XVIII
The train of nightmares

The Great Master looked at the Princesses to the eye.

“Here’s the deal, I’m turning myself in. And in exchange, you’ll stop going after my Knights as you promised. And give them full protection from those things. Do we agree so far?”

The two Princesses looked at the young earth pony still not believe that she was the Great Master.

East Wind looked at them and raised her hooves.

“What are you waiting for? I am turning myself in. I know I have trained my Knights well. They are ready to continue with the Order’s Legacy when I’m gone.”

Luna came back to her senses first.

“It is an honor to finally meet the real Great Master.”

East Wind bowed. “The honor is mine. I’ve always wanted to meet you as myself. Not as the Great Master.”

Celestia just looked at the earth pony in disbelief. “But you are so young! How old are you, thirty?”

“I’m actually twenty-four. I became the Great Master when I was twenty, back when I sent you that letter.”

“Twenty years! But how?”

East Wind shrugged. “Hey, Princess Twilight was more powerful than me back when she was my age. Right?”

“But… you seem too young to lead one of the most powerful Orders in Equestria. How?”

“I trained from a very young age, right after the original Great Master showed me that it was possible for an earth pony to learn magic. He showed me how important it really is to spread knowledge for those who ask.”

She smiled apologetically to the Princess of the Sun and lowered her head.

“First let me tell you how sorry I am for what I did, and for my actions have brought to Equestria and my Knights. Those were the actions of a child who didn’t know what was getting herself into. I never wanted any of this.”

Princess Celesetia looked sternly at East Wind.

“Before I accept or reject your apology, can you tell me what you were thinking?”

East Wind sighed. “I only wanted to change the world for good. Back when I sent you that letter I knew that you would no change the educational system, but I wanted to feel better about what I was going to do. My plan was to force you to change the system the way I wanted it by taking away everything that made the Academies exclusive and give it for free to everypony. That way they would no longer have any students willing to apply and have no choice to open their doors to anypony who ask.”

Celestia face-hoofed, sighing angrily.

“I do not accept your apology! Your story summarizes everything that is wrong with your Order. You don’t realize how your actions have larger consequences that what you think!”

“I know, I was being an overpowered child throwing a tantrum.”

“You’re still a child!” scolded Princess Luna.

East Wind sighed. “I know! And I didn’t know the real impact of my actions until those things almost killed one of my best friends. Not to mention what happened yesterday. This has gone too far, I should have turned myself in when you gave me the change four years ago, but I refused to see danger because I was blind thinking everything would fix when everypony shares my ideology.”

She sighed. “This is why I turned myself in no. The Great Master’s duty is to sacrifice for the sake of the Knights. My Master’s Master sacrificed everything so he could escape and continue with the legacy of the Knights. It is my turn to sacrifice myself for my friends to be safe.”

“What do you propose, East Wind?” asked Princess Luna.

“Yes, what are you planning?” asked Celestia.

East Wind sighed. “We have a common enemy, your Majesties. Those things have to be stopped. We cannot kill them, so we have to work in a solution together. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? Or at least frenemies. I have… a quarter of a plan.”

“A quarter of a plan?” asked Princess Luna.

“Yes. Now that I’ve turned myself in, those things are going to come after me. That’s for sure. So, I am offering myself as bait. The rest is up to you because I have no idea how to defeat the undead.”

“Are you out of your mind? You know this is suicide!” said Princess Luna.

“I am the Great Master, and I have a duty with my Knights. During these four years I’ve proven that even if I was acting like a child I am willing to go above and beyond for my cause. We have to work together.”

“The Crown and the Knights of Silence…” reasoned Princess Luna.

“And the Bearers of Harmony, the Princess of Love, the Royal Guard. Everypony we could get.” added the Great Master.

“It’s risky.”

East Wind sighed, resigned to her fate. “Only the Knights and me would be in danger. If it was for me only I would expose to danger, but my friends insisted to face the danger with me.”

“I have an idea, but I don’t like it!” said Luna thoughtful.

“What do you suggest?” asked East Wind willing to everything at this point.

“I don’t like it, they would kill you for sure.”

“That’s a sacrifice I am willing to do and you know it.” said East Wind. “Go on.”

“Yes Luna, what’s on your mind?” asked Celestia.

The Princess of the Night sighed sadly. “We would announce to the world that your trail will take place in the Crystal Empire. You’ll be put on a train escorted by the Bearers and ourselves. With our power, and the power of Harmony we will stop those things for good.”

East Wind nodded sadly. “Yeah, I like it. But we have to act carefully. We only have noe shot. But allow me to make a small change to the plan.”

“What is it?”

Two shadow materialized into Emerald Horn and Irish Coffee as civilians as their Great Master.

“We will be escorting the Great Master too.”

Luna nodded. “This was to be expected. Despite all you’ve done, you are truly noble warriors, Knights of the Silence.”

Celestia agreed. “If this is not the magic of friendship, I don’t know what it is.”

“We would never let the Great Master expose herself like that!” Assured Emerald Horn.

“Just like her we are willing to sacrifice ourselves if that means save the Order!” said Irish Coffee.

“This is suicide, but we can try to save the Great Master.” smiled Emerald sadly.

Celestia and Luna exchanged a look and nodded.

“You are an idiot East Wind, but we can learn a couple of things from you. You are naïve and childish, but also one of the noblest ponies I’ve ever met.” smiled the Princess of the Night.

“I agree with my sister. You are a kind and admirable pony. I wish I have met you in different circumstances. Thank you for your sacrifice, I promise we will do anything in our power to prevent you from dying.”

“We all know that I’ll die no matter what. But thank you for trying.”

“We need to prepare ourselves for the incoming battle.” said Princess Luna. “Guards! Escort the Great Master and her Knights to their rooms.”

“You mean the dungeons, your Majesty?” asked a soldier.

“No, to one of the guests’ rooms. Is the least we can do.”

The two guards bowed before the Princess, and took them to a very comfortable room. It was a small consolation prize since she was practically sentenced to death. Finally, Celestia took a scroll and prepared to send it to Twilight through Spike.

“Tia, are you sure? The Undead Knights would intercept it.”

“I’m counting on it.”

“They’ll know it’s a trap.”

“No, they’ll know its an invitation.”

Celestia sent the message with a huge sigh.

“You know what the worse part is?” asked Celestia.

“What, sister?”

The Princess sighed again. “That in the end, the Great Master won. What she did forced us to change the educational system the way she envisioned because now all our little ponies think the way she does. And now that she is voluntarily sacrificing herself to the Undead Knights, she’ll become a martyr. Her cause would be stronger than ever.”

Luna agreed with a smile. “And she knows it. Great job Great Master, great job.”

Four days later:

Twilight and the others were at the train station ready for what they hoped would be the last encounter with the seven creatures. Spike came with them but only to say goodbye.

“Take care. Especially you Twilight.” said Spike hugging the lavender alicorn.

“You too Spike. Be careful, I don’t know what I would do if something happens to you.”

He hold his mother against him for a while until the train whistled announcing it was time to go.

“Bye Twilight. Bye girls.”

“Bye Spike!” said the girls in the unison.

They were afraid, even if they knew their other selves would not harm them seeing their alternate future self was very frightening.

The girls hoped on the train, ready to face the Undead Knights. They have prepared a plan to seal the creatures, this time for good. And they were praying for this to work. Luckily they will have more than enough support by having Cadence, Luna, Celestia and Shining Armor at their side.

Finally, the train left with no pony noticing the large reptilian shadow that moved on its own and hide until they arrived to Canterlot Station.

The girls jumped from one train to another. A train controlled exclusively by military personnel where the Princesses, Cadence and Shining were already waiting for them.

“Shine, I’m so glad you’re here!” said Twilight hugging her big brother.

“Twilight is so good to see you too. I just wish it wasn’t on the current circumstances.”

“Where are the Knights of the Silence?” asked Pinkie Pie. “We are protecting them, aren’t we?”

Princess Luna pointed a hoof to a door. “They asked for their private wagon. It is obvious they have their own plan, but they assured us it is against the undeads.”

“Can we trust them?” asked Twilight, frowning.

“Yes we can, now that we get to know the Great Master we can tell she is a trustworthy pony. All she wants is to protect her Knights.”

“Also they are the only ones whose lives are in danger are them, they deserve the to have their own backup plan.”

Twilight nodded, as the train started to move.

Everypony was in silence, mentally preparing for the incoming battle.

On their own wagon, the Knights of Silence waited as well, nervous but ready to give it all for the final showdown. Eternal, Flash, Cream Cone and Bushroot decided to stay out of this, and nopony could blame them. But Emerald Horn and Irish were ready to face death to support their Great Master, and they had planned the perfect strategy. East Wind did not like the plan they came up with, but she was aware this was their only chance of survival if there was any.

After an hour, Irish Coffee went to make some drinks for everypony.

East Wind looked boringly to a corner and moved her hoof, forcing Spike to come out of his shadow.

“Hey!”

“We are too far from Ponyville already. Is far too late for your mom to ask the engineer to go back to Ponyville.” said Irish Coffee, offering him a cup the beverage that had her name.

“Thanks.”

Emerald smiled at him. “Noble and all but be careful, okay? You’re still a kid! We don’t want to send you to your death.”

“If there’s something that they would never hurt that’s me!” said Spike.

“I know!” sighed Irish. “This is why I didn’t expose you to your family. And I appreciate the extra claw, but again be extra careful Spike. You know this is no game.”

Spike nodded.

The Knights finished their drinks and dressed themselves with heir black tunics, and hoods. But not their masks. If they were going to die, they wanted to die as themselves.

And then the train stopped out of sudden.

Twilight opened the door. “Get ready! Somepony threw a huge boulder on the trails, we cannot move!”

Then her eyes looked at the tallest knight, and felt how her heart sank.

“No… no, no, no please! This can’t be real!”

Spike hugged her. “I know we have to talk, but not right now.”

The train shook violently.

“EVERYPONY BEHIND ME!” commanded the Great Master.

The three Knights stayed behind their Great Master, and Twilight extended her wings trying to cover Spike.

They could heard the hoofstpes walking on the roof.

A roar made everypony jump when a giant claw ripped off the wagon’s roof allowing six figures to jump inside facing the Knights of Silence.

“Hey! Did somepony invited us to a trap? Because we are dying to assist!” laughed Pin-Kill-Die.

Everypony got ready, the final showdown had begun.

Author's Note

And here it is, a quick chapter before the fight itself. The story is about to end. Who would prevail in the final fight between the two groups of Knights?

Anyway thank you for reading my strange story, I hope you liked the chapter and as always,

Read ya’ later!!