying up towards the night sky, reducing the pegasus to ash in a span of a single breath. Twilight could only huddle behind her barriers, as the last dregs of the released energy washed over her.

“What… what happened?” asked Pinkie Pie, shaking her head to get rid of the red spots in her vision.

“He’s gone, isn’t he?’ asked Enigma, appearing just outside the Elements’ barrier. “I’ve seen him burned by his own power before, but never like this.”

“It seems the power was no longer his, was it?” asked Obsidian, approaching from the opposite side, careful to keep the Elements between himself and Enigma. “It had already turned him to ash, so when you released it-”

“Poof,” said Rainbow Dash. “Just like that, he’s gone. You destroyed him for good.”

“I freed him from his torment,” said Fluttershy, looking at her with disapproval, though her voice remained calm.

“Same thing. He’s gone,” said Obsidian.

Fluttershy turned her gaze upon him now, and it was far more disapproving. “I assure you, there is a difference.”

“Having watched him for thousands of years… I must thank you for this,” said Enigma. “Nopony should be this-”

“Hey, guys?” interrupted Rainbow Dash, fluttering above them. “I’m sure we can spend whole days talking about feelings… but right now I think we have a problem.”

They looked up at her, and then at the sky. The red light did not disappear. It was now hanging above them, illuminating the night like a second moon, an angry red boil basking the world in a foreboding tint of red.

“My goodness. What is that thing?” asked Rarity.

“This is what was inside Hate all along,” said Obsidian.

Rarity suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. “We all know that.”

Enigma sighed. “Why do I have a feeling we’ll learn exactly what it is very soon?”

Chapter 53: The Distraction

“So, this is what was inside Hate all along?” asked Applejack, looking up at the sky.

“It didn’t look like this during the first Splice,” said Obsidian.

“Nor at any time later,” added Enigma. “This is the first time I’ve seen it like this.”

“So, what happens now?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“What do you think will happen?” asked Obsidian, turning towards Twilight.

Twilight stared at the night sky. The stars weren’t just dimmed by the giant red ball - some of them shifted their positions around it, as if pushed out of the way. “You said that thing didn’t seem to have a mind of its own, did it? So, it might just stay there if nothing disturbs it… but I doubt it. This must have been the plan all along.”

“Whaddya mean?” asked Applejack. “If this thing, whatever it is, has never been like this, how would anypony know this will happen?”

“It could be that this is entirely unexpected,” said Twilight, “But after what we’ve seen, I don’t believe in coincidences anymore. Somepony manipulated the Shattered, used their device to cast a spell that sent us to the Dissonance, knowing that it would wake Obsidian, then pulled the strings during the war. They took Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle from Canterlot, and then let us find them just as the Shattered did. Dr. Stone, whoever or whatever she really is, wanted us to fight, and she wanted the Shattered to be ended forever.”

“So, she’s on our side?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“No,” said Twilight. “If she really provoked Hate into running amok tonight, she must be as evil as the Shattered. That means she must have had a different goal than us winning. I bet this is it.” She pointed her horn upwards. “If there is one thing only the Elements could do, it’s separating this power from Hate.”

“So, what do we do now?” asked Rarity.

“We put out the fires first,” Fluttershy spoke up, causing everypony to look at her. “Cloudsdale is made of clouds, so it won’t burn, but Canterlot is still on fire. There must still be ponies trying to get out of the city.”

“You’re right, Fluttershy,” gasped Twilight, “We can’t waste a second. Enigma, will you help us?”

Enigma nodded. “I can move ponies around if they don’t resist. And I can displace burning wood.” Then he wasn’t there anymore, gone to do as he said.

Twilight looked at her friends. “Okay everypony, circle.”

“So, we’ll play at being firefighters for the rest of the night?” asked Obsidian.

“Not you,” replied Twilight. “We’re sending you to the Crystal Empire first. Try to contact Verba, and prepare a circle. If we want to be ready before our enemy makes her next move, we might need to use the Amaranthine.”

***

Enigma moved through the burning city. He stretched his presence across town, popping in and out at dozens of locations at once, letting his supernatural spatial awareness guide him where his eyes could not catch up. It was so much easier with no overwhelming magic present to dampen his abilities.

Still, for all his speed, he knew he would be too late in many cases. The lower city hadn’t suffered Hate’s touch directly like the palace, but the stray fireballs and red-hot debris he’d sent flying with the initial explosion were enough to turn the sleeping district into a raging inferno.

He avoided the worst of the flames - there was nopony left to save there. Instead he looked for houses close to one of the fires, but not yet consumed. His experience didn’t fail him. With the fires splitting the city into separate pieces, there were always some ponies - the slowest, the heaviest sleepers, infirm or just unlucky, who found themselves cut off. This was where he could help.

He found an elderly mare stuck on the highest floor of her house. He appeared next to her, dropping his constant shifting to focus better, and tapped her on the shoulder. “I’ll get you out of here, ma’am,” he said. “Just close your eyes and relax.”

Easier said than done. The mare seemed more frightened by a stranger showing up in her house than by the fire raging just outside her window. When he shifted her away into one of the safer streets, she turned green on the face, and for a moment Enigma feared that she’d throw up there and then.

I can move them, even against their will, but it’s not as effective as I need, he thought as he came back to skimming through the surrounding buildings again. A different approach is in order.

He found a colt struggling with a stuck door, pulling frantically, too scared to think of bucking it open instead. With a sigh, he displaced the lock’s barrel, letting the door swing open. He observed the street just long enough to point the colt in the right direction when he ran out of the house and looked around in confusion.

Meanwhile, Enigma was already elsewhere, collapsing a burning building to stop the fire from spreading down the block. He found a group of ponies panicking in the street, and pointed them the shortest way through the smoke. He found a cul-de-sac blocked off by a fire just at its mouth, the front of the house falling apart, raining burning wood on the cobblestones. He appeared in front of the frightened ponies looking for a way out, and then started shifting the pieces, sending the burning wood a few blocks away, where the houses were already burned down, until a path was cleared.

What’s taking them so long? I can keep saving ponies, and fighting the fire, but even I have my limits.

As if in response, the sky above the city exploded with colors. Enigma closed his eyes, turning off his power as the magic washed over him. For a moment the night turned into day, the spell illuminating everything it touched. The fires were extinguished, the smoke blown away. Enigma could see a small house across the street recover from some of the damage, wood and stone fitting back into place, then promptly collapse again, as the spell couldn’t fix all the burned out parts of the supports.

Enigma waited for the spell to pass, and sighed. He spent about a minute hopping around the city, but there was nopony left that needed saving; everypony had either reached safety, or was already dead. I guess my work here is done, he thought. Calming everypony can be left to the Elements. Now to the more important matters.

He reappeared in front of the pile of slag that use to be Canterlot Castle, and extended his senses through the rock. Let’s see if I can find some clues to what’s really going on here.

***

It was early morning when the Elements of Harmony returned to the Crystal Empire.

Raising the Sun was the last thing they did before leaving Canterlot. Or what was left of it, at any rate: the spell they weaved together put out all the fires in one go, but there was still a lot of chaos and pain left in Hate’s wake, and few local ponies willing or able to take charge. In the end it took the Elements several hours to restore a semblance of order, spreading the truth with Applejack's power to prevent further panic at their appearance.

Finally they put in charge some soot-covered city hall official that Enigma managed to locate, and used what was left of the city guard to organize aid for the displaced and the injured. It wasn’t nearly enough, they knew: they healed smaller injuries where they could, and Fluttershy sang a duet with Rarity, soothing all who could hear them, to lessen the horrors of that night. But however much they did, there was still more damage to be fixed, more pain and grief to be soothed.

We owe it to them, thought Rarity, doing her best to look calm and regal as they departed. It was Hate who hurt them, true, but it was our war they got tangled in - somepony has to take responsibility, and we’re supposed to be the heroes here. It is up to us to fix this,

She looked at the ponies watching them disappear - there were still about two dozen sitting in the nearby ruins, and some of them could still obviously use their help. Rarity struggled to avoid eye contact with a dishevelled-looking filly closest to them.

“Come on, girls,” said Twilight Sparkle. “We can help them more if we’re rested, and magic is no substitute for proper sleep. Plus we need to be ready when 'Dr. Stone' makes her next move. Our powers may be needed more when she resurfaces.”

She’s right, of course, thought Rarity dejectedly, We might need to save all of them again soon. We must be rested and ready. Plus, I now have my own subjects to worry about. They must be worried sick about me by now, even if they’ve seen the sun rise.

She wasn’t satisfied with the explanation. Deep inside, she felt these were just empty excuses. But as the spell delivered the Elements in front of the pillars marking the entrance to the Empire, some of Rarity’s concerns were validated; apart from the changeling guards, there was a large group of crystal ponies sitting nervously on the grassy hillside just inside the barrier. As the light of the teleport faded, the whole herd got up excitedly, swarming the entrance.

“Your Majesty!” she heard the first stallion call towards her. “There is a strange light in the sky!”

“What does it mean?” asked another.

“It’s such a relief to have you back with us,” said some mare from behind him.

“What are we going to do?”

“Are we safe inside the barrier?”

More questions followed, some hopeful, some frightened and urgent. Rarity knew how it worked. She had seen it many times in Ponyville, a herd looking for a leader to reassure them. Usually it was Twilight.

Rarity stepped forward, took a deep breath, and…

“BZZZZUMMM!”

Pinkie Pie blew a crystal flugelhorn, a loud, obnoxious, cringe-inducing blare that caused everypony to momentarily freeze up. Rarity turned her head to silently glare at her, but Pinkie only grinned and shrugged her shoulders, packing the instrument away.

Nopony had spoken yet, and Rarity exploited the momentary silence, amplifying her voice and taking initiative.

“Ponies of the Empire!” she started. “We return from a battle against the same monster you saw us banish when we freed you! “

There were some shocked gasps, but nopony dared interrupt her. Rarity looked towards Fluttershy, and saw a cross expression on her face. The pegasus was clearly conflicted over how to relate the recent events to the public.

Better to keep it simple, decided Rarity.

“This time we have finished the fight!” she continued. “The monster is no more! But before we could destroy it, it wreaked havoc across both Canterlot and Cloudsdale!”

More shocked gasps. Rarity saw one stallion start opening his mouth to ask her a question. She couldn’t afford to lose the momentum.

“It took us the rest of the night to help in the rescue effort,” she said. “As for the light above our heads, it is the magic that used to power the monster. It was released when he was destroyed. We will work together to make sure that nopony can use it to cause any further harm! Now please, let us through! It was a busy night, and we all need some rest!”

The crowd instantly parted, opening the path. Rarity stepped in, followed by the other Elements.

“You’re getting better at it,” said Applejack.

“I have no choice,” replied Rarity

“I can’t rest just yet,” said Twilight. “There are a couple ponies I need to talk to. Starting with you,” she added, turning to look towards Bluebonnet, who had just emerged from the crowd.

The engineer nodded. “Just give me a moment. Enigma?”

Twilight turned around. Enigma was standing behind them, at the edge of the city’s barrier. “The helmet isn’t the most comfortable,” he said, “but it does work as intended. I was able to land all my shots exactly where I wanted.”

“And the power?” asked Bluebonnet.

“The reduction does hurt performance,” replied Enigma. “But that is only a problem against the most powerful targets.”

“We already know it can take down adult dragons,” said Bluebonnet. “Perhaps we could add an option to supercharge a shot from multiple batteries.”

“Speaking of batteries,” said Enigma, displacing the harness off his body and onto the ground, “There are only six shots left. Do you have means to recharge the batteries?”

Bluebonnet shook her head. “I’m afraid not. Unless you could bring me some extra equipment from the lab.”

“I cannot,” replied Enigma. “Whether by design, or side effect of the enemy schemes, Hate’s final rampage started down there. I tried to search the place for clues, but everything is either collapsed or melted. We even have to take his word that Stone made it out of there.”

“I understand,” responded Bluebonnet. “That means we only have six shots to finish this war with. But with only Envy and Deception left, this should be doable, shouldn’t it?”

Enigma shifted uncomfortably, flicking his tail in annoyance. “We’re not sure. According to what Hate said when we confronted him, both of them are already gone. He said that somepony impersonated Deception and disposed of Envy. We think that was who had sent the Elements to the Void Passage to meet Verba and Obsidian. Didn’t you talk to Obsidian when he returned?”

Bluebonnet shook her head. “No, by the time I knew he arrived, he had already locked himself in the ritual room. So... this is what happened? All this...” She looked up towards the huge red star in the sky. “And this too?” she looked towards Twilight.

“I don’t think this is a good place to discuss it,” said Enigma. “Twilight will brief you on the details.”

Bluebonnet took a deep breath. “First things first then.” She turned towards the gun sitting in front of Enigma. “I want to take it for some tweaking. If it can be needed at any moment, I should make sure it’s in top shape.”

“Not a problem,” responded Enigma. “I will drop in to get it before the next battle.“

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You’re not coming in? We could let you through, now that you’re…”

“No,” said Enigma. “I appreciate the thought, but now the great war is ending… I’d rather not sleep under the same roof as Obsidian. I’ll take care of myself.”

***

“Are you sure it’s all true?”

Twilight looked back at Bluebonnet. They were sitting across a small, cluttered table in a room that the engineer had been given as her temporary workshop. “I… have no proof. Hate had no reason to lie to us, but perhaps somepony had lied to him. As for Enigma… You know him better than me. Do you think he can be trusted?”

Bluebonnet stared blankly at the machinery pieces scattered in front of her, then, reluctantly lifted her gaze to meet Twilight’s. “I don’t know. I thought I knew him. But I thought I knew Dr. Stone too, and if what you’re saying is true, I might never have met the real Deception.”

Twilight chewed her lip pensively. “That was kind of Deception’s thing, wasn’t it? She adapted many faces and played different roles. Perhaps that’s why the other Shattered didn’t notice anything. Even they would rarely see the real her. Still, there is something missing. The Shattered are supposed to be super smart. And if Dr. Stone replaced Deception, how did she keep the ruse going without her powers?”

“Lab work,” replied Bluebonnet. “Everypony was used to her using doubles, and her powers have little direct use in combat. She could lock herself in a lab, make whatever monster they needed, and nopony would question how she did that.”

“And if she worked on their own bodies?” asked Twilight.

Bluebonnet snorted. “You don’t really think we’d work invasively on unsedated patients, do you?”

Twilight considered the answer. “That makes sense. Wait, no. She must have had some way of getting rid of the real Deception. And they let her sedate them. She could have got rid of them all, couldn’t she? Why didn’t she? Why put us into all this?”

Bluebonnet looked towards the window. The red star wasn’t visible from where they were sitting, but they both knew it was there, far above, turning the sky outside the barrier the color of sunset.

“Hate,” nodded Twilight. “The one thing she couldn’t do without the Elements.”

“And not just the Elements,” said Bluebonnet. “You wouldn’t have been able to do this two years ago. She needed you as strong as you are now, or it wouldn’t have worked. But great heroes only rise to oppose great evil. If she got rid of the Shattered-”

“She’d need to create new ones herself, just to test us until we were ready,” finished Twilight. “Come up with new lies, just to get to the same point. She must have decided it was easier to just keep the same war going than to make a new conflict from scratch. I thought it strange that no matter what the Shattered did, they couldn’t stop new Elements from appearing, no matter how they sealed them away. But if ‘Dr. Stone’ made sure they did… she didn’t even have to win, just help from the sidelines and keep low profile until the right bearers showed up. Until she could get me to read the book and finish the spell.”

She moved from her spot at the table. “I need to talk to Gloria.”

At the mention of the name, Bluebonnet shuddered visibly. “Are you going to ask for her help?”

“Not ‘help’ as such,” replied Twilight. “If what we’ve figured out is true, this ruse must have been on for centuries… millennia! If we’re to get to the bottom of this, we need to-”

There was a loud jingling outside, echoing through the cristal corridors of the castle. The two mares looked at each other.

“What is that?” asked Bluebonnet. “You think there’s trouble?”

Twilight walked towards the door, the spells woven around her body blossoming into an ethereal armor. “We'd better find out.”

She pushed the door and looked outside, turning towards the changeling standing guard there. “What’s going on?”

The insectoid pony moved his ears. “I don’t know,” he said. “But it’s over there, and moving,” he finished, pointing to his left.

“We’ll find out,” said Twilight before galloping away down the corridor, Bluebonnet close behind her.

She turned the corner, catching herself with magic as she started skidding on the smooth floor, and stopped face to face with a pair of confused-looking crystal ponies. They too seemed to be looking for the source of the sound. It was now moving away, and Twilight thought to give chase again, before changing her mind, and just teleporting after it, coming back to reality at the next intersection.

“It went that way,” said a changeling standing there, pointing a chitinous hoof to his right.

“What was it?” demanded Twilight. She strained her ears, but suddenly the sound disappeared. And now there was a low rumble coming from the direction she came from.

“I don’t know... “ muttered the guard. “It was kind of like…”

The rumble got closer, turning into a loud sloshing sound.

“What on earth?” Twilight looked back where she came from. She could hear some surprised screams from there, and then a foamy wave of white came crashing down the corridor. The two Crystal ponies & Bluebonnet tumbled helplessly across its face.

Twilight braced for impact and cast her first spell, grabbing the three ponies and teleporting them, dropping them behind her in a tangle of limbs as she erected a force barrier in the corridor to block the path. It stopped the wave, and for a moment Twilight stared intently at the white substance sloshing in front of her.

“What… is this thing…” she asked nopony in particular.

The female crystal pony on the ground disentangled herself from the other two, got up, and reflexively licked the substance dripping from her face. “It’s… custard, I think.”

Twilight raised her eyebrow. “Custard?”

She turned towards Bluebonnet and cast a spell that washed over the mare, pushing the substance off her, and pressing it into a clump. She levitated it to her muzzle, and sniffed carefully. “It does smell like it…”

Touched with a sudden thought, she zapped the blob with a simple antispell. Just as she expected, the substance bubbled briefly, and then phased out of existence. Twilight turned towards her companions. “This isn’t real,” she explained. “It’s a spell. But who would…”

She closed her eyes, and spread her magical senses. The custard was everywhere, filling most of the floor, at least as far as Twilight could feel - the magic it emanated muffled everything, making it hard to locate anything with sensory spells. It’s blocking detection, realised Twilight, But why in Equestria? She focused her magic, filling the corridor with dancing lights, ready to unleash an impulse that would alert everypony in the tower, when she noticed something else. For all of the symptoms of a malicious attack, the magic felt familiar, very familiar.

Twilight opened her eyes and stared at the custard again. “Pinkie?”

Changing her mind, Twilight transformed her gathered energy into an area counterspell, clearing the nearby corridors. Spreading her magic in front of her, she galloped back where she came from, the three ponies and the changeling following in her hoofsteps. She got to the previous intersection, and found the changeling that used to guard Bluebonnet’s door there, flailing helplessly in the custard until she could free him.

He looked at her apologetically. “I was swept away before I could fly,” he explained. “I’ve tried to raise an alarm, but this blasted thing…” He tested his wings, creating a loud buzz.

“No need to,” said Twilight. “Return to your post. I’ll handle this.” Conjuring a mental image of the floor’s layout, she dashed towards the kitchen.

When she got there, Twilight found Pinkie Pie standing over a huge bowl, likely the largest she could find in the palace. Over her head she was holding a bag of sugar.

“Pinkie,” said Twilight forcefully.

The confectioner froze, then slowly turned her head towards her, making a decent impression of Owlicious. “Whaaat?” she asked, looking back at Twilight.

Twilight glared at her. “Could you tell me what in Equestria are you doing?”

Pinkie Pie grinned. “Making imaginary custard.”

Twilight didn’t stop glaring. “Care to tell me why?”

With a flash of red light, the mass blocking the opposite door disappeared, Applejack and Rainbow Dash charging in, then visibly losing their momentum at the sight of Pinkie.

“Could somepony tell me what in tarnation is going on?” demanded Applejack, looking from Pinkie to Twilight.

“We were just about to go to sleep, when we heard that strange jingling,” explained Rainbow Dash. "What was it?”

“Oh, it was just me,” said Pinkie, emerging from the corridor behind Twilight, giving a shrug that made the bells on her jester hat jingle.

“So, that was what I saw…” said the changeling.

Twilight looked back at her, then did a double take. In the center of the room, a wooden cutout of Pinkie fell over, with a wet splat, the bag of sugar dropping into a bowl.

“But… why?” asked Twilight.

Pinkie Pie pronked past her and into the kitchen, discarding the jingling hat, and stopping at the bowl. “Oh, I was just trying to distract everypony,” she explained with a smile, before grabbing a ladle in her teeth, and scooping some custard from near the bowl, offering it to Twilight. “Want some?”

“Pinkie, stop goofing around, and tell us what’s going on!” said Applejack in exasperation. “What do you mean distract everypony?” Twilight could see the gem on Applejack’s chest light up.

Pinkie looked at it, sighed, and dropped the ladle into the bowl. “Well,” she started, before going off like a whirlwind, grabbing a mop, and sweeping through the kitchen. “I was talking to Rarity earlier, and she talked about how many horrible things have happened, and how everypony was worried and tense…”

She stopped, when Twilight groaned and cast a spell that cleaned the rest of the kitchen.

“She said that the ponies could use some kind of a distraction. And that’s what gave me the idea. Well, initially,” finished Pinkie.

She grinned. The reply was a circle of blank stares.

Rainbow Dash facehoofed. “Pinkie… not that kind of distraction.”

Pinkie snorted derisively. “Well, I believe, it was just the kind of distraction everypony needed. You can trust me on that.”

“What were you thinking, Pinkie!?” shouted Twilight. “Somepony could have… drowned!”

Pinkie gave her a confused look. “In imaginary custard?”

“So not the point…” sighed Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie Pie looked around, then spun on the spot. “Anyway, my work here is done! Time for all of us to get some sleep!” And then she took off like a bullet, disappearing through the door.

She managed to get through three turns before Twilight teleported in front of her.

“Pinkie…” she hissed forcefully. “Stop right here. There’s something you’re not telling us, and right now we don’t need any new mysteries. With all that’s been happening, a misunderstanding could get somepony killed.”

She took two steps forward, stopping right in front of Pinkie. “What’s. Going. On.”

Pinkie Pie grinned. “I can’t tell you. Somepony might die if I spoil the surprise.”

Twilight gasped. “What?”

Without warning, Pinkie lunged forward, diving under Twilight’s horn, and pressing their snouts together. “Trust meeee,” she said in a forceful whisper.

Then she inhaled, and teleported away in a flash of blue.

***

After that, Twilight decided to, reluctantly, have some rest. Her head was buzzing with hypotheses, but Obsidian still hadn’t returned after locking himself in the ritual room, and the little bit of extra excitement provided by Pinkie pushed her past the limits of what she could feasibly accomplish without getting some sleep. It was then only hours later, when the day was coming to an end, and she was woken up to lower the sun with the others, that she finally found the time to interrogate Gloria.

When she entered the cell, Bluebonnet stepping reluctantly behind her, Gloria merely opened her eyes.

She was sprawled on her belly on the bed, wings splayed loosely on her sides. Though she had suffered no indignities normally associated with imprisonment, Twilight instantly noticed that she looked horrible; there were bags under her eyes, indicating crying and lack of sleep, and her mane was unkempt, loose hairs sticking out at odd angles.

There was a small plate on the table by the bed, made of thin metal rather than the heavy crystal the locals favoured, likely to deny her a potential weapon, even though with Applejack’s spell barring her escape, such measures could be considered redundant. The undisturbed vegetables made it look like a piece of still life, waiting to be painted.

Twilight looked down at her prisoner, then, as the silence stretched on uncomfortably, she scraped her hoof against the floor in a circular motion.

“So… how are you feeling?” she finally started.

Gloria made the effort to focus her gaze on her. “Dying…” she said softly. “You were right. This is death.”

“Oh?” asked Bluebonnet, emerging from behind Twilight. “You look pretty alive to me. What seems to be the problem?”

Gloria lifted herself up, just enough to keep facing them both without straining her neck. “When you took away my power… I’m getting dumber by the minute. Yesterday I could remember the name and face of every soldier that ever served under me. I could govern Equestria by memory. Now my head is like a sieve. It was never meant to hold so many generations of memories. Every breath I take, a bit of who I am dies forever… and the only things I wish I could forget are the ones that won’t fade no matter what!”

“Well, hold on to them then, because we have a couple of questions,” said Bluebonnet with a scowl.

Twilight glared at her, before turning back towards Gloria. “There are some things we need to know,” she said. “We’ve managed to… destroy Hate. There was so much power inside him, he turned to ash when we disjoined him. And…”

“There is somepony else,” said Bluebonnet briskly. “Manipulating this war. We think she might have killed and replaced Deception.”

The two statements made Gloria sit up on the bed. She stared, wide eyed, at the both mares, her mouth moving soundlessly.

“Tell us what you know,” said Bluebonnet.

It took a couple more seconds before she did. Twilight could see tears welling up in her eyes again. “Hate… Lightbringer is gone?”

“As far as we know, gone for good,” said Twilight. “But that magical thing inside him has been released. We think that was the plan all along.”

Gloria shook her head, reflexively wiping her face with her wing. “I’m sorry, please give me a moment.”

“Do give her a moment to get coherent,” said Twilight towards Bluebonnet.

Gloria spent a long moment sitting in silence. Finally, she opened her mouth to speak, just above a whisper. “Gone. After so many lifetimes, he’s gone. Of all of us, he was probably happy to die. We shouldn’t have pulled him into all this…” Suddenly her ear twitched, and she stared at Bluebonnet. “You said Eve is dead too? Replaced? What… what do you mean?”

“We got to speak to Hate before the battle,” said Twilight. “He claimed that Dr. Stone revealed herself to him as an impostor - she claimed to have taken down Envy too. That’s what set off his rage.”

“He burned half the Canterlot down,” deadpanned Bluebonnet.

“Doctor!” hissed Twilight, glaring at her companion. “You’re doing it on purpose.”

“She deserves that and worse,” replied Bluebonnet. “Even if it turns out she was also a puppet.”

“My subjects?” asked Gloria, wide-eyed. “The palace staff?”

Twilight’s expression turned grim. “We don’t know yet. There were a lot fewer ponies there than usual, but for those who stayed… the palace is gone. I’m afraid most of them didn’t make it.”

“We’ve gone with Twilight over what has happened so far,” said Bluebonnet. “Somepony sent her and the girls to the Dissonance to meet Obsidian. That requires tremendous power, but our lab equipment could’ve been used to supply it. You had a scheme to turn Twilight into an alicorn, but the device meant to do it exploded, causing her to escape and meet Obsidian. And the instruction for the process was in a book that she could then use to figure out how to unsplice you.”

“Eve wrote the book,” said Gloria. “It was her idea. I only made it look aged.” She was now listening with more interest.

“Somepony stole Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle right from under your nose, and while posing as Enigma,” continued Bluebonnet. “Denying you important hostages, making you suspect him, and sending them south, equipped with highly advanced, but time-limited protective amulets. This eventually made the Elements go out of hiding and fight Hate.”

“I thought it was the changelings,” said Gloria. “Even Eve suggested that.”

“But she knew you enough to know how you think, didn’t she?” said Bluebonnet. “Your relationship with Enigma was already damaged beyond repair when you started holding my daughter hostage. That was just the last move to make sure you’d be at each other’s throats. How did that start?”

“He abandoned us,” replied Gloria through gritted teeth.

“And that was the reason to cook up a plot that made the situation worse for everypony,” said Bluebonnet. “And the scheme that put Hate in the Crystal Empire? Was it your idea? Or did she discuss the matter with you until you came up with it?”

At that, Gloria sprang up, standing on the bed, wings spread, face twisted in sudden anger. “I don’t remember! What does that have to do with anything!?”

“We believe,” started Twilight, “whoever is behind this, is after the power that was inside Hate. It wouldn’t be separated from him until he died, which couldn’t happen for as long as he was one of the Shattered. When he conquered the Crystal Empire, he was connected to a lot of extra magic.”

“And it turned him into Sombra,” finished Gloria.

“Yes,” nodded Twilight. “But perhaps that was not the plan. Perhaps the plan was to give him so much magic that his pattern connection would break.”

“It doesn’t work like that,” replied Gloria.

“But we only know it now, don’t we?” said Bluebonnet.

“Well, there was that time in the very beginning,” said Twilight. “They tried to overload Hate with magic to destroy his pattern connection. That’s how that power ended up inside him in the first place. Although Obsidian believes that it wasn’t so. He thinks it was-”

Gloria sat straight, glaring at Twilight. “It was Indicina.”

“Indicina?” asked Bluebonnet in surprise. “The mare from the Splice vision? Obsidian’s lost love? You said she was killed, but you never did tell me the details. Why would she do it?”

“She was insane,” said Gloria. “The Splice drove her insane. When Obsidian disappeared, she appeared calm, but in fact she went mad with grief. She must have blamed the Emperor, because she…”

Anger flashed in Gloria’s eyes, and she jumped off the bed angrily, proceeding to pace across the cell.

“We didn’t find out until it was far too late, but she was the one behind everything. She poisoned the Emperor’s heart, and made him betray us. She made sure we would become monsters as everypony had feared. And then she stayed and watched as everything burned around her. Light didn’t remember it at first, he was sedated when they captured him, and only woke up for a moment when she started the process, but it was Indicina who put that thing inside him. She wanted him to destroy more. And he did just as she wanted. We all did.”

“And now it looks like this war has been manipulated in a very similar way,” said Bluebonnet. “But the goals seem pretty much opposite to what Indicina was trying to achieve. Who might it be this time?”

“I was thinking on who Dr. Stone might be,” said Twilight. “From what Obsidian told us, Deception was defined by her need of approval. So it couldn’t have been her turning on you. Could she?”

“No,” said Gloria. “It’s not a matter of my arrogance now. I do know her. She wouldn’t betray us. Even when…” she paused, looking ahead.

“Even when what?” prompted her Twilight.

“Even when she had to choose between a love and us, she chose us,” continued Gloria. “Back when we conquered Equestria for the first time. She was our infiltrator then. She seduced Loyalty for us, but fell for him in turn. If she switched sides back then, it might’ve been over for us. But she did go with the plan. She helped us kill the Elements and conquer their subjects.”

Twilight sighed. “And that stallion… Loyalty? Did she kill him too?”

“If you had asked me yesterday, I would’ve remembered his name,” replied Gloria bitterly. “She did try to save him, but it didn’t work out. He repaid her betrayal with hate, and she couldn’t fix it no matter how many times she tried to mess with his memory. In the end, it destroyed him, and she suffered horribly. She never fell in love again.” She paused again, as if hearing something at the edge of her senses. “Come to think of it, this is when she first adopted that serious scientist persona. I think she called herself Dr. Stein at first. She said it had been high time for her to change.”

“Perhaps it really was her then?” asked Bluebonnet. “It would all fit. A story of lost love, madness and revenge just like Indicina’s.”

“And magical powers?” asked Twilight. “Our mysterious mastermind has shown some really impressive magic if you think of it.”

“If she could give Luna enough power to appear in dreams,” said Bluebonnet, “she could’ve given herself powers as well.”

“Only if she had a proper soul to put inside herself,” said Gloria, “Her lost love was the only other awakened Element we ever captured alive. And he wouldn’t make a stable power source.”

“Well, if it wasn’t her, then who?” asked Twilight. “How many other ancient mares with knowledge of both highly advanced magic and your personalities can you think of?”

“We’re dealing with a shapeshifter,” said Bluebonnet. “How do you even know if it’s a mare?”

“Because…” Twilight paused. “Why am I so sure? I think…” She looked around the chamber, lost in sudden introspection. “I had a dream about her. That’s it! I had a dream, just before we woke up in our bodies. She showed up to warn me about the alicorn transformation. That’s why I panicked when Dr. Stone started the procedure.”

“That too could’ve been a mask,” said Gloria.

“No,” replied Twilight. “She was hidden, not disguised. She wasn’t trying to mislead me, because I wasn’t supposed to remember the dream at all, just act on it - find Zecora’s report book, and resist the transformation. She obscured her features, I have no idea how she looked or even sounded. But she was definitely a mare.”

“Well, it couldn’t have been Indicina,” said Gloria. “We put an end to her madness when Libra destroyed the Imperial Palace. I know she got Concilio out of there, but I was there too, high above, and saw the portal she pushed him through. There was no time for her to open another. Nopony else made it out of there - Both Aurora and Obsidian have surely told you some stories - Libra’s power of destruction was absolute.”

“Perhaps,” said Twilight. “But this war has lasted as long as it did because some ponies just wouldn’t die. Including Obsidian. He got squashed by a block of stone, and just turned into smoke, didn’t he? If there was a way to-”

There was a sound of hooves outside, and the door opened. Obsidian strode into the cell, instantly focusing on Twilight.

“Twilight, you’re not going to like what I’m going to tell you.”

Twilight turned towards Obsidian, bracing herself for what was to come. “Oh, Obsidian. You were locked in that chamber for so long, I was starting to get worried. What did you find out?”

“The Void Passage is sealed,” replied Obsidian.

Twilight blinked. “What?”

“Sealed,” replied Obsidian. “Closed from the inside. It’s the same mechanism that activates when somepony is being tested. And like before, Verba appears to be inside. We’re locked out from the Amaranthine.”

“And it took you so long to find out?” asked Twilight. “What were you doing all that time? We need to go there at once!”

“You all needed your sleep,” said Obsidian. “I spent the time checking the Passage for possible ways in.”

“If there are none, we will make one,” said Twilight. “Tell the others to get ready.”

“They already are,” replied Obsidian. “You’re the last I found, and they all seemed to have the same idea.”

***

When the three entered the council room, the other Elements were already waiting, accompanied by Pierce and Maska. Twilight walked up to the empty space at the table.

“It looks like our enemy has made a move,” she said. “We will need to go to the Void Passage, and find a way in.”

“How do we do that?” asked Applejack. “Obsidian couldn’t find a way in, and he helped build the place.”

“With force if we have to,” replied Twilight. “It might be a wonder of arcane power, meant to keep powerful intruders out, but it wasn’t designed to resist something like the Elements of Harmony. If we combine our powers, we should be able to break our way in.”

“Why would they lock it up though?” said Pierce. “If they can already hide themselves from scrying magic, the Amaranthine shouldn’t be a threat to them.”

“Perhaps they wanted to hide something else?” said Dash. “Like, I don’t know, something that happened long ago.”

“If it was before they thought to hide such things,” said Rarity, “they couldn’t cast any spells into their own past, could they?”

“Dissonance plays loose with the notion of time,” said Obsidian, “But once an event echoes inside it, it will always be a part of it. It might be so mixed into other memories that only the Amaranthine could sift it out, but it will be there, no matter what you do. That makes the flower a great threat to any conspirator’s plans.”

“So, they wanted to take it from us before we ask it the right question?” asked Fluttershy.

“That, or it’s a distraction,” said Maska. “If you’re in the Void Passage, you can’t be elsewhere.”

“Considering that we could set up a spell to drag us back here in an instant,” said Obsidian, “that would be a rather poor distraction. The first explanation makes much more sense, and I’m more inclined to-”

Pinkie Pie banged her head on the table. Everypony stared at her. The pink pony pulled back, staring into the ceiling, her ears flapping wildly in all directions, before leaning forward, and staring blankly at the sweaty imprint of her face on the crystal surface before her. “Yes… I can feel it too…” she said under her breath.

Twilight teleported across the table to her side. “Pinkie!? What is it? What’s going on!?” she asked frantically.

Pinkie Pie turned, and stared into her eyes. “It has started,” she whispered dramatically, before pivoting and pointing her hoof towards the balcony door. “Look at the sky!”

Everypony in the room ran outside. The semi-opaque dome above the city hid the night sky, but even so, they could see the red light of the new star to the south. And now it seemed to be moving.

There was a buzz of wings audible in the distance, and Maska tensed. “Guilt is at the gate again,” she said. “Requesting an urgent meeting.”

“What is happening?” asked Twilight, staring at the sky. Rarity breathed slowly, and the southern side of the barrier turned translucent, giving them an unrestricted view of the night outside. The red star was indeed moving, very slowly, but with the whole sky around it rearranging itself, stars moving out of the way in spiralling clusters. There was something more too, a feeling of growing pressure that had nothing to do with air, an overwhelming power, far in the distance.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “What in Equestria…” she heard Applejack say behind her.

“It’s moving towards Nevercrest,” replied Obsidian. “There is no mistaking this power for anything else.”

Twilight swallowed loudly. “You mean…”

Obsidian nodded. “Someone’s performing a Splice.”

Author's Note

The chapter is finally ready. :twilightsmile:

Also, nobody has answered my question about the music links, so I guess they don't get used. Dropping them for now then. :coolphoto:

Chapter 54: The Memories

Bluebonnet was the first to react, turning around and galloping out of the room. “I’ll get my equipment!” she shouted over her shoulder as she was passing through the door.

With a sigh, Pierce turned around and galloped after her.

Everypony else turned back towards the balcony, looking as if mesmerized at the astronomical phenomenon in front of them.

“A Splice…” gasped Twilight. “How many ponies are there who know how to perform it?”

“You could count them on your hooves,” said Obsidian. He turned towards Maska, who was still standing beside Rarity, awaiting orders. “Tell Guilt that we will be there shortly, as soon as Dr. Bluebonnet retrieves his weapon.”

The changeling looked towards Rarity. After a moment of confusion, she understood her intent and nodded, causing the bug officer to spread her wings, vibrating the membranes in a loud buzz that carried her leader’s orders.

“So, you were right,” said Rainbow Dash, staring at the horizon towards Nevercrest. “It really was about Hate’s power.”

“How do you think she’s doing that?” asked Applejack.

“Well, she’s proven to be quite powerful already, hasn’t she?” replied Rarity. “I doubt she’d have many friends to work with, but with her knowledge of magical devices, she could surely come up with something to give her the extra magic she needed.”

“She could have created some minions to support her with their powers,” said Obsidian. “Either way, all of Equestria might be doomed if she isn’t stopped.”

“We’re ready when Bluebonnet is,” said Dash, looking back towards the door.

Twilight looked at her, then at Obsidian. “Actually…could you girls go ahead and meet Enigma? I need a moment to talk with Obsidian… in private.”

Obsidian raised an eyebrow. The others also looked surprised, but after a couple seconds they nodded in agreement.

“Ok, let’s go then,” said Rainbow, preparing to fly away.

“Let me take you there,” said Rarity. Her magic spread out to envelop her friends, and in a flash everypony disappeared, leaving Twilight alone on the balcony with Obsidian.

“So, what do you want to talk about?” asked Obsidian.

Twilight scratched her hoof against the floor nervously. “It’s…it’s about our mysterious enemy,” she finally said.

Obsidian nodded. “The mysterious Dr. Stone. What about her?”

Twilight didn’t meet his gaze. “Well, since we returned yesterday, we compared what we knew about her, and there are very few ponies with the knowledge and power to manipulate the war to the extent she did.”

Obsidian’s ears turned towards Twilight. “Oh? How much did she do?”

“For starters, she was the one who sent us to Dissonance,” said Twilight. “She made sure the Shattered would make bad decisions, allowing us to survive and grow, while making us face challenges that made us stronger.”

“That sounds… like a very convoluted plan,” said Obsidian.

“If she was with them, she could keep trying for millenia until she got it right,” said Twilight. “But that’s not my point. The point is, I’ve been trying to figure out who she is, and…”

“Aaaand?” asked Obsidian, stepping closer to Twilight.

Twilight still didn’t meet his gaze. “It could be just Deception gone mad… or more mad than she used to be. But I think, there is a possibility… she might be Indicina.”

Obsidian lowered his head level with Twilight’s, and stared at her intensely. “Indicina? Of all ponies, why do you think it’s Indicina?”

Twilight finally met his gaze, although she backed up a little. “It’s a long story. I… don’t have the time to go through the evidence again now, Bluebonnet will be back in a minute. But… I need to know. It’s just a possibility, but if it turns out it is her…”

“You want to know which side I’d take,” said Obsidian.

Twilight swallowed loudly. “Yes.”

Obsidian took a long, slow breath. “You are right to be concerned. I did once say that getting my love back is what I want. I would set the world on fire to do it. But you’re wrong to think Indicina is still alive. She died millennia ago.”

“But what if she didn’t?” asked Twilight. “You were supposed to die millenia ago, and you’re still here.”

Obsidian gave her a bitter smile. “Am I?” He stepped aside and stared over the balcony. “You are defined by the contents of your head, not by the beating of your heart. You’ve watched the visions of the Splice, over and over. You saw me there, didn’t you? A timeless sage, bitter and pragmatic, with violent temper?”

Twilight hesitated. “Well… not exactly…”

Obsidian pivoted on the spot to look back at her. “If I put on a mask, and met my old friends from that time, do you think any of them would recognize Obsidian in the pony I am now?”

“I guess not,” said Twilight. “But you’re still you, aren’t you?”

Obsidian snorted. “You didn’t have the time to look into the past and see more of Indicina. She abhorred violence. It made her sick. She could barely watch me spar. And when she designed the Splice, she didn’t just choose the future Elements for how well they would harmonize, or because positive emotions are easier to keep stable and sane. She truly hoped to make them a force of good in this world. Even as she designed one of the Empire’s deadliest weapons, it was in the hopes of ending the war and bringing peace to ponykind again.”

He started pacing around the balcony, causing Twilight to keep turning towards him. “Which part of that description fits Dr. Stone? Starting a war that tore Equestria apart after a millenium of peace? Unleashing Hate on Canterlot? Perhaps the horde of monsters she let loose upon us in her lab?”

“It fits better with how she acted after you disappeared though,” said Twilight sofly.

“Oh yes, it does. A mad quest for revenge, poisoning the heart of the Emperor against the Shattered, trying to kill the Elements to further frame them. Binding the vast magical power to Hate to make him into a devastating rage monster. The same power that is now being drawn back to Equestria, to be used again in another scheme. That does fit. But that is not Indicina, none of that is.”

Obsidian stopped and looked Twilight in the eyes. She could see the specks of blue light deep within his pupils.

“Indicina is dead, Twilight Sparkle. It doesn’t matter if she burned with the imperial palace or not. She was already dead by then, dead from the day her madness consumed her. Death has done that love apart.”

Silence fell. Twilight didn’t respond, not sure how she could. Obsidian meanwhile seemed done with his rant, just looking at her calmly until the sound of hooves on crystal announced the return of Bluebonnet and Pierce.

***

"Don't you think it's too much?" asked Twilight, as Bluebonnet walked into the room.

The mare was hauling three bags, out of which poked pieces of equipment Twilight couldn't even attempt to name. She also had her goggles on, and behind her walked Pierce, dressed in his reinforced coat and carrying the gun harness with his telekinesis.

"I'm going with," said Bluebonnet, putting the bags more securely on her sides, as Pierce set the gun on the floor. "You may need my help."

"I think we'll manage," said Twilight. "We're going to a battle."

"With the one who started it all," replied Bluebonnet, "The one responsible for what happened to... all of us." Her jaw clenched as she gazed at something only she could see, but then she managed to force herself to fonus on the here and now. "But that's not why I need to go. I'm the only one besides you who knows anything about the Splice. Arrogance couldn't help you in her current state, even if she wanted. So, if anything unexpected happens when you disrupt it, you might need me by your side to figure out a solution in a hurry."

Obsidian approached Bluebonnet, his staff flying under the straps of the gun harness, lifting it into the air. "Your reasoning is sound," he said. "But you surely realise that you are the weakest of us. Depending on the situation, it might prove impossible to keep you alive in a serious battle."

"I'll go with her," said Pierce.

Twilight looked from one pony to the other. "Are you both sure about it?"

Obsidian's expression turned grim, as he faced Pierce. "You're too weak to protect her," he said. "Anything that can get past the Elements won't even slow down for you."

"I've survived so far," said Pierce.

"Barely," replied Obsidian with a scowl.

Pierce did not back down. "Either way, it's my job to protect her."

Obsidian raised an eyebrow. "And who's paying you?"

Pierce looked at him with an unamused expression. "Guilt assigned me as her guard. It is my duty to keep her safe. The rest is not your concern."

Obsidian sighed heavily. "Of course. Guilt made you do it. As if one could change the past. Twilight, will you talk to him?"

Twilight looked closely at Pierce. His coat had some new patches and stitches covering the tears from when he was trapped in a collapsed building. The unicorn's face bore no visible scars, the magic of the Elements having healed him since, smoothening his slate-grey fur. Still, Twilight could remember every cut and bruise she'd seen him suffer.

He looked back at her, stubborn, unflinching.

Twilight broke the gaze. "I... I don't think I will. We're all in this together."

"He'll die if he goes," said Obsidian. "Trust me on that. Every obstacle waiting in your way will be prepared for you six. He won't stand a chance."

"You have no problem with Bluebonnet going though," said Pierce, squinting at Obsidian.

"She's actually useful there," said Obsidian. "You're not."

"Obsidian!" shouted Twilight.

"I'm going," said Pierce. "I don't know what you're planning, but I won't let Bluebonnet be your 'necessary loss.’"

Obsidian's staff dropped the gun on the ground and swung across the room. Pierce didn't flinch as it stopped inches from his face, vibrating with barely stopped momentum.

Obsidian's nostrils flared, pinpricks of blue lights shining angrily in the pupils of his eyes. "You... know nothing of me," he breathed.

Pierce met his gaze. "I know I don't trust you," he said.

Twilight teleported between the two stallions, forcing them both to step back. "Both of you!" she shouted. "Now is not the time."

"There won't be any other time to ensure her safety," protested Pierce.

Bluebonnet sighed. "It's pointless to argue. Until it is finished, nopony is safe either way."

Obsidian turned away, walking in the air as pads of blue light appeared under his hooves to support his steps. His staff withdrew, once again picking up the gun harness and flying after him. "You're right, of course. There is nothing to be gained by arguing here."

He walked over the balcony. "I'll transport the gun to the front gate. I presume you can take care of transporting the others?" he asked over his shoulder.

Twilight suppressed a sigh. "No problem," she said.

Pierce watched Obsidian leave. "I'll keep an eye on him," he said to Twilight. "See that you do too."

Twilight shook her head in frustration. "Believe me, I know what he's capable of. I’ve had to deal with his twisted way of thinking from day one."

She looked over the balcony towards the city gate.

"Let's get it over with."

***

"As you said, we're expected," said Twilight to Obsidian.

They were standing inside a force bubble, on a disc of light, in the air above the approach to the mountain. All except Enigma, who was standing separately, his gun harness and control helmet on. In front and below them the magical blizzard raged, walls of jagged ice crystallizing at the edge of the anomaly.

"It can't stop us, can it?" said Rainbow Dash, looking down at the howling winds.

Obsidian shook his head. "Not at all. It's there to waste our time and resources. Also to keep all the small-time enemies out. There are plenty of ponies who would just freeze to death if they tried to push through this."

"Then let's do it the most efficient way," said Twilight. The barrier surrounding the Elements shifted, creating a round opening on Enigma's side. "Get in," said Twilight. "It will be quickest to fly through it, rather than unravel the whole spell. Our defenses will keep us safe if there are any more surprises," she added, looking towards Obsidian.

Enigma appeared beside Twilight, making sure to stay on the opposite side from Obsidian. Still the earth pony flinched uncomfortably at his presence. The barrier closed, and Twilight directed the bubble down and forward. The exterior of the barrier rippled, shaking off the ice as it tried to solidify into a bubble around them. Nopony could see a thing outside the barrier, but Twilight had no problem navigating; even in the middle of a magical blizzard, the leyline nexus powering it was like a beacon to her senses, an almost palpable feeling of power.

Something jumped from the snow, huge claws made of ice raking against the shield. Twilight expanded the outer layer, ramming into the monster and sending it flying into the swirling snow.

"What was that?" asked Fluttershy, cringing.

"No idea," replied Applejack. "But it can't stop us."

"We're almost there," said Twilight. "Let me land."

The disc touched down, and the sphere expanded, pushing the blizzard away. Soon it spread twenty feet in every direction, the front side revealing a wall of ice in front of them, with a faint outline of a massive gate just visible inside.

"All has been fixed and reinforced, I see," said Obsidian. "I guess it's my turn now, isn't it?"

Enigma stepped forward. "No time for that. Just shield the others."

Obsidian snorted with annoyance, but relented, stepping back and erecting another, smaller barrier to protect everypony else. Enigma stood in front of it and aimed his gun. Lights on his helmet flashed briefly, and then the gun fired, a blinding beam of silver hitting the ice wall.

The ice exploded into head-sized chunks, flying everywhere, some pieces bounding off Obsidian's barrier or flying straight through where Enigma was standing, the stallion winking in and out of position, letting them miss by inches. The gate gave up with a groan and swung inwards, revealing the inside of the cavern.

***

The sanctuary was pitch black. Even as the light of the Elements shone inside, the darkness only relented by a dozen feet or so, like a living creature flinching away from an open flame.

"What in tarnation is this?" asked Applejack, eyeing the fenomenon suspiciously.

"It's some kind of a darkness spell," said Twilight. "It..." She briefly closed her eyes in concentration, "It isn't dangerous by itself."

"It does slow us down though," said Obsidian. "And it makes it hard to use detection spells."

"So, an ambush?" asked Pierce.

And then something stirred in the darkness. There was no roar to herald the monster's attack, not even the rattling of bones that one might expect. Only a movement of air, and a soft hiss, like that of a fireplace being emptied of ash. A charred, reptilian skeleton lurched forward, bits of soot flying around it in a cloud, filling in the shape it had once had.

It struck at Dash, who dodged up just before the black jaws could snap shut around her. Then it went straight at Bluebonnet, who only managed to avoid it thanks to Pierce yanking her aside with his telekinesis. The undead dragon spun in place, swiping its tail across the whole team. Applejack stomped her hooves, and the swipe stopped, colliding with a stone pillar that shot out of the floor.

Twilight fired a beam of magic at the dragon’s head. It struck through a cheek and pierced all the way through, but the undead creature didn’t fall; instantly, the pieces of bone that had gone flying came back, the skull reassembling itself as the shards started falling into place.

There was a flash of silver light as Enigma fired his weapon. The dragon exploded, the bones disintegrating into black ash. “It’s not alive,” said Enigma. “Break the spell, not the body.”

Pierce looked over Bluebonnet, making sure she was alright, then glared at Obsidian. “I told you,” he said.

Obsidian looked over his shoulder. “It’s not over yet.” His staff sprang forward, flying over Pierce’s head, and through a dark cloud that had flown at him from the darkness. The thing lost shape and fled towards the ceiling, a trail of black wings and jaws forming and dissipating.

“Circle!” shouted Twilight, firing her first spell, marking a ring of light around her and her friends. The Elements formed around her, facing outwards, beams of magic shooting out into the darkness, just in time to intercept the oncoming assailants. The black shapes were made of flying soot, fluid and predatory, but all the time slightly equine, hooves and teeth forming as they sprang forward. They collided with hastily erected barriers, and shot left and right, trying to find a way through while dodging the spells aimed at them.

One of them got through and pounced towards Dash, who barely managed to swat it away from her side with her wing. For a moment the monster was buffeting her with black wings of its own, its form an angry black pegasus.

“What are these things!?” shouted Dash as she finally broke free, a blade of red light extending from her wing to bisect the attacker.

"Well, what does it look like to you?" shouted Obsidian back. His staff flew in front of one of the approaching monsters, stabbed into it, and stayed there, glowing a pulsing red as it drained the magic out of it. The apparition struggled and flailed, disintegrating into a cloud of soot as the staff dipped down and tapped on the floor, grounding and dispersing the gathered energy.

Twilight charged a powerful blast of light, and released it in a wave around her, pushing back the unnatural darkness. Green fires erupted from the floor as something reacted violently to the touch of her spell.

Traps? she thought, but focused on maintaining the light, leaving her enemies exposed, blots of blackness against the stark white of her magic.

"Are these... the Wonderbolts?" she stammered. "She made monsters of them?"

Applejack glared at the nearest smoke creature. "Now that's dirty," she said through clenched teeth, biting down on a lasso of orange magic that wrapped tightly around her intangible foe, binding it in a spell that held it unable to escape her.

“Focus!” shouted Enigma. He kept looking around, but did not fire again, only making sure nopony would be blindsided.

Bluebonnet got back to her hooves, and prodded Pierce, nodding towards one of her bags. The unicorn reached with his magic and yanked out a silver device the size of a pomegranate. He looked at her, a question in his eyes, but as she simply nodded in return, he wasted no more time, twisting a small dial on the side of the device and throwing it towards the nearest target.

The silver sphere hummed to life and then erupted with crackling magic, stripping the layers off the monster as it sucked it in piece by piece.

Behind them the other Elements were retaliating as well; with Twilight denying the creatures their cover, Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash started catching them in their spells, and were steadily dragging them down to dispel them, while Fluttershy and Pinkie made sure they wouldn’t be interrupted.

The fight, fierce as it was, barely lasted a minute, with none of the heroes suffering anything more than small scratches. Satisfied that Bluebonnet was in no immediate danger, Pierce turned his gaze towards the edge of Twilight’s light spell, wary of any more surprises that might emerge from the darkness.

Rainbow Dash stared at the black spot on the stone floor in front of her. After a couple seconds, she stomped angrily, swiping through the soot. “That… was vile,” she said through clenched teeth, turning her eyes towards where she knew the inner sanctum to be. “She’ll pay for this.”

“First things first,” said Obsidian, reclaiming his staff. “We still need to get through the cave, and there seem to be some traps left in our way. What is the most efficient way of clearing the path?”

He looked at Twilight when he said that, but it was Enigma who answered his question. “If you don’t have the time to unweave the spells, and just want to brute force through them, using pattern will spare you all the problems with spell on spell interaction. You just need to cover me in case a trap triggers a collapse, or anything else drastic.”

“Okay then,” said Obsidian. “Twilight?”

“Right away,” said Twilight. She stood behind Enigma and formed a curved energy field over him, protecting him from above and from the sides, while leaving the front free for him to shoot through. Behind her, the other Elements formed a wedge, extra layers of shields appearing as they linked their powers together to reinforce Magic. Obsidian, Pierce and Bluebonnet took the last row, taking cover behind them.

Obsidian nodded with satisfaction. “Everything’s ready. You may proceed.”

Applejack gazed at the thick darkness ahead. “Let’s pop this bubble.” She then blinked, realizing something, and turned towards Pinkie Pie. “Everything okay, sugarcube? You’re awfully quiet today.”

Pinkie gave her an aside glance. “No time to quip. Need to stay focused.”

At that, Fluttershy too looked at Pinkie. “Pinkie Pie… is something wrong?”

Before she could get any answer out of her, Enigma fired the pattern gun. The chamber filled with a low buzz. The beam went low, cutting across the ground, the stone floor bursting as the magic in the trap spells exploded from the conflicting energies. Debris rained against the barriers, some getting underneath, forcing Enigma to phase out momentarily to dodge them.

“So… this is the safer way?” asked Rarity, a protective mask of purple energy springing into existence over her face, even though she was safe behind the magic wall.

“A magic-pattern explosion,” replied Bluebonnet. “Much better than whatever these traps were supposed to do.”

Enigma waited calmly for the dust to settle a bit. Once he was sure nothing else would explode, he advanced, the team keeping in step with him. He fired again, turning the beam to sweep an area in front of him, causing more explosions. They were halfway there now, and the magic darkness unravelled completely, exposing the inner sanctum door on the far side.

“Looks like it’s closed,” said Applejack.

“Do you think we should knock?” asked Obsidian. Nopony laughed.

Enigma continued onward, taking cautious steps. “I don’t feel any more magic here,” he said. "The way to the door is clear." He stood facing the door and aimed his gun again, but then paused and gave it a confused look. “Doctor, did you use up any energy from the gun?”

Bluebonnet looked towards him. “No, why?”

Enigma turned. “It should have more power left. It’s like the battery is missing one shot.”

Everypony turned towards Bluebonnet, who just looked toward the gun confusedly. “I don’t know what could’ve happened,” she said. “Can I take a look at it?”

Obsidian snorted in anger, turning on the spot, from Bluebonnet, to Enigma, to the door. “No. I don’t have the time for another mystery now. We need to get through that door. Mrs. Bluebonnet, we need to hurry.”

Bluebonnet froze. “Ah, right. There is a job to do,” she said in a suddenly flat tone. She walked towards Enigma, Obsidian and Pierce following as the girls opened the barrier spells to let them through. Digging through the bag with her mouth, Bluebonnet retrieved a small device, a flat box with a short antenna and a single red button, dropped it on the ground in front of her, and stomped on it hard.

“You let my daughter die,” she said to Enigma.

There was no visible buildup, no buzz of a device charging up. The pattern gun exploded, a ball of silver light expanding around Enigma. Everypony ducked as pieces of shrapnel clattered against the stone walls. As the flash faded, the Shattered was left motionless on the ground, blood seeping from underneath the mess of broken metal tied to his side, the last specks of silver light radiating from underneath his round metal helmet onto his temples.

The Elements gasped. Pierce turned towards Bluebonnet, his eyes wide with shock. “What… what are you doing?”

Bluebonnet turned towards him. There was another device, a round silver ball with a small handle, held in her teeth. “Oh, wait,” she said with her mouth full. “I alsho have…” She looked at him and paused, her unfocused gaze turning to one of confusion. “What?”

Obsidian’s staff flew at her like a javelin, a charge of lightning upon its tip. Pierce saw it in the corner of his eye and leapt to intercept it, but he wasn’t fast enough - the lightning shot forward and struck the scientist, sending her flying towards the wall, where she lay, twitching.

“Obsidian!” growled Pierce, unsheathing his needles.

“I didn’t kill her,” growled back Obsidian, his staff returning to him and hanging in front of his face, ready to block an attack.

“What just happened?” asked Fluttershy. “I didn’t feel any aggression from her…”

“There wasn’t any,” said Obsidian. “She was controlled. A slave, unaware, waiting to do her part, thinking she was loyal, so that Honesty wouldn’t find out.”

Applejack looked at Enigma, then at Bluebonnet. A small tear appeared in her eye. “You said she wasn’t controlled! You checked to make sure!”

Obsidian shook his head. “I said she wasn’t controlled to kill you six. How many other variables was I supposed to dig into her mind for!? Now…” His ears perked up, and his head jerked to the left. “Just great…”

He turned towards Pierce, who was standing over Bluebonnet. “Protect her!” he shouted, and then stomped his hoof, conjuring a curved wall of stone that cut them off the rest of the cave.

Then he turned around, his staff swirling around him threateningly, blue runes aglow. From the wall above the sanctum entry emerged a translucent shape - an empty eyed pegasus clad in ancient armor, a gorget with a glowing red stone visible on his chest. Then a ghostly purple horn broke the surface of the floor like a shark’s fin, and a female unicorn wearing what looked like a reflection of Honesty emerged to charge towards Applejack.

The Elements formed a circle again, each preparing her powers to fight. The spectres kept emerging, four, a dozen, twenty.

“Don’t get separated, girls!” shouted Rainbow Dash, her voice flowing through Loyalty, filling her friends with resolve.

And then she saw a spectre, more solid than others, a white pegasus mare with a stab wound on her chest, and an aurora borealis cutie mark, flying straight at her.

***

The stone walls slammed together with a finality of a closing tomb. Pierce and Bluebonnet were left in total darkness.

Pierce suppressed the instinct to light up his horn. Instead he went low, completely still, listening to Bluebonnet’s breathing. Once he was satisfied that it was stable, he strained his ears in the darkness, wary of any sound that might indicate a threat.

He felt a buildup of power, unmistakable even through the thick stone separating him from the main chamber. The magic washed over him, warm and bright, yet somehow numbing, a spell he instinctively understood as aimed against the restless dead.

Is it over? he thought.

But seconds passed, and nopony opened the improvised barricade. Suddenly the air turned chilly, and Pierce knew what it meant; the Elements had not taken out all the enemies.

The fight must still be on. They won’t channel another blast so they won't tire themselves out before the main battle. The crystals provide plenty of cover from magic, so the enemy can stall, and throw wave after wave…

Something moved in the darkness. Something fast. There was no time for caution - Pierce’s horn lit up, briefly illuminating the target, an empty-eyed pegasus with matted, purple fur. He lunged forward, but the special operative was faster; a single needle flew at the spectre, the inscriptions grooved spirally into the metal glowing bright scarlet as it hit. The creature’s form warped, twisting around the projectile, colors draining from it as its magic was absorbed, until all that was left was a cloud of blackness that collapsed upon itself.

They found us! And we’re cut off from the others!

Pierce retrieved the needle. The inscriptions were still glowing, but not from the magic; as he held it suspended in front of his snout, Pierce could clearly feel the heat radiating from it.

If we’re cut off, and they’re coming for us, we need to hold until the fight is won.

He looked down at Bluebonnet, who let out a barely audible groan. I can’t blink through the wall with her. And I can’t leave her here. I need to-

There was a hint of movement underneath. Pierce stabbed down just as the spectre’s head emerged from the floor. The needle turned white and exploded, sending hot shards flying - Pierce flinched as one grazed against his cheek.

It’s only good for two, he thought, pulling two more inscribed needles from his bandolier. And I have three spellbreakers left. The rest likely won’t hurt them at all.

He looked down at Bluebonnet again. Some of her equipment had spilled to the ground when Obsidian struck her, and was left on the other side of the wall. What was left in her bags…

Pierce sighed in frustration. Nothing here I recognize. Except for grenades. Way too narrow here for these.

Two more creatures sprang at him from the walls. One, a ragged earth pony, in battered armor - the needle hit it straight in the empty eye socket, stopping it dead in its tracks.

The other…

Pierce hesitated, a split second too long. The small green filly ducked underneath the projectile and lunged at him, forcing him into a desperate dodge that bruised his ribs against the cave wall. He yanked the needle back towards her, but not quickly enough - she bounced off the stone wall barring the passage, and disappeared in the rock.

Pierce stepped into the middle of the narrow tunnel, and drew both needles close to himself. His eyes and ears darted left and right, looking for the next threat. He took a deep, deliberate breath, and his eyes narrowed.

“You’re not Tourmaline,” he said. “Her real grave isn’t even here. What are you?”

“And why would that matter?” replied her voice from the wall. “Once we die, space doesn’t matter anymore.”

Another glimpse of green. Pierce launched his projectile, but the enemy was ready. Not the filly shape he expected, this spectre was a female unicorn. She ducked back into solid rock. Then, once the needle bounced off it, she emerged and shot a beam of magic. Pierce wasn’t quite quick enough to dodge it - the spells woven into his duster turned a deadly blast into a glancing hit, but it still ripped through the fabric, exposing the chainmail underneath.

He felt movement behind him. It was too close to dodge, so instead he teleported aside, just enough for the charge to pass through where he had been standing, grabbing the second needle before it could fall to the ground, and ramming in into the attacker - the stallion disappeared, but not before Pierce could catch a glimpse of a familiar, messy, green mane.

“Fish?”

“They’re all here,” said the filly, from somewhere above him. “They’re waiting for you to join them. Like you wanted to. Because you did, didn’t you? Ever since you got those glasses.”

Before he could stop himself, Pierce looked down on his chest, where he knew the half-broken glasses were resting in his pocket - a gift received on the worst day of his life, carried as a reminder of what he had done, and what he had lost.

He looked up, just in time to see movement again, too quick for him to shoot it, but slow enough that he could see an older, chubby stallion, with an 8-ball cutie mark on his rump, disappearing into the wall.

8 Ball? Pierce clenched his teeth. This can’t be real. She’s playing with my head. But that costs her time. If I can hold her off until the girls are done fighting…

“I’m sorry, but I’m past wishing for death,” he said aloud. “Too much depends on me now. Even if I still wanted that, I couldn’t afford to. Thousands of lives depend on me doing my job.”

“Believe a dead pony,” said the filly, “Everypony you’re trying to save would be better off dead. We’ll all be together at last.”

Then suddenly, she was there, standing above Bluebonnet, hoof raised.

Pierce spun to launch a needle at her, but instead followed the momentum into a roll - the unicorn behind him emerged again, and tried to shoot him in the back. Shaking her head sadly, the filly retreated into the rock behind her, before he could get a clear shot. “Don’t you want that?”

Pierce threw a small pellet behind him. It hit the wall and exploded into a sphere of inky smoke. Pierce waited for a second, and then shot a needle through it. The explosion of the overheating spellbreaker told him his ploy had worked - the spectre was not blinded by the smoke, but overestimated its value as cover, leaving the safe cover of the rock for a moment too long.

Pierce sprang back to his hooves, picking up the loose spellbreaker needle, and pulling the last one out of his bandolier.

She had a clear shot at Bluebonnet. Why didn’t she strike? he thought, and the answer instantly became obvious. To keep me trapped. If she dies, I’m free to escape. But while she’s here, she’s my weakness. What is taking the Elements so long?

“Oh, I’d like to see her reunited with her daughter,” he said slowly. “The thing is… death by pattern doesn’t leave ghosts behind. I think I know what you are.”

He inhaled and cleared his mind again, drawing upon his anti-changeling training to calm his emotions. “These visions… your form, you’re pulling it all out of my mind, aren’t you? You’re like that thing that pretended to be Lucky… back when…”

Pierce froze, his eyes widening, as he slowly turned towards the stone barrier blocking his way out.

The filly walked out of the wall, shaking her head. “The Elements don’t know it yet, but the Void Passage is no longer their haven. But that’s not your problem anymore. You see, you weren’t the only one stalling.”

Pierce felt them instantly, all around him, moving through the walls, and the floor. There are too many, he realised with cold clarity. They must have kept away from the blast, and needed time to gather…

He saw them fly at him, some with spears, some with long pegasi hoof blades, or even helmet spikes. He moved like in a dream, lunging forward, dropping the needles to instead use his magic for an extra push, away from the monster wearing Tourmaline’s face, and towards the still form of Bluebonnet on the floor. He felt a metal claw cut across his withers, not physical, but real enough to bring him harm. Then a spear stabbed low, hitting his front leg, just where the metal protection didn’t reach. He tripped and rolled in a controlled fall, coming to a stop within reach of the mare, when three more spectres charged him from the sides.

Can’t take us both, he thought, and focused. Three impacts came, stabbing through his armor and his ribs. There was no miracle this time, no convenient item in his pocket could ever stop all three. Pierce knew he was dead, but held on just long enough to fire off his spell.

In a flash of magic, Bluebonnet disappeared.

***

“That’s the last of them,” said Rainbow Dash, landing her front hooves on a ball of red magic. The barrier popped, and the magic that used to be the creature inside flew out in a splatter of blackness.

Twilight looked around to make sure everypony was okay. The enemy hadn’t been very dangerous. Truth be told, only a few of the spectres could even strain their magical defenses. But the experience of fighting… that used to be the good ponies buried in the sanctuary, some of them wearing familiar faces… None of her friends had shown more than a furrowed brow or a clenched jaw, but she knew them well enough to know that they were all playing tough for each other’s sake; behind the facade, they were all as shaken as she was.

Silently grateful that most of the graves from the last funeral were empty, sparing her the pain of facing her actual family in a deadly fight, Twilight scanned the area around her. Almost instantly she noticed a detail that didn’t fit the scene.

Bluebonnet was unconscious on the floor, on their side of the wall.

Twilight rushed to her and swiped a simple spell across her body. “She’s alive. Why is she here?” She raised her eyes upon the stone wall cutting off a part of the cavern.

“Pierce is dead,” said Pinkie Pie in an empty voice, coming to a stop next to her.

Obsidian stomped his hooves, and the wall folded, sinking back into the floor. There was an inert body covered in multiple wounds slumped to the ground on the other side.

“They got him,” said Obsidian. “I told him he’d die if he came here with us.”

“He must have sent her through the wall,” said Applejack, “and got stuck there himself. You trapped him there!” she finished, glaring angrily at Obsidian.

“He had his priorities, and I have mine,” replied Obsidian. “You’d rather split your attention in battle to protect two ponies when-”

There was a loud buzz from the other side of the door, and the crystals in the walls glowed brighter. Everypony looked towards the inner sanctum.

“I would,” said Applejack. “We will talk about it, when we’re done. This isn’t finished.”

Obsidian snorted. “Put her in cocoon spell then, and let’s hurry. I’ll see if I can open that door.”

He turned away and approached the inner sanctum entrance, his staff floating in front of him, the runes changing colors as he got closer. Focused, he took a slow step after step, pushing through what suddenly appeared like a three dimensional web of ghostly strings in front of the arch, bending and reshaping around the tip of Obsidian’s weapon.

Behind him, Fluttershy and Applejack stood over Bluebonnet, strands of orange and pink extending from their foci. The magic intertwined and wrapped around the unconscious mare, covering her like a warm blanket.

“We’re so sorry for what happened,” whispered Fluttershy. “Please, try to sleep for a bit. We’ll be back for you.”

They then turned and trotted away, joining their friends as they formed a line behind Obsidian. The stallion was nearly at the door. “Get ready now,” said Obsidian. The Elements focused.

The tip of the staff touched the door, and the magic barrier collapsed, the spell exploding to the sides like a breaking membrane, sending arcs of lightning crawling over the surrounding walls. The double door broke off its hinges, and fell inside the chamber.

Without hesitation, Obsidian rushed in, the Elements advancing behind him.

The inside of the sanctum was alight with spiralling magical currents. The old statues were still there, but the whole room was covered with pieces of arcane machinery, cables and metal prongs surrounding a large magic circle in the middle of the floor.

In the center of the circle, there stood Dr. Stone, her eyes glowing soft blue, her mane and tail floating in the ethereal winds. She lowered her head looking towards the Elements.

“Together now!” shouted Obsidian, stepping out of the line of fire.

Twilight could feel the power surrounding her, circling from the leyline, through the machinery, into Stone, and from her into the circle, and up into the enormous spell. There was a lot of magic there, but not as much as the six of them could muster.

“You’ll pay for what you did!” she heard Rainbow Dash say.

Six gems blazed with light, throwing kaleidoscopic reflexes all over the chamber. Twilight felt the power flowing into her, and knew her own eyes glowed white as she started rising into the air. A rainbow of six colors shot through the room straight at Dr. Stone, and the scientist smiled.

What?

Obsidian’s staff flew in front of the blast, turned, and struck the array surrounding the circle, slotting itself into an empty socket at the front. It caught the Elements’ spell like a lightning rod, grounding it into the circle.

Twilight tried to stop her magic, but found out she couldn’t - like a fighter who over-extends only to get pulled off balance, she found that the Elements’ weren’t being resisted, but pulled in, their magic sucked in to power the ritual. Glancing aside, she could see her friends, just as confused, struggling to break free.

Dr. Stone started flowing up, the power growing into a halo around her. Then her fur caught fire, and the body disintegrated, turning into ash in a blink. Beneath there was a ghostly shape of pale blue, tall and slender, with a heavy mane and a long, silver horn.

“Indicina!” gasped Twilight. “So, I was right. But…” She couldn’t turn her head, but managed to twist it enough to look towards Obsidian. “Obsidian… why are you doing this!?”

Obsidian turned away from her. He didn’t raise his voice, but his magic made it echo over the raging wind. “To be reunited with my love.”

“But…” Twilight’s confusion only increased. “She’s standing right here… that doesn’t make sense!”

In response Obsidian blackened. His body flaked away and fell into nothing, revealing a dark blue earth pony shape made of solid magic. He walked into the circle, and as the two spirits touched each other, they melted and merged together. The single entity turned around, speaking in two voices.

“No she isn’t. I told you so many times, Twilight. Indicina is long dead. And so is Obsidian.”

The Elements stared at what unfolded in front of their eyes.

“But if she’s not Indicina,” started Fluttershy, “then who is your lost love?”

Chapter 55: The Reveal

“Your love… is not a pony,” said Twilight. “Because you’re not a pony. You’re not a pony at all.”

***

“A couple knocks to the head, and I’m your infallible source of knowledge.”

“I didn’t even have to lie to you. I just prodded you towards the wrong conclusion and you did the rest to yourself. You could wield the power of Honesty and I’d still be able to trick you, as long as you didn’t use your brain.”

“Being able to change one’s shape comes with many benefits, like being able to choose your identity no matter how life changes you.”

“You must understand, Twilight Sparkle. There are… things in the world, much older than you and much more cunning. If you don’t learn to think for yourself, to see past the schemes and machinations, there will be no hope for Equestria.”

“You cannot trust me. Any pony who could confirm my identity is either long dead or has since turned into something you wouldn’t trust either. In fact, you wouldn’t be entirely wrong to say Obsidian is long dead.”

“I’m more a creature of the Dissonance than a pony. All the same, I still have all the memories of once being Obsidian, the bearer of Honesty.”

“It looks like breaking my link to Honesty solved the problem of raving madness.”

“Gone. Everything I ever cared about was taken away from me by this war. By this… madness. This folly. And it won’t be over until I see this conflict finished and all the monsters gone. Only then will things be as they should be. Only then will the death, the suffering stop. I have waited for thousands of years, whole generations living and dying while I could do nothing.”

“A power of this magnitude subject to the whims of anger, love, or pride? A god with the heart of a mortal…is the most frightening thing you could ever imagine, Twilight Sparkle.”

***

“The prophecy the girls told us about… It was never about the Shattered! It was about you…
‘The One that was Broken’.”

“You’re not Obsidian… You’re Indigo.”

The glowing blue shape nodded slowly. “I am.”

And then suddenly, the vortex disappeared, and the sky above the mountain was torn asunder.

Chapter 56: The Darkness

For a moment Twilight expected to be blown away. In a blink of an eye there was only magic, the stone walls writhing and shifting under its touch, the alicorn statues rearing, momentarily alive. A blazing pillar of light hit the circle and for a moment the energy being inside it disappeared.

The prongs of the array turned red hot, but they held, grounding the excess power - for all the spectacular display Twilight only felt a wave of heat and pressure.

And then the red star fell, striking the circle. Twilight briefly saw a hint of long fangs and feathered wings, then the light exploded outwards, leaving only a swirling ball of color in the center.

Twilight strained against the pull of the array, but found herself still trapped. Around her, her friends likewise struggled to no visible effect.

Meanwhile the creature in the circle started taking shape. It was a mix of colors, shaky and uneven, three forms superimposed over each other into a rough shape of an alicorn. When it spoke, three voices echoed through one another.

“I feel great.”

“A lie.”

“The curse of Obsidian has been lifted. I can finally lie, now that I no longer need to.”

Applejack managed to turn her head slightly towards Twilight. “So… what is he? A god?” she asked, squinting at Indigo’s radiance.

“Yes, he is,” confirmed Twilight. “When Indicina performed the first Splice, she accidentally pulled him into this world, and-”

“The array tore me apart!” finished Indigo, his voice echoing in an angry roar. “The insolent mortals reached for my power without understanding or caring what it was! Made me a piece in their demented war. I was trapped in pony forms, too broken to even know what I was. By the time I recovered…”

Indigo hesitated, his eyes flashing and dimming. “You bound a piece of me to Hate!” he hissed. “Cost me thousands of years!”

“I didn’t know,” he replied to himself, shaking his head. “I was her, angry, grieving… It was not my fault! You sealed yourself away and left me!” he finished, rearing and stomping his hooves. Purple sparks of energy crawled over the floor, grounding themselves on the prongs of the circle.

“Twilight…” whispered Rainbow Dash. “What’s going on?”

“I think…” Twilight looked towards Indigo, who kept shaking and changing colors, engaged in a hissed argument with himself, “He’s not done merging yet.”

“The power is growing again,” said Rarity, looking nervously along the beam of power projecting from her Element. “If you have any ideas, better use them now.”

“I’m trying,” replied Twilight. She redoubled her efforts to break free and managed to shift a couple inches to the right. The power holding her was not a solid cage, but more of a constant pull. It’s like being sucked in, she thought. But then, why am I not being sucked forward? Her magic senses were nearly overwhelmed, but now that she took a moment to think calmly, she could feel something stretching in front of her like an invisible net. She leaned forward, pulling down with her horn, trying to redirect the beam from her tiara and strain the barrier. If I can just reach the circle and hit it, I might be able to-

Then Indigo’s eyes regained focus, and the barrier solidified so rapidly, Twilight was stopped motionless like a fly stuck in amber.

“No,” he said, walking out of the circle and using his magic to flip several switches on the surrounding devices, causing the array to shift and reconfigure. “No more delays. No more distractions. You will stay here trapped until the second Splice occurs, and the Elements will be undone.”

“But… why?” asked Fluttershy. “We’re not the ones who hurt you.”

“Yes!” piped in Applejack. “They’re already gone, and you’re back together. Why are you doing this?”

Indigo turned to look at her. “Because I’m no longer content to suffer in silence. I have seen the world through pony eyes, and now I know what I must do. You’re a mistake. You all are.”

“What?” Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow, not understanding.

Indigo’s eyes glowed brighter as he focused on the earth pony. “You are pathetic, all of you. With your mortal vices and mortal ambitions. You are unworthy children of Gaia. I can’t believe she decided to abandon me, just to give her life to you… but that is a mistake that I can now fix.”

Applejack’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious…”

“I am, and you can feel it,” replied Indigo. “Whenever a mortal creature dies, its soul returns to Dissonance. In order to see Gaia again, all I need is for all you mortals to die.”

“We’ll stop you!” shouted Pinkie Pie with a defiant grin.

“You won’t,” replied Indigo. “You’re trapped. Your allies are either dead, incapacitated, or too far to help you. The very reason why I brought you here today was to power the Splice with your magic, to avoid lengthy charging. And either way, I am complete now. Nopony can match my power.”

“You didn’t remember your own advice, did you?” asked Pinkie Pie.

Twilight was focused on Indigo, just like everypony else. But right at that moment, she felt a small shift in the magic. Looking forward, she noticed the spiral mosaic on the floor blurring ever so slightly. Something was transforming the rock beneath the array.

“Which one?” asked Indigo. He had no eyelids to squint, but the lights of his eyes narrowed into slits. “I gave you plenty of lessons these past weeks.”

“The very first one,” replied Pinkie. “The first time we met, you said that the real Elements would always find the way, no matter what.”

Indigo seemed to relax. “I did. But I assure you, you can’t do anything now.”

Pinkie met his eyes. “I’m not sure I even could. This has been a horrible week for everypony. You tricked us all, and got lots of our friends hurt…or killed. It’s really hard to find something to laugh at here, unless you have a really sick sense of humor. But you know what?”

There was a soft sound of something moving, barely audible over the noise of the power build up. But Twilight was prepared, and knew what to look for this time - the floor was definitely stretching, and the devices surrounding the array moving out of their positions.

“The joke is on you,” said Pinkie. “You betrayed everypony. And now that you're whole again…you are alone.”

Indigo’s eyes brightened slowly. “I don’t need any…pony. And you have noone to help you either. All your friends and allies have been accounted for.”

Pinkie Pie pouted. “What if I listened to your advice and made new friends?”

There was a loud crack. Indigo heard it, but by the time his head turned, half the floor had broken, causing the control panel to fall underground. Things shifted out of place, and then the first cable snapped. Magic exploded out of control, a stream of multicolor sparks gushing out of the broken conduit, filling the chamber with a haze of dazzling light. Suddenly the pull of magic trap disappeared, the Elements retreating from the circle and reactivating their defences.

“What!?” shouted Indigo. “Who!?”

His answer was the sound of music, a carnival theme played so out of tune it made everypony’s skin crawl. The array broke, and then the other instruments started melting like wax, bubbling and changing colors.

Indigo’s eyes blazed with anger and sudden understanding. “YOU!”

There was a sound emanating from the walls, like a soft chuckle, but somehow reverberating across the whole temple. "Well, yes. It is ME. I'm actually quite miffed that you forgot about me. I like to think I'm pretty memorable."

Pinkie Pie reared and swiped her hoof in front of her eyes in a dramatic gesture, sending two glass discs flying into the corner. When she uncovered her eyes, they were matching pools of bright blue.

“You think you’re smart, but I’m smarter than you! I’m Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter, and when I laugh, darkness laughs with me!”

She fell on all fours and conjured a blue bubble of force, just before Indigo’s magic washed over her. Blue and purple flames exploded in all directions, turning the chamber into a furnace. Indigo’s wings stretched into strands of magic that pierced through what was left of the floor. With a roar, he pulled, yanking Discord out of solid rock, but before he could get a more secure hold, six beams of magic struck him simultaneously.

“How dare you!” he roared, dropping Discord to form his wings into a shield. The draconequus snapped his fingers and disappeared before the magical inferno could consume him, returning to reality behind the Elements, then snapped his fingers again, bringing what was left of the ceiling down on Indigo.

Indigo coiled tightly, taking the blow, then swung his wings wide with an inarticulate roar. Twilight managed to form her friends’ powers into a shield, keeping them safe as the stone around them exploded into chunks. A column of deep blue light shot up and disappeared through the ceiling above.

“It isn’t over…” echoed the threefold voice.

Discord snapped his fingers, and the dust and rubble disappeared, leaving the chamber slightly bigger and filled with the smell of lavender. "Well, that escalated quickly..." he mused, stroking his goatee.

Everypony looked up.

“What just happened?” asked Rarity.

“He ran,” said Applejack. “We almost got him.”

“We need to go after him!” shouted Rainbow Dash, spreading her wings and charging up. Discord just snapped his claws, and suddenly they were all above the mountain, suspended in the air until they could activate their own magic to keep them airborne.

Pinkie looked askance at Discord. “You could’ve done it a little bit earlier…”

Discord scowled. “No I couldn’t, as a matter of fact. You don’t know how hard it was to get in there without getting sucked into that circle.”

“Girls?” said Applejack. She was looking upward, her orange eyes open wide, her ears drooped. “We have a big problem.”

She didn’t really have to say it. Her friends were already staring at the same thing. Above them the sky was torn open, a gash stretching across it like a bizarre aurora borealis made of blue mist and alien stars. Twilight’s mind flashed back to the day her adventure started, when the sky was ripped open above the fake Ponyville, Verba descending upon it to retrieve the bearers, as everything around them disintegrated.

But this is the real world, she suddenly thought in a panic. She looked around frantically, expecting to see the surrounding mountain tops to start crumbling any second, but though the snowy slopes were tinted blue by the unnatural lighting, nothing drastic had happened…yet.

“He’s not ready,” said Fluttershy, putting a comforting wing on Twilight's withers. “He’s…confused.”

“You mean his mind is still in pieces?” asked Rarity.

“Yes,” confirmed Fluttershy. “He hasn’t quite put himself together yet. And a part of him hates violence.”

“Indicina,” said Twilight, nodding.

“That’s why he put us in a death trap, rather than just turn us to ash or something,” continued Fluttershy. “He didn’t need to destroy the Elements now. I don’t think they’d find new bearers in time to stop him. But that way he didn’t need to… bloody his hooves. I don’t think he realised why he did that.”

“He won’t be so soft next time,” said Rainbow Dash. “We need to get to him fast, before he’s done.” She looked towards the starry void behind the tear in the sky. “The red star is gone, but he’s there somewhere, isn’t he?”

“I concur,” said Discord. “We need to hurry. Much as I like chaos, it’s just not the same if there is nothing else there. Indigo unmaking reality would really put a damper on my weekend.”

“How did you even…” said Applejack to Pinkie, pointing a hoof at Discord.

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “I just remembered what Obsidian said about how Discord changes with the world. I figured if he was no longer as nasty as before, then he might want to have a friend, and it worked.”

Discord snorted. “Oh, admit it, Pinkie Pie. You just needed a card up your sleeve.”

“That too,” admitted Pinkie Pie. “I could feel there would be a surprise at the end, and I had to be ready. But I wasn’t thinking that far ahead when I started talking to you. I really was curious if you’d want to be my friend.”

“Wait,” interrupted Twilight. “The missing gun charge! You used the pattern gun to break the sealing gem, didn’t you? That’s why you flooded the palace with custard!”

“Yes, she did,” admitted Discord. “And it left me with a headache out of this world. That’s another reason why I came so late,” he added, his head splitting in two as he spoke, and then coming back together with a wet slap.

“So,” asked Rainbow Dash, “Discord is a friend now?”

The draconequus considered the question. “Well, technically…”

“Oh, stop it,” said Fluttershy. “Pinkie Pie was honest with trying to be friends with you. If the laughs you had together weren’t genuine, she wouldn’t have awakened, would she?”

Discord looked at her pensively. “Now, if you put it that way…”

Twilight looked at Pinkie’s blue eyes. “When did you?”

Pinkie smiled. “Just before we went to rescue Fluttershy. I can’t believe none of you noticed, with the kinds of crazy stunts I pulled there.”

Applejack tapped Twilight with a hoof. “Is it just me, or is that thing growing?”

Everypony looked back at the sky.

“It’s supposed to be shrinking,” said Twilight. “That’s what happened after the first Splice. I think that’s enough catching our breath, girls. We don’t have much time.”

“We can’t just rush in there,” said Rarity. “Knowing…both the ponies Indigo was, he must have some traps prepared.”

“We can’t afford to wait either,” said Twilight. “Discord, could you take us back to the caves for a moment? There is one more thing we need to do.”

Discord rolled his eyes. He was wearing a red elevator colt uniform. With another snap, the seven found themselves back in the ruined sanctum.

"Third floor: religious art, electronics, funeral accessories."

Immediately Twilight turned around and galloped out the door into the main chamber. Three bodies still lay there.

Twilight’s horn flashed with a bright light, and Enigma’s remains were encased in a sarcophagus of pale purple crystal. She turned and did the same for Pierce. “That will have to do for now,” she said. She then picked the unconscious form of Bluebonnet, careful not to jerk her even as the protective cocoon of magic remained active around the mare. “We need to put her somewhere safe. Let’s go back to the Crystal Empire."

***

They found the Empire on highest alert. As the eight appeared in front of the pillars marking the city gate, there were over a dozen guards there, half of them changelings. The guards formed behind the barrier hastily, brandishing their weapons.

One guard, a visibly shaken lime green crystal pony, planted the end of his spear in the ground, pointing the tip towards the arrivals. “Stop! Iden…identify yourselves!” he demanded.

“It is us, the Elements of Harmony,” said Applejack.

“You can clearly see it,” said Rarity. “Has something happened?”

The guard relaxed a bit, but didn’t withdraw the spear. “Yes… yes, your Majesty. There were… things outside the barrier, trying to get in. One tried it here. It looked like you, but it talked strangely.”

“We confronted it,” said a changeling guard next to him. “It was no changeling.”

“Then it looked like my grandma,” continued the guard. “And talked like her. But she’s been dead for years… and then it got angry, and suddenly there were claws, fangs and flames, something out of a nightmare.”

“Chimeras?” suggested Rarity. The Elements looked at each other.

Twilight felt cold sweat on her back. “I was wrong. We have no time at all.”

“Let’s move then,” said Rarity. She stepped to the edge of the barrier, looking over the heads of the guards at a small group of changelings flying towards them. “Maska?” she called.

The officer landed at the front of the group and bowed. “Your Majesty?”

Rarity nodded at Twilight, who levitated the prone form of Bluebonnet through the barrier. “We’re leaving the doctor with you. Keep her safe, and don’t disrupt the spell if you can help it. It will be better for her if she sleeps for now.”

“You’re going back to the fight?” asked Maska.

Rarity nodded. “There were some complications. We need to…” she looked up at the torn sky. “Go to Dissonance and save everyone. Please do your best to maintain the barrier until we come back.”

Maska straightened her posture and saluted. “Yes, your Majesty!”

No more instructions are needed, thought Twilight. If we don’t come back, nothing she can do will make a difference.

***

Bluebonnet was dreaming. She knew she was. She was vaguely aware of her body being transported, shapes of ponies and changelings passing over and around her. But where she was right now was her lab in the castle dungeon. Or was it her bedroom? She took a closer look at her surroundings and conceded it was both; her bed was right next to a row of tables, and a cabinet containing notes from her previous experiments extended seamlessly into her private bookshelf. Metal tools and glass containers were everywhere.

Why am I here? she thought. The answer crystallized as she looked at the central table. Her brain was there, buzzing with spinning wheels, nested in a tangle of cables.

Something was done to me, she pondered as she examined the thing. It’s not that her brain looked odd - it was a dream after all, and she was an engineering genius. But there was something in it she didn’t recognize, like some outside tinkering had been done on it.

What is this? She took a screwdriver in her teeth and poked at a small component hidden behind the wiring. A memory flashed, of her and Obsidian breaking into the labs, overcoming the first line of protection spells. Obsidian moved with certainty, finding and disarming the security systems as if he knew where to look. And just when she was about to comment on his progress… the tip of his staff flashed red light into her eyes. As she was compelled to follow, Obsidian dropped the pretense of looking for traps, leading her into a chamber where they stored the…

Neural reconfigurator. We used it to protect our soldiers during the siege of the Empire. I didn’t remember it being returned to the labs. Then again, I was preoccupied. Is this what he did to me? Deep programming? How would he know how to operate it? Or… was it pre-programmed? Then he’d just need to strap me in and press a few buttons…

She withdrew, and the screwdriver dropped out of her mouth, winking out of existence as it became irrelevant.

What did I do? What did he make me do!?

The answer came back in another flash, her modifying the pattern gun, adding a circuit that turned its power back upon itself when a remote was activated. Then her standing with the others in the cave…

Enigma…I killed him.

She saw the whole scene inside the tangle of wires - her pressing the button, speaking the phrase that would’ve been a warning to her target, but with the target being Guilt, it was one calculated to make him freeze up for a precious split second, denying him a chance to react even if he felt the energy building up.

Was it though? I could’ve rigged the trigger instead, to explode when he shot it. Why overcomplicate things so? to make his last emotion be regret over what he did to Tourmaline? He deserved it, but… Stone. Evening Embrace. It was her doing, wasn’t it?

“There were some complications. We need to…go to Dissonance and save everyone. Please do your best to maintain the barrier until we come back.”

She didn’t remember the context of the words. They must have been spoken in the waking world some time before. They made things click into place.

They worked together. It was all a trap. The girls went into a trap, and now everypony might die. What is going on? What did they do?

She looked back into her brain, then turned around, her eyes searching frantically all over the lab, but there were no more clues.

What did they do!?

She tried to wake up, and for a moment felt her real body, but then found herself pushed back, as if by an invisible membrane.

Why can’t I wake up? Did they do something to me? They used me, manipulated me into killing… and now I’m trapped! I need to get out of here, find out what’s happened and help them. But how?

***

The Elements of Harmony were standing in the air, suspended on a disc of solid power. Below them stood the top of the Nevercrest mountain. Above, an endless void visible inside a giant rip in the sky, already stretching almost to the horizon in both directions.

“How many chimeras do ya think have already gotten in?” asked Applejack to nopony in particular.

“It depends on whether Indigo sent them on purpose,” replied Twilight. “There might be just a bunch, or there might be an army.”

“I don’t think he’d bother creating life,” said Discord. “It’s not really his style, from what it looks like. But with how Dissonance responds to him, he doesn’t really need to. He just needs to be angry, and with the threshold damaged as it is…this is a night where nightmares walk among ponies.”

“Enough,” said Rainbow Dash. “It’s time to put an end to this. How do we do it?”

“We fly in, find Indigo and defeat him,” said Twilight. “Much as I’d love there to be a less insane solution to all this, it’s not like we could return his lost love to him.”

She looked towards Discord. “Discord, stand closer to us. I want you inside the barrier with us.”

Discord raised an eyebrow. “Why so? I’m a creature of chaos. I’m pretty sure I can navigate Dissonance without harm.”

“The Dissonance, yes,” agreed Twilight. “But we know we’re flying into a trap. And there are things waiting for us that could harm even you. You won’t be able to help if you’re taken out by an ambush.”

Discord pouted, but landed on the disc next to Twilight. “I think you’re underestimating my power. But have it your way. You’re the wise leader here. Even if all of this wouldn’t have happened if you saw through Obsidian earlier. Seriously, how hard can it be to question somepony who cannot lie?”

Twilight ground her teeth, and was about to say something, but just as she opened her mouth, Pinkie Pie pushed between the two. “Please don’t do it now, you two.” She turned towards Discord. “We’re new at the really tricky villains here, okay? The worst we’ve had so far was Chrysalis replacing Cadence at the wedding, and we all totally fell for it. Now let us focus on what we’re supposed to be doing here.”

Twilight sighed. “You’re right, Pinkie. Let’s go. Everypony, focus.”

One after another, the gems started glowing brighter. As the spell was completed, the Elements were suspended, weightless, inside a bubble of iridescent color. With a push of Twilight’s thought, the orb sped into the sky, the magic of Dissonance trailing abstract shapes upon the surface as they pushed through the blue mist.

“We’re in,” said Rainbow Dash. “So, where to now?”

“That way,” said Pinkie Pie, pointing with her hoof. “I can feel his power that way.”

Twilight looked in the same direction, and pushed. The sphere swerved, or so she thought - the shifting lights outside gave her nothing to relate to.

“Not quite,” said Discord with a scowl. “You’re very used to four dimensions, aren’t you?”

“That’s… a good point, actually,” said Twilight. “Pinkie, perhaps you and Discord could navigate us? It will be easier than explaining things to me right now.”

“Okie dokie,” replied Pinkie with a reassuring smile. “I’ve never tried that either, but my Pinkie sense will point me where I need to be.”

“Don’t you worry,” said Discord, leaning over her. “It won’t take long. Time is relative here, and the whole universe wants to know how this ends!”

He put a lion’s paw on Pinkie’s shoulder, and suddenly the colors outside the sphere started shifting faster. Even though there was still no sense of direction, Twilight knew that they were moving at great speed, perhaps the fastest they’d ever had without teleporting. She braced herself, reinforcing the bubble with all her power, her instincts warning her that it wasn’t safe to fly like this. Soon she felt the energy outside the sphere growing stronger and more focused.

“He’s here,” she said.

“Yes, I can feel him too,” said Rarity. “He’s so much like the rest of this realm that he fades into the background, but you just can’t hide that much power… suddenly I’m a little less sure about what we’re doing.”

“Brace for impact!” shouted Pinkie Pie.

They all did, and a second later, all was whiteness. Discord, dressed in a form-fitting red uniform, swayed and grabbed an outer wall of the bubble for support. Pinkie shook her head sideways, and the sphere swerved out of the beam that was peeling off its outer layers. It pushed out of a bank of blue fog, revealing a giant, round shape in front of them.

“What is this thing?” asked Applejack.

“A fortress,” said Discord. “He did prepare.”

The castle was enormous, much bigger than it would’ve been practical for any real structure, white towers and battlements extending in all directions. It was also a sphere, the fortifications and rooftops bending at awkward angles to turn the whole thing into a spiked ball of spires. One of the bigger ones was still glowing from the first blast, and now starting to to charge up again.

“That’s what I talked about!” shouted Twilight, as Pinkie drove their sphere into another dodge.

“I admit this would’ve hurt,” said Discord. He snapped his claw, but the tower resisted his magic. He snapped it again, and a giant wedge of cheese collided with the fortress like a crashing spaceship.

The bizarre castle did not budge. It fired again, and this time Pinkie barely got out of the way.

“It’s been built to resist magic!” shouted Twilight. “It couldn’t survive here otherwise.”

“Well, resistant is not the same as immune!” replied Dash. “We need to hit it harder!”

“Right,” nodded Twilight as she started charging up. Everypony contributed, though Pinkie kept controlling their flight, following her supernatural intuition to plot an erratic course that kapt them out of reach when the castle towers fired another beam.

“Not very creative, that one,” remarked Applejack, happy that the sphere kept its own idea of up and down, saving her stomach from the effects of sudden maneuvers.

“It’s just the first line of defense!” replied Twilight. “Focus!”

The power built up, swirling in rainbow colors. Twilight aimed at the tower that fired the last shot.

“Wait!” shouted Dash. “What if it sucks our magic in like the last time?”

Twilight hesitated, but then fired her spell. A rainbow beam struck its target, breaking apart a tower into a cloud of stone chunks that scattered, weightless into the void surrounding the fortress. “It didn’t absorb Discord’s attack,” she explained. “It’s probably hard to set up a draining trap in a place build of nothing but magic.”

“Don’t get relaxed just yet!” shouted Pinkie, as two beams came their way. “Discoooord!”

She pulled the sphere into a dodge that ended up turning them upside down. Not good enough; the sphere had no flat side it could turn away from the strike, and it was still too big to fit between the two beams. Discord snapped his talons, and the Elements shrunk, along with their bubble, the beams passing them on both sides.

“Thanks!” shouted Pinkie, turning them back towards the target, allowing Twilight to fire again.

Discord waved his paw dismissively, and the sphere returned to its old dimensions. “It’s nothing. You could do better.”

“I could, but Twilight needs my power, and I’m piloting the thing,” replied Pinkie. The sphere accelerated and flew closer to the fortress, making it harder for the remaining towers to aim at her.

“I think only the big ones shoot,” said Twilight, charging another blast. “Either the rest is just for show, or they maintain the passive defences.”

Another shot. Another tower reduced to a cloud of flying rubble. Another beam fired by the fortress, almost striking the Elements. The shots were getting more focused, but with each tower lost, the attacks dwindled in frequency, not intense enough to strain the barrier protecting the six mares.

Soon it was over, the side of the giant castle stripped of its most powerful defenses, the Elements approaching the battlements to look for an entrance.

“You know, this looks a lot like Obsidian’s tower,” said Rarity.

“It was his home for millenia, even if he hated it,” said Fluttershy.

“And now he turned it into his hideout?” asked Rainbow Dash. She looked down at the battlements, and pointed a hoof at what looked like a small door. “I think I see an entrance, down there.”

“It makes sense,” said Twilight, “although…”

“I know what it is,” said Applejack. “Look at those walls, the ones with the tallest spires. Don’t they look like they could move around the whole thing?”

They saw it too. Now that they could get close enough to examine the surface in detail, the multi-level structure of the round fortress looked like a giant astrolabium.

“It’s the Void Passage,” said Twilight finally.

“That isn’t good, I take it?” asked Discord.

“Not at all,” said Pinkie Pie. “I couldn’t take you there earlier, but it was the place where Obsidian tested ponies who wanted to be Elements. It made dreams to make them show they deserved it, or…”

“Dispose of them,” finished Twilight. “This here was just a warm up. All of Verba’s tricks are waiting for us there.”

“We’ll have to fight Verba too?” asked Fluttershy, her wings folding and unfolding in frustration.

Twilight took a big, calming breath. “We have no choice but to go in.” She deliberately turned away from the door Dash was pointing at, and gathered the power of the Elements again. She then shot at one of the rooftops, between the spires, maintaining a beam until the heavy stone tiles gave way, revealing a dark emptiness inside. Her beam twisted, and pulled, widening the hole enough that they could fly inside without dispelling their protective bubble. Bracing themselves for what was to come, the six ponies and the draconequus disappeared inside.

***

Bluebonnet had tried everything she could think of, to no avail. She had already managed to deduce that the Splice must have happened, and the power of the Dissonance was released upon the world.

This is a logical explanation of my current state. I’m trapped here, because I’m being actively sedated. They’re making sure I’ll stay asleep. But it isn’t a dreamless sleep as it should be, because even if my mind has shut off… my soul is touching Dissonance directly. Nopony in the world will have a dreamless sleep today.

The implications made her hair stand on end. She turned around, expecting at any moment to see a shadowy shape emerging from a corner of the room. Then, when nothing came, she thought of all the other ponies that could be asleep now, many of them already frightened, hiding in the ruins of what just weeks before were their homes.

“Everypony is in danger while I’m trapped here,” she said aloud, looking in vain for a solution among the lab instruments she now knew not to be real. “I’m in danger here. I put everypony in this mess, and now I can’t even help them!.”

She inhaled deeply as desperation took her. Then she screamed, as loud as she could imagine herself screaming.

“Somepony, help me!”

The voice echoed, much longer than it should have in the confined space. Seconds passed and nothing happened.

And then, from the darkness in the corner sounded a familiar voice.

“I’m here, doctor.”

Chapter 57: The Name

Cheerful Breeze looked out of the window and shuddered. The night was bright, the giant tear in the sky illuminating the forest outside in shades of blue. Is the world going to end? she thought. Will the sun rise again tomorrow?

She turned her head to look at the other ponies in the cottage, the six pegasi who escaped the conflagration of Cloudsdale, and the elderly earth pony stallion the house belonged to. He allowed them to stay, but had no food to give them, and they were forced to graze to feed themselves. Now, as the world started to fall apart, they slept an uneasy sleep, huddled together on the large bed while Cheerful Breeze kept watch.

She looked at her little brother, Gale. He was turning in his sleep, one wing unfurling, as if to swat away something in his dream. It’s a wonder he’s been able to fall asleep at all. But we need our rest in case something bad happens again.

She looked out of the window once more. What had happened to the world? just a month ago Equestria was a bastion of peace and harmony, and Breeze could look forward to a peaceful life. Then there was the murder of Celestia, the war with the Crystal Empire, then what she could only guess to be a beginning of a civil war… and then the rampaging monster of black flame setting whole Cloudsdale on fire. And now Breeze and her neighbours were hiding in some cottage in the middle of nowhere, with no knowledge if the rest of their families even made it out of the inferno, hoping to wait out the crisis that had now apparently split the sky itself apart.

Drizzle, an older mare sleeping near the edge of the bed, awoke with a start, bringing Breeze’s train of thought to a stop.
“Something’s coming,” she whispered, frightened.

Breeze opened her mouth to say, “You had a bad dream,” but before she could speak, the others started waking up as well, a domino effect of startled reactions bringing everypony to alarmed consciousness in a matter of seconds.

“What’s going on?” asked Gale warily.

“It’s just…” started Breeze, but then something caught her attention. In the corner of her eye, she saw movement outside. Instantly alert, she turned towards the window. “Something’s outside,” she said in a stage whisper.

“Help me!”

Breeze tumbled away with a shriek when a frightened mare pushed her face to the outside of the window.

“Please, let me in,” the stranger said, slumping next to the window sill.

The gathered pegasi looked at each other. “Just a sec,” said Breeze, moving towards the door. She grabbed the bar blocking the door with her teeth and pulled it aside.

The mare outside was a pegasus, tall and slender, with ivory coat and raven black mane. She was wide-eyed, shaking all over, and stumbled a little as she walked. She also pressed one of her wings hard to her side.

“What’s happened to you, darling?” asked Drizzle.

The mare stepped forward. “Well, I was just trying to…”

“Stop.”

Everypony froze. It was the owner of the cottage that spoke, a barked order that instantly got their attention. The elderly stallion walked forward and confronted the mare.

“You’re scared. Very scared. But it is not your fear,” he said slowly. “What are you?”

Though the mare’s expression remained unchanged, her body tensed, and Cheerful Breeze found herself stepping away from her. “What do you mean? I came for help!”

“You can’t lie to me,” said the stallion. “I can feel you. You’re not a pony.”

The mare blinked, shaking away a strand of black hair that fell across her eye. “I’m not? But I will be. I just need more of youuuuuu.”

Her mouth stretched with the last word, elongating and turning circular, like a megaphone with teeth, blue light swirling inside. Breeze heard frightened screams from behind her and leapt away, but found herself unable to turn away from the bizarre creature, the light pulling at her attention as if literally sucking her in. The strange mare didn’t stop changing shape, her legs splitting, stretching and bending, turning her into a grotesque white insect.

And then the old pony erupted in green flame and he was a pony no more. Breeze saw insect wings, black carapace, legs marred with irregular holes. Suddenly the bed rose and toppled, the cottage filled with a loud buzz as a dozen changelings emerged from a hole underneath, charging at the monster. It was like a giant spider swarmed by a dozen wasps. The effect that had been sucking away Breeze’s mind snapped free, and she escaped away from the furious fight, until she found herself with her rump to the back wall, clutching her brother protectively under her wing.

A changeling hit the wall next to her, making her yelp in fear, and slid down with a groan. The battle was all but one-sided. Yet, within seconds the advantage of numbers decided the victor - the creature broke under the repeated blows, lost substance, and evaporated. Silence fell as the changelings looked around, before finally turning towards the pegasi.

“It’s over, for now,” said the leader. “You can stay here, and we will keep you safe.”

“Don’t get any closer!” shouted one of the ponies frantically.” Cheerful Breeze realized it was herself.

The leader met her gaze, sighed, and relaxed his stance. “You’ve been here for hours. If we wanted to hurt you, we’d have done it already.”

“What about the pony who lived here?” asked Gale from under Breeze’s wing.

The changeling winced. “Dead for years. But we don’t do that anymore.”

“You don’t?” Breeze attempted a shaky smile that didn’t look the tiniest bit sincere. “What has changed?”

The changeling straightened. “Times have changed. There is a new queen, and a new hope. Whatever comes down from the sky tonight, we will face it together.”

***

“That way,” said Twilight Sparkle. The orb turned and slowly pushed its way through another wall, burning away the magic forming its substance until the bricks disappeared and gave way. They emerged in another chamber, this one filled with a memory of some ancient city, white marble palaces and tiered pyramids dominating the skyline.

“Just how big is this place?” asked Rarity.

“It’s relative,” said Discord.

“That way now,” said Twilight, accelerating the sphere through the main street, until the met the arc of a huge gate leading out of the city.

“No enemies so far,” said Dash. “It’s like…”

“Like a theatre’s prop storage,” said Pinkie Pie.

“Why do they even exist?” said Twilight. “It’s not like they actually need to be stored.”

The sphere passed through the arc and suddenly they were in the tunnels of some underground base, not unlike the one in Canterlot.

“A distraction, most likely,” said Discord. “Ponies are easily distractible. That being said-” He did a double take and looked around the tunnel. “This place looks kind of familiar.”

“Well, that’s not ominous at all,” said Pinkie. “That way,” she pointed down the corridor.

“I know,” said Twilight, navigating through the tunnel just wide enough to let them through.

“We can all feel it now,” said Fluttershy softly.

The corridor ended in a large lab chamber. Long ago it must have been filled with all sorts of instruments, arranged around a large stone table in the middle. Now, everything was crumbling with rust, a thick layer of dust filling the chamber as if it were an ancient tomb.

“There,” said Twilight, directling her power at the wall in front of her. The bubble pressed to it and started pushing through. Twilight huffed with effort. “This will take a while,” she said. “This one is much tougher than the previous ones.”

“Um, Twilight?” said Fluttershy.

A delicate light illuminated the room. Twilight chanced a look aside and saw the pieces of equipment mending themselves. “Keep an eye on it,” she said. “I’ll keep drilling.” Slowly, the sphere started pushing into the wall.

Meanwhile, the lab restored itself to how it must have looked like in its prime. Magical lights appeared in a line on the ceiling. And then two indistinct shapes started forming at the center, one standing at the machines, the other lying on its side, covered with a blanket and apparently strapped to the table.

“Fluttershy?” asked Dash.

“No aggression,” said Fluttershy. “It’s just a vision.”

“Pinkie?” asked Dash next.

Pinkie’s expression turned grim. “There will be trouble,” she said.

“Just who is it?” asked Rarity. “She looks like… Dr.Stone, but younger. Is it Indicina?”

“I think,” said Fluttershy, “this is Evening Embrace. The real Deception.”

The second pony finished taking shape as well. He was tied down and covered, except for the head, but the Elements could see that we was a unicorn, light grey, with red eyes that marked him as the bearer of Loyalty, and sporting a goatee. He was also angry and frightened, and there was a metal ring etched with runes attached around the base of his horn.

“You tricked me!” he spouted. “You messed with my mind!”

Evening Embrace turned towards him with a sad expression. “They wouldn’t have let you live otherwise. I only did it to protect you.”

“Protect me?” the unicorn stared at her. “By making me forget my duties? My friends?”

Evening Embrace turned away, flipping some switches on the surrounding instruments, but still it was clear that tears welled in her eyes. “You don’t need them. They’re dead. They’ve been for decades. They just weight you down.”

The unicorn’s face flushed with anger. “You betrayed them to their deaths! You betrayed me!”

Eve spun around, her face red. “I didn’t ! I didn’t betray you, - . I was supposed to spy on you, but then I really…”

“Loved me?” spat the stallion. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“What’s going on?” asked Applejack.

“I don’t know,” said Rarity. “There was something I didn’t hear, like…”

“I’m not!” continued Eve. “I really wanted to abandon this war, to be with you. But you were so stubborn, and then Libra’s plan worked and you…”

“No!” said the unicorn. “You didn’t love me. If you loved me, you’d knew I’d never abandon my friends. You’d never pretend to be the mare I fell in love with. You’d never dig in my head to make me your toy. How many times have you done it already!?”

Eve walked around the table, tears flowing down her cheeks. She tugged at one of the devices, lowering a small crane over the table, and pushed a small, round helmet over the stallion’s head. They struggled as he tried to prevent her from tightening it securely.

“Too many times,” she said through her teeth, struggling with a strap she pulled under his chin. “I try, and try, and try, but every time I make you forget, the memories return faster and faster. I love you, - , and you said you loved me too. But every time you remember, you choose them over me!”

The missing word reverberated with silence, an absence grating on the senses.

“Almost there,” said Twilight, turned away from the chamber, working the sphere deeper into the wall.

The others watched the scene as if mesmerised. Meanwhile, Evening Embrace finished struggling with the helmet, and approached a bigger switch on the side of the last machine.

“And I always will,” said the stallion. “I’ll remember my friends until the day I can avenge them.”

Eve once again looked him in the eyes. “No, you will not. I won’t lose you, - . You don’t know how it is, to be lonely for century after century, with only the Shattered, and your…creatures to keep you company. You’re the first pony who ever really loved me. I won’t let that slip away.”

“You’re insane,” whispered the unicorn.

Eve clenched her jaw. “Perhaps I am. Or perhaps I should’ve done it years ago. I thought I could modify your brain, and block the memories that hurt you. But if there is no other way… I’ll just remove them from your head.”

The stallion’s eyes widened with sudden fear. “What? You can’t do that!”

Eve sighed, and then her features hardened. “I can, and I will, - . I’ve had enough of watching you suffer.”

She pulled the lever, and the machines came alive with sound and light. The stallion started screaming, a cry of anguish that turned into a long, high pitched whinny. Eve watched in horrified fascination as his features warped from the muscles spasming, his red eyes shrinking in ways a healthy eye never should.

The elements turned away from the scene, but Discord kept staring.

“Is everything okay?” asked Fluttershy.

“It’s me…” said Discord shaking. “It was me…” A part of his shoulder bulged and started changing color.

“Discord! What’s going on?” demanded Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie Pie started shaking as well. “That’s bad!”

“Discord…” said Discord. “That’s not my name.” his whole body started deforming and shifting. “I’m not Discord…”

The body on the table twisted and spasmed.

“ - !” screamed Eve in despair, the silence of the unspoken word echoing like a giant bell.

Twilight abandoned her efforts and turned to face Discord like the others, but he ignored everypony, just staring blankly forward.

“What is my name?”

And then he exploded, an expanding wave of sound, shape and color. Pinkie and Twilight tried to hold on to their friends, but the bubble spell burst, and everypony was sent flying in all directions.

And then the vision disappeared, and the walls of the lab turned, like pieces of some giant machinery, and the six friends were separated.

***

In the center of the Void Passage there stood a ruin of an ancient tower. Little remained of it now, an empty circle of white stone where the ground floor used to be, surrounded by crumbled remains of the four smaller towers. The wind blew white dust over everything, as if trying to bury the place forever. The only unaffected object was a pot standing at the very center, a deep red flower growing inside it. Above it, Indigo turned slowly, wrapped in a cocoon of magic.

It was almost done. One voice had already been silent; the storm of primal instinct carried a lot of his power, but it had no personality to speak of. The other two voices were getting softer as well, though it would take some more time to silence them completely.

He turned and stretched. He had changed. Like never before, his body demanded form.

A spine appeared, then bones and tendons, as magic coalesced into a form shaped millenia before by centuries of belief. A slender but powerful body. Coat black as the midnight sky. Eyes glowing with the color they named after him. A long, sharp horn, symbol of magical power, and wide wings ready to carry him wherever he’d choose to show it. A blood red mane…

No, that wasn’t right. It came with memories of his unwilling hosts, but he felt it was wrong all the same. He reached into the Void Passage, and found a different concept.

His mane and tail stretched into strands of silvery white.

"That's better," he decided.

Chapter 58: The Fates

Applejack growled in frustration.

She’d been walking for hours, searching the labyrinthine cave tunnels for the…exit? She stopped and looked around. The caves were enormous, paths of softly glowing crystal stretching in all directions.

What was I looking for again? Applejack blinked repeatedly. “Rarity!” she exclaimed. It came back to her. I was looking for my friends. We were separated while getting in here, and-

There was a loud crack, and then the ceiling exploded with shards of crystal. A pale blue, crystalline spider as wide as a barn door fell into the tunnel, its mandibles snapping threateningly. It lashed forward with its forelegs, blades as long as a pony raking the floor where Applejack had stood just moments before.

Applejack recovered from the roll and countered - stomping her front hooves, she caused a pillar of crystal to shoot from the floor beneath the spider’s thorax, and when it spread its legs to regain balance, she shot forward like a bullet, headbutting it with a force that sent it flying through the tunnel, shards of broken blue crystal left in its wake.

“What is this thing?” she whispered under her breath. Is it even alive, or some kind of a construct thingy?

She eyed the monster, waiting for it to get up and attack again - it was still moving, although its movements were jittery and uncoordinated. But before it could finish picking itself up, something caught Applejack’s eye - a niche in the corridor to the right. There was something there at the end of it that was neither stone nor crystal.

A door?

Leaving her enemy behind, she ducked into the narrow passage. The door looked heavy, made of rusted metal, with a wheel in the middle. She grabbed it with her teeth and pulled, turning until she heard the noise of a mechanism moving. With a hiss the door opened inward, disgusting stench venting from the now opened tunnel.

Is it a sewer? thought Applejack, hopping in and pushing the door shut behind her, the skittering of the injured spider’s legs falling silent as it closed.

As a matter of fact, it was. She quickly projected a thin aura of power around her, keeping the stench and filth away from her fur and hooves, and illuminating her way. There was no pathway, forcing her to trudge through the sewage, but luckily there wasn’t that much water. More importantly, the place was beginning to look more and more familiar.

“My friends are there somewhere,” she said to herself. “I just need to find the way up.”

And there it was, another door, much plainer than the last. Pushing the doorknob with a thin strand of power, she uncovered the stairs up. I’m close, she thought as she started climbing. The next door led directly outside the building, into an alley behind two houses. It was afternoon outside, and the air heavy with factory smoke.

I’m here, thought Applejack, pushing the protective barrier off her to leave the stench of the sewers behind. She made sure the overcoat was okay and the scarf around her neck hid Honesty from view, pulled the hat lower over her face to prevent random passers-by from seeing her eyes, and then walked out into the cobbled alley.

Where did I get a coat and a scarf?

There were other ponies there, similarly dressed, stern-faced and busy with themselves, hurrying to get home before… curfew, she realised, as a helpful memory surfaced. I need to hurry if I don’t want to sneak through patrols on my way back.

She took a turn, then another, finding her way through the now familiar streets. There was just one turn left to take before the meeting spot, and…

As she looked up to make sure the path was clear, she caught a reflection of her face in a window pane. Except it wasn’t her reflection. Beneath the orange eyes of Honesty, there was an angular muzzle of a familiar, young stallion.

A sound of broken glass ahead. A fight? There was no time to think. The Element of Honesty dashed through the street, sliding across the cobblestones in a sharp turn. And just as expected, the sounds of a fight came from a familiar house - an armored guardspony had just been thrown out of the second floor window.

Judging by the noise, the fight was still on upstairs. There was no time to waste.

A young, scruffy, blue unicorn ran through the front door, blood dripping from behind his injured ear, and the two almost crashed into each other in the doorway. “Whisper?” he gasped in surprise.

“I’ll cover you, ” said Whisper, igniting his Element under the scarf. “Now run.”

He walked in, and cut off the way of the two soldiers running down the stairs. They started shouting something, but stopped when they saw the light, and recognized just who they were facing - the rapid stop almost made them tumble down instead.

“You can’t win this fight,” he said, slowly, letting the power of Honesty seep into his words. The two soldiers looked at each other, and then bolted towards the back door of the building. Whisper meanwhile charged upstairs, towards the noise of the fight.

He got there in the nick of time. Fan, the pegasus mare he was supposed to meet there, was struggling against two guards. She was caught in ropes that grounded her, but still too mobile for the guards to pin down. The fight had already trashed most of the furniture. A broken window marked the spot where the third guard had been forcibly ejected.

As they saw Whisper enter the apartment, the guards hesitated. He could almost see the calculations running in their heads as the balance of power shifted - they had started the fight with an over two-to-one advantage; now not only were the numbers equal, they were suddenly facing an Element. Even with the magic-numbing fumes from the factories filing the air, this was a fight they couldn’t hope to win.

Fan didn’t do any calculations. She dove straight for the unicorn guardspony, using the distraction to land a vicious kick in the jaw. The blow was hard enough that he let go of the rope. Whisper then dashed at the other guard, ramming him with the force that flattened him against the wall with a loud thud.

“Hurry!” he shouted at the mare, forming a cutting wedge of magic around his hoof to help her get free of the ropes. The guard Fan had kicked wisely pretended to be unconscious, leaving them free to run down the stairs. Before they could get to the ground floor though, there was a sound of more hooves below.

More guards, thought Whisper. He considered running right through them - there was a good chance the soldiers had nothing that could stop him. But before he could charge down, Fan turned her head in the other direction. “There!” she said, pointing her wing at the window at the end of the corridor.

Understanding, Whisper dashed through it, his power protecting him from harm as he flew out in a cloud of wood and broken glass. He hit the ground running and dashed down the street. Fan was close behind him, gliding low. The few civilians who hadn’t disappeared at the first sound of trouble were scampering out of their way into the nearest doorways.

No air support yet, thought Whisper, but if we don’t lose them soon… He wasn’t afraid of guards, a hundred wouldn’t be enough to stop him, but all they needed to do was slow him down. A fight in the middle of the city would soon attract much more dangerous opponents.

Fan overtook him, switching from flight to a gallop without missing a beat. “Follow me!” she shouted, taking a sharp turn into a nearby alley. With the sound of many hooves behind, and no better ideas for what to do, Whisper followed her lead; down an alley, through the back door of a shop, into another street, and into a backyard behind a bar, he followed her through the nooks and crannies of the city, a new door opening each time he thought they’d hit a dead end, the sounds of pursuit slowly dying off in the distance behind them.

They evened their pace, trying to behave naturally, but even though there hours still till the curfew, the nearby streets were almost empty.

“There,” said Fan, indicating another door in the backyard. She pushed it open and descended the stairs into darkness. As Whisper followed suit, flaring his aura to light the path, she pushed past him to lock the door and set an empty can at the top of the stairs as an early warning system.

The inside turned out to be a large cellar, corridors lined with doors leading to small storage rooms where the tenants kept their coal or preserved foods. At the end there was another door and a stair further down, surprisingly leading into something that but for a lack of windows would have been a small apartment. Another door at the end, this one made of metal, provided a second exit, likely into the sewers.

Whisper looked around the room. “Will your friend make it?” he asked.

“Not to here,” replied Fan in a tired voice. “Don’t worry about him, he knows where to go. Let me get some tea,” she said, lighting a small stove.

Whisper slumped at the table. “So… the plan is done for then? If they know about you…”

“Then there is not enough time to investigate where the information leak occurred,” said Fan. “Not only will the Resistance be of no help, but the Elements will have to keep them them in the dark to prevent an ambush. With…" She opened her wings and shifted her pinions one by one, counting… “eight possible suspects, half the network in the city is not safe.”

“And how many of them know about this hideout?” asked Whisper. His ear turned towards the entrance.

“Only three,” replied Fan, “None of whom got caught in the ambush.”

“It might be safer to move right now,” said Whisper. “Regardless of whose fault it was. That reminds me. Are you really Fan?”

The orange gem flashed. The pegasus shuddered. “Yes, I am,” she said, staring back at Whisper.

Whisper snorted. “You know the procedure. I should’ve done it earlier.”

“They wouldn’t be that stupid,” replied Fan. “They know you can do that.”

“And that’s why I need to keep my guard up,” said Whisper. “They’re prepared for me. I can’t rely on it either. They know how to cheat past it. I know I’m starting to get paranoid, but I keep looking for trouble everywhere, and it has kept me alive so far. Like… the guards came to arrest a pegasus. So how come there was no air support?”

Fan frowned. “You don’t know that. We just didn’t see any.”

“If there were any, they were out of position,” replied Whisper. “Everypony knows how Vengeance treats failure nowadays. Her surviving officers aren’t that incompetent.”

He got up, looked towards the stairs up, and then the other way towards the metal door. The sudden movement made his head spin. “What?”

Fan turned to face him. “You can’t leave,” she said. “Nor can I. This… isn’t really a stove.”

Whisper looked past her. The flame was slightly off color, and he suddenly realised that his sense of smell had gotten worse. The mare was standing oddly stiffly, staring at him with an anguished expression. “And now I know that I’m not Fan.”

Whisper was already lighting up, his Element reacting way too slowly for his liking. He could now hear multiple hoofsteps approaching from the cellars above. He charged past not-Fan, hitting the metal door of the emergency exit, and breaking it off its hinges. He expected to fall into the sewer, but something stopped his momentum. The broken plate of metal slowly fell to the side, revealing the obstacle that had stopped it, a large black stallion with a short mane, dressed in a long coat. “Hi,” he said with a grin, kicking the door with a force that send Whisper flying back into the hideout. Hate, he realised as he hit the opposite wall, so hard that he fractured the stone around him. Whisper’s barriers failed from the immense force of the impact. As he groaned and tried to scramble to his feet, he saw the hooves of not-Fan rear over his head.

***

Twilight Sparkle circled over the wasteland. The fortress below was barely recognizable. Vengeance had fulfilled her promise - the Empire was no more. Swept away by city-swallowing explosions or worn away by rains of poison, everything south of the mountains was just an endless expanse of dull brown where nothing would grow for many generations.

And there in the middle of it all stood the compound, like a dark, rectangular scab on a diseased hide. The cemetery outside the wall had disappeared. So had all the trees surrounding the hill. The only sign of life that remained was the tangle of thorny vines covering the inner structures of the fortress - no doubt some new creation of Eve, engineered to survive in the hellscape of their creation.

The Element of Magic circled downward, incinerating the vines with a thought before they could do any harm; they tried to absorb the magic and turn it against the intruder, but their power turned out pitifully inadequate. Verba folded his wings and looked around, stretching his magical senses. No other traps activated, mundane or otherwise. No other guards showed up. The facility where all of them had met so many years before, where they trained together to become the foci users and then lived after becoming the Elements and the Shattered, was now an empty shell, with less life to it than even an actual tomb.

And yet this is where you're keeping them, isn’t it? thought Verba. He walked towards the main entrance, his senses stretched out in search of traps, especially ones meant to trap or redirect his power. He felt something; it was too weak to trap him, but he chose to go around it just in case, opening his own passage through reinforced concrete. Then he finally found what he was looking for. Some of the machinery was still working, down in the bunker below. It seems the gamble has paid off, he thought. There are few places left that are both suitable and screened enough to hide them.

Cautiously he started descending deeper and deeper, through dark tunnels and abandoned labs. Now let’s hope the rest of the gamble pays off too. If Diamond Dust and the new Elements can make it, there will only be Eve left for us to find - unless I’m ridiculously lucky, and catch her here.

Finally he reached the lowest level, extinguishing the light of his horn as he saw the lights were on in one of the rooms. And as expected, there was a line of heavy cylinders there. He could feel the pony shapes floating in the liquid behind thick glass and metal shells, bodies improved by Eve’s pattern powers, ready to be inhabited the next time one of the Shattered reasserted themself.

And now we wait.

***

The hive was filled with a buzz of hundreds of wings. Even from the tunnel she was walking, Rarity could feel the crowd ahead, united in their feelings: anticipation. It had probably been decades since any of them had seen Queen Protea fight. Even the elite warriors escorting her felt the same as their brothers, much as they tried to remain calm.

What am I doing here?

As her head cleared, memories clicked into place. She had followed Whisper when he went to get the sealing gems from the Resistance, making sure he wasn’t tailed. Instead she overheard him being contacted by the enemy - and found that he wasn’t Whisper anymore but a meat puppet pretending to be him, with Deception pulling the strings. She couldn’t retreat before an ambush was sprung on her - apparently it all had been planned. It wouldn’t be the Elements taking down Vengeance once and for all. Her friends were walking straight into a trap, and she wouldn’t be there to warn them.

And now she was here, captured by the changelings after she managed to collapse the Resistance hideout, taking out most of her enemies. The shapeshifters found her unconscious in the storm drain below the hideout, stripped her of her Element, but did not kill her - as they discovered her true nature, a pony-changeling hybrid, they decided to bring her in front of their queen instead.

Once again Crystal felt some doubts about her plan; appealing to the queen’s ego had saved her from immediate execution, but now she would be facing her in the very heart of the swarm. She took a deep breath, calming her body and shielding her mind. She couldn’t let the enemy feel her fear.

The tunnel ended in a huge cavern, a nexus connecting dozens of underground paths, dimly illuminated with large, glowing crystals growing from the ceiling.

Have I been here before?

It was full of changelings, black carapaces taking all the walls and the ceiling, every surface except for the arena in the middle of the floor, a round platform about 40 feet in diameter surrounded by a ring of crystal spikes. The crowd parted at Crystal’s approach. She walked straight forward, hopping onto the platform, putting her acting experience into looking confident.

As soon as her hooves touched the arena, green fire and smoke erupted in front of her. From out of the cloud, queen Protea emerged. The air in the arena filled with the scorn she radiated. The buzzing of wings increased in volume. The queen spoke to one of the guards, not even looking at Crystal. The question was asked in the language of changelings, a string of hisses and clicks.

“Has the half-changeling recovered sufficiently to fight?”

The guard bowed. “Yes, your Majesty, much faster than we had anticipated.”

There was a tiniest hint of doubt in the queen’s reaction at the words, one that Crystal was sure no-one but her felt. Protea stepped back from the centre of the platform. “Then, let us begin. It is time for you to see the difference between a true changeling and a vat-grown fake.”

The guards around the arena lit up their horns, channeling magic into the crystal spikes, which started glowing green. Crystal took a few steps forward, eyes already focused on her opponent. “Any rules? From what I see, no weapons or armor allowed.”

Protea sneered. “A changeling is the weapon. There is only one rule. The duel lasts until the winner emerges and the loser dies.”

The crystals finished charging, and a green dome of protective force sprung up around the arena, shielding the audience from what was about to happen. Protea didn’t wait for any other signal, her horn shooting forth a snaking stream of green flame.

Crystal conjured a force shield in front of her, letting the fire wash harmlessly over it. Before it was finished, she focused another spell, her own green magic conjuring a trio of javelins in the air, sending them at the queen. The changeling didn’t even try to deflect them, instead ducking under the salvo, her horn lighting up for a powerful beam. Sparks flew as the attack collided with Crystal’s shield, the two warriors struggling to sustain their spells until finally the attack slid off the barrier, hitting the protective force dome.

Crystal couldn’t sense any doubt or hesitation from the queen now – her mind radiated nothing but pure killing intent. Trying to take initiative, she pumped extra force into her horn, sending her energy shield forward like a battering ram towards the queen. Protea’s horn lit up, cutting it clean in half.

The queen launched another projectile, this time a ball of energy. Crystal was about to deflect it when the ball exploded in the air, flooding the arena with blinding light.

As she was temporarily blinded and her instincts told Crystal to pull up a shield and prepare for the inevitable blow, experience told her otherwise. Her enemy would be counting on her doing that. Crystal heard approaching hooves, caught a flash of an energy shield coming up. The steps suddenly became heavier.

Crystal transformed, her limbs stretching and slimming into those of a leopard. She jumped up with all her legs, launching her new feline body into the air and out of the way. Just in time, as a buffalo wreathed in a changeling ramming shield charged right through the spot she had just stood in, slamming into the energy wall behind it with a force that made the guardians outside shudder. The initial stage of testing each other was officially over.

Shaking off the last of the flowing spots from her eyes, Crystal shifted forms again, growing into a tiger to pounce at her adversary. The queen had already shed her oversized form and was back to her changeling body. She still couldn’t turn fully in time to shoot Crystal, but as the claws descended onto her wings, she disappeared in a flash of magic, reappearing on the other side of the arena. Seeing her charge up a spell, Crystal dropped the transformation to regain access to her horn – she activated her own teleport just as a cage of energy beams descended onto a spot she was taking.

“You’ll have to try harder than that,” she said, smiling at her opponent. With the next spell her form blurred, splitting into three identical unicorns. They separated, trying to surround the queen. Protea stepped back, a flash of green flame changing her into a giant scorpion.

What is she planning? That form isn’t very fast, and she can’t cast her spells like this. With my mind shielded she can’t feel my emotions...

Protea suddenly shifted forms again, assuming her natural changeling guise. Whatever she had wanted in her scorpion form, she had already got it. The changeling charged a blast at the nearest Crystal, but then turned at the last moment, firing it at a different one. The real one. Crystal activated her shield a split second too late; she prevented a direct hit, but the explosion sent her rolling backwards. She stopped and forced her voice to sound amused.

“Interesting. How did you find out?”

Protea shot her a predatory grin. “I felt the air. Your illusions are hollow...” Her words were interrupted by a surprised gasp as the unicorn she had pretended to aim at earlier slammed into her side.

And charged with a tactile telekinesis spell that allows them to touch things. You weren’t expecting this, were you?

For the first time Crystal’s smile was genuine. The horn of the illusion managed to crack Protea’s carapace. The first real injury of the battle. Just as she was about to follow up with an attack of her own, the queen struck back, dispelling the illusion and then... disappeared.

Crystal’s eyes narrowed. She wouldn’t teleport out of the arena. She must be invisible. She must be shielding her mind too, I can’t feel her emotions anymore. And with all that noise...

Her other doppleganger disappeared, ran through by an invisible attacker. Crystal shot a spell in that direction, but missed. With the sight, hearing and empathy useless...

I could feel the air.

In a flash of green flame, Crystal transformed herself into a giant scorpion. She instantly understood what the queen had meant. The first strange feeling was an all-round vision. The cluster of eyes on top of her head gazed in all directions simultaneously, except for a blind spot created by her own tail. Much more important though were the hairs extending from her shell. She could feel the air moving around her, as if touching everything around her at the same time. She felt where the queen was. She also felt her taking a breath, a bulge growing in her throat. She reverted back to unicorn form, but not quite quickly enough.

Protea reappeared, the glow of her horn focusing on her own snout. She had a mouth full of changeling resin and now spat it out, spraying it forward between her sharp teeth, strands of sticky substance stretching under control of her magic, connecting in the air to form a web. It fell on Crystal and stuck to her, and a moment later a wave of crackling energy flowed through it, nearly bringing the unicorn to her knees. The queen pulled with her mouth, forcing Crystal to brace with all her legs to maintain balance. The tug of war continued for several seconds, all the while new waves of pain washing over Crystal. She could see wisps of smoke rising from her fur. If not for her changeling powers letting her stick to the floor, she would have fallen down and be left defenseless. The queen had spread her wings, and was now pulling with them too, her horn glowing brighter and brighter.

***

“You think this can stop me?” said Vengeance coldly.

“Not for long, but it can,” replied Sauti. “You will not hurt another pony.”

Rainbow Dash got up with a grunt. Her first instinct was to charge into battle, but the power emanating from Kindness stopped her too - it was not within her power to interfere with the two mares. “Aquila?” she called weakly.

“Oh, you are mistaken, mule,” said Vengeance. “I can’t escape you, but hurt you? For all your power, you’re holding me down. Your Kindness is imperfect and so is your protection. I can strike back against you.”

Sauti just held tighter. “I know.”

Rainbow Dash saw nothing, but her magical senses screamed in warning about the buildup of pattern. Something was radiating from Vengeance, suffusing both mares.

“Sauti!” she shouted.

Something small and black flew at Vengeance, embedding itself in her chest plate. Aquila finished her spell, and everything was bathed in blinding light.

“Murderers get no protection at all,” said Aquila.

The black diamond seemed to grow, or rather, the space around it seemed to fold in fractals. Vengeance hissed in anger as her body shrunk, slipping out of Sauti’s grasp, before collapsing upon itself and disappearing. As the light faded, the gemstone fell among the rubble, sparks of red now dancing underneath its surface as its magic strained to contain the foreign energies.

The Element of Loyalty flew to join them. Aquila’s eyes were still closed. She was covered in cuts and bruises the Elements magic had had no time to heal. However, Sauti looked much worse; despite few visible injuries she was clearly in pain, her breathing quickly becoming shallow.

“Sauti?” asked Auila, another spell growing at the tip of her horn.

The blind mare smiled sadly. “Too late for that… I’m afraid she knows her tricks well… I can tell, I’m already dead inside. Better use it on yourself. You can still be healed.”

Aurora looked at her, absorbing the statement, a death sentence her friend had pronounced upon herself. There was no changing the truth of that…

Truth!

He disappeared after the first blast. Was he buried under rubble? But we blew up the next floor or two when we fought! Where is he?! Is he…

Her thoughts becoming more frantic by the second, Aurora rushed around the ruined tower top, scouring the rubble for any signs of life or magic. She caught one signal, and rushed towards it, her throat clenching when she recognized Laughter. Tossing the amulet aside, she kept looking. There was nothing more there.

“WHISPER!”

“Aurora?”

The voice called from behind her. It sounded out of breath, but definitely alive. Whisper crawled from from among the rubble and stood, taking in the scene, a weak current of magic pushing the dust out of his coat.

“We… need to get out of here,” she whispered.

Something stung her in the shoulder.

***

Fluttershy hugged the edge of the cloud and cautiously looked around. She was still a fair distance from her quarry, but she knew her camouflage was imperfect - the white paint on her helmet was just the right hue to match the cloud, but the chalky white dust hastily applied to her coat could only do so much, especially once it got damp. As far as staying hidden went, positioning was still the key factor.

The enemy hadn’t taken nearly as much effort to stay in stealth, it seemed. She could clearly see the griffons, brown and grey specks in the distance. Tasked with coordinating air support for the ground troops below, they just stayed on top of their cloud, mostly concerned with observers on the ground. With the amount of troops they had nearby, they felt secure in their air superiority.

And rightly so, she thought. Ducking back into cover and looking around, she could only see two dozen pegasi hiding on the cloud with her, all lightly armored and covered in dull white. An elite unit, but one that just didn’t have the numbers to do the job. That’s why she was there. It will be up to us two to make the difference, she thought, looking down at her chest, where the pink gem of Kindness hung in an elaborate gorget. She swallowed loudly. She knew she could count on it. The doctor said she had astounding compatibility. That’s why they kept her in the project despite all of her -

A familiar wing fell comfortingly across her withers. Ruddy feathers that the camouflage could barely do anything about. She turned her head and looked up at a familiar, fanged mouth stretched into a reassuring grin.

“We’ll do it together, Gentle,” said Lightbringer. “We’ve trained long for this.”

And despite herself, Gentle Touch was not afraid anymore. As Lightbringer moved aside and stretched his wings, preparing for a long dive, she clasped her front hooves in front of her gem, preparing a sleep spell. War is a horrible thing, she thought, Let us make it less painful at least.

And then the fight started, and Lightbringer was a streak of orange light, matching the color of the burning horseshoe on his cutie mark, the others flying behind him in a wedge towards the surprised griffons. With her spell already charged up tingling between the frogs of her hooves, she was ready. She did not freeze up as she had so many times during the training sessions. Her spell overtook the charging unit, hitting the enemies just as they bunched up into a hastily formed wall of spears. As Gentle Touch glided down to join her companions, she could see that it didn’t spare them the violence as she had secretly hoped - it did however spare them the pain and fear.

She landed on the cloud, but the fight was already dying out: with the final impact of Lightbringer striking down the enemy commander, silence fell. It didn’t even take twenty seconds.

“Search the bodies!” barked the lieutenant, getting back to his usual role as the two last moment additions to his unit had done their job. “We need to be out of here before they retaliate!”

And so Gentle Touch looked around, scanning her surroundings for anything out of the ordinary. She could see Lightbringer grab the griffon leader’s body. The others were already sinking through the cloud stuff, and would soon rain upon the entrenched positions below. Time was of the essence.

Then she looked over the edge of the cloud, and her eye caught something - a slain griffon sprawled on the cloud just below theirs. He was unarmored, some kind of adjutant or a messenger. On his bloodied chest there was a small, rectangular bag, attached with a harness that kept the wings free to move.

As Gentle Touch descended to examine the bag, she noticed that the body wasn’t sinking like the others. He’s still alive, she realised. She leaned closer and examined the griffon. He was very young, as young as she was, and clearly still breathing; the hoof blade that would’ve ended his life had got tangled in the straps of his harness, ripping them, but stopping short of a lethal blow, even though the blood loss would stoon render the point moot.

Gentle Touch pulled at the bag to open it and saw some papers inside. But before she could pull them free with her teeth, the feeling of a life going out right in front of her made something inside her throb painfully. The focus on her chest grew warm in resonance with her feelings, and in a second she knew what she had to do.

“We have a captive!” she called out loud, pressing her hoof to the griffin’s chest, a small spark of magic arcing from it to seal the wound.

There was a movement on the cloud above her, and the lieutenant’s face looked down on her. “We can’t afford that now, not with -”

He was probably going to say something about the need to hurry, or the military secret that her presence was. Instead his mouth opened in a warning shout. Gentle Touch felt the body buckle underneath her, and the half-bird’s eyes shot open wide with pain and panic. He didn’t have a breath enough to scream, but swung his talons wildly towards her throat, just above the metal of the gorget. The fair coat was splattered with dots of red.

***

“He’s there!”

Pinkie Pie didn’t need to hear the soldier announce the obvious. She could clearly see the explosion in the distance, where an airship’s power core detonated, seemingly without a reason. The surrounding imperials all looked at her, and she briefly saw the twisted reflection of her face in a soldier’s polished face plate: chalk-white fur and a muzzle with prominent fangs poking onto her lower lip even when she wasn’t smiling, like just now.

Wait... is this really me?

“You know the plan!” she shouted at the surrounding pegasi. ”We need him alive this time! Otherwise we’re back at square one!” She checked under her wing for her small holster of needles, coated with magical sedative. “I’ll slow him down,” she said grinning, but there wasn’t the usual stubborn cheer behind it. She stepped off the deck of the ship and Laughter lit up like a beacon. She flashed in and out of existence, launching herself forward in a sequence of quick teleport-hops, her supernatural senses scanning her surroundings.

There you are, she thought, as she caught the anomaly moving, the absence of background magic a hundred meters to her right. They reached the next ship almost simultaneously. As his power penetrated the protective barriers, displacing essential elements of the engine, she landed on the deck and stomped her hooves, sending her own magic through the hull. It bulged, but did not turn into a fireball - instead confetti and streamers shot out of the gun hatches, the whole ship descending rapidly, softening and deflating, turning what would’ve been a fiery death for the whole crew into a semi-controlled crash.

The white pegasus was already on the move again, guided unerringly by her instincts. “Stop!” she yelled mid-teleport, bucking at empty air. She could feel she grazed against somepony who existed there for only a split second, and turned in the air, following the line of the impact just in time to see an unfamiliar black pegasus materialize into view. Then their gazes met, and in an instant she had no doubts who she was looking at. Enigma. So this is him now? she thought. He’s… wearing this pony?

Enigma stopped, standing in the air, wings spread out only out of habit. “Surprise,” he said, glaring.

“Enigma… stop that!” she said in response. She didn’t take her eyes off him, but she could feel the ships moving around them, her own pegasi squad slowly catching up to her under the cover of clouds. Enigma moved, but she was ready, keeping her distance with him, while spreading her power towards him, doing her best to prevent him from affecting his surroundings.

“It’s Guilt now,” he corrected her. “Enigma was murdered. Or did you miss that?”

A magic beam from a nearby ship swiped dangerously close to them both, some panicked crew member ignoring the mission orders. Enigma went after the ship in an instant, and it was all Surprise could do to transform the ship’s ammo compartment into a backstage powder room, denying him bombs to detonate. Instead, he grabbed the mirrors she conjured; as they appeared on the bridge, she wasn’t quick enough. She managed to push the captain and his helmsmare out of the way, twisting them into awkward positions at the heavy shards of broken glass fell past them, but the other two crew members were not so fortunate - the walls of the small room were sprayed with red.

She launched one of her needles with a swipe of her wing, guiding it through the chaos, its magic too focused for Enigma to displace it. He brought a thick plank from the hull’s outer layer to take the shot for him.

“Stop it!” she shouted again. “You’re not like that!”

They emerged from the ship and into a nearby cloud, Enigma’s fur dusty and stained with red, as he no longer bothered with shifting his body neatly. “I’m not like that?” he said. “The world says that I am. The Empire says that I am. I’ve already been killed for it. Who are you and me to decide otherwise?”

Surprise grabbed the corner of her vision with her teeth, and pulled. The scenery changed, the cloud becoming a speaker’s pulpit, keeping Enigma in the limelight, if only for a moment.

“We’re both powerful ponies,” she said. “Strong enough to change the world! We already know the coup wasn’t your doing!”

“And what difference does it make now?!” sneered Enigma, a twisted reflection of a smile that didn’t even try to pretend at humor. “I made my choice years ago, made my mistake, and became a monster.”

“You fought for a better tomorrow,” said Surprise, landing on the cloud in front of the podium, “same as I.”

“But there is no better tomorrow, is there?” replied Enigma. “No matter how much blood we get on our hooves, it hasn’t changed. it’ll never change. It’s always just ponies killing ponies."

Surprise felt her face become hot. “That’s not a reason to kill senselessly!” She swiped her wing around, indicating the crippled air fleet. She could not see her team, but she could feel they were in the clouds, cloaked by her distraction, ready to strike if her plan to talk Enigma down didn’t work, which seemed more and more likely by the second.

“Senselessly?” Enigma followed her gesture. “This whole army has been sent to stop me! How is it any more senseless than the hundreds of ponies I killed before? You didn’t have a problem with that, did you?”

Surprise forced herself to meet his gaze. She could feel the shape of the pulpit blur a little, as the spell waned in potency. “That’s not the same,” she said, “and you know it.”

“How is that not the same, Surprise?” asked Enigma. “All the ponies I killed before had their lives, their hopes and dreams. Their families. The buffalos that Gloria poisoned, the zebras starved by Eve’s creations; all the enemies of the Empire that you and your friends burned? How was that any different from today!?”

I don’t burn ponies, was what she wanted to say. Instead, her jaw clenched, as a memory came unbidden, the first time she saw what the parasprites had done to the zebra lands on the southern front, a wasteland stretching as far as the eye could see; the night when the wasteland retaliated in a deafening roar of hungry spirits, brought together by a mad zebra shaman in a last ditch attempt at revenge.

She could feel Laughter blink before she could see it. The limelight went out, and the pulpit disintegrated, Enigma reacted before she could as much as draw breath, disappearing in the clouds. She rushed after him, but even as she did, he knew she wouldn’t be quick enough. Eight needles flew, but none found their target. Eight ponies died, in half as many heartbeats.

“Stop!” she screamed, kicking forwards blindly. She felt it connect, and something cracked, but there was barely any magic behind her blow. She saw Enigma standing in the air in front of her. His face was weirdly scrunched, and blood was dripping from one of his nostrils, but when he spoke, his powers made his voice completely clear.

“Not much to laugh at, is there?” he asked. “Or perhaps you can’t see the irony? You can’t save anypony anymore, just like I couldn’t.”

He disappeared, and Surprise was too slow to follow. Another ship blew up, right in her face. It brought the number of active generators below what was needed to form a power net around them, turning what had been a backup plan in progress into a flock of defenseless targets. But the white pegasus couldn’t process that thought, as she tried and failed to chase what used to be her friend. He no longer moved, but kept shifting, standing in front of her, just out of reach no matter how fast she moved, lives ending abruptly all around them.

“The colts I wanted to save when I joined the plan? All dead by now, conscripted and killed in the line of duty. I killed and killed and killed, but I couldn’t save any of them, not a single one.”

Surprise spread her wings wide. “These are ponies too!”

“But now I’m a monster,” said Enigma. “The Emperor was very clear about it when he had me poisoned. I died surrounded by his soldiers, at my own table.”

“He was…” started Surprise, but the next explosion knocked the breath out of her. Her light was fading. Her spells were no longer up to the task of keeping her out of harm’s way.

Enigma did not relent. “Can you imagine Lightbringer’s face, when that was his reward for his zeal? Can you imagine Absinthe’s?”

She fired ribbons of blue magic to tie him up, but his aura made them dissolve before they could touch him.

“But that’s not all,” he continued. “Gloria would’ve felt the poison, and Eve was with her. So instead they were ordered urgently back to the capital. The portal was warped, and Gloria arrived home in bloody chunks. Eve felt something was wrong, but she was no fighter like us, so they just swarmed her, stabbing her until they got all of her hearts.”

A flying piece of wood nicked one of Surprise’s wings, taking her off balance. She missed her mark and crashed face-first into a small cloud bank. She emerged, trying to reignite her magic, but the light of Laughter was barely a flicker now.

“And then there was Libra, the most devoted of them all. She had no weaknesses, except for what was left of her emotions.”

“Prince Severus... told us,” stammered Surprise. “They used her mother as bait.”

“I see they spared you the details then,” said Enigma. ‘How merciful of them.”

He appeared in the air above Surprise and slowly dropped lower before her. “They used her as the executioner. They knew she alone could catch her off guard, so they went to the old general’s widow, and told her that her only child was a traitor to the Empire. And it worked like a charm. Libra hesitated and died, and the last thing she got to see was her mother turning the blade against her own throat.”

The light went out, Laughter turning into a dead weight around Surprise’s neck. She just stood there on the cloud, staring forward, unable even to tell if the smudges in the soot on her face were from tears or from the cloud she had flown into. “Please, stop…” she whimpered.

Enigma snorted, blowing out a few droplets of blood from his nostril. “That’s all there is to it. Everypony’s lost. Vengeance has said we’re putting an end to this sad farce, and if the only thing left for me is one last choice, I choose to stay with the only friends I have left.”

Surprise stared into his eyes one last time. “Wasn’t I… your friend too?”

His expression softened, but only for a moment. “You… I can put out of your misery at least.”

He stared at her head as if looking straight through it. She had just enough time to understand what was going to happen before she registered a tiny droplet of red appear in the air in front of her.

***

Hours passed, and nothing happened.

That alone was not a surprise. The Shattered needed time to return. The stronger the magic that killed them, the more time they needed. And if everything went according to plan, none but Libra would’ve had the time to leave their bodies before being trapped.

Eve isn’t here either, Verba pondered, but that’s logical. With her shapeshifting, she’s their backup plan if everything goes wrong. And with all this being automatic, she doesn’t need to be here.

But the thought didn't calm him down.

What if I’m wrong? What if there is another hiding place I didn’t think of? What if I wasn’t through enough? I won’t know until she comes back.

Verba’s imagination responded with an instant image - a blinding flash, and a giant mushroom cloud of flame where Diamond Dust and Concilio had brought the refugees. The thought made him swallow loudly, the saliva bitter in his mouth.

It has been bitter for a while now.

Touched by a sudden realisation, Verba sprang to his hooves. The sudden motion made his head spin, and his stomach turn, almost making him fall, as he stumbled towards the nearest container and ripped open the outer shell of metal. The body was there, behind thick glass, definitely real and alive, but…

Now, without the screening, he could clearly feel it. He isn’t modified. He’s not prepared to be a host. He’s just here as bait. They all are.

Verba turned towards the exit, and his head protested the sudden movement. Panicking, he scanned the room again, and this time caught a detail he’d missed the first time. There was something else there, not alive, but organic. With a pull of his power, he ripped the container out of its mounting, and set it aside. Behind it there was a tiny thing in a dusty corner, as if waiting there to confirm his suspicion; a freshly dead cockroach.

The bitter taste in his mouth became a painful heartburn.

Chapter 59: The Solipsism

It was only hours later that a white alicorn, tall and unnervingly perfect, descended the stairs into the bunker. The light had gone out by then; the backup generator keeping her bait alive had long spluttered out, but she had brought her own light - her horn illuminated the gray walls, the partially wrecked equipment and a barely breathing body on the far side of the chamber. Her perfect sense of smell provided an instant diagnosis - the trap had worked.

“You underestimated me, Verba,” she said, unsmiling. “You forgot that I can do all the others can do. I don’t need Eve to prepare me a combat-ready body. I can just possess whoever, and then perfect myself. And once I get rid of Diamond Dust-”

A purple spark ran across the floor where her hoof touched it, lines of magic spreading across the room, and suddenly Libra was standing in a circle of concentric star patterns glowing with runes. Verba’s lips barely moved, but the gem in his helmet lit up and his voice rang loud and clear.

“You shouldn’t have come to gloat.”

Libra struggled and thrashed, her cool suddenly gone. The magic trap built and charged over the past couple of hours held fast. Slowly, a part of the floor close to Verba’s body softened and twisted. A large, tubular object was pushed to the surface - a metal barrel covered with sealing sigils, the same one they had used to trap the excess power during the first Splice. Now once again usable after its contents had been emptied into Lightbringer’s mind. A perfect tool for the job. The structure of the trap changed-- the puzzle of intangible strings reshaped itself. Now it was no longer a circle to contain, but a chute to funnel. Libra screamed, but the Element of Magic only lit up brighter. She was dragged across the room and sucked in agonisingly, her body deforming until it disappeared inside with a wet squelch. The lid fell over the barrel with cold finality, and as the light slowly died down, the container submerged back into the floor, the runes now spiralling around the Shattered’s resting place. The light of Magic went out. The bunker was silent and dark, now no more than a tomb.

“And so the story ends,” said Verba, getting up from the floor. “The Element of Magic dies poisoned by Libra’s pattern, but not before sealing her for a thousand years. It’s a great trap because it makes you focus on something other than surviving. Except...”

He walked away, and lit up his horn, facing the circle on the floor.

“... we’re in the Void Passage. And the Void Passage can’t make pattern effects, not really. The energy burning me from the inside out is only as real as I let it be. I’ve had my head messed with one time too many to fall for this trick again. I am not Verba. You are.”

The floor exploded. In a split-second the bunker ceased to exist, replaced by a floating jumble of broken scenery, chunks of mountains, grassy meadows and long lost cities turning slowly in the light of distant sunrises and sunsets. In the middle of it, a string of multicolor runes coiled and twisted, taking the shape of an alicorn. Opposite him, Twilight Sparkle stood on thin air, a point of calm amongst the churning chaos, Magic glowing brightly on her forehead. “Let’s get it over with,” she said. “I’ll free you from what Indigo did to you.”

The landscapes spun, tall towers of some castle from the distant past stabbing at Twilight Sparkle like giant spears. She moved aside - a calm, fluid movement. Only her idea of up and down kept her oriented in the void. She fired a beam of magic back at her target.

Verba too dodged, abandoning the pony shape, letting the spell pass through the space where the body should be, before coiling into a tight spiral and launching a spell of his own.

The air in front of Twilight fractured like a shattering mirror, and the orange beam was deflected away, cutting off the top of the nearest tower and melting it into slag.

Twilight teleported forward, first launching a floating boulder towards Verba, and then, when he split it in half, sending multiple ribbons of purple light straight through it, trying to snare her elusive target.

Verba slid out, barely, but Twilight had no time for another attempt; the endless grassland above her and the volcanic wasteland below suddenly rushed against each other. She was ready to teleport out, but then she saw Verba coiling into a circle, his runes rearranging to form a magic formula. Instead of transporting herself, she turned her magic into great pillars of crystal, setting them around herself, impaling and splitting the ground as the landmasses collided.

“Let me see you better,” whispered Twilight, and her vision changed. The colors became wild and vivid, but none brighter than Verba himself, the shifting sequences of his runes leaving burning afterimages as he moved.

He made the ground break apart in a blinding cloud of dust and loose soil, before growing long crystal shards around his body and launching them at Twilight. She dodged two, then caught the third one in a spell and launched it back through the cloud. She saw it impact, pinning one of the shifting symbols to the rock behind Verba. The construct shuddered and twisted, and Twilight gave it a knowing smile. “As I thought,” she muttered to herself. “Too much indigo.”

This time she did teleport, safe in the knowledge that Verba was too preoccupied to try to snare her. When she shot at him, he just slinked away, and with a sound of breaking glass the pinned rune separated from the body and disintegrated. He fired strands of lightning at her as she pursued, but she just pushed them aside. She fired shot after shot, and as he reacted, her new insight singled out another rune that wasn’t quite like the others; she grabbed it and pulled towards herself, surging forward to crush it in her teeth as Verba flinched away. There was a sound of breaking glass again, but the symbol disappeared harmlessly, leaving nothing in her mouth.

She caught a moving shadow in the corner of her vision, and felt another tower flying at her from behind. She let it almost hit her and pulled it apart, trapping both herself and Verba in a funnel of spinning stone blocks.

“It’s over,” she said, launching forth a round web of purple magic. It hit Verba head on, and pushed him until he hit the ground in an empty wasteland, held flat against its surface with Twilight floating in the air above him, the stone blocks falling around them in a spreading spiral.

“There,” stated Twilight, shooting for the last time. The third rune broke apart, and the rest of the symbols stopped struggling, their hues now shifting in a much calmer manner.

Twilight landed on the ground, still watching Verba warily. “I would’ve noticed it earlier,” she said. “If I’d known how to look and what to look for. By turning me into your old self, you showed me how to use Magic to its full potential. Your mistake was…”

Twilight stopped, and the binding spell she had weaved started to unravel. “...not a mistake at all. It was Indigo who underestimated you, wasn’t it? Just like Libra did, when she thought you were defeated!”

Verba slowly rose into the air. He still made a jingling noise when he moved, but it was softer, less jarring. No words formed this time, but the meaning emanated from him, bypassing the need; there was one last thing for him to do. The symbols floated towards Twilight, and then spiralled around her, before wrapping her tightly and sinking into her skin. There was a prickle of pain washing over her, and then her senses expanded again. Suddenly she knew where exactly she was, and where she needed to go.

***

In a round, dust-strewn plaza that used to be the ground floor of a tower, a single red flower stood in a pot. Over it there stood Indigo, his horn pointed upward, with a vortex of magic slowly spiraling into its tip.

His left ear twitched when Twilight Sparkle walked into his private pocket of reality, appearing at the edge of the circle. Her fur glowed with runes, and her eyes were pools of purple. Light was shining from the star on her forehead.

“Indigo!” she called. “That’s enough.”

“Begone,” said Indigo.

Twilight disintegrated, and the god returned to his task of recovering his missing power. It took him a moment to notice that something was wrong.

***

Suddenly a door opened, slamming the impostor pegasus in the face. Something small and round flew out of it into the far corner of the room and exploded, flooding everything in blinding white light. Whisper rolled onto his hooves, trying to get up, only to be grabbed around the face by a telekinetic grip and pulled face first into a narrow corridor.

“Come with me if you want to live,” snarled somepony into his ear.

This door wasn’t there before, he realised as he stumbled blindly away from danger, pulled into one turn after another, as a roar of fury echoed behind, punctuated by what sounded like explosions. Still blinded by the flash bomb, he could only guess that he was moving away from danger. That alone was enough to make him not struggle against the stranger pulling him away.

And then the noise was gone, and all that’s left was the sound of stone underhoof. Whisper blinked repeatedly, clearing the last crawling sparks from his vision.

There’s no way a flash bomb would’ve stopped Hate...

“What’s going on?” he asked. “Who are you?”

The other pony stopped, and Applejack looked into a familiar face.

“It’s me,” said Pierce, lighting up his horn. “Bluebonnet sent me to get your rump out of the fire.”

“But… you’re dead.” Applejack tried to make some sense of the situation.

Is he a chimera?

“And a good thing too, wouldn’t have got here in time otherwise,” replied Pierce glumly.

“Oh,” Applejack opened her mouth to speak, but found herself struggling to find an appropriate answer. “That’s… about the weirdest thing I’ve heard today. No offence.”

“None taken,” replied Pierce, picking up pace, leading Applejack through what now looked like corridors of an abandoned castle. “But time is not on our side. I fished you out of the trap, but your friends are still here somewhere. We need to get you to them quickly.”

Applejack sped up to keep up with him, restoring her protective spells as she cantered. “How did you find me?”

Pierce turned his head towards her, and Applejack could briefly see a smile in the corner of his mouth. “I had help. We’re heading towards them right now.”

“Who are they?” asked Applejack. “I don’t really have the time for more puzzles right now.”

“All that stuff about this being a sea of emotions, and souls dissolving here,” replied Pierce. “Guilt told me the theory, but it wasn’t quite complete. It’s not an even mix like most imagine.”

“So?” asked Applejack. The castle walls around them were beginning to look familiar, and she realised, they were backtracking, through some tunnels she had passed before, stumbling in a confused haze, towards the spot where the Elements had blasted their way through the defences of the Void Passage. She could now see a light ahead, filtering through distant windows and reflecting off walls. There was something big ahead, glowing with a soft amber aura.

“Memories do mix, and minds do dissolve,” said Pierce. “But there is one more factor in play. Like attracts like.”

Applejack looked ahead once more, and now the warm light suddenly seemed strangely familiar. “Are they…”

Pierce nodded his head. “You have no idea how many Apples are cheering for you.”

***

The pain ceased. Crystal could still see the lightning flashing along the web, but it was no longer causing her any damage. And then she saw the queen’s eyes change - the glowing green orbs dimmed, and then, with a blink, they were replaced with familiar slitted pupils.

“Took me some time to sneak in here,” hissed Chrysalis through a mouthful of webs. “Are you okay?”

Crystal struggled some more, first out of of sheer surprise, shocked at seeing herself looking back at her, then, as Chrysalis didn’t stop pulling, she too instinctively continued the appearance of a fight.

“What’s going on?” she hissed back, but the spell was already broken, Rarity’s own memories clicking back into place one by one “Where am I?”

“Keep fighting,” replied Chrysalis. “I don’t know what will happen if we stop. You’re in my death scene. Except I didn’t die here. I won the fight, killed Protea, and took the swarm for myself. Generosity died and Chrysalis was born.”

“So, I was supposed to…”

“Die. Or win, but lose Generosity, then die. No escape for you. Now, scream loudly and break the web with your power.”

Rarity focused, and now that she could think clearly, she could feel the familiar weight of Generosity around her neck, invisible, but still there. Then she screamed. The display of power wasn’t graceful or even convincing, but as she pushed, the web caught fire, and Chrysalis spat it out. They circled each other, horns aglow.

“What now?” asked Rarity.

“When I won,” said Chrysalis, charging in with an easily dodgable dive, “the barrier opened, and they all kneeled. But with you, they’ll probably break character and attack.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Rarity, kicking with her forelegs, missing the queen’s barrel by inches. “Face them together?”

“No,” said the queen, tossing a ring of fire around her with her horn. “We can do better. Win, and let me join you.”

Rarity jumped over the flames, and conjured a salvo of crystal javelins, hitting the ground around Chrysalis to trap her in turn. “Why would you? I have Generosity. We’ll be stronger when there’s two of us, and I can empower you. Besides, won’t that be taking everything from you?”

“Listen!” hissed Chrysalis, pulling the crystals from the ground and launching them back one by one. “I still have all my power, but I’m no longer alive. I might dissolve the moment we’re separated. And no. You won’t take anything from me. It will be a gift.”

Rarity dodged two javelins, but grabbed the third one as it flew at her, shattering it in her telekinetic grasp. “Like you dumped the crown on me?”

She fired a bolt of power, which Chrysalis began to dodge, but her move was purposefully too slow - the spell hit her in the shoulder and spun her around.

“I’m sorry for that,” she said, as she regained balance, dodging another blast, and then spitting out a ball of resin, which Rarity parried with an energy shield. “I figured I might have to die for you to fully attune, and I couldn’t just leave them. I knew it would be hard for you, but I needed a pony to keep them safe. That’s why I left Maska to advise you.”

“You should’ve asked first!” shouted Rarity, charging in. “I know how to manage a business, not a kingdom.”

Their horns collided, and for a moment they struggled, staring each other in the eye under a shower of magical sparks.

“Then please let me help you,” said Chrysalis. “I know I can’t fix this. I kept you in the dark on purpose so the doubts wouldn’t weaken you. I found no better way to do it. But I can give you my memories to help you.”

Rarity’s horn pulsed, and Chrysalis was sent tumbling.

“You can fix it, actually,” said Rarity, walking slowly forward. “ If you need my help protecting your subjects, you could ask me now.”

Chrysalis rolled back onto her legs and pounced forward, but as their horns collided again, she just pushed with her body, no longer using her magic to reinforce the display. “You’re right. I should’ve done it to start with.”

She lifted her eyes and met Rarity’s gaze. “Rarity, I need a pony to keep my subjects safe, so they could finally live free. Will you help me do this, please?”

Rarity smiled. “How could I not? You’re a friend, and you need my help. Now, tell me how to do it, and let’s go save everypony.”

The fake changelings surrounding the ring saw only a blinding flash. When the light faded, there was a single changeling hybrid standing in the center of it, her body wreathed in a violet aura shot with wisps of green. The gem on her chest flashed, and the bubble of protective power collapsed.

“Now,” said Rarity aloud, her voice magnified by magical power. “Do you follow the script and let me pass, or do you still have your death scenes left to play?”

***

There was an impact, and the embrace was broken. Aurora flinched, frantically checking the wound on her shoulder, as the impostor Whisper was sent flying away from her, tumbling over the edge and out of sight. There was a drop of blood on her fur, but whatever poison the sting had contained, it hadn’t had the time to enter her body.

“You okay?” asked a familiar voice.

“Aurora?”

The two bearers of Loyalty looked upon each other. Then the tower ceased to be real. The smoke and dust stopped swirling. The other Element bearers froze, then blackened and disappeared. And Rainbow Dash was once again herself.

“What just happened?” she asked, looking around.

“A trap,” answered Aurora. “But that was a trap for me - that’s how I was able to find you. Now, let’s hurry. Twilight needs you.”

“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash gasped. Suddenly she remembered everything. “We have to hurry!” She looked around. “Do you know which way to go...”

Rainbow Dash stopped, staring at Aurora. “You…”

Aurora landed and sighed, a small smile playing on her lips. “I guess so. I messed up and died. But I can still help you, I think. I don’t really have a good grip on the whole ghost thing yet, and frankly... it hurts to exist. I wish I could dissolve, and leave this whole mess behind…”

She flapped her wings open, and her smile grew wider. “But I’m not leaving my friends hanging.” Pearly white light played on the edges of her pinions. Rainbow Dash realised she could now see through her. “I’ll tag along with you, and help however I can.”

Rainbow Dash realised what was about to happen, and smiled sadly, opening her own wing invitingly. “Let’s do this together.”

***

Gentle Touch opened her eyes and got up, recovering from the impact that had knocked her over.

Lightbringer was crouching over the griffon’s body, claws embedded in the side of his muzzle, just below the cheek guard of his helmet. His own hoof blade was embedded in the griffon’s chest, but as she watched in horror, the body blackened and shrunk, losing its features until it collapsed upon itself and disappeared.

Lightbringer turned around slowly, tears in his eyes. “You’re safe!” he exclaimed, ignoring the blood trickling down his face. “I saved you! After four thousand years, I finally saved you,” he added in a softer voice.

Gentle Touch stared at him. “You’re hurt,” she finally managed, pointing a hoof at his face.

In response, Lightbringer started turning translucent. “It’s not real,” he said, waving his wings around at their surroundings. “Nothing of it is, except for how I saved you. And you saved me.” He stepped closer, and as the meaning of his words struck home, she too started changing. For a second she stood there, two mares in one, Gentle Touch and Fluttershy. Lightbringer’s armor disappeared, but even as his focus turned to nothing, the orange light remained, bright and warm in the center of his chest.

“Hate is finally gone,” he whispered, "His memories fading like a bad dream. Thanks to you, I’m Passion again, as I should’ve been. I won’t be able to fix everything, but I will help you. I can do at least that much.”

He leaned closer, and Fluttershy who was Gentle Touch did not flinch away. He kissed her softly, just a gentle peck on the lips, and then dissolved into a cloud of orange light that wrapped around her like a mantle of ephemeral fire. filling her with warmth and a sense of purpose.

“Now, go,” she heard his voice, soft as a breath. “Your friends need you.”

***

The red droplet grew, and turned around. Suddenly it was a large eyeball with a red pupil. It winked at Pinkie.

***

Indigo watched with irritation as the shape of glowing runes filled with flesh once again. More silhouettes appeared at the edge of the plaza, the Elements of Harmony walking through the threshold one after another.

His eyes flashed again, and Twilight fell apart again. This time he focused for longer, grabbing the runes with his will, but before he could dissolve them, Twilight’s friends rushed to her defense - streams of light intersected in front of Twilight, shielding her as she reformed the second time.

“Why do you keep existing?” he asked.

“I can’t afford to die now,” replied Twilight. “The fate of the world depends on me.”

Indigo rose to full height and took a step towards her, leaving the Amaranthine behind. “Your world is a mistake. And you’ve already died. Pass on as you should.”

There was no impulse of will this time. Instead, an explosion of blackness swept through the plaza. Indigo kept staring as six lights slowly reappeared, the effects of his spell passing. The six auras were familiar, but each of them had changed since he’d last seen them. As the Elements came into view again, Indigo noticed some details he hadn’t took note of before, such as Applejack being wreathed in a shifting aura of golden leaves, or Pinkie Pie having cloven hooves and a single goat horn.

They struck back at him together, a sixfold beam of energy hitting him straight in the chest and pushing him back.

“You’ve hurt enough ponies!” said Fluttershy with unusual force.

“We won’t let you hurt anypony else!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

“You keep saying we don’t matter,” said Applejack. “But you know, what you’re doing is horrible! That’s why Obsidian and Indicina took so long even when they were you! They were trying to stop you!”

“That’s not how you get a happy ending,” said Pinkie Pie.

“You won’t become happy by just taking everything from everypony,” said Rarity. “What would Gaia think if she knew what you did?”

“What I did? Everypony? Horrible?”

There was a burst of indigo light, and the beam was dispersed. Indigo was still standing there, completely unscathed. But now his face was contorted in anger.

“You will lecture me on feelings? On what’s important? I am a god. I am the one who decides what is real and what isn’t. And you? Perishable bundles of memory, of emotion, you’re no more real beings than the chimeras! You’re nothing but Gaia’s dreams. Once I wake her up, you’ll all be forgotten in seconds!”

The Elements combined their powers again, but this time the beam didn’t even hit him; the dust under his hooves shifted, as the space around him bent, sending the attack away and past him. When he pushed back, the six crystals exploded into shards, and then the ponies themselves shattered like glass, reduced to a kaleidoscopic cloud of particles.

“No,” said Twilight Sparkle. She was standing there once again, uninjured, though sweaty and wide-eyed with pain. The tiara on her head had not reformed, but there was now a blinding point of purple light in the center of her forehead. One after another, her friends came back into existence around her.

“Ah, you’re using your connections to each other to reform your spirits like Obsidian used to. He taught you too well. But that only extends your suffering. Give up.”

Rainbow Dash took a shaky step forward, breathing heavily. “We’ll resist you however long it takes.”

Indigo shrugged his wings. “Time is an illusion. You’ll suffer until you break, and nothing else will change.”

Another sixfold beam lashed towards him, twisting to counteract his space-warping defense. This one was a clean hit, but it didn’t seem to cause the deity any harm. Indigo pushed it away with a frown.

“It’s useless. The Elements draw the energy from Dissonance to power your spells. It might impress mortals. But here, I make the rules. I am the mind of the Dissonance, and the power you’re trying to use against me is mine to begin with. I AM Magic.”

“And yet,” replied Twilight. “You have no honesty. Or loyalty. Or kindness. You speak of love, but all you know is selfish greed. You can’t even make a real smile.”

Her posture straightened, as if a great weight had fallen off her shoulders, the drops of sweat evaporating from her form as the pain was forgotten.

“I’ve finally figured out what is wrong with you.”

Author's Note

Next chapter is the finale. :coolphoto:

It steal requires a bit of tweaking. :duck:

Chapter 60: The Beginning

“What is wrong... with me?” Indigo stepped forward, the space around him bending for another attack.

“When the Splice pulled you in, it didn’t just split you into three pieces,” explained Twilight. “It also created the Elements of Harmony… by ripping them out of you, didn’t it?”

Indigo shot forward with strands of power, aiming for the six lights. “Then give them back to me!”

The ponies braced themselves against the attack, and this time the space around them bent to their will, stretching the plaza to put them just out of reach.

“Should we?” asked Fluttershy, turning to look at Twilight.

“Not like this,” replied Twilight, scowling. “We'll all be dead before he properly absorbs them. We need to integrate-"

Indigo was standing right in front of her, his wing lashing forward, pinions extending like blades to go straight through her head and cut Magic away from her. The floor exploded, spikes of stone separating the combatants, Twilight regaining her shape before her friends could finish their screams of surprise.

“You’re already dead,” spat Indigo, exploding the improvised barrier out of the way.

The light of the Elements shot towards him, brighter and more focused now that the bearers had a clear purpose to achieve, but in split second he wasn’t there. “This is pointless,” he said, irritated. “It’s not even a fight. You can’t lay a hoof on me. It’s just a matter of how much pain you can endure before you break. How many deaths do you intend to die?”

The floor turned like clockwork, sending clouds of white dust into the air as the arena grew. Indigo looked around in brief surprise before looking back at Twilight.

“Ah, right. Verba betrayed me too. The Void Passage… worthless.”

His power exploded. The sky parted, layers of magical constructions and semi-real spaces destroyed in an instance, until all that was left was Indigo standing on a featureless flat surface, opposite the six Elements, surrounded by endless void filled with swirling lights. “How much difference did you think it would make?”

Twilight started replying, but she wasn’t quick enough to either finish her sentence or react. A spear of purple darkness pierced through her. No blood splattered as the strands split and multiplied, piercing through her flesh - her body seemed empty, only motes of blue and pink light filling the air around her.

“See?” said Indigo, ignoring the power of the other Elements striking him in the chest. “You’re just memories now. I can destroy them one by one.”

Somepony screamed. The darkness spread wider, scattering a cloud of motes until all that was left was the light of Magic in the center of the tangle. Indigo pulled it in, bringing the Element to close to his face. “When you don’t remember yourself, there is no you anymore,” he finished, opening his mouth to swallow Magic.

“I remember her!” shouted Pinkie Pie.

The white light jerked backwards, narrowly avoiding Indigo’s closing jaw.

“I remember her too!” said Rainbow Dash, glaring at Indigo, wings spread wide in defiance.

Indigo returned the glare. Magic was slipping away from his power, gathering motes of light that quickly formed an outline of a pony.

“Oh,I suppose you think you’re clever do you? Using your bonds to reinforce your identities, so you can defy me for a few deaths more? Pointless. Who will remember you?” he asked, shooting another dark strand at Dash. It barely missed the Element and pierced through her chest, but the pegasus would not budge.

“What about me?” said Pierce. He was standing in the void outside, and just moments earlier he had been one of the lights dotting the bizarre sky.

As Indigo looked towards the unicorn, Rainbow Dash broke free and restored herself, then formed a shield, deflecting a blast aimed towards her ally.

“A dead pony,” spat Indigo. “Why won’t you stay dead?!” He twisted his head, and a torrent of energy bolts spiralled out of his horn, filling the sky, many more than the Elements could’ve hoped to block.

“Didn’t they tell you already?” said Pierce, bracing for the inevitable. “It’s too important.”

He was hit once, twice, turning and twisting from the impacts, blue star matter spilling from his wounds. Indigo didn’t pause, directing the rest of his strikes against the Elements.

“One more won’t make a difference,” he said. “Or a thousand more. Which part of ‘god’ don’t you understand?”

“It’s you who doesn’t understand,” said a filly’s voice.

There were more shapes at the edges of the circle, some pastel and pony-like, others dark and emaciated. One was standing next to Pierce, who was slowly regaining his shape.

“You’ve lost sight of what you’re doing. Now you’re just lashing out in anger,” said Tourmaline. “It’s helping nopony.”

“You!?” Indigo paused. He stared at the filly. The Elements used the distraction to regain their footing and start regenerating, but even they looked at Tourmaline in surprise, all except Twilight, who merely spared her an understanding glance before focusing back on her magic.

“You really are going to bring everyone here?” said Indigo angrily, glaring at Twilight. “Is that your idea? You’re using the Elements as a beacon to bring allies in?”

“Isn’t that what you wanted in the first place?” asked Tourmaline, walking from Pierce to Twilight. “To have us all here?”

“You’re not even Tourmaline,” said Indigo. “She’s gone, far beyond even death.”

Tourmaline shook and her form wavered, but then she stomped her hoof and stabilised, looking up at him in defiance. “Am I? Didn’t you call yourself Obsidian, even when he was dead? Didn’t you say, ponies are just like chimeras, bundles of memories ? My mother, uncle Pierce, Scootaloo… they all remember me.”

***

Somewhere in the mountains of Equestria a snake had cornered a mouse. The world had gone insane, but the snake lacked the facilities to evaluate that - whatever else was happening, it was still hungry and right now the small grey rodent in front of it was the most interesting thing in the world. A warm source of food, still looking frantically for a way of escape.

The snake lunged forward and the mouse tensed to spring away, but the strike never came. Instead, the reptile slowed down, and then froze, points of white light appearing in its eyes. The mouse did the same, seemingly no longer concerned with the danger, unblinking eyes shedding the same white light as its would-be killer’s.

High above, an eagle was trying to orient itself in a night that was as bright as day. Its eyes lit up in white, and it glided on, only moving its wings enough to avoid collision with a tall tree growing from the mountaintop.

***

“Liar.”

Any semblance of Indigo’s composure was gone. Where just a moment before he’d show no more than a cold sneer, destroying with but a hard stare and barely moving a muscle, now his body kept twitching, his wings spread wide, and his eyes were wild. His horn flashed with an explosion that swept away everything in sight, a wave of primal power with nothing to form it but a pure instinct to destroy.

Six bright points of light stood in the void against him, and behind them, many, many more.

“I hope you know what you’re doing!” shouted Rainbow Dash over the magic maelstrom.

“She does!” shouted Pinkie. “Just give her time!”

“He’s getting worse!” warned Rarity, struggling for breath, the memory of her mane returning, flowing away in a cloud of glowing cinders, and regrowing again.

“Even now you’re part Obsidian!” shouted Applejack at Indigo. “And Indicina too! Neither of them really wanted that!”

“They don’t matter!” shouted Indigo in return, swiping across the Elements with another blast.

Twilight could feel herself dissolve, her mind not fully able to ignore what her instincts knew should’ve been pain. She knew the others were hit too, but there were no screams anymore; the repeated nature of mortal injuries robbed them of their gravity. She could hear voices, echoing through their connection, as her friends tried to keep each other from dissolving into nothing.

“He’s too strong! I can’t cut through his delusions!”

“You’re doing great, AJ. Keep him angry. It… hurts, but that’s…”

“Better than if he knew what he was doing,”

“Keep it up, girls.”

The voices were mixing, and Twilight realised she could no longer tell who was speaking. But that could mean she was making progress. She tuned out even her friends’ voices, and focused on her spell, the last moment plan that required all the power of the Elements.

I need more ponies.

“Just die already!”

Another blast. Another death. Another return to shape, this time aided by power flowing from the outside.

It’s working, though Twilight. We can do it.

She chanced a look around her, just in time to see the disappearing silhouettes of the two ponies who helped her recover; for a blink of an eye, Shining Armor and Cadence stood at her sides, before dissolving back into the magical storm.

She could feel more coming. The stars were growing thicker around Indigo, the pony shapes taking more and more familiar forms. There were changelings who had followed Rarity to battle. There were Crystal Empire soldiers, even some Wonderbolts, now appearing at Rainbow’s side. Twilight had no time to look around, but instinctively recognized each one, as her spell bounced from pony to pony, finding thoughts, emotions and memories that connected the souls to one another.

Another blast tore at her, a bullet of concentrated hate and anger that drowned out her thoughts. For a moment she didn’t know who she was or what she was trying to do, only that someone hated her more than anything that ever existed.

“Hang on, Twilight! You’re almost there!”

Spike?

The focus returned. Twilight existed again, a touch of familiar claws on her shoulder bringing her back to reality. She pushed once more, and in that moment there was a sensation like a dam breaking.

Tumbleweed appeared between Pierce and Tourmaline.

Granny Smith and Big Macintosh stood beside Applejack.

Fluttershy was surrounded by her animals.

The void filled with voices. Encouragements, cries of defiance, arguments and challenges and insults. There was a young gryphon king urging his subjects to keep fighting, there were mothers protecting their children, animals defending their nests and thugs defending their turf. There were heroic speeches and animal roars, too many to hear and distinguish any single one. A thousand voices, A hundred thousand, millions.

And then everything disappeared, and a single voice spoke.

“Why are you hurting me, love?”

Indigo’s tantrum stopped. The countless stars winked out, leaving the void empty, save for the distant lights of Sun and Moon, following endlessly along their paths.

In front of him, there was only Twilight now, the Elements of Harmony orbiting her slowly. She inhaled and transformed, her limbs stretching until she matched Indigo in height. Her coat turned white, her mane grew in deep red locks. Her horn turned long and pointy, and swan-like wings grew from her back. Finally a new cutie mark appeared, completing the transformation: an inkwell.

It wasn’t the shape Indigo remembered, but he wouldn’t mistake it for anything else.

“Gaia,” he gasped, his fury gone. “You’ve returned to me.”

The goddess looked at him sadly. “I never left you. Couldn’t you hear me? I was with you, in every breath of every living thing.”

Indigo shook his head. “Those creatures? It wasn’t you. You left me alone, for millennia.”

Gaia approached Indigo, looking him in the eyes. “They were me, every one of them, the good and the bad, the wise sages and tiny insects. All of their stories. All that time I was waiting for you. Why didn’t you join me in creation?”

“Join?” Indigo’s frown returned. “You mean die like you did? All this time I spent to get you back, and you want me to die?”

Gaia shook her head. “Not die. Live a billion lives, experience all the facets of existence together. Why make your life a single story, when you can live all of them?”

Indigo’s nostrils flared, and bright fires lit up in his eyes. “Live? You call that life? Like that was really you?”

He looked down on his chest. “When they did… this… to me, did you try to stop them? Did you even notice? Or perhaps you so wanted me to be with you, that you felt tearing me to shreds would be a good idea!? Now, which was it?”

Gaia stepped back from his outburst, folding her wings. “You lectured Twilight on the nature of gods. You should know mine. The story of that disaster was also my story. And when I saw the future, and knew it would not work, I made myself whole to fix it.”

Indigo’s aura flared around him. “After four thousand years!?”

Gaia looked at him with a worried expression. “That’s how long it took. You didn’t use to notice millenia… it might be because you became just three ponies. Your perspective was quite different.”

Indigo stepped towards her, black flame rising around his body, the tips of his feathers disintegrating in his own conflagration. “You can’t do this to me! It wasn’t supposed to be like this!”

“You’re right,” replied Gaia. “You’re in such horrible pain, my love. Let me heal you.”

At that, he exploded, literally, sending his flames in all directions. “Don’t touch me!”

But the goddess simply walked through the flames, ignoring them even as they singed her mane, the Elements forming a protective halo as they orbited her neck. The two alicorns struggled briefly, but it wasn’t a real fight; the crippled god could not match a deity that was whole, nor did Gaia intend him any harm. As her power enveloped him, his flames went out, and then the Elements started to leave her, following strands of her magic to touch Indigo’s physical form, and then slowly dissolve. With each piece of his soul properly returned to him, the god struggled less and less, until finally Gaia let go, the two looking at each other once again as equals.

“I… I am complete now,” said Indigo slowly. “I didn’t realise how much I’d lost.”

Gaia nodded her head. “You had no reason to. You waited for me. You touched the souls of ponies, but you didn’t talk to them, laugh with them. A bird that never gets to fly will not know that his wings have been clipped.”

Indigo shot her a glare. “I’m still in pain, you know. It still hurts horribly. You have no idea how much I missed you.”

Gaia bowed her head solemnly. “I truly don’t. I lived every heartbreak the world has suffered, but nopony has gone through what I put you through.”

Indigo exhaled slowly and turned his gaze away from her. “What happens now?”

“Now we find a way to make it work. I don’t want to lose you either.”

She approached, and he faced her again. “Just like that? It will be fixed?”

She looked him in the eyes. “It will be. We may be very different, but our love is the first love that ever existed. Without you, I would never have loved anything else. Together, we defined love. You did all those things to be with me, and I do love you too. We just need to find a way.”

“The simplest way would be to just be together again,” said Indigo. “But you can’t do that, can you?”

“Die a billion deaths, forsake my creation, and abandon what defines me, in the name of love?” asked Gaia.

Indigo shook his head. “No, I can see now that it wouldn’t have worked. And what kind of love would it be for me to demand it?” He took a deep breath and sighed. “This was so much simpler all these millenia ago, before we both changed.”

“I am what I am,” said Gaia. “I didn’t really change, merely found my place. But you, love, you changed a lot.”

“Not by my will,” replied Indigo, looking down on his own chest. “Life changed me.”

The goddess smiled. “Do you want to change back?”

Indigo eyed her curiously. “Back to what I was?”

Gaia nodded, new light in her eyes. “You were changed, and against your will. If you don’t like it, why not undo it? ‘A god with a heart of a mortal’, didn’t you say so?”

Indigo frowned. “Aren’t you?”

Gaia shook her head. “This is different. I’m all the mortals, each voice its own, but together they are a song that fills the world. But you… your heart carries only two ponies, and they are a pair of tragic lovers.”

“I thought they gave definition to my pain,” said Indigo, “but my pain only really began with the Splice. When I was Magic, I saw you differently. Before the light was ripped out of me. Back before Dissonance got its name. Do you want them back?”

Gaia nodded. “I think they too deserve their rest at last.”

“Will I get anything in return?”

Gaia considered the question. “I could give you somepony happier. But I have a feeling that that won’t do. That’s not how it worked. You gave mortals the gift of magic, to always keep your soul in touch with mine.”

“But they forgot what it was,” said Indigo.

“I’ll see to it that they won’t this time,” said Gaia. “Now I know how to set things right. Our connection will be embodied. Follow my lead.”

Gaia took a step forward. Indigo matched her move, and as the alicorns’ horn tips touched, power sparked between them. Two bright motes of light flew out of his open mouth and into hers.

And then Indigo’s wings spread wide, until they became the sky, and Gaia filled it with stars.

***

Enigma felt nothing.

Things around him changed, souls swirling like an endless school of fish, but he didn’t notice. He merely floated between worlds, like a rudderless boat pulled at by currents, the nature of a soul pulling him towards the others while his link to pattern repelled them and kept him separate.

He had no thoughts on his state, his feelings burned clean from him, his memories as devoid of meaning as a book when it’s not being read, just a tiny speck of metaphysical dust on the surface of what for the first time since the creation of the world was a single being.

But then it was noticed. On the cosmic scale it was nothing more than scratching an itch. On his scale, he was swept with a wave of power that ripped out his pattern connection like it was cobwebs. Emotions flowed through Enigma, and for a moment he had a vague feeling of self. Then the power pulled him in, and with a sigh of relief, he was reabsorbed into the bigger whole.

***

As the eldritch lights disappeared, the night sky started coming back to normal. The snake lunged at its prey. It wasn’t very quick with the attack - it wasn’t a very smart snake, but it could still feel there was something wrong about the scene. The mouse it was trying to eat was already a part of it.

The mouse jumped away, but not very quickly. It knew it didn’t want to die, but just as strongly knew that the snake was hungry.

It was a very confusing night.

***

Bluebonnet opened her eyes and found herself floating in a blue void.

I’m still here, she though. Did I die?

No, that was not it. She could clearly feel a pull of something that she knew was her body, calling her to return. It’s over. We’re all coming back, I think. So why am I still here?

She looked around. Suddenly she knew her reason for lagging behind.

“Tourmaline!” she shouted into the void.

A nearby light flew in her direction and turned green, slowly taking the shape of a small filly.

Bluebonnet moved forward, slowly, taking step after step where there was no ground to stand on. Tears welled in her eyes. “Tourmaline… is this really you… or is it another dream?"

Tourmaline stopped in front of her and looked up at her face, her lip quivering. “I...I think I am. I mean, I feel different, like some parts are not me… but I’m… I think I’m all that’s left of me.”

Bluebonnet didn’t wait for any more words. She just leaned in and hugged her daughter, their necks intertwining as they cried into each others manes.

“I’ll never lose you again,” whispered Bluebonnet.

There was a heavy silence that stretched on and on.

“Mom…”

Bluebonnet’s heart sunk. “Yes, darling?”

“I think... I’d like to be born soon.”

“Born?” Bluebonnet jerked nervously, but didn’t release the hug.

“You felt that when we were one, didn’t you? We’re all one… part of the same living world. Nothing ever really dies… but… everything changes. Life goes on. This is why not everypony is here. I saw uncle Pierce look for dad earlier, but he couldn’t find him. And I too will go back soon.”

Bluebonnet tried to respond, but felt her throat clench. She could only manage a sob, squeezing her daughter in a desperate hug through what felt like eternity, with only the incessant pull of her living body giving her any sense of time.

“Go…” she finally managed, choking on tears. “Go, my little filly. Live.”

In response, Tourmaline lifted her hoof, and squeezed just as hard. “Thank you, mom. I’ll…” She paused, and just listened to her mother’s breath for a while. “I’ll forget you when I’m born, won’t I? This is how it works. But Gaia will remember. And you too will remember me?”

Bluebonnet smiled through the tears. “Forever and ever.”

“Thank you,” said Tourmaline. “Thank you for everything, mom. I… I think it’s time for us to let go. But… don’t be sad, please. You’ve been sad for so long. And… I want you to be happy. I want you to find something that will make you smile again when you come back, okay?”

Bluebonnet closed her eyes and tried to calm her breath. “I will.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. There’s a beautiful world out there, and I’ll know that somewhere, you’ll be a part of it. I’ll make it more beautiful for you.”

“Thank you, mom.”

***

Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes.

She could feel the grass under her cheek and the cold night air over her coat. Around her, she could hear the groans of other ponies waking up. She jerked up and instinctively lit up her horn to see what was going on.

The point of light appeared further away from her face than she was used to.

“Twilight?” she heard Applejack say. “I think we’re alive. Why are we alive?”

“I’m not complaining,” muttered Fluttershy.

Twilight tried to form an answer, but was distracted by the long and pointy horn on her forehead. She turned her head to look at the rest of herself, and saw a large, purple wing on her side. “Well… That’s not the body I started the night in,” she stated, trying to remain calm. She stood up and wobbled, feeling like a foal learning to walk - her limbs were much longer and lankier than she remembered.

“Whoa!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash, jumping up to examine herself in turn. “What’s going on?”

Twilight looked at her friend, and saw that she too was taller, though not to the same extent, and her pinions now had silver tips.

Pinkie Pie bounced up, clicked her tongue, and conjured a tall mirror to examine herself in. “I don’t see a difference,” she said, before pressing her hoof onto her goat horn, causing it to retract inside her puffy mane.

“If I were to make a guess,” said Rarity, pushing past Pinkie to look at herself, casting her own light spell and examining her membranous wings, “I’d say we got some kind of special treatment from Gaia.”

“Is it because we’re heroes?” asked Rainbow Dash, who had already taken into the air to test her wings and, satisfied with the result, was now checking on Fluttershy.

“I don’t think gods work like that,” said Fluttershy. Like Rainbow, she was slightly taller now, with deep red wing tips, and her mane had grown back, forming luxurious curls.

“So, if it’s not a reward,” said Applejack standing up. “That probably means we still have a job to do.” She stomped for emphasis, and then looked around her friends, and back at herself. “Whoa, I’m as big as Big Mac now. And you’re an alicorn.”

She then looked at her hooves. Flowers had sprouted from the ground where she had stomped. “What in tarnation?”

Pinkie Pie giggled.

“Girls,” said Twilight, finally regaining her balance. “I think we’ve managed to save the world. Indigo is back to where he should be, and the war is over. But there is still a lot of work if we’re to fix everything, starting with…”

She looked up at the night sky. “I think it is time for the sun to rise.”

The six ponies looked at each other. “That’s right,” said Rainbow Dash. “It’s our job now… but we don’t have the Elements anymore.”

This was true, Twilight remembered. The Elements were returned to Indigo. One look at her friends’ eyes confirmed that the connection they used to have with them was gone. And yet…

“Princess Celestia didn’t need the Elements to raise the sun. And… it seems I’m an alicorn now. I’m not quite sure if I have enough power, but it’s definitely worth a try.”

She opened her wings, faced east and braced herself. “Girls, could you help me, just in case?”

Without a word, they formed around her, the same way they had done so many times before. When the power flowed into her, it was different than she remembered, but at the same time, she could clearly recognize each of her friends. She kept facing east, but her magical senses caught five strands of power flowing into her, each coming straight from a pony’s heart, even Rarity’s, who was more used to casting with her horn.

We still do have power. Is it what our friends gave us, or is it Gaia’s gift? Or perhaps Indigo’s?

She added her own magic into the spell and pushed, sending the call far over the horizon.

And in that moment, somewhere that was everywhere, two timeless beings touched.

The new dawn broke, and for a second, all was right in the world.

The six mares watched the sun rise slowly, letting the soft light caress their faces. The weather teams hadn’t been able to do their jobs for days, but the sky was almost clear. It was looking like a start of a very pleasant day.

“So, what do we do now?” asked Applejack at last. She stomped with irritation, looking down at the flowers that were now growing in a large clump underneath her hooves.

“With what has happened,” started Rarity, “everypony should know that the crisis is over. They’ll need our help either way but we don’t need to rush there to reassure them just yet.”

“In that case,” said Twilight, “let’s go home. There’s enough space in the library to sleep, and I’ve had a really rough night. We can start figuring out what to do next once we’ve rested. Is that okay with you?”

She expected some arguments, but all she got was nods and murmurs of agreement. She wasn’t surprised. She had just woken up in an unfamiliar body, after her old one was repeatedly evaporated. She didn’t know if she should be physically tired, having just started existing in this form, but her brain had no doubts; mentally she was exhausted.

She walked towards the Golden Oaks’ library, her friends close behind her.

This is just the beginning isn't it? she thought. We'll have to go back to the Crystal Empire, put everything back in order, and then help everypony in Canterlot and Cloudsdale. There will be changelings to take into account... oh, and we'll have to decide what to do with Gloria. Now everypony will look for us to decide what to do next. Wait, if I'm an alicorn, will I have to rule Equestria now...?

“Pinkie,” asked Applejack. “What are you still giggling about?”

Pinkie Pie turned her head, looking at the line of flowers trailing behind her friend. “Hi hi… Appletheosis.”

Author's Note

And so, finally, here we are.
After half a decade of work, the saga is complete. :ajsleepy:

Through the years, it was a source of both joy and frustration for me. There were times where I published a chapter and waited in eager anticipation at the readers' reactions. There were too times when I wanted to just publish everything unedited and be done with it. :twilightsheepish:

This work would never have been completed without other people who helped me work on it. Once again I'd like to thank my editors, Everhopeful, Nonagon and PonyJosiah13 for their respective contributions to the final product, as well as to Mindblower for letting me hijack his idea. :twilightsmile:

Also a thank you to all you readers who went on this journey with me. After all, a book is only a book when it is read.

And what are your final thoughts on the story? Now that the journey is over, how will you remember it? :moustache:

Chapter 2: The Cold