II

Chapters

II.2 - Breathless
II.3 - It Takes Two
II.4 - Dire Fates
II.5 - Twice Harmonic
II.6 - Love at First Glance
II.7 - Destiny Denied
II.8 - The Prisons We Build
II.10 - Rejected
II.11 - Not a Joke
II.12 - Haunted, Hated and Hunted
II.13 - Reflections
II.14 - Through the Looking Glass
II.15 - Ultimatum
II.16 - Echo and Narcissus
II.17 - Dreams
II.18 - Taking Charge
II.19 - Love Story
II.20 - Thief of Harmony
II.22 - A Breath Away
II.23 - Powers of Two
II.24 - Storm Front
II.25 - The Triumph of Time
II.26 - Twists of Fate
II.1 - Heartless
II.9 - Blood From a Stone
II.21 - Clock is Ticking

II.2 - Breathless

For a brief second before she woke, Rainbow thought she heard crying. Then it was gone, and everything felt different. Her mind insisted for quite some time after waking that she had just been in a different place where somepony had been crying, but now she was here. And it didn't feel like a dream.

As she lay there trying to gather her senses, something brushed past her briefly. She shivered and rolled up uneasily. It wasn't like anything physical. It wasn't like a breeze of air. It was like a faint sound, a sound that you couldn't hear but which touched your skin and made the little hairs stand up. There was a gentle clink of something being put down on a table, and a … presence moved through the room without a sound. Not a real sound, at least. Rainbow shivered again and opened her eyes, frightened of what she might see.

It took a moment before the room came into focus. It was a strange room. The beautiful white stone walls with gentle curving patterns were bare. There were no windows, only a single door of frosted glass and silvery metal. A long table was set along the wall opposite the door and lined with small boxes, bottles, and tiny plants in pots. A soft carpet covered the center of the floor, and a small tree grew from a large pot in the corner. It was a beautiful room gently lit by a soft, relaxing light. It wasn't immediately clear what it was, but something was off about the room. It was too beautiful. It was pristine and perfect, and yet it had a rough character like a natural cave underneath it. It felt unreal.

Rainbow turned her head a little, wincing at a sharp pain in her hind leg. She was lying on a bed of soft pillows, and a blanket had been tucked around her. It was so soft and warm it was almost painful to imagine getting up. There was nopony else in the room but she could have sworn there had been a second ago, and yet the door was closed. She lay back and let her eyes glide around the room again. Something else was bothering her, something much more vexing than the strange light and unreal beauty.

She wrinkled her nose a little. She couldn't smell anything, nothing at all. And then it dawned on her, and she panicked. She let out a cry and held up her hooves to her mouth, staring at them. She would have tried to calm her breath, but there was nothing to calm. She couldn't breathe … didn't breathe!

“How … how is this possible?” she said aloud and marveled at hearing her own voice despite the lack of air. It was a little tired and sounded weak, but it was there. It made no sense. She lay back heavily and stared at the wall.

The door opened soundlessly, and something entered the room again. Rainbow tensed as the strange feeling from before returned, sending a shiver down her spine. She couldn't hide and didn't dare to move. A light flickered, and something moved across the room, barely visible. Rainbow recognized it as a pony, or pony shaped, with wings and a horn. It was just a faint light gliding soundlessly through the air, and yet it made her hair stand up as if it had made a sound, a kind of sound that you didn't hear but only felt.

The ghost didn't seem to notice her. It stopped at the long table and set down a small vial it had been carrying, putting it next to another vial very carefully and neatly. Then it turned and drifted back towards the door without a word.

“H-hey!” Rainbow burst out nervously as her desire for answers overcame her fear. “Hey, y-you!” she repeated, more strongly now, but the apparition didn't seem to hear. Rainbow glared at the thing now. “Hey, I'm talk—” she began and stopped when it disappeared. It didn't even pass through the door but simply dimmed and flickered, and then it was gone.

She stared at the door and the empty air where the ghost had been. “Hay if I'm going to just lie here,” she said after a while and slowly sat up, while carefully trying not to move her broken leg too much. She threw off the blanket and looked herself over. Somepony had cleaned and bandaged her wounds while she was asleep. It looked very neat.

She spread her wings, expecting pain, and relaxed when it only hurt a bit. With renewed confidence she set off, beating her wings and being careful not to move her broken leg. It still hurt, but she could handle it. She pushed the door open and slipped out into the corridor beyond, looking up and down the place. It was the same beautiful structure with white walls and glass doors. The floor was set with elegant mosaics, glittering in the strange sourceless light.

Rainbow turned and flew down the line of doors to where the corridor seemed to take a turn. She rounded the corner and came into a large hall. The sight made her stop. Tall columns of carved stone rose to a domed ceiling in which thick crystal windows shined down upon a grand mosaic in the floor. Several ghostly ponies were drifting about, paying no attention to Rainbow or each other as they went about keeping the place clean. They flickered in and out, sometimes disappearing for a few seconds.

Annoyed and rather unnerved by the ghosts and their lack of response, Rainbow decided to ignore them. There had to be somepony else in this place who could talk. She turned to the end of the hall and a grand metal door. She approached and reached out to push it open.

A strange tingling feeling made her stop. It felt like somepony was smiling expectantly at her somewhere in the back of her head. She blinked and turned around just in time to see Blaze trotting up a flight of stairs at the other end of the hall.

“Oh, hey Dash,” the Shadowbolt said and approached her when he saw her. “You shouldn't be up and about like that, you know,” he said with a friendly smile.

“Oh yeah? Why not?” Rainbow demanded, although it didn't come out quite as forcefully as she had intended it to. The smile was disarming, turning her anger into a kind of uncertain annoyance. He had taken off his uniform and tamed his mane. She noticed his coat had a white strip down the middle of his face, a blaze, normally covered by the uniform. He looked quite handsome in the strange light.

“Your leg, for one,” he said and pointed. “You really should rest so it can heal properly. Come on.” He turned and trotted back towards the room where she had woken up.

Rainbow wanted to protest but instead sighed and followed him. She glanced, still uneasily, at one of the ghosts as it passed by obliviously on its way to some menial task. “What are they?”

“Wisps. Don't worry about them,” Blaze replied as he pushed the door to the room open and went inside. “They just keep the place nice and do the odd job. They aren't much company.”

“Are they … ghosts?” Rainbow said as she lay down on the pillows, wincing as her leg hurt.

“Nah, I think they're just some kind of magic servants. They can't really think. They just do what they're told. I never really asked about it.” He walked up to the table and picked up some bandages and a long, flat piece of wood that hadn't been there earlier. “Now just lie still while I bind up that leg so the bone can heal properly.”

Rainbow wondered if he was the one who had cleaned her wounds and bandaged her earlier, but she didn't ask. She blushed slightly as he placed the wood against her leg and began tying the bandage around it tightly. It hurt. “Whose servants?” she managed to ask through clenched teeth. “What is this place?”

“Lady Eden. This is her place, I guess. Or one of them. We just … well, call it 'the place' or something, really. It's sufficed so far,” he said and smiled at her.

“Lady Eden?” Rainbow repeated skeptically. It didn't ring any bells, but a vague memory did present itself. “Your friend mentioned a Queen?”

“Yeah. Frostfell likes to call her the Queen.” He paused briefly in his work. “Frostfell likes to call ponies things. I just call her Eden because that's what she wants us to call her. I respect that.”

Rainbow watched him continue. He worked carefully but firmly, skillfully tending to the leg. “Well, I've never heard of her,” she said, gritting her teeth as he tightened the thin fabric.

“You'll meet her later, once you're feeling better,” he said and finished with a satisfied nod. “So how are you feeling? It was quite a mess we got you out of.”

“Odd,” Rainbow said flatly. “Am I dead?” It didn't seem such a silly question now. The brief … dream earlier, the strange light, the pristine rooms and grand halls, somepony named Eden. Only the pain seemed out of place if she was dead.

Blaze tilted his head at her. “I know I'm not,” he said. “So I don't think you are either, but I have to say you're remarkably good at holding your breath.”

“You know?”

He nodded. “It's very hard not to notice, especially when carrying somepony, that they're not breathing. I would have thought you were already lost when we found you if it wasn't because I could feel your heart beating.” He was still smiling. For some reason it made her blush again.

“And you're not worried about it?” Rainbow asked, holding up a hoof to her neck. It was reassuring to feel the heart beat, even if she wasn't sure how it could. She had never paid great attention in physiology class back in Cloudsdale, but she was pretty sure lungs and heart kinda depended on each other to work.

“Nah, you look fine.” Again she felt a little warm at what sounded like a simple statement yet somehow felt like a compliment. “Something happened out there, but I'm no expert on … magic stuff like that. I leave that to others. Eden will know, have no doubt.”

Rainbow frowned. “I want to see her now, then,” she said and moved to get up.

“She'll send for you. Don't worry about it,” he said and put a hoof on her shoulder. Rainbow wasn't sure why she lay down again, but part of her wanted to stay here with him. “I suggest you try to relax and get as much rest as possible until then.”

“I hate lying still like this,” she muttered.

“I can't imagine why.” He smirked and rubbed her shoulder slowly. “I could leave you if you'd like some sleep.”

Rainbow bit down on a pillow as his hoof rubbed her sore muscles expertly. “I-I think I'd like you to stay, actually,” she managed and closed her eyes as he moved closer, using both hooves.

This is way better than sleep, she thought blissfully after a while.

***

Rainbow blinked and looked up blearily as the door opened.

Frostfell looked blankly at them without blinking. “Ye done fraternizin' with the pris'ner, Blaze, or shall I be leavin' an' come back later?”

Blaze just smiled and gave Rainbow a last, gentle stroke. “I was just showing her that lying still doesn't have to be so bad. She was all tense anyway. It wasn't doing any good for her recovery.”

“Aye. I can see that,” Frostfell said and ruffled a wing. “Just remember tae keep yer doodle in yer pants. Metaphoric'ly speakin'.” There was a very slight glint in her eyes and a hint of a smirk on her lips.

“Prisoner?” Rainbow muttered as her mind slowly returned to here and now.

“Just Frostfell's sense of humor,” Blaze said, glaring daggers at Frostfell. “She's being very funny.”

“If ye say it. Anyhoo, the Queen be wishin' tae see 'er noo,” the mare said and turned, walking out of the room and holding open the door for them.

***

The metal doors swung open without a sound, letting out a cool breath of misty air. Rainbow followed Blaze through and stopped to stare at the room. It was very unlike the other rooms she had seen with their white walls and pristine beauty. This room was circular, roughly speaking, with walls of giant roots descending down. Green leaves sprouted from them like a tree growing in both directions. They reached down towards the floor which opened into a yawning chasm of still, crystal clear waters somewhere below where she was hovering. It was a well. The whole room was a giant well under a tree.

A warm light glittered in the water, creating strange flickering patterns in the deep. The light didn't seem to have a source, just like the light in the other rooms. Mist rose from the well and formed into soft, flimsy clouds. If she had had a breath, the sight might have left her without one.

“What do you think?”

The voice came from a cloud. Rainbow blinked herself out of the stupor and looked up. A … creature was lying comfortably on the cloud, slung on her back with her head and tail dangling over the edge, wings spread out under her, one hoofed leg over the other, and large paws rested on her chest. She had the head of some kind of cat with two large horns. Her coat was a brilliant white. She watched Rainbow upside down with a friendly smile and large green eyes sparkling in the light.

Rainbow narrowed her eyes a little. The mildly haphazard mix of body parts from various animals seemed slightly familiar, although this one wasn't nearly as chaotic in appearance. “You look kinda like Discord. Are you his … something?”

The creature's smile faded a little but didn't disappear entirely. “That's not a very nice thing to say,” she said, tail swishing back and forth lazily. “Nopony is more pleased than I am to see dopey Discord turned into a lawn ornament. He was always a problem waiting for a solution.” Her eyes moved towards the two Shadowbolts. “You two better return to your posts. If you make haste now, you will make it back before the princess begins asking too many questions.”

The two pegasi saluted, and Frostfell disappeared swiftly. Blaze turned to Rainbow and smiled. “Don't worry. We'll see you later.” He gave her a wink then rushed off to catch up with Frostfell.

Rainbow turned back to the creature on the cloud. “I take it you're Eden, then? Or do I have to call you Queen?”

“I am, and please don't. My name is Eden Aspect, although I have been known by some other names too. Eden will do just fine. Frostfell simply likes to call me Queen. I suspect it's—” she waved a paw in a small circle “—cultural.” She sat up, dangling her legs over the cloud and gestured with a paw. “Have a cloud if you like. They are very comfy.”

“Why am I here? What do you want from me?” Rainbow asked suspiciously, staying where she was. Eden seemed friendly, and Blaze seemed to trust her, but Rainbow wasn't sure what to make of her yet. Trust, in her opinion, was something to be earned.

Eden crossed her legs and folded her paws over a knee. “I was thinking we could be allies. Help each other out,” she said, still smiling pleasantly.

“Why would I help you? Help you with what?”

“Because I ask nicely?” Eden said, pouting adorably. Then she laughed gently. “No, I guess not. I know a lot, though. I know many things that I think you should also like to know. You are in danger, you see, and I know, for example, why you aren't breathing.”

“You do?” Rainbow asked, suddenly interested.

Eden gestured at the cloud again. Rainbow hesitated before sitting down.

“I do,” Eden began.

II.3 - It Takes Two

The moon cast its silvery light through the open window next to her bed. Dash watched Twilight's concerned gaze as the unicorn looked out at the night sky. The pale light glittered in her dark eyes and cast her face in deep shadows. Dash could tell that a lot was going through Twilight's mind. She idly looked down and picked a few twigs and leaves out of her tangled mane with her teeth, wondering what it was like to be as smart as Twilight. She probably wouldn't like it. Being smart like that just seemed like such a lot of work.

“I think—” Twilight said suddenly, still staring at the sky “—we need to visit Zecora.” She turned and looked at Dash, her brow wrinkling in concern. “After we get you cleaned up and looked at by a doctor. I think you must have hit your head pretty bad.”

“I feel fine,” Dash protested.

“You seem confused about what happened. That's a bad sign, Rainbow,” Twilight said firmly. She picked up a pencil and wrote a quick note which she left on the table for Luna, then she stuffed the Elements in a saddlebag, before turning back to Dash. “Do you think you can stand up?”

“Pfft, of course.” Dash rolled out of the bed and stood up. A sudden dizziness and pain in her head nearly made her collapse. She tried to hide it but apparently failed as Twilight rushed to support her. “It's … nothing. Stop fussing over me,” Dash insisted quickly.

“It's not nothing,” Twilight said, concern evident in her eyes. “This is serious.” She knelt down next to Dash. “Get up. I'll carry you.”

“What?!” Dash said but regretted the outburst immediately. She groaned and lifted a hoof to her head. “You can't be—”

“Get up, Rainbow!” Twilight commanded. “Don't make me use magic.”

“Alright, alright, fine.” Dash took a long breath and crawled up on Twilight's back where she closed her eyes for a moment. She had to admit she wasn't feeling too well, but maybe she had just got up too quickly.

Twilight stood up slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements. “You seem very irritable,” she remarked as they left the room. “I'm worried for you.”

“I'm just tired is all,” Dash muttered. “Where is this anyway?” She hoped she could change the subject, and she didn't recognize the place. The walls were rough stone and decorated with tapestries, but aside from that it was relatively bare as they walked down a hallway.

“Don't fall asleep,” Twilight said and opened a door to a luxurious suite. It was well furnished and decorated. Books and scrolls covered a large desk and several other surfaces. It bore the unmistakable marks of Twilight at work. “This is the old castle in the Everfree. Princess Luna has been busy overseeing its restoration for some time now.”

They entered a large bathroom, and Twilight knelt down again. Dash crawled off and stepped into the shower as she looked around. “You've been staying here?” She had known Twilight was on vacation somewhere, but she hadn't asked for details at the time.

“Yes. Luna invited me to stay here for the summer and help her with some things.” Twilight turned on the water to a gentle flow and used her magic to guide the shower head, washing Dash carefully. Dirt and dried blood washed away and disappeared down the drain. Although Dash resented being treated like this, it was still nice to feel the warm water wash over her. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. It even helped a little on her head.

“So why did you run away?” Twilight asked as she brushed the twigs and clumps of dirt out of Dash's mane and tail, then turned off the water. It was a quick bath, but it had done a world of good.

Dash looked gloomily at the wall. “I don't wanna talk about it.”

Twilight was silent as she picked up a pair of towels. “Do Fluttershy and the others know you ran away?” she asked after a moment as she quickly dried the pegasus with one towel and wrapped the other around Dash's head.

“I said I don't want to talk about it,” Dash snapped.

“Alright, alright,” Twilight said, holding up a hoof. “Sorry I asked.”

***

Two bat-winged guards quietly stood to attention as Twilight pulled open the gates of the castle and stepped outside. Dash looked at them as she trotted along slowly. Twilight had allowed her to walk on her own, although not without some reluctance. When the gates closed behind them, she turned back to Twilight. “I thought those were just costumes, you know, for Nightmare Night.”

“Oh no, far from it,” Twilight said and pointed across the bridge crossing the gorge around the castle. It had been rebuilt in stone, a single wide arch spanning the void like a rainbow of solid black and gray. What Twilight was pointing at, however, was a village on the other side that Dash had certainly not seen when they were here last. But that had been a while ago, and a lot had evidently happened in that time.

Twilight continued as they walked down towards the village. “Princess Luna has great plans for the forest. This is only the beginning. This is the new village of Gloaming. It's mainly home to dusk ponies, but we hope other ponies will settle here and in the rest of the forest when it is tamed. It's a lot of work, but the forest has been a sore spot on Equestria for a long time.”

“Dusk ponies?” Dash asked as they entered the village. It seemed to be a busy place even though it was past midnight now. Several more bat-winged ponies greeted them on their way.

“Yes,” Twilight said and waved happily. “They have a very fascinating history—”

“You know, I'm really not that interested,” Dash cut her off, already feeling the yawn build its way up at the thought of a long explanation from Twilight. That was the sort of thing that could put a pony to sleep.

The lavender unicorn deflated a bit. “Oh,” she said but quickly nodded. “Probably best for you to relax and not think too much, yes.”

“I'm fine, Twilight,” Dash insisted as they stopped outside a small building with a medical cross above the door. “I'm already feeling better.” She was. Aside from the heart, at least, but that somehow didn't seem to cause her any trouble, odd as it was. Her head still hurt, and if she moved it too quickly she got dizzy, but it was getting bearable.

“That's good, but I'm not taking any chances.” Twilight opened the door and gave Dash a serious look.

“We're going to see Zecora anyway,” Dash attempted hopefully. “I bet she'll just mix up a brew to fix me right up. She's got potions for everything.”

“It's a long walk to Zecora's from here,” Twilight said, still looking at her and gesturing at the door.

“So what? Can't you just …” Dash waved her hoof in the air in search of words. “… magic us there?”

“Do you want to find out what happens when you start mixing different kinds of magic without knowing half of it?” She poked Dash in the side. “Do I need to remind you that you're not supposed to be alive, and we don't know what kind of magic is currently keeping you together? And furthermore, I doubt your head would thank you for a very sudden change of location.”

Dash groaned and walked into the small clinic. She hated how Twilight could be so rational. It was even worse when she was right about it. It was like losing, and Dash hated losing.

“I didn't think so either,” Twilight said and walked in behind her with a very satisfied smile on her lips at her little lecture.

***

“Thank you, doctor,” Twilight said as she and Dash walked back out of the small office.

“Of course, of course,” the elderly dusk pony said as she followed them out, looking at Dash. “Just remember to not exert yourself, and come see me if there are any signs of it getting worse.”

Dash groaned. “I hate sitting still.”

“Just be thankful nothing is broken,” Twilight said and waved at the doctor as they walked down the street. “Could have been much worse with a crash like that.”

Dash sighed. She still had the strange feeling that her leg had been broken, and that it ought to remain so. “Yeah yeah,” she muttered as they passed a small café. Dash felt a deep rumble in her stomach as she glanced through the window. It provided a welcome change of topic. “Can we stop and get something to eat? I'm starving.”

Twilight paused and looked around. “I'll get us some apples. We can eat those as we walk.”

Dash let out another sigh. Apples weren't the most exciting or filling fare she could think of, but the urgency of seeing Zecora was weighing on her as well. “Yeah, alright.”

“I'll make it up to you sometime.” Twilight smiled. “I'm sure when this is all figured out there'll be time left over for sightseeing and holidays.”

They bought a small bag of apples and carrots, before walking down the road leading out of the town. They walked in silence as Dash ate and the forest closed in around them. Twilight watched the trees and strange plants growing along the quickly narrowing path, looking out for who knew what might be living there. Dash certainly didn't know, and had no intention of finding out.

“We should let the others back in Ponyville know that you're with me so they don't worry,” Twilight said after a while. It was an innocent remark, but Dash knew where it was leading. She frowned but said nothing. Twilight looked at her a little more intently. “Still don't want to tell me what happened?”

Dash looked away and frowned. After a brief silence, Twilight continued, “It's just us, Rainbow. No pony else. I won't tell anypony if you don't want me to.”

“It's Fluttershy,” Dash muttered, frowning at the tears threatening to return. She didn't want Twilight to see her cry and didn't really want to talk to her about it either.

“What happened?”

Dash kicked a stone. It rolled down the road before coming to a stop. “She's with Soarin' now, apparently.” It wasn't saying very much, but apparently it was enough.

Twilight was silent for several seconds as she mulled over what Dash had said. “Oh,” she said in sudden realization. “You—”

“Yeah, I … I love her! Alright?” Dash burst out, still angry. She wished she knew who she was angry at. “Wasn't it obvious?”

“Remember your head,” Twilight cautioned, looking at her with concern again.

Dash sighed, trying to calm down. “I thought everypony knew. I thought she knew, at least. I've known her since we were fillies back in Cloudsdale. We were always together, and I … I loved being with her,” Dash said quietly, feeling the tears again. They were hard to hold back. “I thought we had something, you know?”

“You never told her how you felt?”

Dash looked away, struggling to explain. She had never thought about it before. It had never occurred to her that Fluttershy didn't know, and she hated admitting these feelings to anypony. “I didn't think I had to, you know, tell her. In words,” she said finally, biting down on the shame. It was out now. She might as well get it off her chest. “I spent all my time with her, you know? I never doubted that we had something special.”

Twilight watched her in something akin to amazement. “How long?”

“A couple years,” Dash muttered. “I suppose. I didn't keep count, exactly.”

“Didn't you ever …” Twilight hesitated. “… you know, do more?”

“I, er, thought … you know how she's always been so shy. I figured I shouldn't pressure her into anything, and I never really … I never …” It was so hard to talk about this. Dash wanted to kick herself for looking so weak. “I never really had any great need myself, Twilight. I just loved being with her and spending my time with her. Sometimes I just lay next to her, and that was all I wanted. I didn't need more if she didn't want to.” She looked down. “I thought she felt the same.”

“You amaze me, Rainbow,” Twilight said quietly.

Dash frowned and looked up at the sky. “Yeah.” The sound of wings had caught her attention. Twilight followed her gaze. Clouds covered the dark sky. “Isn't that …” she said, narrowing her eyes. “The Shadowbolts?”

Two pegasi, almost invisible against the dark gray and blue sky, were headed towards the town where Dash and Twilight had come from. They didn't seem to have noticed the two ponies on the ground.

“I … think so,” Twilight said as the two figures grew smaller and smaller until they disappeared from sight. “I guess they were on patrol after all.”

***

There was a long silence as Twilight knocked on the door of Zecora's hut. After a while she knocked again, a little harder this time. “Zecora? I'm really sorry to knock on your door in the middle of the night, but this is important.”

There was a brief fumbling with the door before it was opened. The zebra looked out at them. “This must indeed be very grave if the night you dare to brave.” She opened the door fully and stepped aside to let them inside the small hut, holding back a small yawn. “If it can not wait for dawn, then hurry up and excuse my yawn.”

“Thank you, Zecora. I knew we could count on you,” Twilight said as she stepped inside. Dash followed silently. The discussion earlier had left her in a quiet mood.

Twilight looked at Dash briefly. “I need you to look at Rainbow Dash,” she said. “She had a … a bit of an accident earlier tonight. I found her in the woods. I think she had crashed, and … well, she's breathing and seems to be doing well, considering. It's just that she has no heartbeat.”

“I see. Not a single heart's beat? That is quite an unusual feat,” the zebra said and moved closer to look at Dash. She took one of the pegasus' hooves in hers and felt it, while looking into her eyes. Dash felt a little uncomfortable at the intense stare but didn't want to show it. After a few seconds Zecora let go of the hoof and walked around Dash with a critical eye.

“Can you tell what is wrong with her?” Twilight asked anxiously as she watched.

Zecora stopped and lifted a hoof to her mouth slowly, looking thoughtful. “Oh yes,” she said after a few seconds and walked over to a shelf. “I have a guess. You have memories as of two bodies?” She returned, carrying a small doll of twigs, leaves, and moss, as well as a knife and a bottle of clay.

“Um, yeah. I guess,” Dash said, scratching her neck. “I was pretty sure I broke my leg, but now it's fine if that's what you mean.” She blinked as Zecora put the doll on the floor, picked up the knife in her mouth, and took Dash's hoof again. “Hey … wait just a min—” Her protest was cut off, and she winced as the knife pierced her skin and left a small wound. A few drops of blood fell on the doll and disappeared, soaked up by the moss.

Without a word of explanation, Zecora picked up the doll and carefully prodded one of its legs with the tip of the knife, observing Dash carefully. Nothing seemed to happen. Zecora nodded in satisfaction and opened the bottle, pouring what looked like ordinary water out over the doll. When the doll had been well and thoroughly soaked, she put it away to dry and finally turned back to Dash and Twilight. “You want to hear the answer? I tell you there is another.”

Twilight and Dash looked at each other. “Another?” they said together.

“Of you there is a pair, but one fate you do share,” the zebra said as she returned the knife to its shelf and picked up an old book. She opened it and flipped a few pages before holding it out for Twilight. As Twilight picked up the book and began to read, Zecora continued. “A very rare event, and a powerful portent. Shamans from my home need a great skill to do what you have of their own will.”

Twilight's brow furrowed as she read. Dash looked over her shoulder, but the letters were small and difficult to make out, and the language seemed foreign to her. “Powerful zebra shamans train themselves to wander the spirit world,” Twilight translated. “Some of them learn to send forth their spirit to contact another and deliver important messages. The soul is contained in the breath which is exhaled and manifests indistinguishable from the shaman herself, except the heartbeat which remains in the breathless body.”

Zecora nodded, gesturing for Twilight to continue.

Twilight flipped the page and paused before reading again, moving slowly to decipher the script. “While it is very rare, the same can happen at times of great distress and danger. If a pony in such a situation calls for help with their last breath and a friend is on their mind, their breath can manifest and seek out the friend, calling to them. Such a spirit is known as a firstcomer or a dopplegänger. It is always an omen of a powerful and important destiny.”

Dash stared at Twilight and Zecora. “I'm just a … breath?”

II.4 - Dire Fates

Rainbow rubbed her leg. She wasn't sure why it had suddenly hurt like that, but it didn't seem to matter much now. She was still digesting what Eden had told her. Her soul—her breath—was out there living a life of its own, thinking it was her. What if it didn't want to come back or decided to steal her life and try to outdo her? Rainbow didn't like the idea of competing against herself. It wasn't a fair fight. A fair fight was one where she had the advantage.

Eden stretched lazily and dropped off the cloud. She landed elegantly at the entrance of the well and looked back at Rainbow. “Let's not sit around idly all day. There is something I wish to show you, if I may?”

Rainbow dropped down next to her, hovering above the floor to not risk using her broken leg. She didn't need an excuse to stretch her wings, even if she couldn't really let loose in here.

Eden turned to face her. “It is of some importance that you say yes or no. What I wish to show you may be disturbing and may upset you, but I believe it is something you ought to see. I would not show you otherwise.”

Rainbow hesitated before asking, “What will I see?”

“Things are stirring below the surface, both here in Equestria and elsewhere. On the surface things are calm, but much is about to be set in motion. Soon it may not be possible to turn back,” Eden said enigmatically. “The future is full of shadows, but what you see may help you to understand your part in it all, at least given time. It just might save your life and that of your friends, too.”

Rainbow glared slightly at her. “Talk plain, will you? I hate riddles.”

“I could do that—” Eden smirked at her “—but I would rather show you. Seeing is believing, my little pony.”

“And what if I say no?”

“It is your choice, but information is power, and there is only so much I can tell you.” She gestured at the hall beyond the door. “Will you walk with me? Will you let me show you?” Her voice was earnest, as if the question was actually important to her and not just a matter of being polite.

Rainbow looked at the hall. It looked just like it had when she arrived. What did she have to lose? And she hated not knowing. “Alright. Show me,” she said and followed Eden as she turned to walk.

Eden placed an arm around Rainbow's withers and made a snap with her paw. The sound echoed sharply in the hall, and the whole room vanished like smoke around them. Rainbow gazed in bewilderment at the rolling hills appearing around her. The sky was gray and the grass still wet from a recent downpour. In the distance she could make out the familiar outline of Ponyville. Seen from afar and in the early darkness of night it looked like a sad, lifeless husk at the edge of the forest. All the windows were dark.

Rainbow let her gaze wander as Eden let go of her. “What are we doing here? What's up with Ponyville?” Eden said nothing. “It's so …” Rainbow trailed off. She would have said lifeless, and it would have been an apt description.

They crested a low hill and slowed down. Rainbow stopped, feeling an unease creep over her at the strange atmosphere and the silence of Eden. Something else was looming over her on the hill, casting her mood in shadows. She craned her neck and looked up at a large three-legged circle of standing stones. It rose above the top of the hill, overlooking the landscape around it. “That wasn't here this morning,” Rainbow said and approached the massive stones.

“It was raised about a week ago,” Eden said solemnly as she followed behind Rainbow. Her voice was lacking its earlier warmth, as if the atmosphere weighed upon her mind as well. “With some haste too.”

“Huh? What—” Rainbow paused. A large golden plate had been set in the stone she was looking at. Something had been inscribed upon it. She was aware that standing stones such as these were sometimes raised where many ponies had died together, as in a war or some other calamity. The three stones represented the three pony races, or something, and the names of the dead were inscribed on each. She approached with a sinking feeling, as if her heart already knew, and began to read from the top of the plate.

In Eternal Memory

Lady Rainbow Dash, 1789–1798 AH
Now I Soar Higher Still,
And Never Shall I Fall.
Loyal Heart, Forever Friend.

Rainbow stared at the plate. “W-what is this?” she stammered. Eden remained silent. Rainbow glanced down the list. There were several other names of pegasi, many of them she recognized. Her eyes drifted back up the list and lingered on the dates. All of them had died in the same year, according to this. “But … but that's now!” she cried and stepped back in horror. She looked at Eden in bewilderment. “Is … is this real?”

“The future is not quite set in stone—” Eden gestured at the three looming rocks “—but this is, at the moment of our little talk back at the well, a vision of the most likely outcome of events to come and of your most likely fate.” She paused before moving on. “This monument was raised perhaps less than two months after the day when you ran away from Ponyville. I am afraid to say that in the eyes of the world you were already dead when we found you. You are living on borrowed time, Rainbow Dash.”

“I-I'm going to die?”

Eden placed a paw on Rainbow's shoulder. “There is yet some hope. For now, the one simple fact you must keep in mind is this: as long as you and your double are apart, you remain alive, but only as long as you remain apart. The moment you and your double reunite—and this will happen soon, because even the strongest of souls can not outrun their fates for long—then death will catch up with you too.”

Rainbow looked down. “I … I don't understand.”

Eden gestured at the other two stones. Rainbow looked back up at the monument and hesitated before circling around to the second stone. It too had a golden plate, engraved with names.

In Eternal Memory

Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna of Equestria, 25 BH–1798 AH
“I Shall Bring a Light into the Dark,
And Enlighten the World with a Spark.”
My Beloved Sister …

Lady Twilight Sparkle, 1788–1798 AH
I Shall Never Fear or Walk Alone,
For You Are With Me and Within Me.
And Magic Never Dies.

Rainbow felt a knot in her heart. “W-what happened? Why?” she stammered, unable to tear herself away from the stone. There were other names on this plate, all of them unicorns. She didn't recognize many of them.

Eden followed her and looked at the plate solemnly. “The youngest sister, she was always very fierce. An absolutely brilliant mind too. She always had grand plans and hopes for her country, but she was also very … very unbending and prideful.” It sounded like a fairytale as Eden spoke of Luna, like something long ago and nearly forgotten. She turned to look at the sky and the faint light of the moon breaking through a few cracks in the gloomy clouds. Rainbow followed her gaze.

“These stones speak of war,” Eden continued. “The young princess fell in battle while defending her subjects. Twilight Sparkle fought bravely by her side, and fell while trying to save her princess. Meanwhile … I believe you tried to outrace yourself, an endeavor sadly doomed to failure and in your unique case also to death.”

Eden shook her head. She seemed pained to Rainbow. “It shouldn't end like that,” she said quietly to the world around them.

“But why is all that happening?” Rainbow couldn't make sense of it. “Why is there a war?”

“Let me ask you a question, hypothetically,” Eden said and considered the far horizon. “Let us say princess Celestia entrusted you with something very valuable, very important, and very dear to her, to help you in your quest, but made you swear to return it after your quest was done so that she could keep it safe and out of the wrong hooves. Would you honor your promise to her, even if it meant giving back something that you might also treasure and be tempted to keep?”

It was a slightly odd question, but Rainbow didn't hesitate. “Of course! I'd never betray the princess' trust in me!”

“Well, some ponies might not feel the same kind of loyalty to their word—” Eden looked back down “—and that is the sort of thing that can lead to war, and regret.”

Rainbow's brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of the vague answer. “I … I don't understand.”

Eden smiled softly. “Don't dwell on it yet.” And that seemed to be all she wanted to say about it. Rainbow watched her for a moment, before turning back to the stone. Hesitating, she circled around it to the last stone. The golden plate gleamed in the pale light of the moon.

In Eternal Memory

Applejack, 1788–1798 AH
By That Which I Have Sown,
I Shall Live On.
In Honesty Depend.

Rainbow looked down the list, unable to quite feel anything anymore. There were several Apple family names, as well as some other earth ponies she recognized. She looked around at the other two stones. “What about my other friends? Are they … are they safe?”

“They have retreated back to Canterlot, which is under siege as we speak. I can show you, but you will not like what you see there.”

Rainbow glanced up at the sky in the direction of the grand capital of Equestria, but it was too dark and cloudy to see anything. She knew she had to know, she couldn't leave not knowing. “Show me,” she said.

Eden snapped her paw, and once again the world dissolved in smoke. “Just remember, what I show you is only the most likely outcome at the moment of our talk back in the present. There are many uncertainties in all of this. Hold on to that thought, it may be a comfort.”

A different world seemed to coalesce beyond the swiftly fading smoke. Rainbow looked around at the halls of the royal castle. She had been here before a few times, but it looked gray and depressing now. Outside she could hear the rumble of thunder, and through a window she saw shapes in the sky as they attacked the billowing sheet of magic encircling the grand capital. It felt like a darker déjà vu.

Hurried hoofsteps drew her attention. She turned to see Princess Celestia coming down the hall, flanked by the royal guard. The sound of their trot had a grim determination about it, and the princess' face was locked in a frown that spoke of carefully concealed pain.

“They can not see or hear us,” Eden said by her side as the princess passed right by without showing any awareness of them. “And we can not touch things here either.”

Rainbow watched as the last guard walked past her, then followed. The guard next to the princess stopped at a door at which two other guards had been standing at attention. He turned to Celestia. “Nopony has touched anything or been allowed in. Her friends found her this morning.”

“Thank you, lieutenant,” the princess said. Her voice was firm yet tired. Worry and pain seemed to weigh her down. “How are they? Are they safe?”

“Yes, your majesty. The captain is with them at all times.”

“Good.” Celestia turned to the door and steeled herself before pushing it open. Rainbow moved up behind her to look inside. She immediately wished she hadn't.

The room beyond was one of the castle's smaller suites, like the one she recalled Rarity once staying in. Some of the bed sheets had been rolled into a rope and tied around the big chandelier in the center of the room. Pinkie was hanging at the end of the improvised noose, rotating slowly back and forth in the silent room. Her mane was hanging straight down over her lifeless, joyless face.

Eden placed a gentle paw on Rainbow's shoulder and pulled her away from the door. Rainbow didn't resist. She collapsed against the wall next to the door, holding a hoof to her mouth as she cried. Eden said nothing.

After a while Celestia came back out of the room and turned to the lieutenant. “Cut her down, respectfully, and have her brought to the hospital. I want the other two smuggled out of the city with no delay. It is our only hope.”

“Yes, your majesty.” The guard saluted. Celestia walked back the way she had come, followed by the rest of her guard.

Eden sat down next to Rainbow on the floor of the hall. “Rarity and Fluttershy found her like that earlier. It was a terrible shock for them both. I believe Fluttershy took it very poorly, and she has been ill since. They are now going to be smuggled out of the city through the secret caves and passages below the castle.”

“I-I don't want to know any more,” Rainbow said feebly and wiped her eyes.

Eden snapped her paw, and the strange well of the present returned, erasing the vision. “This is the future you could face, and it is already about to begin. The first signs will soon appear to those who know what to look for, but it shouldn't end like that.”

“You're damn right it shouldn't!” Rainbow shouted. “Poor Pinkie,” she added, crying. She could still see her friend's joyless face. No pony should ever look so broken. “I have to do something!”

“I can help you, but I need your aid in return.” Eden's tone was serious. “I am the only one who can help you, the only one who can restore your soul and prevent your fate.”

Rainbow looked up at her. “How can you help me? How do you know all this stuff anyway?”

“My first and chosen name was Eden Aspect, it is the one I prefer, but long ago the ponies also knew me as Destiny. And you were correct in your suspicion. I do have an unfortunate relation to a certain chaos-loving fellow. I assure you, however, that I share none of his passions. Discord and I have been at each others' throats for a long, long time.”

“Then you can fix this!” Rainbow almost yelled. “You can just … change the future or something, can't you?”

“Alas, my influence is limited here. I am tied. There was a reason I asked for your consent in showing you your fate. The fact is, you are no ordinary pony. You and your friends wield the Elements, and they are bound to you. I can not touch you or even see your fates very clearly. I can not help you, or your friends, unless you help me. That is why you are so important, because only you can prevent all this, and only then am I able to help you.”

Rainbow stared at her. She felt more lost than ever. “How? What must I do? Just tell me what I must do,” she pleaded.

“It will all come down to a choice,” Eden said. “Soon you will see.”

II.5 - Twice Harmonic

Dash stared into the depths of the cauldron. Small bubbles swirled around in the dark contents, but all she could see was Twilight and herself gazing back up. Twilight's eyes were lost in the obsidian depth, looking as if they were searching for something. Dash leaned on the edge and wondered what Twilight was seeing. She tried to picture it in her mind, wondering if maybe the magic her friend possessed let Twilight see things that were not visible to other ponies. Twilight's eyes moved a fraction and met hers briefly. Twilight smiled.

“Now my friends, let's gaze into the black and see if your double we may track.” Zecora appeared on the other side of the cauldron and crushed a few dry leaves over the waters. The dust settled on the surface for a few seconds before sinking into the darkness. Zecora grabbed the big wooden spoon and began to stir while she chanted in a strange language.

Dash looked up at Twilight. The unicorn nodded at the cauldron and turned to gaze back into the swirling waters. Dash hesitated for a second, her gaze lingering, before she looked back down. Brief flickering shapes surfaced and disappeared again in the cauldron. Dash narrowed her eyes and waited. It seemed to take forever in her opinion, and the swirly water was making her vision swim.

She was starting to get a little impatient and wondered if anything was going to happen, when her eyes suddenly fixed, as if on their own, and the whole surface changed in an instant. It was as if the images had been there all along, but her eyes only noticed them now, and then she couldn't unsee them.

“I … I think I see something,” Twilight said with a hint of excitement in her voice and leaned closer.

Zecora's stirring turned into slow, steady circles, and the surface began to clear, forming random images into a coherent vision. It was but a glimpse. Dash thought she saw roots and a strange light glittering in the water, but not the water of the cauldron. She saw a brief glimmer of herself standing in a hall of white walls. She almost didn't notice a vague movement in the whiteness and strange light, like a white shadow. A pair of green eyes gleamed in the light and focused on her. For a split second something seemed to gaze right through her head. Dash blinked, and then it was all gone. The cauldron returned to a swirling darkness from which only the occasional bubble surfaced.

“Was … was that it?” Twilight asked, looking between Zecora, Dash, and the cauldron. “Was that all?”

Zecora's brow furrowed and her eyes stared at her reflection in the empty waters, as if she was trying to look into the back of her own mind for any answers hiding there. Her lips moved slightly, as if seeking some word that she couldn't quite remember the sound of.

Dash looked around at the others. “What happened?”

“Something did cut off our view,” Zecora said slowly and put down the spoon she had been stirring with. “How and who I wish I knew.” She looked up in deep thought, her eyes moving slightly as if her mind was searching for an old memory. “The strangest feeling I get,” she said quietly, “that something I may forget.”

“Can you try again?” Twilight asked. “Can you mix another brew?”

Zecora shook her head and wandered over to her bed. “With magic it does not do to plead. Some other way around is what you need.” She let herself drop down on the bed with a tired sigh.

“I think I saw something,” Dash said uncertainly, not sure if the others had seen the same as she. “Or somepony. I'm not really sure. It had green eyes, and it looked at me. Did any of you see that too?”

“I did,” Twilight said, eager to seize upon a possible clue. “Did you see that, Zecora?” The zebra nodded. Twilight paused. “Maybe that's a clue. Did either of you recognize the eyes?”

Dash and Zecora both shook their heads. Twilight deflated a little. “Oh, well … maybe we can … maybe if we find the place where you were attacked,” she said, turning to look at Dash. “Do you know where it was?”

“No clue,” Dash said and sat down. “All I remember are roots that tried to strangle me. Lots of roots all over the ground. That's all.”

“Naona wewe—” They looked at Zecora, who had spoken “—is a tree. Its name means 'you I see.' Old stories tell of long ago, the tale of a young mare's sorrow. For her stillborn foal nothing would console. The child she buried under a small tree's root, and she watched the life grow in every li'l shoot. The tree she treasured and tended as her own flesh and blood. The thorns she gave fire of her veins to feed her li'l heart's bud. The tree grew strong while its mother withered. Her body it consumed and vile roots slithered. Hungry child now stalks the night, hunger and death its birthright.”

“What a sad story,” Twilight said. “Is it true?”

Zecora shrugged. “An old pony tale and not a new, who can say if in telling it grew? Directions I can give to where of hungry roots you must beware.”

Twilight took careful note as Zecora described the way, then thanked her as she and Dash made their way out of the small hut. “Thank you, Zecora, you are a lifesaver. Again, we are really, really sorry for waking you like this.”

***

“Aren't we going to find that tree thingy?” Dash had noticed that they weren't following Zecora's directions but were instead headed back the way they had come earlier.

Twilight kept her eyes on the road. “I am going there later. You're going back to the castle to rest and recover.”

Dash stopped. “Nuh uh! I told you, I'm fine!”

Twilight frowned as she turned around and gave Dash a scolding glance. “You need to rest, and it's too dangerous.”

“Yeah, that's why I'm coming with you.” Dash pulled herself up and stuck out her chest in defiance. “Danger is my middle name, and I'm not letting any friend go into any creepy places alone. You could get hurt without me.”

“Oh? Your concern is flattering, but really, you're being silly now.” Twilight turned back towards the path. “I am perfectly safe on my own.”

Dash narrowed her eyes as she watched Twilight's back. Slowly she crouched down and spread her wings silently. She set off like a flash and hit Twilight, tackling the unicorn and pinning her to the ground in one swift motion. Twilight let out a surprised cry, and her horn flashed briefly as she went down. A bolt of magical energy streaked past Dash's ear before exploding somewhere above them. Dash ignored it and fixed Twilight beneath herself as she met her gaze. “You were saying? Something about being perfectly safe?” Dash grinned despite a painful throb in her head.

Twilight tried to get her breath back under control, and a very faint blush covered her cheeks as her face set in an embarrassed frown. “That was not funny! I might have hurt you.”

“Yeah right, you're not fast enough for me. Not even close.” Dash let go of her friend and brushed her mane out of her eyes. “But seriously, Twi, I'm not letting you go there alone. I'll come along and watch your back, got it? Good, 'cause I'm not repeating myself.”

Twilight rolled over and stood back up. She dusted herself off and rolled her eyes. “You are infuriating, you know that? Fine, but I'm not responsible if you get yourself killed or anything.”

Dash grinned. “Yeah yeah,” she said, already well on her way.

***

Even in the dark she could recognize the place, but there was not much to see. Some broken roots and disturbed patches of dirt was all she could make out as she approached cautiously without getting too close. Twilight was moving a little further ahead, her horn glowing dimly as she looked around among the roots. Dash kept an eye on her and any roots that might decide to move.

“Looks like something happened here,” Twilight called. “I can't find any signs of your double, but the roots have been cut where I'm standing. I think somepony else must have found you.”

Dash stayed where she was, out of reach of the roots. The memory of the strangling grip around her throat made her uncomfortable, and she subconsciously reached up to rub her neck. “Yeah, I remember two figures. I'm sure they were Shadowbolts. Maybe … maybe it wasn't a dream, then?”

Twilight was silent for a while, poking around among the roots. After a time she turned around with a mild look of disappointment. “Maybe not. They must have taken her back to Gloaming then.”

Dash remembered the two Shadowbolts they had seen heading towards the village earlier. “Must have been some serious detour if they only got back after we left. They didn't seem to be carrying anypony, either.”

“Where else would they have taken her?” Twilight picked up a broken root and inspected it as she spoke. “It's the closest settlement from here.”

Dash shrugged. “I dunno, but can we maybe leave this place if we're done? It gives me the creeps.”

Twilight dropped the root and looked around one last time. “I had hoped there would be something more, some clue to what happened.” She turned back to Dash. “I suppose we should g—”

Dash saw Twilight's eyes widen in shock and her horn flare. Dash turned to look behind her, and the whole world disappeared in a purple flash. She was dropped several yards away an instant later. Dash groaned and held a hoof to her aching head, trying not to throw up at the same time. A giant claw snapped the air where she had just been. A second longer and she might have been cut in half.

Lavender flames exploded among the trees as something huge dropped from an oak and charged at Twilight on a blur of chitinous legs. “Twilight!” Dash cried out and, without thinking, raced to save her friend. She flew under the charging beast, barely evading its frantic legs, as Twilight disappeared in a flash. Dash hit the ground as her vision blurred and her head screamed.

Somewhere behind her she could hear Twilight's voice over the scrambling legs and snapping claws. She struggled to stand up and looked around. An explosion of purple illuminated the monster as it loomed over her. It looked like a nightmare mix between a giant crab and a spider with a body covered in spikes. Its jagged claw struck out at her but stopped mid-motion.

“ 'EY! Beastie!”

The creature spun around at the shout. Dash stared as a white flash broke through the foliage. Frostfell flipped around mid-air and hit the beast right between the eyes with her hind hooves first. The giant monster crashed against a tree and landed on its back where it flailed its legs wildly to get back up. One leg was broken and oozing dark blood, and its thick shell had been scorched by magic, but this only seemed to fuel its blood lust. Frostfell flipped back over and landed next to Dash. She looked up at Twilight. “Get oot o' here, noo!”

Twilight made no move. She watched icily as Frostfell picked up Dash and set off. Only then did she disappear in a flash of purple. Dash could see the small flashes of purple following them the entire way down on the ground as Frostfell carried her towards the old castle.

***

Frostfell touched back down outside the castle gates and let go of Dash. Twilight was already waiting for them and rushed to help Dash out of the Shadowbolt's hooves. “Thank you for your help,” she said without much feeling. Dash wondered what was going on between the two. Her head hurt terribly, she couldn't quite see clearly, and she was feeling confused.

Frostfell ruffled her wings and bowed. “Only doin' me duty. Her highness sent me tae find ye an' say she wishes tae see ye immediately. No delain' or dallyin' about.”

Twilight turned and helped Dash through the gates. “We shall see her this instant, then,” she said and marched off without looking back.

Dash watched her friend curiously as the gates closed behind them. “What was that all about, Twi?”

“I don't trust her,” Twilight said plainly and looked up as Luna appeared at the top of the stairs to the tower. “Princess?”

Luna landed in front of Twilight, her face like stone. “Are the Elements safe?”

“They are safe,” Twilight said simply. It occurred to Dash that she seemed really on edge all of a sudden. The saddlebag that she had carefully strapped to her back had been shaken well, but its contents were safely stored inside. “Why?”

Luna glanced at the two guards standing by the doors, then turned around and walked back up the stairs. “Follow me,” she commanded.

Twilight didn't move. “Princess Luna? Hi, my name is …?”

Luna turned around on the stairs and waved off the guards. Once they were out, Luna focused her attention on Twilight. “Starswirl the Bearded. Commendable costume. Thou even got the bells right.”

Dash blinked and looked between the two crazy ponies.

“Thank you! Finally, somepony who gets my costume!” Twilight bowed. “I'm sorry, princess, but I had to make sure. The Elements have never left my side,” she said and indicated the saddlebag with a nod.

Luna's brow furrowed as she turned around and continued up the stairs. “And the reason for your precautions?”

Dash followed, more confused than ever, as Twilight walked up the stairs after the princess. Twilight gave Luna the quick version of the attack in the forest as they walked.

“I see,” the princess said as they entered Twilight's suite. She closed the door behind them. “And?”

Twilight helped Dash over to the bed. Dash was too confused and shaken to complain. She lay down and watched the two talk.

“I have been studying them since the incident at the wedding,” Twilight said as she sat down. “That thing that attacked us was a mangrove-dwelling spider crab. I'm sure of it. They hunt changelings in the jungles to the south, but it's much too cold for them here in Equestria. Which means this one must have come here recently. They have been known to travel far when tracking a prey, if you get where I'm going?”

Luna walked back and forth a little as she thought, but spared Twilight a glance. “Yes.”

“And Frostfell seemed to know exactly where its armor was weak,” Twilight continued. “Around the eyes. How does a pegasus from the north know how to fight a creature that only lives in the far south?”

“Could be a lucky hit,” Luna reasoned. “Or a good guess. The Shadowbolts are trained well and are not unused to fighting the strange things that lurk in the Everfree.”

“There's something else,” Twilight said and explained their visit to Zecora.

Luna stopped her pacing and looked at Dash. “A dopplegänger? Interesting …”

“Yes, but I think Frostfell might have taken her other half somewhere, and we don't know where. We tried to locate her, but I think someone broke Zecora's spell and we didn't get to see anything.”

“There was … something there,” Dash muttered from her half-sleep on the bed. “In Zecora's cauldron. There was too much light to see it, but it had green eyes.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. Green, like a certain changeling queen now that I think about it. It all fits together, don't you see, princess? I don't know why, but I'm almost certain.”

A shadow crossed Luna's face as she listened. The princess stood perfectly still for a second, then she pulled herself up and turned back to pacing. “This is all very troubling news, and I trust your instincts, Twilight Sparkle. We shall keep a very close eye on any strange behavior,” she said. “And if our good friend Frostfell really is a spy, then let us play along with her little game. We shall keep her close and see what she is up to and where she goes. Perhaps she will lead us to your friend's missing body.”

“Princess?” Twilight watched the princess' slow pace back and forth across the room. “Is something wrong? What was it you wanted to see us about before?”

“I am fine,” Luna said. “If you have nothing more to report, perhaps you would show us the Elements?”

Twilight looked uncertainly at Luna. “I thought it was safer to keep them with me than leave them here while we were both away. I have not done anything wrong, have I?”

“Open the bag, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna commanded. “Please.”

Twilight complied and opened the bag. She levitated out the five necklaces and the crown and put them on the bed. “They're all here. I was very careful when I packed them.”

Luna watched the six pieces of jewelry as if the sight of them had just shot down some grand hope of hers. Twilight looked at her with concern. “Princess, will you tell me what is going on?”

“The Elements are quite safe,” Luna said and picked up the crown as if to make sure it was real. “In fact they are still back in Canterlot. My sister showed me all of them, right there in the box. And I watched her put them back there too and lock the door again. If these are real, then …” Luna turned the crown ponderously. “Then we have two sets of Elements on our hooves.”

II.6 - Love at First Glance

She was alone now. She knew it was late as she wandered the darkened halls and corridors back to the room where she woke up earlier, but she had no idea of the actual time. It was certainly past midnight by now, maybe much later. It was as if the place had gone to sleep when Eden left, as if she had taken the light and life with her. The strange illumination was gone, and if the wandering wisps were still there they were neither seen nor heard by Rainbow as she lay down slowly on the bed of pillows. It unsettled her more than when they were visible and right in front of her.

She pulled the blanket over herself and stared into the dark. She was all alone here, and it was so quiet. It never got this quiet back in Ponyville. There was always the wind or little sounds of shifting clouds or creaking wood. Sometimes she had slept at Fluttershy's cottage where even the nights were full of life and sounds. But here there was no sound, not even the sound of her own breath.

And in the lonely silence it all came back to her. Everything since the letter. The image of Fluttershy and Soarin' together, the memories of the times she had spent with the shy pegasus, of the love she thought they had. It was all gone. She had lost what she never really had, and now she might end up losing all her friends, and why? She didn't even know.

Rainbow hugged the pillows and cried, wishing she had somepony there, somepony to lean on.

***

A deep rumble in the earth woke her up. She opened her eyes and stared tensely into the dark, uncertain if it had only been a dream. She lay for a while, listening in the breathless silence until her eyes closed and she fell back to sleep.

***

She woke again at the quiet sound of hooves stepping carefully to not disturb her. A warm light greeted her as she opened her eyes and looked around. The whole place felt different, more alive and fresh, like a forest in the summer. She lay for a while and listened to the soft shuffling going on next to her, before turning a little to look at where Blaze was standing with his back to her. The stallion was still in his uniform and looked like he had just come in from a long night on the wing. She remained silent, watching him work. There was something hypnotizing about how he moved.

He turned his body as if to leave, his eyes lingering on the table for a moment lost in a thought. He took a few steps before he noticed Rainbow looking at him. He stopped. “Oh, I didn't mean to wake you.” He gave her a little tired smile before continuing towards the door. “I'll not disturb you further.”

Rainbow frowned at him. “I've been alone all night,” she said accusingly. “Are you going to leave me alone all day too?”

Blaze stopped at the door and turned back around. “I didn't mean to … I just thought you might want to sleep. I'm really sorry we had to leave, but the princess requires our presence during the night so we're only here during the day most of the time. Last night was a bit of an exception.”

“You can stay now, then,” Rainbow said. It was a wish, and a hint of a command as well.

“I wasn't going to go far.” Blaze walked over and sat down next to her. “This place is pretty big, but we only really use this small part of it, so if you ever need me you can just call. Or yell really loud, since I might be sleeping.” He grinned. “But seeing as you're awake now, I suppose I should have a look at your leg. Has it given you any problems?”

“No.” Rainbow made no complaints as he removed the blanket to look at her broken leg. “Where are the others? Are you the only ones here?” she asked.

“Frostfell is here somewhere, probably sleeping. Normally only one of us is here at a time so we aren't missed elsewhere, but with you around we thought you might want some company so we try to be here a little more.” He carefully checked the bandage and the rest of her wounds. They were all fairly minor, but she had some nasty-looking purple marks under her coat where the roots had grabbed her. “As for Eden, she comes and goes. For now it can get pretty empty around here, I admit.”

Rainbow watched him work. All she knew right now was that she didn't want to be alone. “What else do you do, then? When you're not here?”

“Work.” Blaze grinned. “There honestly hasn't been room for much else of late, what with both the Princess and Eden needing us.”

“All work, eh?” Rainbow smiled and hesitated. No, no hesitating! She had hesitated enough, and where had it brought her? She was done hesitating and done being lonely. “So … no special somepony out there somewhere?”

Blaze sat up and smirked. “Not at present, but I might have somepony pretty special in m—”

No more hesitating, no more waiting. Rainbow pushed herself up and pressed her lips against his. Blaze looked surprised for a second before he closed his eyes and wrapped a hoof around her back. She broke the kiss and blushed, touching her nose against his. “It's been pretty lonely here tonight. Won't you lie down here with me for a while?”

He wrapped the other hoof around her and whispered in her ear, “Only if you say you love me.”

Rainbow unzipped his uniform and slipped it off his shoulders. “I love you,” she whispered and placed her hooves on his chest. She could feel his heart beating under the soft, warm coat and powerful muscles.

He smiled and caressed the back of her neck. “Will you be mine?”

Rainbow shivered. “I am all yours,” she whispered back and wrapped her hooves around his body. He made no effort to resist as she kissed him again and pulled him down with her.

Part of Rainbow couldn't believe she was doing this. Part of her was telling her to slow down, that she wasn't ready, that she barely knew him. Another part was cheering and chanting her on, and besides … what fun was slowing down? She had tried that already. She hugged him tightly and buried her face in his mane as he kissed her neck.

“Please be gentle,” she whispered.

***

Rainbow lay on the soft pillows, watching the golden light play on the walls of the room. She had been lying like that for a long time, simply watching the wall and listening to the slow breathing of the stallion holding her in his strong hooves. She had missed the sound of a breath and the warmth of an embrace. She hadn't realized how much until now. She almost never remained still for so long while still awake, but she didn't want to let go yet.

She felt his wing brush against her flank, and his warm breath caressed her neck as he buried his muzzle in her mane and breathed contentedly in his sleep. Rainbow sighed happily. It came out strangely with no breath, not really a sigh at all. She snuggled closer, feeling his chest heaving against her body. If only she could breathe, she would breathe in the scent of their love. She half-sighed again and closed her eyes, caressing his hoof with hers.

A low, persistent rumble from her stomach broke her from the dreamlike bliss of the embrace. She opened her eyes again and looked around. She remembered that she hadn't eaten anything since lunch yesterday, and she was starting to get a little sore from lying down. She moved a little, not really wanting to let go, but she couldn't lie still all day either. She needed to move, needed to spread her wings.

She turned her head a little to look at Blaze calmly sleeping behind her. It was strange. She wanted him, wanted to feel his breath and his love. But it wasn't like she had imagined. For so long she had thought she knew she would be with Fluttershy, always and forever. There had never really been another, and it had all be a dream, or a lie. She closed her eyes. A lie.

She had been blinded by stupid dreams for too long. This was what was real … this was love? Had she ever truly loved? Had she ever really wanted more from Fluttershy than a … a very close friend? Had she ever looked at Fluttershy and seen … a lover?

Rainbow gently pushed Blaze's hoof away and crawled out from under his wing. He opened his eyes and looked at her blearily. She wanted to say something, but after a second she just leaned over and kissed him instead. He closed his eyes again and fell back to sleep with a happy smile on his lips. Rainbow watched him for a moment longer before stretching her wings. She would just find something to eat, maybe have a look around the place now that she had the time.

She pushed the door open and slipped through into the corridor beyond, closing the door behind her again. The place looked different in the light of day, wherever the light came from. It still looked dreamlike and surreal, only warmer and softer. A door was open a little further down the corridor. Rainbow approached and looked inside.

The room was a small lounge. It had three small couches and a low table taking up most of the space. Bookcases, cabinets and a desk were set in the corners next to the door. Exotic flowers decorated the various surfaces, a pair of small palm trees grew next to the bookcases, and vivid green creepers crawled and winded their way up a pair of tall lamp stands in the back. The light was a warm orange, making the room seem darker than the corridor outside. It looked foreign and inviting, like a place where one could kick back and just relax. Somepony had been doing that until recently, it seemed.

Rainbow approached the table. It had an empty cup and a pot of tea, with an empty sugar bowl next to a brown paper bag and today's paper. She ignored the tea and, both curious and hungry, sneaked a peek in the bag. Rainbow licked her lips at the sight of the muffins and looked around. There didn't seem to be anyone around now, and besides, she was starving. She hadn't had anything to eat for what felt like forever. Almost, anyway. Rainbow grabbed two muffins, hesitated as she watched the door, then snatched a third for good measure.

She turned to the desk and bookcases as she gobbled up the first muffin. Most of the books looked boring. Histories of Equestria, biographies of important ponies, books on politics and culture … whoever read these were almost as big an egghead as Twilight. Only a pair caught her attention, a history of the aerial teams of Equestria and a recent biography of the Shadowbolts. She'd seen the first one before and made a note to have a look at the other one if she ever got bored enough.

There were a lot of newspapers, too, but nothing else of note. Rainbow finished her second muffin and left the room. The other rooms on this corridor didn't seem to be used much at a glance. Everything was quiet, with no sign of anypony. There weren't even any wisps drifting about as she found her way back to the grand hall from the other day. The big doors to the well were open, but no one was there. Rainbow paused for a while to look around at the drifting clouds and the water before turning back around.

She left the stairs at the other end of the hall and turned down another corridor instead. There seemed to be quite a few rooms, all of them barely if ever used. Rainbow wondered what the place was and why it looked like it had been left untouched for ages. There was no dust or dirt anywhere. Everything looked so pristine and perfect it strained belief. She closed another door and turned another corner when a sound caught her ear and made her turn to listen.

Somewhere a door had closed. Blaze had said Frostfell was here somewhere, hadn't he? Uncertain of the direction the sound had come from, Rainbow turned and followed a flight of stairs leading down. She passed through a heavy door into another hallway. It looked like the kind of door that was normally locked very firmly. The light was dimmer here, colder too. She stopped to listen and thought she heard a brief voice somewhere. A moment later the faint sound of hoof steps echoed in a hall somewhere to her left. Curious, she followed.

She entered another corridor and turned a corner. A light flickered in a doorway up ahead, and she could hear quiet voices coming from inside. She stopped and looked over her shoulder. For some reason she got the feeling she shouldn't be here. Perhaps it was the light, or the coolness. She gathered her courage and snuck closer to the door.

“I dinnae ken …” the unmistakable voice of Frostfell said with an audible shrug up ahead. “It could be worse, way I reckon'. It's really good eatin', even got real rum I think, and nae the worst place either.”

Rainbow stopped outside the door and listened.

“You always say that. I bet you enjoy this.” Dash stared a the door. That voice …

“ 'cause it be true, aye?” Frostfell commented. “An' I simply dinnae moan aboot it.”

“You ever think they're feeding us this stuff to … you know?”

“Dinnae be daft now, you're way too clever fer that kinda thinkin'.”

Rainbow shook her head and moved closer, peeking around the door. She had been right about the voice. Frostfell was sitting on a pillow, eating what looked like fruitcake. On the other side of the room sat Blaze, poking at his own cake. The really strange thing about the vision in front of her were the steel bars separating the two and herself. It wasn't a very bad prison, it had soft pillows and blankets, even books and flowers, but it was very definitely a prison, and they were on the inside.

Frostfell noticed her first. “Oh, will ye look at tha', they brought another.”

“She looks familiar,” Blaze said with a hoof to his chin in thought. “That rainbow mane …”

“Oh aye, the famous Rainbow Dash innit?”

“Wh-what are you doing here?” Rainbow managed as she moved into the room, bewildered by the situation and their strange response to seeing her. “Is this some kind of prank?”

The two ponies looked at each other. A sudden feeling of dread filled her at the sound of a gentle hoofstep behind her. She turned around slowly and looked into the eyes of Frostfell.

“Oh, ye're up an' aboot, I see,” the Frostfell in the doorway said with a friendly smile and put down a pair of lemonades she had been carrying. “Dinnae ye listen to those two,” she continued. “They just be tryin' tae trick ye an' make ye confused. Crafty bastards, them changelings,” she grinned. “Aye?”

A torrent of emotions and wild thoughts raged through Rainbow's mind as she backed away and looked between the two Frostfells and the one Blaze who should be up there sleeping. The Blaze she had just … “Oh … no!” she cried. “Wh-who are you!? What are you!”

“Changelings,” all three echoed and looked at each other.

“Dinnae just stand there,” the Frostfell behind the bars said. “Knock 'er doon and get us oot o' here! Dinnae tell me ye believe her! She's the one who locked us up 'n here.”

“Aye,” the second Frostfell said calmly. “ 'cause ye be lousy changeling spies. Wha' else should we do wit' ye? Just let ye go? Hah, that'd be pretty!”

Rainbow stared at them, feeling sick and angry and confused all at once. “Who's the real one!? Tell me!” she demanded helplessly, facing the Frostfell in the door, ready to attack.

“Ask her something,” Blaze said. “Ask her something only we would know.”

“Aye, ask me anythin',” the second Frostfell said calmly and ruffled her wings.

“Aye, anythin',” the first echoed.

“What?” Rainbow cried desperately. “I don't know what you'd—Oh!” She glared at the Frostfell in the door as a memory hit her. “Badmouth your 'Queen'. Go ahead, tell me how much you hate her guts, both of you!”

“Quin? Never 'ad any Quin. Dinnae care fer Quins.” The voice came from behind her. “Bloody bastard I bet ye. Never trust a bloody Quin, just ask any pony. Now, the Princess, she's a fine mare an' a proper pony. Her sister too, 'course. Nae Quin can hold a candle to the Princess.”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes at the Frostfell in the door.

“…” Her wing twitched slightly. “Aye. I spit on the Queen! May she rot in Tartarus, the bastard!”

“You hesitated!” Rainbow hissed and rushed at the doorway, tackling the surprised Frostfell to the ground before she could react. “Tell me the truth! And where are the keys?”

Frostfell closed her eyes and shook her head. Her wing twitched slightly again. “I dinnae have any keys. The Queen keeps 'em safe. She warned ye would jump tae conclusions an' get it all wrong,” she said. “Now let go o' me an' listen. I dinnae want tae hurt ye.”

“No!” Rainbow pressed the other mare harder down against the floor. “Don't think I can't take you on, just 'cause I have a bad leg!”

“Ye dinnae have a brother, I think.” Before Rainbow could blink, Frostfell had twisted herself free of her grip and tackled her. “Dinnae get doon on the floor if ye cannae brawl. Free tip.”

Rainbow rolled around and struggled. Her hoof struck out in reflex and connected with Frostfell's muzzle. The mare groaned at the blow and raised a hoof to grab Rainbow's leg. The hoof was black and chitinous. It had holes. Frostfell's body shifted and changed in front of Rainbow's eyes, revealing the changeling behind the mask. For a second Rainbow felt like throwing up, the revelation hitting her harder than she had expected. Horror gripped her and panic struck. She tore herself free and fluttered wildly through the door into the corridor, her heart racing as she regained her balance and raced blindly down the passage.

All she could think of was to get away and find the key. I'll come back for you, I swear, she kept repeating in the back of her mind at the thought of the two ponies she was leaving behind.

Behind her she could hear wings beating in pursuit. She picked up pace, dashing madly around a corner, scraping the wall in passing. She had no idea where she was going. The place seemed to go on and on, through endless corridors and empty rooms. Several times she could have sworn she had turned and headed up a flight of stairs, only to find herself headed further down instead. Her heart raced in panic as she continued blindly, as if something was driving her on.

She wasn't sure how long she had been lost, but the sound of wings behind her had ceased long ago. She slowed down and finally came to a halt as she passed through a grand arch into a vast open space. Rainbow looked around in the dark. Faint flickering lights glittered far above, and thick smoke billowed around her hooves. She hadn't noticed the smoke before. Perhaps that was a benefit of not having a breath.

Rainbow continued slowly and bumped into something in the dark. Backing away, she stared up at a grim face in front of her. The ground shook with a low rumble as the huge creature came alive, and a single great eye opened to consider her.

II.7 - Destiny Denied

It was still dark when Dash opened her eyes. She stretched and turned around on the bed as the memories from last night returned slowly. She must have fallen asleep while Twilight and Luna talked. Her eyes fell on the lavender unicorn next to her. Twilight had fallen asleep rather haphazardly on the other side of the bed, her hoof still stuck on the page of a book she had been reading. Dash smiled at the sight of her friend and closed her eyes again. She lay for a few minutes before slowly sliding out of bed. Her head felt a little better than the night before. She stretched her wings and wandered around the bed to the other side.

Dash carefully picked up the book and pulled the blanket over Twilight. The unicorn stretched a bit and turned in her sleep, snuggling up under the warm blanket. Dash sighed and glanced at the book— Conditions of the Mind, its title read—before putting it down on the nightstand. She sat down on the edge of the bed next to Twilight and closed her eyes again.

“Can't sleep?”

Dash jumped at the voice and turned around, her eyes scanning the dark room. It took her several seconds to make out the form of Luna on one of the couches, shrouded in darkness. The princess was reclining on a pair of pillows, watching her with intense eyes that seemed to read her with the same ease she applied to the open book resting on her hooves.

“H-How long have you been watching?”

“All night,” the princess said and returned her eyes to her book. A barely visible glow of pale blue turned a page silently. “Do not worry yourself. I have not seen anything that should cause shame or worry,” she added. “Since you are awake, I wished to ask if you remember Discord?”

Dash let herself relax a little. “Yeah, who could forget? You're not going to tell me he's escaped again or anything, are you?”

“No.” Luna looked up briefly before refocusing on the book. “Do you remember the friendship report Twilight wrote to my sister afterwards?”

“Um,” Dash began. “Should I? I didn't write it, or read it.”

“No, of course, but I was quite hoping you still remember the lesson.” The princess kept reading as she talked. “Friendship is not always easy—I might be paraphrasing a little—but your friends are always worth fighting for, with everything you've got, teeth and hooves. To the bitter, bloody end.” A hardness crossed Luna's face as she spoke. “Don't ever let anything get between you and your friends.”

“Princess?” Dash watched her uncertainly.

“I mention this because I fear you will need to remember that lesson soon.” Luna sighed and gave her a look of sympathy. “I know the pain of losing your friends.” A thousand years of solitude and pain glittered in Luna's eyes. “It is not one I would wish on my worst enemy.”

“I thought you never had any friends. Wasn't that why you went all crazy?” Dash blurted out.

Luna's face showed no sign of reaction. “Look outside and tell me what you see.”

Dash suddenly wondered if she had just said something incredibly stupid. She got up and walked over to the balcony doors. Through the glass she could see the night sky, the moon, and all the stars. Down below was the village of Gloaming. The lights from the windows and street lights could be seen from up here. She stood for a long time looking, wondering what she was missing.

Behind her, Luna flipped another page of her book. “If you look down, what do you see?”

“I see the town,” Dash said uncertainly.

“Exactly, because there are lights in the windows even now. These are dusk ponies, but have you ever stayed up late to practice, study, or to party with your friends? Have you ever watched a meteor shower, or likened your lover's eyes to the stars? Have you ever worked night shift? How many ponies can you name who have never appreciated my night sky? Did it never seem strange to you that all the ponies a thousand years ago did none of this?”

Dash scratched her head. “You got me here, Princess.”

“I had many friends and admirers, Rainbow Dash, even lovers.” She gave a slightly hidden smile. “My night was always popular. It inspired the young and the old, poets, artists, thinkers, and common ponies all alike. You will not find a lack of fascination with the night in the ancient literature and artwork. I was loved and admired just like my sister.” Luna sighed. “And I wielded the Elements. I defeated Discord together with my sister and united the pony tribes. I was a hero and a legend.”

“Oh yeah,” Dash grinned. “I guess I never thought of that.”

“Nopony does. Until my return most ponies didn't even know Celestia once had a sister, or that Nightmare Moon was more than a silly legend to be appeased with candy once a year. Obscurity was my curse, and it was broken the moment the Elements passed on to you.” Luna closed her book. “Did you know that Discord has a sister too?”

Dash sat down again. “Whoa, really? I can't imagine what she must be like.”

“Very little like him, actually, and they are not exactly friends. I knew her originally as Destiny, although she prefers to be known as Eden Aspect.” Luna turned and nodded at Dash's flank. “She gave the ponies our cutie marks long ago. Whenever a pony gets her cutie mark and finds her special talent, it appears thanks to Eden.”

Dash looked at her cutie mark and recalled the story of how she had discovered it, and the stories of her five friends, how it seemed like they were all destined to meet and become best friends.

“Although in your case my sister and the Elements had a hoof in it as well,” Luna added. “Do you care for a story? It may be a little long, but there's time before sunrise.”

“Sure,” Dash said and lay down, making herself comfortable on the bed as she watched the princess.

Luna gazed out at the sky for a moment.

***

“You may recall Discord as a draconequus, but this is a mere descriptive name: a 'dragon horse' in the old tongue. Discord was one of the djinn, or spirits, who ruled the land, skies, and heavens long before the ponies banded together in small tribes. Once there were many djinn, big and small ones, each with their special area and responsibility. Discord was one of them, a rebel and saboteur, a trickster always trying to ruin things. We know little of those early times, what Discord did and why he did it, but he was soon restrained by the other djinn and a long period of peace followed. Quite a few fanciful stories have been told about this, but their veracity is dubious.“

“Eventually, however, the djinn began to drift away, perhaps losing interest in this world and finding greener pastures elsewhere. It is also possible that Discord had some influence still and managed to sow a rift between them. Whatever the case, as they left one by one the task of governing the world and keeping chaos—Discord's domain—in check fell upon the shoulders of those who remained. In the end Eden was left alone of all djinn with the whole thing resting on her shoulders, and it quickly became too much for her to handle. Fearing that she would be overwhelmed and Discord let loose again, she decided to delegate the power and responsibilities of the other djinn to the mortal tribes of the world.”

“Thus Eden conceived of the 'wishes'. She would grant any creature who she deemed worthy three wishes, no more, and she was not obligated to fulfill any wish she did not want to. They were wishes, not demands. Representatives of many tribes and races came to her, and some were granted their wishes. She granted the pegasi their mastery of the skies, their wings and ability to manipulate the weather, so that she didn't have to. She gave the unicorns their magic and told them the secrets of the heavens, how to raise the sun and moon. Such a task took many unicorns, but it left her paws free. And she gave the earth ponies their affinity for the earth and all things that grow.”

“This worked for a time. Eden gave of her powers and responsibilities, distributing the tasks of keeping chaos under control so she could focus on fate and destiny, her own domain. But the ponies and other mortal creatures were not always as diligent in their work, or as guarded against Discord's subtle influences as the djinn. Eden realized her great mistake too late. By working his influence on the minds of these mortal creatures, Discord was able to take control of all the power Eden had handed out and break free at last. With so much power, he was unstoppable.”

“Celestia and I were born during Discord's reign to an earth pony family. My sister was born a pegasus and I a unicorn, no more different than most. Nowadays such a thing is a bit of a rarity, although not unheard of. I hear you had one such pair in Ponyville a while back. Back then it was a sigh of relief that it wasn't something much weirder. If you think it was bad last time Discord was on the loose, you should see him after a few centuries, once he really hit his stride and didn't have anyone to hinder him. We might have been born as weasels, or canary crabs … or electrical ferns. I weep for the mares back then.”

“Back then you had to stick together, and my sister and I were always very close. We both had a dream that one day it would be over, that the ponies would rise up and defeat Discord, but we didn't know how. I studied hard, all the scattered fragments of lore I could get my hooves on, until finally I spotted a glimmer of hope in the old tales. I found Destiny.”

“I knew if we could get but one wish from her, perhaps there would be hope. I told my sister, and together we ventured out to find her, to meet our destiny. I tried to decipher the signs and stories while Celestia sheltered us from the chaos and the cold. It was a long and dangerous journey. We had to make sure Discord didn't learn of our plans, for surely he would crush out hopes in an instant. Our great hope was that we were too small and unimportant to worry about or even notice. It worked, but we were still just two ponies in a hostile world, guided only by old stories, our wits, and probably a lot of dumb luck to tell you the truth. Sometimes that's the kind of bullheaded attitude you need. Once in a great while it actually works. And it did. We found Eden after many weeks of searching.”

“Eden had created a small pocket of harmony, a tiny island in the great sea of chaos, investing all her remaining power to keep that tiny refuge free of Discord's influence. It was not much, but it was like a dream to my sister and I who had never known such beauty and order in all our lives. All we had ever truly known was chaos and disharmony. She welcomed us to her home with great kindness, and she treated our wounds and tired minds. I could see the sorrow and fear in her eyes, how she mourned for the world she could not save and feared that even this small sanctuary would eventually crumble against the pressure. She apologized to us that we had come in vain to her.”

“I told her all we wanted was a wish each. She told us she would grant us three, as per the custom, if they were within her power to give. Celestia wished for us to have the power to represent all the broken pony tribes, all the different kinds of ponies, to give them something to trust in and unite around. That is how we came to be what we are, the first of the true pony princesses, the alicorns. Her second wish was for the power of day, to raise the sun and bring light and warmth to the world. In the same vein, I asked as my second wish for the power of night, to soothe the tired souls and inspire the minds.”

“But my first and original wish was for the Magic of Harmony to be given to the ponies. I knew Eden had this power, that she held on to it with all her might, for it was what she used to hold off Discord. But alone as she was, all on her own, she was too weak to banish him or defeat him. All she could do was postpone the inevitable. One day he would defeat her too and make his reign complete. But I knew … I believed in my heart that if Discord's power over the ponies could only be broken, then he would be weak enough to defeat. His power was usurped from all the ponies, if they all had the collective power to fight him back, like Eden, they could break his hold and break his power. It was the only hope.”

“Eden was reluctant to give up her most treasured secret. Finally she agreed, on one condition. She would grant us the Elements of Harmony, and let all the ponies know the true magic of friendship, if I swore to return it all to her once Discord was defeated. I agreed and swore a solemn oath that I would return the Elements the moment Discord was safely contained. As you can tell, I broke my vow.”

“Discord's power was broken and he defeated after a long and bitter fight. When Eden asked that I return the Elements, I refused. I expected she would simply take them back, but I stood my ground regardless. I could not give up that which had saved us and that which I felt belonged to all and not just one. I would rather die and break every promise I had ever made than give up such magic.”

“At first she pleaded with me. It became apparent to me after a while that she could not touch me or take back what was given, that the Elements protected me and my sister to some degree. She needed us to willingly return them, to forswear their power, and we refused. What I did not in my wildest imagination realize was the depths to which this creature, who had so far been nothing but kind to us, would stoop to get back what she felt was rightfully hers, and what she believed to be too dangerous to have in the hooves of mere ponies.”

“Eden could not touch me or my sister, but she could touch everypony else. And so, at last, she cursed me and my night to bitter loneliness, that it be my fate and destiny to be unloved, and that my beautiful night and every effort of mine should go unappreciated until the day my sister and I no longer held the Elements. And likewise it should be Celestia's fate to watch my fall, unable to help or ease my pain. All that I had done for the ponies that I loved, all was forgotten, and so was I. Only my sister knew my pain.”

“Still I refused. Still I fought, backed by my loving sister. But how can you fight fate? The Elements gave some protection, but they did not help us much against Eden. As cruel as she can be, she is a creature of harmony and order still. And so I suffered hopelessly until finally the loneliness crushed my spirit.” Luna looked away, shamefully. “In a moment of weakness I succumbed to the bitter hatred and resentment and … I gave in. I swore to shroud the world in eternal darkness in order to force my sister to give up the magic to end my pain, or to kill her if she refused. That is the true story of how I became Nightmare Moon.”

“As much as it pained her, Celestia had no other recourse. With the bitter hatred filling my heart the power of the Elements were weakened, but with her last ounce of strength she fought me and finally, after a long and terrible fight, she caught me off guard for a second and drove a spear of light through my unguarded heart.”

Dash looked up and blinked. “Wait, what?” For a moment she wondered if she had dozed off, if dream and reality had mingled a bit perhaps.

Luna nodded. “I know, that is not how the story goes, is it? It does not sound very nice that sunny Celestia pierced her sister's blackened heart with a spear of light and cried her eyes out—figuratively speaking—as she watched me bleed to death in a scorched and muddy field outside the ruins of this very castle. Nor do you wish to hear about the excruciating pain I endured in those last few seconds as my life drained away. It was a grim and terrible battle, so she embellished the story a little to spare you all the horror. It was only a minor twist of the truth.”

Dash was speechless.

“Even before meeting Eden and being granted our wishes, I was quite an accomplished sorcerer. Information back then was scattered, but at the same time there was certainly no one keeping the darker lore away from everypony. Stuff was just floating around in total chaos. I was well studied, and even more so after Discord's defeat and our rise to the throne. Not to mention my long and lonely years where all I had were books. So I had devised a spell to transfer my soul to safety in the moon, to be reborn later, should I ever be slain. As death took my body, my spirit was whisked away to safety.”

“What I did not expect was for Celestia to interfere with my magic and trap my spirit in the moon. I did not know her capable of such tricks, but she must have studied as well. Celestia knew that with our friendship broken it was only a matter of time before the spell broke, as well as our last strained ties to the Elements. Once that happened, I would be free and Eden would surely win. So for a thousand years Celestia strained to keep the seal and orchestrate the events that you already know of. She saw it as our only hope for the Elements to pass to a new set of bearers who would renew the bond of friendship and carry on the torch.”

Luna fell silent and turned to glance out the window. She closed her eyes, and a soft blue glow illuminated the room. Outside the moon began its slow descent, giving way to the rising sun. The princess smiled softly as the moon disappeared below the horizon and the warm light of day filled the room.

Dash had been watching Twilight for a time as she listened to the story. The unicorn had been awake for a time now, idly playing with Dash's tail while listening in. Twilight gave the tail a thoughtful stroke with her magic as Luna fell silent. “You think Eden is still out to get the Elements?”

“I do not believe Eden will ever give up that hope. What I do not know is if she's got anything to do with recent events.” Luna lowered her head. “I do not know how she could have caused any of this, it should not be possible while the Elements protect you, but the whole thing still reeks of her if you ask me. I do not know … but my gut tells me she's somewhere near, and you ought to know because she will come for you. She's out there somewhere, her thoughts consumed by you and the Elements.”

“What will she do?” Twilight said, still twirling Dash's tail in her magic. Dash wondered if Twilight was aware of it, but she didn't mind. It was almost hypnotizing to watch.

“I can only offer you speculation. But she will give you a choice. She will try to convince you to give up the magic willingly, because Eden does not want bloodshed or war. She loves us dearly, and all of ponykind. I think all that we went through, all that she felt she had to do, hurt her as much as it did us. She desperately wants to end it peacefully. That is why she never simply killed us, but I also expect she must be getting desperate. Do not think she won't destroy your lives when you refuse her.”

Dash noticed the 'when'. It was not an 'if'. She sank a bit at the realization of what the whole thing meant for them. Suddenly wielding the Elements was not all sunshine and saving the day. Twilight had fallen still as well.

II.8 - The Prisons We Build

A light like liquid flame spilled forth from the great eye and illuminated a face carved in basalt rock. Stone ground together, and thick black smoke oozed from red-hot cracks as the creature rose from its slumber. Rainbow's jaw dropped open as she gazed up at the squat, dragon-like figure of ancient carved stone. What in Tartarus is that thing? her mind wished her to scream, but she choked it back.

The giant lowered its head toward her. Rainbow instinctively backed away as its dragon-like face came near and its mouth of jagged, obsidian teeth opened a crack. A wave of heat billowed forth and hit her like a wall. “Hrm,” its voice rumbled. “I am not that unspeakable, am I, little pony? Hrm, If you will you may call me Kin.”

Rainbow backed away a little further. “Y-you can read my mind?”

“Hrm, not at all.” His face split in a grim smile as he lifted a heavy claw and tapped beneath his eye. “But your face speaks for you, little pony.”

“W-well, I ain't scared of you!” she said and held up her hooves in a fighting pose, trying not to let her face betray her again. He couldn't possibly be very fast anyway, someone as big and heavy as that. She would be a mile away before he could take one step. “Are you in league with Eden too?” She narrowed her eyes. “What are you guarding down here?” Something like this had to guard something important.

“What makes you think, hrm, that I guard anything?” he asked innocently. A little too innocently, in Rainbow's opinion.

“You are, aren't you?” She was getting her courage back now and leaned to one side to glance around the giant into the smoky darkness behind him. “I bet there's something behind you that Eden don't want anypony to see. Well, I'm gonna see it!” She set off and raced past him. He made no move as she soared past and spun around. “Hah! I'm behind you now, what are you gonna do?”

“Hrm, what's behind me then?” Kin rumbled, his back to her. She noticed he had a pair of great stone wings like a dragon's too. She couldn't imagine something as big and heavy as him possibly flying. Stone wasn't meant to fly.

Rainbow looked around. There were walls and ancient columns, all cracked or broken and blackened from ages of smoke. What remained of the floor was covered in thick layers of ash. There was a giant broken throne carved from granite and marble with faded gold decorations. It looked like it had been there for eons and been quite a grand sight once.

“Anything worth guarding?” the dragon-thing rumbled on.

Rainbow felt like a fool. There wasn't anything there but ash and ruins and the gold on the throne, but that was hardly worth it. She turned around and glared at him. “You're mocking me, aren't you?”

Kin turned his head a little to look at her out of the corner of his fiery eye. “Hrm, perhaps I just wanted to place myself between you and the exit. What now, little pony?”

“You can't stop me. I'm way too fast for you,” Rainbow said triumphantly, confident that she could easily slip past him again and escape if she wanted to.

“Hrm, then what is keeping you?”

Rainbow glared at him. “Nothing.” Deep down a voice of doubt whispered, but where will I go and what will I do? “You can't keep me here!”

The giant turned around to face her. “Must be, hrm, nice.” He glanced around.

Perhaps it was something in his molten eyes or the wistful glance he gave the room. Rainbow followed his eyes around the room and up at the ceiling. There really was nothing here but ash and ruins, and only one way out, conveniently situated behind him now. The creature, even crouching, towered over the doorway. There was no way he would be able to get out. “Oh …”

“Hrm, we all have our prisons,” Kin rumbled and sat down. “What is your name, little pony?”

“Rainbow Dash.” The fighting spirit had rather gone as she sat down at the base of the giant throne. “Are you one of Eden's prisoners too, then?”

“What, hrm, makes you believe that?”

“This is her place, isn't it? Why does she keep you here?”

Kin huddled up, his head tugged against his chest in a position of rest. “Hrm, this is my place, miss Rainbow Dash. Eden is my guest in these halls, and her guests are my guests as well. She does so liven up the old, hrm, stones.” He sighed, making the walls and columns shiver.

“But … why are you trapped here, then?” Rainbow tried to make sense of it and failed.

“My, hrm, creators never intended me to leave this room. I was to be their, hrm, king and sit on this throne,” he waved a claw at the throne behind Rainbow, “to dispense wisdom and judgment. Would you believe that I have never, hrm, seen anything beyond this room in my entire life?”

“That's horrible! Who would do something like that?”

“Hrm, I do not think cruelty was their intention, it simply never, hrm, occurred to them that a king could be anything but big. Or that he might, hrm, like to use the wings they gave him.”

“But who are they, and what is this place?”

“Ah, hrm, yes,” the giant rumbled. “Time does flow, hrm. I suppose you would not know of my people, the gargoyles. Once they lived in these parts and called me their king, but now they have gone to far away lands of sand and sun, or so I hear.”

“There has to be a way out of here,” Rainbow protested. It didn't seem fair. “Can't you dig your way out or something?”

“Hrm, I am confident that Eden will get me out of here some day.” Kin stared past Rainbow. “She says it's not a, hrm, problem at all. Any time I like.”

“She's lying to you,” Rainbow scowled. “I bet she is.”

Kin didn't seem greatly concerned. “Hrm, now, what makes you say that? It is a serious, hrm, accusation.”

“You're still here. If she can get you out, why hasn't she?”

The giant lowered its gaze. “Because, hrm, I have asked her to wait. Where, hrm, will I go? What, hrm, will I see? These four walls are all I have ever known. The thought of leaving them fills me with grave fear.”

Rainbow blinked. “But … you're huge! I bet you could take on a full-grown dragon! What's there to fear for someone like you?”

“Sometimes the worst prisons are the ones our minds create for ourselves, Rainbow Dash.” The new voice came from behind her. Rainbow jumped up and spun around, craning her neck to look up at Eden sitting on the throne. It wasn't the throne of a moment ago, or even the same room. It was as if Rainbow was staring back in time to a time when the room was not in ruins but full of life and light and majestic beauty. The walls behind the throne were white and golden, the floor a mosaic of silver, and in the middle sat the throne of marble and gold.

“I told you, she livens up the old place,” Kin rumbled behind her. Rainbow looked around at the giant, the ruins, and the ash. One half of the room looked like this, the other looked like it had just been pulled out of some distant past, and she hadn't even noticed a change.

Rainbow glared back up at Eden. “What's your deal?”

“My deal,” Eden began, “is to help foster harmony and balance in this world, between all its creatures, to give their lives meaning and help them realize their goals. I care for all creatures who try to live in harmony with themselves and others, whether they be ponies … or changelings.” She shifted a little and leaned forward. “Yes, I hear you stumbled upon our two guests, and that young Flix gave you a bad scare. She is quite upset that she didn't handle it better, and that she caused you to run away. I fear she felt she might have failed me. I do hope you will give her a chance.”

“But—” Rainbow began, feeling oddly guilty. She shouldn't feel guilty, they were the ones who had kept her in the dark and lied to her and who were spying on the princess … and who knew what other sinister things.

“I know it is hard for you after your recent experiences, but try to look past the cover. Flix and her brother are changelings, but they are also deserters and in a very difficult situation. It is the nature of all changelings to serve their queen and follow the hive. I could tell them that their queen is alive, and I could help them rejoin their hive, but I know they cling to the possibility that she is dead and their hive scattered. The uncertainty comforts them because if she's dead, then they're not really deserters. It takes a lot of guts for them to go against their nature, just like dear Kin here needs his time to leave this place. We all build prisons for ourselves. We fear change, and we fear letting go of what we have, but sometimes we have to break out and let loose. I am very proud of them for defying their queen and seeking a better life. I will help them find their own destiny.”

“But …” Rainbow was feeling awful. “Blaze …” Or whatever his name is. “He lied to me and used me!”

“I think you got a little carried away, both of you. I suggest you talk with him about it. Give him a chance, and work it out together, for your own as well as his sake.” Eden leaned back a little again. “I did not mean to mislead you or keep these things from you. I simply didn't want to overwhelm you last night. After everything that happened, I thought you might appreciate taking things a little at a time.” She sighed a bit as if what she was getting to was painful to deal with. “The fact is that my relationship with your rulers, the young princess Luna in particular, is very strained. Flix and her brother have been trying to help me bring a peaceful solution to a long and difficult conflict. They see themselves as diplomats more than spies, and we treat our two guests well even if we have to keep them from leaving here. They will return safe and sound once this is resolved.”

Rainbow looked down glumly. Eden dropped down from the throne and sat next to her. “Will you give us a chance? Will you hear our story?”

“Yeah, I … I suppose I shouldn't be so quick to judge,” Rainbow muttered.

Eden smiled. “I am pleased to hear that. Now, I suppose we had better start from the beginning, so that there are no more misunderstandings between us …”

***

Eden paused and looked up at the blackened ceiling. “This conflict with the princess has gone on for far too long. It must end now, and I only want it to end peacefully.” Eden looked back at Rainbow. “You saw what the future looks like. That is how things will end if we can not find a peaceful solution, and I can not do that without you. I need you on my side, Rainbow Dash, and I need you to do what is right and help me convince your friends to do the same.”

Rainbow was getting restless, trying to contain all this and make head and tail of the dilemmas facing her. “But isn't it better that we have the Elements? Isn't that what saved us all from Discord in the first place? What if he comes back?”

“Remember that it was because the mortal races were not vigilant that Discord gained his freedom in the first place. Imagine what will happen if Discord manages to corrupt the ponies like he did then, but now they possess the only power that could stop him? Who will then take up the Elements and defeat him? I would be powerless to do so. Last time he got free he very nearly managed this by corrupting the six of you. Had Celestia and Luna succumbed as well, who would have stopped him?”

“And,” she continued before Rainbow could think it through “, can you tell me why it should be the ponies holding this power and not the griffons? What about the dragons? Or the changelings? How about the buffalo, zebra, mules and donkeys?” She gestured at the silent Kin. “Gargoyles? Right now there are several nations who are asking that very question in earnest, and some of them are very close to reaching a decision that it's about bloody time they got to wield this precious power. The dragons are mobilizing in the south; the changelings have been working to regain what they lost, and their queen now has her eyes on a new and greater prize; even the griffons are uneasy, and they have long been on good terms with Equestria. There are only two ways this can end, in total war … or by no one getting to wield the Elements. You saw where this is going. It is going to end in nothing but death and despair. That is why I need you, and you me.”

Rainbow looked down at her hooves.

Eden reached out and placed a paw on her back. “Remember what I said about the prisons we build for ourselves.” She gestured up at Kin again. The giant had been listening in silent attention during their discussion. “Sometimes we cling to what we know, even if it hurts us.”

***

Rainbow counted the steps as she flew up the stairs. Two hundred and forty seven, she counted the last one and nearly bumped head first into Frostfell as she turned the corner. She was not sure how she had intended to go about this, but admittedly not like this. The other mare took a step back, and her wing twitched a bit nervously. Rainbow sighed. “Look, I'm not good at this, but … I'm sorry I kinda … hit you in the face and didn't, you know, give you a chance. You cool?”

The mare rubbed her eye a little and gave a small grin. “Yeah, thanks. I've had worse.” Her wing twitched again. She ruffled it a bit and sighed. “I should have handled that better, so uh, sorry. My real name is Flix, by the way.” She held out a hoof towards Rainbow, looking hopeful.

“Don't mention it.” Rainbow bumped the hoof lightly. It was almost surreal standing here, bumping hooves with a known changeling. She glanced at Flix' wing as it twitched again. “Uh … something wrong with your wing?”

Flix followed her eyes and shook her head. “Ah, no … it does that when I'm not flying. When I get a little restless or a little bit uneasy.” She gave the wing a good flutter and looked back up. “So … this is kinda strange, ain't it?”

“Uh, yeah,” Rainbow nodded and scratched her neck. “I should probably go see … your brother, huh?”

Flix nodded again, although she looked a bit disappointed. “Yeah. I hope we'll talk later, though, but I can understand if you wouldn't want me around. I bought you muffins from town, if you're hungry.”

“I found them. They were pretty good.”

Flix brightened up a little. “Oh, good. I had to ask the baker what kind he thought you might like. I think he wanted to sell me all of them just to be safe. It was kinda awkward.” She sighed and stepped aside. “We try our best, you know. I hope you'll give us a chance.”

Rainbow nodded and headed down the empty corridor. She only hoped she could handle this.

***

Rainbow stopped a little way from the door. Her body shook, and her mind felt numb. She wanted to take a deep breath more than anything, but all she could do was pretend. It didn't feel the same. She closed her eyes and hesitated a little longer before speaking up. “Who … what do you look like?”

There was a sudden shuffling from behind the door. “Rainbow? I—”

“Don't!” Rainbow cut him off. “Don't come out. How do you look? Who … do you look like?”

There was a pause before he spoke again. “Who would you like me to look like?” he said anxiously.

Rainbow closed her eyes tighter and bit her lip. “I … want to see the real you.”

“Are … you sure?” He sounded nervous.

“No, I damn well ain't!” Rainbow shouted, feeling herself losing it. She sat down heavily, back against the wall and eyes closed to keep the tears from pushing through. “You just used me! And you never meant to tell me, did you? Was I just food to you? Did you just want to feed on me?”

“Is it impossible to imagine that I could love you back?” Rainbow didn't reply. After a long silence he continued. “I know what you must think. I'm a changeling, a monster in your eyes, there's no way you could … no way you could love the real me, is there? But I can love you, can't I?”

Another long pause followed. Rainbow heard the door open and hooves against the floor. They stopped a little way from her. “This is what I look like on the outside, if you wish to see, but can you say if it's really me?” he said. Rainbow sniffed and turned her head away. She didn't want to look, or let him see her tears. “My name …” he continued, hesitating. “My name is Doodlebug. I hate it,” he said with a heavy sigh. “Flix loves to tease me with it. But it's just a name, and this is just a body. I can change both easily, and I always felt more comfortable as a pony among other ponies. I would rather you see me that way.”

Rainbow opened her eyes and wiped the tears away but kept her head turned, looking down the empty corridor. Could she really love a changeling? How would she ever trust him? If she looked now, what would she see? A … horrible insect, some kind of monster, or was it really possible that deep down he was just another pony like her? “I want … just be yourself. I want to see you as yourself.”

She turned her head slowly, bracing for what she might see. She couldn't hide from him forever. The pony standing a little way from her was not so different from the Blaze she had seen earlier. A gray coat and dark blue mane on a handsome pegasus stallion with bright gray eyes. He would look kinda cute with a pair of glasses, she found herself thinking. The white blaze on his face was gone, however, and his flank now showed a trio of black beetles instead of the white flame. He looked serious as he watched her, waiting for her reaction.

“What should I call you?” she said after a while.

He looked down for a moment before replying. “How about—”

“I'm going to call you Doodle,” Rainbow interrupted him, the thought striking her suddenly. “As punishment for what you did.”

Doodle winced. “I guess I can take that like a stallion, if it means you will give me a chance? I know we got a little … carried away, but you're a pretty special mare. I hope we can start over and maybe get to know each other better.”

Rainbow looked at him carefully. Could she really love a changeling? What was it Eden said about prisons?

II.10 - Rejected

He looked like a pony alright. He might act like a pony, too, but how could she love him when she knew what was hiding underneath the skin? When she knew the insect that lurked behind those eyes? Rainbow looked up at the stallion in front of her as he reached out a hoof to touch her.

“No,” she said and pushed his hoof away. “I can't love you! I'm sorry,” she said and jumped up. A pained look crossed his eyes. She needed to get away and be alone with herself. She couldn't look at him right now. “Maybe somepony can, but … but I just can't! I'm sorry,” she repeated and turned, hurrying away down the corridor.

“Rainbow, wait!” he called after her. She was surprised when he hurried past her and stopped in front of her, looking imploringly at her. “Rainbow—”

“Just leave me alone,” she said and pushed him away again as he reached out to stop her.

“Rainbow, please.” He was back in front of her, trying to catch her eyes. Rainbow pushed to get past him while looking away, but he continued and tried to hold her. “Please, I just—”

“Let me go!” she cried and fought to get free.

Doodle looked shocked at her reaction, but he didn't let go. “Rainbow, I—”

“Just let her go, Doodle.”

He blinked and turned around. “Flix?”

Rainbow didn't wait. She raced past both of them before another word could be said. She didn't stop until it became clear that no one was trying to follow her. She landed in the empty corridor and leaned against a wall for support as she tried not to cry. After a few minutes to collect herself, she took wing again and turned down another corridor towards the prison.

She stopped outside the door. She didn't have the key. She couldn't let them out, even if she wanted to. And what would she do then, anyway? Run away too? She had to save her friends, and herself, and what if Eden really was the only one who could help her? If it was all true, then she didn't have a choice. She looked at the door for a long time before pushing it open.

“Ah! Our daring friend an' rescuer returns triumphant!” Frostfell said excitedly and jumped up as Rainbow stepped into the room. “Ya kicked them changeling bastards, eh? Kicked 'em good?”

Blaze looked up from behind a book he had been lazily reading. “Oh, you got the key then?”

Rainbow stopped, looking down. “I didn't get the key,” she said. “I'm sorry.”

“Ach! Blast it,” Frostfell grumbled.

“What then?” Blaze asked, putting his book down. “What happened?”

“I have to save my friends.” Rainbow sat down, careful as usual to not move her broken leg unnecessarily. “I may have no choice but to stay here. I may need their help.”

“Ye cannae trust 'em,” Frostfell said and sat back down heavily. “Lyin' bastards, the lot of 'em.”

Blaze watched her with more concern. “What's wrong with your friends?”

Rainbow looked down at her hooves for a long time, going back over everything in her head. “I'm … going to die soon,” she said finally. “And there's going to be a war, or something, and all my friends will die too if I don't stop it … and I don't know how long I have, or if I can stop it at all. I know what I must do, Eden told me, but I'm not sure I can.”

“Ach, that be a nasty mess.” Frostfell got up and trotted back and forth along the bars of her cell, like a tiger in a cage. “Ye really trust her?”

Rainbow took another long pause before nodding. She wasn't sure why, but she could honestly say she did. Rainbow wasn't normally quick to trust, but perhaps the gravity of the situation made things clearer.

“What do you have to do?” Blaze asked.

She found it hard to look at him. She knew he wasn't the one she had been with earlier, but they had looked the same, and she had thought he was Blaze at the time. She had thought she lay with the Shadowbolt, not some changeling. “I … I need to give up the Elements of Harmony,” she said. “That's easy … I'd … I'd do that in the blink of an eye if it meant saving my friends. I'd do anything to save my friends!”

“But?” Frostfell said, anticipating the complication.

“They need to give them up too. We all need to give them up, otherwise it will all end in war and Eden won't be able to help us, or me.”

There was a long silence from all three of them. Frostfell was the first to break it. “That be nothin' but rubbish,” she said angrily. “Ye cannae believe that, right? Ye believe a bunch o' changelings and their … their Quin, when they say ye have tae give up the Elements? Ach, they have ye brainwashed, is what they have!”

“It does sound a little nuts,” Blaze said with a bit more diplomacy.

“Yeah,” Rainbow muttered. “That's what I expect my friends will say, too.”

“Aye, good on 'em! Ye cannae honestly tell me ye'd do this?”

“Hey! I'm dying, alright?” Rainbow said loudly and got up to face them. “It sounds dumb, but I'm not! Alright? I'm not stupid! I'm dying, my friends may be dying, so if you have a better idea I suggest you tell me right now, because I could really use one!”

There was another long silence. “Aye, sorry,” Frostfell said. “Ain't sayin' ye're stupid, just … consider it, right? An' dinnae ye trust any changelings, they put strange spells on yer heid. So why ye be dyin', anyway?”

Rainbow landed again and gave an unsatisfying half-sigh before explaining.

“… so Death got a bit confused and hasn't caught up yet, but when he does I'm a goner. And Eden could fix it all, if only I wasn't all tied up with the Elements, but I can't just give that up because there's still the other me out there, right? And she'd have to agree too, at least. And that's just me, then there are my friends.”

“Surely there is a better way,” Blaze said after a while.

Rainbow half-sighed again. “You tell me,” she said with her eyes on the far wall. “Is there?”

There was a knock on the door and Flix, still disguised as Frostfell, peeked inside. “You alright, Dash?” she asked as she opened the door fully and stepped inside.

Rainbow glanced around at her. “Yeah, um … thanks,” she said. “Thanks,” she repeated.

“Ah, don't mention it,” Flix said brightly and ruffled her wings. “So, hey, the Queen told me about some magic herbs and stuff to fix your leg, since she can't just fix it for you, and I wondered if you might like a bit of fresh air?” She looked hopeful. “Since, you know, I was going out anyway looking for this stuff.”

Rainbow didn't need any reason to get out of here and into the fresh air. Being holed up in here was torture. She got up and turned to the two prisoners. “Thanks, and … sorry, again.”

***

“My brother really ain't so bad,” Flix said apologetically. She was leading the way up a long flight of stairs. “And he's sorry if he got a little too pushy there. He shouldn't have tried to force you. He didn't mean to scare you like that, he just isn't good at rejection. It's a bit of a new concept for us both.”

“I don't love him,” Rainbow muttered. “I just … can't love a changeling.”

Flix stopped to open a heavy door and stepped out into the cool air of a cave. A roaring veil of water separated the cave from the outside world, and the air was damp and cold with mist. “Yeah, I can understand that,” she said with a sigh. “I think he really does like you and wants to make you happy, he just isn't good at dealing with it. Look, if he ever gives you trouble of any kind, just tell me, alright? I'll give him a thrashing if he bothers you. But I don't think he will.”

Rainbow followed as they flew along the wall of falling water and through a narrow crack into the open. It was such a relief to see the forest and the open sky again, even if it had only been less than a day. She didn't say anything as they dived down over the tree tops.

“I better switch voice,” Flix said next to her, letting her voice shift back into Frostfell's distinctive accent. “Dinnae want tae be heard by anypony by accident an' blow me cover, ye ken.”

They flew in silence for a while, gliding over the tree tops. Rainbow flew in front, trusting Frostfell to make some kind of sound if she needed to change course. She glanced around at the forest, the sky, and then back briefly at the changeling in disguise. She could escape, right here and now. What would Flix do? No way the changeling was faster than her our here in the open. She really could just fly away and never look back. It would be easy too.

Rainbow picked up speed, slowly accelerating. It was good to feel the air under her wings and the wind blowing in her mane again, and secretly she wondered what Flix would do if she got too far away. She was flying pretty fast now, racing close to the trees. She looked back and saw Flix far behind her. There was no hint of concern, or any suggestion that she was going to give chase. Rainbow looked around. She could simply leave, Flix was not going to stop her. She looked back again.

Flix stopped and pointed down, before disappearing into the forest. Rainbow stopped and hesitated. After a moment she turned around and flew back to where she had last seen Flix. She dived into the foliage and landed next to the changeling where she was standing among the ancient trees.

Flix looked around and pointed at the tangled undergrowth of the forest. She didn't comment on Rainbow's little attempted escape, even if it wasn't really an escape after all. “We be needin' a few things: wee flowers, white with yellow stripes on the underside o' the petals, some light green mushrooms what grow on trees, wee transparent berries with a red core, an' the bark o' … them trees here,” she said, patting a tall, thin tree with her hoof. “Think ye got all tha'?”

“Yeah, sure.” Rainbow looked around and began flying towards a patch of white flowers a bit away. They turned out to have white undersides, no yellow at all. She continued for a while until she found a few and picked them carefully.

Rainbow looked back. She could see Flix a bit away, picking berries from a bush. She wasn't even looking at Rainbow. She shrugged and looked around. Picking flowers was so utterly boring, even if it was to fix her leg. Maybe she could just wander off, fly around for a bit and then pretend she didn't find anything.

As she was considering her plan, her ear flicked at a sound further in among the trees. She listened for a few seconds before silently sneaking closer, peeking above a tall bush. An earth pony was cursing under her breath at her tail, which had got tangled up in a bramble bush and refused to get free. The more she tried to get it free, the more tangled it got.

Rainbow pushed a few branches aside. The sound made the other pony look up suddenly and turn her head in Rainbow's direction. The stranger blinked and stared at her. “Rainbow Dash?” She seemed surprised, almost shocked. “What are you doing out here?”

Rainbow moved out from behind the bush. She didn't think she recognized the pony, who had a creamy coat and coffee colored mane. She was wearing a small saddlebag, and her glasses were slightly crooked from the effort to get her tail free. “Um, do I know you?”

The pony looked taken aback for a moment. “Café au Lait?” she tried, and when that didn't seem to ring any bells, she added, “From the café? Is …” She looked around. “Is, um, Twilight with you?”

Rainbow shook her head, and the other pony suddenly looked embarrassed. “Oh, you probably don't remember me,” she said and chuckled, turning red in the cheeks. “Um, do you think you could help me out? I seem to have got myself tangled up here, eheh, dumb tails, right?”

Rainbow shrugged and approached the pony. “Why are you out here all by yourself anyway?”

“Oh, I was just, um, gathering some flowers for the café,” she grinned uncertainly and stuck her head in her saddlebag, poking around for something. “I, um, might have a pair of scissors in here …” she mumbled.

Rainbow flew past her and stopped to inspect her tangled tail. It really was a mess. Scissors might be needed. “Odd place to—”

“Dash!”

Rainbow blinked and turned around just in time to see the flash of metal in Café au Lait's mouth and a streak of white as Flix collided with the startled earth pony. Rainbow blinked as a long, thin blade dropped and lodged itself in the ground by her hoof. Café au Lait's tail was torn free of the bush, leaving several tufts of hair behind in the brambles, while the two mares rolled around on the ground.

Flix ended up on top, with her front hooves around the other pony's neck in an iron grip. There was a brief sneer of recognition from Café au Lait as she looked up at her attacker. “You! You betray—” she hissed before a sickening crack of her neck made a definitive end to her sentence.

A pained look crossed Flix's face as she held on for a little longer, then let go of the dead pony and stepped back in a daze.

“You … you killed her!” Rainbow said, feeling sick to her core as she stared at the lifeless body. The head was twisted around, dead eyes staring into the treetops, mouth open and forever silenced.

“She would have killed you,” Flix said, her voice flat. “She had a knife … she was going to kill you.”

A shiver ran through the body of the dead pony, and Rainbow blinked as the coat and mane blurred, leaving behind the chitinous body of a changeling. Flix looked away and closed her eyes as the transformation began. Rainbow looked from the dead changeling to the knife stuck in the ground by her hoof, then up at Flix.

Flix had just killed another changeling to save Rainbow's life. The last words of Café au Lait began to sink in as she watched the haunted look on Flix's face.

II.11 - Not a Joke

Everything that followed seemed to happen in a frantic daze. Guards came galloping and yelled orders to each other, then went off at top speed again. Dash didn't hear or take note of any of it as she struggled to keep Twilight from collapsing. Her hooves and the white polished floor under them was stained red with blood, and Twilight's body was trembling with cold shakes as she labored to breathe in between the violent coughs.

“Don't die! Please don't die,” Dash kept repeating in despair, even though Twilight was clearly not listening anymore. “They're getting help, it'll all be great!” she added, crying.

A pair of doors swung open at the other end of the room. Dash didn't look up but heard the voice of Celestia as the princess strode into the room. “What is going on out here?” the princess demanded, but hurried forward when she saw the scene. “Twilight!”

A guard hastily stepped in front of the princess to stop her. “You majesty! She may be contagious, you can't—”

“She is also my student!” Celestia snapped at the guard and pushed him aside as she rushed up to Twilight and Dash. “Twilight? Somepony get the royal physician down here this instant!”

“He is already on his way, your majesty,” another guard said meekly.

Dash looked up through tears as somepony she hadn't noticed before hurried past Celestia and knelt down in front of Twilight. Dash didn't recognize the richly dressed zebra who was now trying her best to gaze into Twilight's mouth without getting a hoof bitten.

The princess stepped aside to give room as more ponies came rushing into the quickly crowded room. “Can you tell anything?” she asked tensely, apparently directed at the zebra. “Miss Zapphira?”

“Black tongue, coughing blood,” the zebra, apparently named Zapphira, muttered under her breath and looked up at Dash very firmly. “You, a feather, now,” she commanded. Dash was much too confused and terrified to ask questions. She obediently stretched out a wing and grit her teeth as the zebra grabbed a long feather and pulled it out. Dash tried to bite back the pain as her eyes watered.

Zapphira held up the feather to the princess. “Get her to throw up,” she said as the princess picked up the feather in her magic. Celestia obligingly stuck the feather down Twilight's throat. The unicorn's body convulsed, and Dash quickly held her forward as the bloodied black contents of her stomach spilled over the floor.

“Good, keep doing that, make sure she gets it all out.” Zapphira turned around and quickly found the newly arrived physician who was standing among the crowd looking lost. “Daylily roots? Have you got any?” she asked. The doctor looked blank. Zapphira looked around with a scowl at everypony gathered. “Daylily! Anypony?”

“I keep one in my study,” Celestia volunteered.

“Get me its root,” Zapphira commanded. Celestia wordlessly shoved the feather to the physician, giving him a commanding glare before she disappeared in a flash. As he weakly stepped up to Twilight, Zapphira turned to a group of nurses. “You there, get us water! Plenty of water.”

Twilight had stopped throwing up and was looking very weak. The zebra turned around at her. “Don't stop until it's all out. Again.” Dash obediently held Twilight, too horrified to do otherwise, as the physician mutely repeated the procedure.

Celestia appeared again with a large flower dangling in the air beside her. The princess had clearly just pulled the whole thing out of its pot, wasting no time. “Is this the right one?”

Zapphira turned around and gave the flower one very quick glance. “Burning Daylight, yes! Clean the root in water, crush it in another bowl and give it to her, make sure she swallows it all.” She paused for a second to consider something. “Actually, just give her the whole plant.”

Celestia quickly got the root free of the worst dirt and set about cleaning and crushing the plant as the nurses returned with water. Twilight was burning now and barely breathing. Dash watched, feeling numb and unable to really process anything that was going on around her, while Zapphira and the princess forced Twilight to drink the water and crushed flower.

They all watched as Twilight swallowed the last drops and collapsed again. After a few breathless moments, Zapphira seemed to relax a bit. “Good … good, looks like it stays down. Get her cleaned and into bed.” She turned to the physician who was still standing helplessly with the feather, while the nurses hurried up to help. “Black tea will do her good. Don't remove the leaves, just give her the whole thing, and get her something to eat once she wakes up too.”

Dash followed as if in a dream while Twilight was washed and carried away by the nurses.

***

Dash gently tucked the blanket around Twilight and sat down next to the hospital bed. The unicorn was still unconscious, but her temperature had stabilized and she wasn't coughing so badly. Dash hadn't left, doing the best she could to clean herself without leaving the room. Now she sat there, feeling exhausted and worried sick. “Don't worry, everything will be fine,” she said for the hundredth time, as much to reassure herself as Twilight, who probably couldn't hear her anyway.

She sat there staring at Twilight and gently stroking her leg, wondering what had happened. She hadn't had time to think about it until now, since everything had happened so quickly. Twilight had been fine last night and this morning, she had been fine at breakfast, and then … Dash went over breakfast again. Something Twilight had eaten, maybe. She sighed.

The door opened and Dash looked up to see Celestia enter, followed closely by Zapphira. The zebra had changed out of her rich clothes, which had gotten rather bloodied and dirty from the hasty operation. She still looked somehow regal and commanding as she stood there behind the princess, head held high and eyes fiercely caring.

“Will she be alright?” Dash burst out, looking to the zebra for hope.

Zapphira walked past the princess and leaned over the bed to give Twilight a brief look. “She is still alive, that is the best sign we could hope for right now. A full recovery will take time. She will be weak for a while, but the worst is certainly over.”

Celestia gave a mirthless smile and looked at Twilight briefly before sitting down on a pillow in front of Dash. “Zapphira here is the Zebrica ambassador to Equestria.” The princess looked to Zapphira. “Zapphira, this is miss Rainbow Dash, loyal friend of my faithful student.”

“Pleased to meet you, miss Rainbow Dash,” the zebra said over her examination of Twilight. “Wish it were under more pleasant circumstances.”

“Yeah, me too,” Dash said, her eyes not leaving Twilight.

“Miss Zapphira arrived in Canterlot this morning to discuss unrelated matters with me,” Celestia continued. “It is fortunate that she did. She has kindly explained to me that Twilight had ingested a very foul poison extracted from the intestines of the black-hooded wasp, a species of the south. It is a substance with which I am afraid to say my physician was not prepared to deal. It is not a poison commonly encountered here in Equestria, so we were ill prepared. I must apologize for this failure.” The princess paused for a moment, still watching Dash. “Do you have any idea how this might have happened?”

“She was fine this morning. We had breakfast together at a café in Gloaming,” Dash said, eager to help and eager for answers. “We both had coffee, but I didn't drink mine. It must have been that! There was a pony who served us our food … an earth pony named Café au Lait. Do you think she poisoned it?”

Celestia was silent for several long seconds before quickly standing back up. “I shall inform my sister and have her guards investigate the café you mention. Is there anything else you can think of before I go?”

Dash shook her head and watched the princess as she left the room. She sat for a while, staring at Twilight's hoof before she remembered Zapphira. The zebra was still there, currently going through the small supply of medicinal herbs in a cabinet. Dash sat up a bit. “So, uh, I notice you don't rhyme when you speak?”

Zapphira turned around, looking momentarily confused, then she brightened up. “No, indeed I do not rhyme, but it is not an uncommon choice.” She put a small glass of dried flowers back in the cabinet. “It is an old tradition among our people for the apprentice of a shaman to make a vow when they take up their personal quest. Vows of silence are common, rhyming a little less but still popular. Each apprentice chooses a vow that reflects their own nature and that of their spiritual journey.”

Dash nodded and stared off into the distance.

“I take it your question means you have met one of my folk?” Zapphira asked and closed the cabinet door as she turned to regard Dash. “I hope it was a friendly meeting?”

“Yeah,” Dash looked back at her. “Her name is Zecora. She's been a friend for a while now, lives in the Everfree. Twilight knows her best, though.”

“That is wonderful. Not many zebra travel this far from home, and not many ponies are familiar with our ways either, so it is always good to hear that relations are improving.”

Dash nodded before asking, “So uh, would you mind looking at my wings? I was out flying this morning and got really tired in my wings, like I'd just flown a marathon or something, but I haven't been doing much heavy flying lately, really.”

Zapphira trotted around the bed and narrowed her eyes at Dash's outstretched wing. “You seem well enough to me, miss Dash,” she said after a while and let go of the wing. “Perhaps you simply strained them, but I must admit I am no expert on pegasus health.” She smiled apologetically. “I am not in fact an expert on medicine either, I only remember a little herbology from my younger apprentice days. A fortune, in fact, that I remembered about the daylily flower just now.”

“Oh.” Dash felt a little silly for assuming the zebra would be an expert on all sorts of such things, like Zecora. Another thought struck her as Zapphira was on her way to the door. “You don't know anything about dopplegängers either, then?”

Zapphira stopped at the door and shook her head as she turned around. “I am very sorry. I have heard of the practice among my folk, but I am far from an expert. I can not help you there.”

“Oh,” Dash muttered. “Um, thanks,” she added genuinely.

Zapphira smiled as she opened the door. “It was good to meet you, Miss Dash.”

Dash went back to watching Twilight.

***

She had dozed off next to the bed and woke again as she felt Twilight's hoof on hers. Dash blinked awake and looked at her friend. Twilight looked awful, but awake.

“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight said, her voice almost gone. “What happened?”

“The coffee was poisoned. Probably,” Dash said and looked up at the clock above the door. A little more than an hour had passed since Zapphira left. “Some kind of nasty foreign wasp stuff that the royal physician didn't know about. Lucky the zebra ambassador was here today.”

“The coffee?” Twilight looked miserable.

Dash stood up and stretched her wings and legs. “Yeah. Is there anything I can do? Something you need?” She wanted to feel helpful, and all this sitting and waiting was making her really itchy.

“Something … to eat,” Twilight whispered. “I feel all empty and … drained.”

“You don't say,” Dash muttered. She could have done without the knowledge of how much a pony stomach could hold. Or what it could hold. “The nurses brought some soup and bread. There's also tea,” she said aloud and flew up to a table. “It's cold now, but it's good. Except the tea, it's got lots of leaves in it, but Zapphira says that's good for you and will help you recover. She's the zebra who helped you. I tasted it all, and I'm still alive so at least it's safe.”

“You … tasted it?” Twilight sat up slightly and watched Dash.

“Yeah, well, I don't feel like trusting food from strangers right now.” She picked up the tray and carried it over to the bed. She set it down carefully for Twilight to eat. “I'm not gonna let you eat anything unless I know it's safe, even here.”

Twilight carefully tested her magic by lifting the spoon a few inches off the tray. Finding it no great effort, she slowly began to eat. “What if it had been poisoned?” she asked after a few spoons of soup. “What about you?”

“I … Well, I …” Dash said awkwardly and shifted a little. “I think they found another flower somewhere, so you know, I'd probably have been fine.”

Twilight ate the bread hungrily. “What if it was a different poison this time?”

She was doing it again, being all rational and unreasonably logical. Dash frowned and sat down. “Then I guess I'd be pushing up daisies, alright? I bet you can't think of a better way, anyway. It's not like we can just starve either. You need to eat after what you went through.”

Thankfully, Twilight didn't pursue it any further. Dash relaxed a bit and watched the clock while Twilight worked her way through the food. What was it about hospitals that made the clock seem like it was going backwards half the time?

Dash tensed and stood up as the door opened, but she relaxed again a little when Celestia stepped inside. The princess looked at Twilight and brightened into a smile. “Ah, my faithful student, I am glad to see that you are doing better,” she said and closed the door behind her. “You gave us quite the scare.”

“I'm sorry, Princess,” Twilight said, putting the spoon down. “I don't know what happened.”

“You're sorry?” Celestia walked up to the bed and gave Twilight a nudge and a careful hug. “You have no reason to be sorry, Twilight. If anything it is I who should be sorry.” The princess stood back up and suddenly looked very serious. “As for what happened, I can now say quite certainly that someone tried to kill you,” she said and glanced at Dash. “Both of you, but you were unreasonably lucky. So lucky in fact that my sister insists it was more than just good fortune which saved you. I myself will be waiting for more information before I jump to any such conclusions, but she does make a convincing argument.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked uncertainly.

Celestia trotted around the room slowly. “I got word back from Luna that her guards found the pony who runs the café in Gloaming. She was tied up and gagged in the back of kitchen. When the guard freed her, she reported that she had been attacked when she opened the café that morning, by a changeling who took her place and served you poisoned coffee. She saw this changeling put poison in both your cups, then it closed and left the café right after you had gone. The guard found your cups and confirmed that both had been poisoned, but one was untouched.”

“That was mine,” Dash said. “I just ordered the same as Twilight and didn't know it was coffee. I only took a sip of it.”

Twilight nodded. “That is true.”

“And very fortunate for us, since we only had one flower,” Celestia said and stopped in front of the bed again. “So what we are dealing with here is an assassination attempt by a changeling, and we have to assume your friends in Ponyville may be targets as well. I have already sent several of my guard to Ponyville to make sure they are safe. They will be under constant protection until we can get to the bottom of this. And so will you two, once you return to Gloaming. My sister has already ordered her guard to be on high alert.”

Twilight looked at Dash, then back at the princess. “You really think it's that serious?”

“You might have died,” Celestia said gravely. “I take few things more seriously than your well being, Twilight. I understand that my sister has told you about Eden?” She picked up her slow pacing again. “Luna is quite certain that she had a little paw in ensuring that Zapphira just happened to be visiting the castle today, just in time to save you.”

Dash's frown deepened into a scowl. “Why would she do that?”

“My sister told you that she does not want you dead, did she not? But she might want you fearful enough that you will surrender the Elements to her in return for safety. It would not come as a surprise if she is playing the changelings against you, hoping that you will give up before it goes too far.” Celestia trotted back and forth in silence a few times before continuing. “I can not deny that my sister's speculation makes sense, but do keep in mind that we have no proof yet of her involvement in any recent events at all.”

Twilight stared off into the distance as she thought it over. “And we still don't know what is going on, either, but if Eden is involved why hasn't she let herself be known? Wouldn't she tell us what she wants?”

Celestia stopped again. “I expect it can not be long before she does,” she said thoughtfully. “But perhaps we need to come to her, instead.”

“How?” Twilight looked at the princess, hoping for answers.

“That is the question,” Celestia smiled. “And I have total confidence that you will find a way, as always. You have a way of dealing with these things, my dear Twilight.”

***

Dash walked slowly, supporting Twilight as they followed Celestia down through the grand hallway to the great door with the sunburst, behind which the Elements were safely stored. The princess stopped in front of the door and lowered her horn, directing her magic at the special lock and taking a step back as the door slid open. “Ever since that day with Discord, every time I do this I fear I will once again open this box,” she said and picked up the box, “and find it empty.”

Celestia turned and smiled little. “But I am quite certain that they are still in here this time,” she said and opened the box. Dash and Twilight both held their breath as they gazed into the box, and immediately released the air in relief. All six Elements were indeed sitting neatly in the ornate box, glittering in the light from the sun through the stained glass windows depicting the epic battles fought for Equestria over the years. Quite a few had been added in recent years.

“I am, of course, quite certain that these are the real Elements,” the princess went on as Twilight picked up the crown. “And you and Luna assure me that, as impossible as it seems, the ones you got back in Gloaming are real as well?”

Twilight nodded silently as she studied the jewelry. “I … I can not find anything wrong with these,” she said at last. “They are real, I am as sure as I could possibly be.” She put the crown back in the box, neatly in the middle with the others. “I think we need to see both sets together, in the same room at the same time. Perhaps they … switch places?”

Celestia put the box back in the vault and carefully locked the door again. “I am afraid I can not allow that at present,” she said and turned back around. “We do not know what might happen if they are brought together. Until we know more, I must insist that they be kept strictly apart.”

Twilight looked downcast at Celestia's denial. “Oh, of course, princess.” She turned slowly, helped by Dash, and followed as Celestia headed back down the hall. “Do you think Eden could have done this somehow?”

“I must admit, I do not know, but I don't see how,” Celestia said. “Luna is quite sure that it should not be possible, and as far as these matters are concerned, I am inclined to trust her assessment. What I am quite certain of, however, is that if anypony knows what is going on, it must be Eden.” She looked back over her shoulder at them. “Which is why I believe you need to find her. Just remember, don't give her anything and don't agree to anything.”

II.12 - Haunted, Hated and Hunted

Rainbow stood up and hesitated a few more seconds in front of the knife that might have almost killed her moments ago. She shook herself free of it before flying the few feet to where Flix was sitting with her eyes closed and head turned away from the dead changeling. Rainbow hesitated another few seconds before reaching out to place a hoof around Flix's whithers.

Flix's wing twitched in surprise at the unexpected gesture. She looked up at Rainbow as if to see if she meant it, then gratefully accepted the hug. “Thank you, Dash. I mean it.”

Rainbow let go and tried to look like it was no big deal. “Hey, no problem. Just don't think I'm going soft or anything,” she added and glanced away at the corpse lying next to her. She had never actually seen a dead pony before. Even though this was not strictly a pony, the sight still made Rainbow feel uncomfortable and a little bit sick, but she tried not to show it.

“I know, and nor am I.” Flix ruffled her wings and stood up, giving Rainbow a best attempt at a smirk. Rainbow thought Flix had to have killed before, the way she did it so cleanly, but it had clearly affected her anyway. Perhaps you never got used to it, or at least you weren't supposed to get used to it.

Flix held up a hoof. “So we're in agreement? Neither of us is growing soft, right?”

Rainbow gave it a bump. “Deal.”

Flix took a deep breath and ruffled her wings again before turning to the dead changeling. She stood for a time staring at the corpse in silence, body sort of slumped. Then, with a long sigh she trotted around it and looked up at Rainbow. “Will you help me bury her? I … want to bury her,” she said and looked around before pointing at a spot. “Let's bury her there.”

Rainbow took a glance at their surroundings. “How do we dig the hole? We don't have any shovels.”

Flix followed her wandering eyes. “I … guess we'll just have to use our hooves.” She stepped up to the spot she had pointed out and began digging. Rainbow followed suit, working next to Flix in silence. It was hard work, especially having to watch her broken leg, but the ground was thankfully soft and easy to dig in.

Half an hour, or maybe an hour later, Rainbow stepped out of the hole and wiped her brow with a muddy hoof as she looked into the shallow grave they had dug. Flix jumped out and trotted up next to the body. Rainbow followed, and together they carried the corpse into the grave, laying her carefully on her side in the hole with her hooves bent and her head touching her chest.

Flix and Rainbow stepped out and stood next to the open grave together. The dead changeling looked almost peaceful now. Rainbow wondered what it was you were supposed to say at funerals. Something about the deceased, probably, something about their life and who they had been. She looked up at Flix uncertainly. “You knew her?”

Flix kept staring at the open grave and the dead changeling lying within. “Not well. I met her a few times in Canterlot. She was sent there shortly before the big wedding attack, just before they sealed off the city, to aid in preparing the way. Young one, very eager to serve, always believed strongly in the whole thing. They all do, you know?” She closed her eyes and shook her head before trotting around the grave and starting to push the earth back into the hole. Rainbow watched and listened as Flix continued speaking. “We all get fed the lies from birth, but the saddest ones are those who spend their entire lives among ponies and still don't see it.”

Rainbow turned around and idly poked open the changeling's saddlebag. She sat down with it between her hooves and rummaged around inside. There were some small bottles and a bundle of papers. She sat the bottles on the ground and pulled out the papers, carefully unrolling them. “See what?”

“That it's damn stupid, that's what!” Flix paused briefly to shake her wings angrily before continuing her work. “We need love. We don't die without it, but we grow weak and after a while without it you lose your mind and become more and more like an animal. We don't need much to live comfortably, but too much drives you crazy. You know, my brother is a good pony, but he needs to watch out or he might start wanting more than is good for him … and for you. The Q—Chrysalis!” Flix hissed the name and closed her eyes. “I still can't say her name without feeling like a betrayer of my race.”

Rainbow looked up from the papers and reached out a hoof to Flix. The changeling nodded and straightened back up. “Anyway, Chrysalis was utterly lost long before she came to Equestria and set out on her mad quest. It's because of having thousands of fanatical changelings who would probably die for you … that kind of blind love just drives every queen completely crazy and they can't get enough, they want more, and they want the real deal, the purest love they can find. It drives them to desperation, and their insanity rubs off on every changeling in the hive.”

She pushed the last bit of earth onto the grave and patted it with her tail. “That's what we fight against, and why we need a queen who ain't a changeling and won't go mad from our love. We just want to get by without taking more than is good, but we'll never get there with a queen who goes nuts and attacks your capital in a love-addled craze.” She pointed at the bottles sitting on the ground next to Rainbow. “Be careful with those, they look like poison.”

“Wh—” Rainbow looked up again, then glanced at the bottles. “Oh,” she muttered and held up the papers for Flix to see. “There's a map of Ponyville and some drawings of my friends on these.”

Flix took the papers and glanced through them. “Yes, and one of you,” she said and held up a picture of Rainbow on the back of one of the papers.

Rainbow stared from the bottles of poison to the knife still stuck in the ground and the pictures of her and her friends. Images of the grave monument and Pinkie's lifeless body flashed before her eyes. “They're going to kill my friends!” she cried and jumped up. “I have to warn them!”

“Rainbow, wait!” Flix called, but Rainbow was already through the canopy, speeding towards Ponyville in the distance. Flix's calls soon faded away behind her.

***

The sun hung low over Ponyville as Rainbow raced out from over Everfree Forest and landed near Fluttershy's cottage. It would be a few more hours before it set. She hesitated, feeling her heart grow frantic as she looked at the lonely cottage. A few chickens were scraping inside their pen, birds were flying between the trees, and little critters were playing around the house and in the bushes. Somewhere she would find Fluttershy and then …

If she had a breath she would have found it hard to breathe now. But she had to face this. She had to warn her friends, even if it meant talking to Fluttershy. She had the guts to do this!

She got back on her wings and circled around the cottage. At this hour, Fluttershy was probably in her garden somewhere with her animal friends. “Fluttershy?” she called out. There was no answer, and no sign of the yellow pegasus. Her heart sank as she searched, picking up her pace. “Please don't be too late,” she begged. Fluttershy was not in her garden.

Rainbow looked towards the cottage and quickly approached the front door. It was silent aside from a few critters hopping in and out of their holes and nests. Trembling, she knocked on the door and called out when there was no response. “Fluttershy?” Perhaps she had gone to see one of their friends, or something. Perhaps Fluttershy wasn't home, but a nagging fear demanded that she be sure.

She flew over to a nearby window and peeked through, searching the simple home for any sign of her friend. Her heart skipped a beat as she spotted a lump on the couch under the window. Fluttershy shouldn't be resting already, the sun was still shining! “Fluttershy!”

She looked up frantically. Fluttershy always had an open window or two, so that birds could come and go, and to keep the air inside fresh. Rainbow flew around until she found the window to Fluttershy's bedroom open enough that for her to get through.

“Rainbow!” Flix came around the house from the opposite side and spotted her half-way through the window. The changeling quickly hurried up to her and looked inside. “What are you doing?”

“Finding my friends before it's too late,” she said and continued across the small bedroom. Flix hurried after her as Rainbow flung the bedroom door open and rushed down the stairs to the first floor.

“Fluttershy!”

She spotted the bundle on the couch and raced towards it. Before she could reach the couch, something fell from above and a blanket of darkness wrapped around her, blinding her and causing her to lose her direction. “Hey!” she cried and hit the floor as somepony jumped on her back and forcefully tackled her to the ground.

“I got one!” she heard a voice shout above her, trying to be heard over a sudden din of voices and loud crashes near the stairs. Another set of hooves quickly grabbed hold of her. Rainbow struggled, kicked and cried as her legs and wings were locked in an iron grip. A wave of pain shot through her broken leg, causing her to scream in agony.

“Argh! It bit me!” a voice roared somewhere.

“Get it!”

“It's getting away!”

Rainbow vaguely registered the sounds of frantic hooves and furniture getting thrown down the stairs, resulting in more screams and loud cursing. “Let me go!” she cried, struggling hopelessly. The reply was a hard hit to the back of her head. She groaned before collapsing.

***

Darkness and consciousness slowly came back into focus. Rainbow groaned and tried to move, but quickly regretted it as a fresh wave of pain shot through her leg. She quickly assessed that her head was covered in black cloth, and her legs and wings had been tied with rope. She was lying on a hard wooden floor which was rolling slightly … a wagon. She was on a wagon. She groaned and tested the ropes on her legs.

A hoof hit her in the side. “Be still, changeling scum!” The voice was young, a stallion, and full of contempt.

Her head hurt from the hit she had received, but the words slowly registered in her mind. “I-I'm not a changeling!” she protested and groaned as her head punished her for the outburst.

“Yeah, right, and I'm the princess' own mother,” the unknown stallion said. “You've got to be the world's dumbest change—”

“Private Snout!” another voice interrupted, this one older and more gruff. The younger guard seemingly snapped to attention. “No talking on duty!”

“It's Private Silver … sir,” the young one grumbled, although too low to be heard by anypony but Rainbow. Or at least if they did hear it they said nothing.

“My name is Rainbow Dash,” Rainbow said, growing angry. “Rain! Bow! Dash! I'm not a changeling, you blasted foals! Let me go! I have to warn my friends!”

A hoof hit her on the back of the head again, causing her to bite her lip and making the darkness swim before her eyes. She let out a low growl and fell silent. Except for the slow grinding noise of the wagon as it rolled along the road, and the regular march of the guards, nothing but stoic silence now greeted her. Listening carefully to the hoofsteps, Rainbow guessed there were three guards, at least near enough to hear.

She carefully tested the ropes again, trying to do it as silently and inconspicuously as she could. Perhaps if she could get a hoof free she would be able to get her muzzle out of this bag, and then she could use her teeth to help her with the other ropes. They would probably notice it, but she had to give it a try. She had to get free!

At length the wagon stopped. Two of the guards remained by the side of the wagon while the third continued for a few seconds before saluting at somepony. Rainbow tensed and strained to listen, trying to pick up anything useful. Thankfully she didn't have to hold her breath to hear the two voices up ahead.

“Sergeant.”

“What is the situation, corporal?”

“It is still out there and on the loose, but I have three parties on its trail.” The corporal's voice sounded like the gruff one she had heard before.

“And the village is secured?” The sergeants voice was lower, and Rainbow strained hard to make out the words. It sounded like a mare.

“Aye, safe and sound all around, no other sightings yet. What are our orders?”

“We are still awaiting a decision from Gloaming or Canterlot.” There was a brief silence and the second voice continued more quietly. Rainbow tensed, but couldn't hear what was being said.

“Good grief, damn insects everywhere,” the corporal rumbled after a few seconds. “Then we wait here for now.”

“Very good.” The sergeant paused before adding, “Why have you not sent Private Silver with one of the search teams? He would be optimal in that endeavor, would he not?”

“Lack of ponies, sergeant. The prisoner and the safety of the town are top priorities.”

“Careful as ever, corporal? You seem to have this one well under control, and two guards watching her should suffice. I shall take Private Silver with me and organize another search. If one is on the lose, we must do our best to ensure its capture.”

The corporal saluted, and Rainbow heard him turn. “Private Snout!”

There was a sound of restrained annoyance from one of the guards next to Rainbow. “Sir?”

“Sergent Stormheart requests your service. Don't make her wait.”

“Yes sir!” Private Silver Snout saluted and hurried off to his new duty. Rainbow got the impression he was happy to be away from here, away from the corporal and away from guarding prisoners.

The two officers saluted, and Sergeant Stormheart departed. The wagon rolled into motion again but stopped soon after. No further conversation or action followed for what seemed to Rainbow like a veritable eternity. She could tell that the sun was setting because it was slowly getting a little colder in the air.

One of her legs was sleeping and she was lying awkwardly on her back. “Ugh,” she sighed in frustration. “Is anypony still there?” Perhaps if she was alone she could better make an attempt at wriggling free of her bonds.

“Anypony?”

“Shh!” The hush was so quiet, Rainbow could have almost missed it. It wasn't the kind of hush that said, “Be silent you damn insect.” Instead it was the kind of hush that tried to tell you, in its own limited way, “I'm here to help, so be still or you'll get us both in trouble.”

Rainbow shut her mouth and would have held her breath too if it wasn't somewhere else at the moment. Where it was she couldn't begin to guess, but she would bet a lot that this was all its fault. Damn dopplegänger probably set her up or something. She resigned herself to waiting, hoping her silent friend knew what she or he was doing.

***

Seconds stretched into minutes, maybe hours. Rainbow wanted to groan. She wanted to complain very profusely and very, very loudly, but even more she wanted to be free and out of here where she could stretch her wings and legs. The constant pain from her broken leg was driving her insane. Suddenly a voice broke the silence at last, but the words didn't fill Rainbow with hope at all.

“By Celestia, Private, will you stop twitching! What is wrong with your wing?”

There was a nervous shuffle from beside her. The one who had presumably hushed earlier stood to attention and ruffled a wing. “It's the cold, sir,” she said with a tiny hint of desperation that might well have passed Rainbow's notice entirely.

The other guard stood up and trotted closer. Despite the black hood over her head, Rainbow could clearly picture the scene in her head. The officer narrowed his eyes a little at the private. Rainbow prayed that she kept her cool, so to speak, and didn't sweat. “Yes, these summer nights sure are chilly, aren't they, Private Whistler? Perhaps you need to report for inspection. We can not have sick guards on duty.”

“Sir, to leave the prisoner alone with only one guard is against regulations, sir. I can not leave my duty now. I shall report first thing in the morning, sir.”

There was an extended silence as the officer subjected the poor private to a long and scrutinizing stare. “Remarkable. Tell me something, Private Whistler. Who gave you that scar on the side of your head, and what did I tell you when you woke up afterwards?”

She didn't know the answer. She had no way of knowing. Rainbow was sure of this the instant the corporal began his question.

Private Whistler ruffled a nervous wing. “Sir—”

A sudden and complete silence fell over the camp. It was the kind of silence that could have stopped a train wreck in its tracks and caused every screaming pony within to stop and stare in drop-jawed tension. It was the kind of silence that could even get an officer to suddenly forget all about the suspicious behavior of one very poor private. Rainbow had no idea what was going on.

The sound of distant thunder is always a bit delayed, Rainbow knew this well. The one that followed had traveled a few miles at least when it hit her. It began as a low rumble and built up into a roar like that of some titan beast of fury. The ground was trembling, and the whole wagon was shaking like a pony in a snowstorm. And then it faded into a mere distant rumble and the echo of a storm, like a brooding dark rage. It stayed like a faint audible gloom in the distance.

In the relative silence that followed, there was a hollow sound as of something hard hitting a head, and somepony collapsed with barely a groan. Frantic teeth pulled at the hood covering Rainbow's head. The cloth disappeared and a bright light flooded in. Rainbow grit her teeth and closed her eyes tight. “What is going on?” she moaned as her would-be savior tore at her ropes.

“Shh! No time!”

Rainbow's eyes slowly and painfully adjusted to the light just as her legs got free. She was unceremoniously and roughly pulled off the wagon by a pegasus dressed like a royal guard with a somewhat distinctive scar on the side of the head. “Flix?”

“Yes, now hurry!” the changeling pulled at her frantically. “Into the forest before they see!”

Rainbow stumbled and spread her wings, too dazed to understand what was going on as they were speeding towards the nearby forest. Rainbow had no clue where exactly they were, except it looked like the outskirts of Ponyville. Flix didn't give her time to look around. She caught sight of a few guards hurrying to and from, yelling and looking like the sky was falling down. The guards could spot the two any moment.

Nopony did. They ran and flew under the cover of the trees for several minutes before Flix finally calmed and slowed down enough to speak. “I think … we escaped them,” she said, glancing back the way they had come. There was no sign of any pursuit. “That was too close for my comfort.”

“What the hay is going on?”

Flix took a moment to look around before saying, “They must have got word of the threat to your friends and thought you were a changeling who wanted to hurt them. There are two of you, recall? They probably know where your double is, and knew you couldn't be her. And you really need to be careful you don't run right into her by accident, you know?”

Rainbow hadn't thought of that. She had been too concerned for her friends to think of her own situation. “But … how can I help my friends if I can't get near them?”

“You can get near them, just not near yourself.” Flix picked up pace slightly again. “Just … you need to be careful and think before you rush in like this. You won't help your friends by dying.”

Rainbow was about to kick a tree in passing, but stopped herself. You never knew if the tree might take offense, this she had learned the hard way. Instead she just sighed. “Yeah, alright. I get it.” She kicked the air. At least the air couldn't take offense and hurt her … probably. “So what now?”

Flix glanced up, clearly alarmed, and grabbed Rainbow. She looked Rainbow in the eyes, her expression serious. “Go back to where we buried the changeling and get the herbs I left there. Don't take anything else, and don't linger, just grab the herbs and hurry back to Eden. Do you understand?”

The tone of Flix's voice had become frantic. Rainbow nodded. “But what about you?”

“I need to warn my brother. He must have returned to Gloaming already, and I bet our cover is blown after this, if it wasn't already. He doesn't know, he'll run straight into their hooves and get caught. I can't leave him at their mercy.”

Rainbow opened her mouth to ask something, but another more pressing question rose to her lips instead. “What happened back there? That guard was sure to get you, and then … bam! Like—”

Flix stopped and turned Rainbow's head upwards. It was pretty bright tonight, she had noticed. The moon was high on the sky, shining down at them. No … that wasn't what made this night so bright. Rainbow would have gasped, but she had no breath to do it with. Instead she just stared.

“Whoa! Impossible!”

II.13 - Reflections

A storm cloud had gathered over the Everfree, rising up like a mountain of unbridled black fury and thunderous rage. Lightning roiled through the titan clouds like a web of celestial spiders seething with unimaginable power. A merciless wall of rain and hail drove against her tormented body as she rode across the sky on a prismatic wave.

She was not fast enough! She could never be fast enough!

Tears streamed down her frozen face as she grit her teeth and pulled upwards through the roaring thunderstorm. The storm was too much, she had to go higher, had to reach the calm above the clouds. Her hair and feathers sizzled with energy as she raced between flashes of lightning, unable to see anything but the bright, searing lights. Perhaps she would never see again, perhaps she would be struck blind and live in eternal darkness … for the last few seconds she had left in this world of pain.

And then the hail and rain stopped. She was out, bursting into the open sky high above the world. The light slowly dimmed from pure white to dark red. She could see again. She was out, streaking across the clear sky like a multicolored bolt of lightning. The sky was bleeding with the scarlet drops of the setting sun. Ahead of her was her own trail, around and around … like the snake of legend biting its own tail.

She had to go faster!

Below her the storm raged on like some unstoppable beast of legend, a great black tornado swirling around the old castle. A black chasm of doom, and in its center glowed a cyan heart, a great dome of flickering blue light, like a blue moon fallen to Earth. Black streaks and roaring flames assaulted the great dome and were shot down by flashes of deathly pale white.

The dome was faltering, flickering under the force of a persistent assault. Great black holes were forming in the glowing pale blue. Dash stared in abject horror as the shield flickered one last time and collapsed. A scream rose up from deep below as bolts of black flames struck at the ground.

A second wave of light flashed into existence, a weak purple flicker against the onslaught of darkness. A tiny lavender dot raced across the ground, speeding towards the dying embers of blue. A great flash streaked towards it …

In a second it would kill her. Her shield would shatter at the blow.

“TWI!”

Dash screamed and abandoned her trail, abandoned Death and Destiny. She spun into a downward flash straight at the ground, straight at the last flickering light of Twilight's life. She would not make it, there was no way she could ever make it, but she had to! She screamed at the top of her lungs and closed her eyes tight. Her body was frozen, she couldn't feel a thing, but a single thought drove her on …

A prismatic circlet of light burned around her head as she plummeted to her final fate, too fast to stop, too numb to feel, too desperate to think. And then the world lit up, brighter than ever before, in colors more brilliant and pure then eyes had ever before witnessed.

And her heart beat once …

“NO!”

***

“TWI! NO!”

Dash jerked her head up, her breath frantic and eyes staring in wide horror at the great dusty library of Canterlot. Tears soaked her face as well as the desk she had fallen asleep over, and her whole body trembled. It took her several seconds to calm down enough for her mind to register the pony holding her and speaking softly to her.

“… just a dream … don't worry, it was just a dream. You're safe, nothing's gonna happen.”

Dash spun around and hugged a surprised Twilight, holding her tight while crying.

“Whoa … um,” Twilight said and patted her back a little awkwardly, like she wasn't quite sure what to do or say. “There there.”

It took several additional seconds before she slowly became conscious of herself. Feeling suddenly quite embarrassed, she let go of Twilight and coughed, trying to look cool. It was very hard. “Um, heh … sorry, I-I got a little rattled. Bad dream, heh.” She looked down. “Please don't tell anypony.”

Twilight smiled. “It's alright Dash. I'm your friend, I understand.” She looked a little more serious and gazed into Dash's eyes, which only made Dash feel more awkward. “What was the dream about?”

Dash wiped her face and the old wooden desk, trying to sober up enough to not look completely pathetic. “I … I really don't think I want to remember it, if you don't mind, Twilight.”

“Please try, while you still can remember it,” Twilight persisted, looking concerned. “It might be important. Was it a memory, do you think? Something about what happened to you?”

“No, not anything that happened,” Dash said and looked around at the library, trying to find a clock or a window so she could figure out how long they had spent here, looking through old, dusty books. No wonder she had fallen asleep. Probably no wonder she had had a nightmare either, being surrounded by so much concentrated boredom. “Just a silly nightmare.”

Twilight didn't give up. “Please … for me?”

Dash looked at Twilight and sighed. She couldn't say no to those purple eyes, so full of concern and caring. “Well …” she muttered and rubbed her face, trying to remember the start of the dream and all the little details that followed. Twilight listened and took careful notes as Dash recounted the dream.

***

Dash held back a groan as Twilight loaded another stack of books on her already overloaded back. Who knew a bunch of stupid books could be so damn heavy? Were the pages made of gold? Some of them did have gold leaf on the edges, maybe someone long ago had decided golden edges weren't gold enough.

Twilight paused and looked at her for the hundredth time at least. Dash knew the look. “Are you sure it's not a problem? They are quite heavy. I'm not overburdening you, am I?”

“Seriously, Twi?” Dash grinned proudly. “Who's the Iron Pony here? I could carry a hundred more books at least,” she said, punctuating it with a light snap of her tail. “No problem!”

Twilight smiled. “If you're sure. I just wanted to make certain.”

Dash watched her trot off and disappear among the rows of ancient books and scrolls … again. She allowed herself a little groan as she shifted a little under the load. “My big blabbering mouth …” she muttered, too quiet to be heard.

Twilight was still a little weak after the poison and needed to relax to recover fully. Of course, Dash supposedly needed to take it easy too, but she felt alright and not dizzy or anything at all, so why worry? Her wings still ached, but they had done that before, she just needed to fly that off as she always did. No big deal. If her friend needed her, Dash wasn't about to let her down, so of course she had offered to carry Twilight's books for her. In fact she had insisted, to spare Twilight.

Minutes drifted by. If it wasn't for the load on her back, Dash might have closed her eyes for a moment. At last Twilight returned, carrying a few more books and a box of scrolls. “Alright, this will have to do for now,” she said and looked up at Dash. She stopped and considered her friend. “I think I can carry these,” she said with a smile.

“Just load 'em on me, Twi,” Dash said. “I might as well take 'em all.”

“You don't have to, Dash. I know you could, you don't have to prove it to me,” she said, then levitated a few books off of Dash's back. “Look, I'll take these too. Fair's fair.”

“Alright, fine,” Dash rolled her eyes. She didn't actually mind, but she tried not to show it too much. “So can we leave now?”

“Yes, I wouldn't mind getting back to my bed at the castle. I'm exhausted.” Twilight stacked her books and placed them in her saddlebags, then trotted around and out the door, followed more slowly by Dash. They walked down the halls of the Canterlot archive towards the streets from which Twilight would teleport them back to Gloaming. Dash hoped doing so was not too much of a strain for her friend, but Twilight had assured her that she felt up to it.

Dash was wandering in her own thoughts, trying to not tip over with all the books, when Twilight suddenly stopped and lifted a hoof to her face, looking briefly like she was going to be sick again. Dash hurried as best she could to Twilight's side, offering her someone to lean against. “Whoa, are you alright? What was that?”

Twilight blinked a few times and rubbed her head. “I-I'm fine, something's—” She looked back up and listened as a distant rumble shook the walls of the archive. Twilight spun around and darted down the hall to the nearest window.

“Wait for me!” Dash called and wobbled briefly. She managed to avoid a catastrophe with the books and hurried after Twilight. “What's wrong? What is it?”

Twilight was standing with her hooves in the window, staring out at the sky. “Nonononono, this is not good! This is all wrong!” she rambled.

Dash pulled herself up to the window and peered out. The sun had set, probably no more than an hour or two ago. No surprise there, the bigger surprise was that Twilight hadn't spent all night in the archive. It was unusually bright, though … Dash blinked, then stared. “I'm seeing double. Tell me I'm seeing double, Twi. I knew there was something in that tea!”

“We have to find Luna!” Twilight said and rushed down the hall. “Come on.”

Dash stared at the two glowing orbs in the sky. “It's got to be the tea, r-right?” she asked and realized that Twilight was already far down the hall, calling for her. Dash blinked one last time at the two moons, then hurried after Twilight.

***

A storm cloud had gathered over the old castle.

“Princess!”

Twilight rushed through the doors of the grand hall. Dash followed much more slowly and practically tipped over inside the door, throwing all the books off her on the ground. “Ugh, this is not light reading!” she groaned and ruffled her wings as she stood back up and rushed after Twilight, now finally free to move at a good, proper speed.

They found Luna in the throne room, looking like a thunderstorm barely contained within a brittle glass. “What do you mean, nothing?!” she roared at a young guard who had been so unfortunate as to become the focus of her ire—probably because all the older guards knew when to send the young one to be the messenger.

“H-he still hasn't told us anything, Y-your Majesty,” the guard said, bravely holding on to his nerves and trying to stay cool. “But,” he added quickly and with surprising guts, “we are still working on it, as you ordered, Your Highness.”

Luna looked up and saw Twilight and Dash enter. She waved a dismissive hoof at the guard. “Bring him before Us. We shall deal with him!”

“As you command, Princess.” The guard bowed deep and galloped off past Twilight and Dash.

“Princess?” Twilight looked at the princess and decided it was wise to bow. Dash followed suit, kneeling down on the polished stone floor.

“The insolence!” Luna said, apparently not at them, and spun around. Her eyes, gleaming with bright rage, narrowed as she gazed out a tall window at the offending object in the sky. “The night sky belongs to me! It is my gift to the world, and I will not have it sullied by this … this gaudy bead! Have you seen that thing? It's an outrage!”

Twilight stood up slowly. “Princess, perhaps if you calm down—” Luna turned to glare at them. Twilight shrank a back, but continued “—and tell us what is going on, and what we can do?”

Luna's eyes flashed dangerously for a second, then she closed them and trotted back to the grand obsidian throne. She sat down heavily. “This is Eden's work, depend upon it, Twilight Sparkle,” she said darkly. “I can not begin to imagine why she disgraces my beautiful night like this, but I very well intend to find out! I demand answers for this!”

“What were you talking with the guard about just now?” Twilight continued, daring to move a little closer to the throne.

“We arrested one of the Shadowbolts earlier,” the princess said and glanced back out the window. “Because of your earlier suspicions, as well as the attack on you, we have kept him under charges of being a changeling and attempting assassination. Foolish of him to stick around.” She turned around again, and her eyes fell on Dash. “My sister's guards sent word that they caught a changeling pretending to be you and snooping around in Ponyville, along with another Shadowbolt who unfortunately escaped. Your dopplegänger, no doubt. I sent orders to have her brought here, it should have reached them now.”

Twilight bit her lip. “What are we going to do, Princess?”

Luna looked up, her eyes intense. “We make him talk.” There was a knock on the door. The princess stood up and regarded the entrance with a cool stare. “Enter!”

The heavy doors swung open and four armed guards trotted in, leading a Shadowbolt in chains between them. Twilight and Dash stepped aside to let them pass. The prisoner glanced up at them as he was lead down the grand hall before the princess. Two more guards entered and closed the doors before standing to attention beside the entrance.

The Shadowbolt stood straight up before the princess, awaiting what was to happen. Luna regarded him for a time before speaking. “My trusted guard tells me that you recited the sworn oath of the Shadowbolts flawlessly,” Luna began, her piercing blue eyes never leaving the chained pony. “Even the three secret lines at the end that I provided my General in a sealed envelope. It would seem you are who you claim and we owe you an apology, mister Blaze.”

Blaze said nothing, standing at attention and staring straight ahead.

“So perhaps you would like to explain the blood sample that was taken from you.” Luna's expression remained blank. “A rare blood condition, perhaps?”

Blaze still did not move. “I can not explain that, Your Highness.”

“Very unfortunate. What is your name, changeling?”

“Blaze, Your Highness.”

“And your real name?”

“It is the only name that I desire to give, Your Highness.”

“I see.” Luna sat down on the throne and regarded him for a long time. “Then perhaps you wish to tell us how you know the secret lines that only I and the real Shadowbolts should have known? Did you perhaps torture it out of them?”

Blaze remained silent, staring straight ahead.

“You have been informed that you stand accused of espionage, kidnapping, impersonation and attempted assassination of the royal protégé and her friend, as well as the intention to assassinate others? You are aware that for these crimes you face death?”

“I have been informed of this,” Blaze said solemnly. “I plea innocent of these charges. I wish no harm upon anypony.”

Luna watched him for several more seconds in silence. “And what proof do you—” She paused and glanced up slightly. A faint commotion was heard through the heavy doors at the other end of the room. “—have of your innocence?” she continued as she stood up, watching the doors intently.

Blaze glanced around as well. “Only my word, Your Highness.”

Luna made a gesture for the guards, who moved to stand by the door, except the two holding Blaze. “The honor of a changeling, is it?” she said to Blaze.

The commotion was getting closer. Dash could hear muffled yelling, then the doors burst open and a light blue pegasus in Shadowbolts uniform landed on the floor with several guards on top. “He didn't do it!” she yelled and tried to struggle free of the guards. “Ungh!” she groaned as the guards managed to get a hold of her and lock her hooves.

Luna gave the mare an unreadable look. “I see. Perhaps you wish to save us some time and confess, then? I notice you forgot your beautiful Northern accent, miss Frostfell.”

“I see no, ngh, reason to keep it up now,” she said as the guards chained her and pulled her back up.

Luna nodded. “Wise, and so refreshing. What is your name, then?”

“Flix, Your Highness.” She stopped next to Blaze, giving him an apologetic look. “And my brother and I never meant anypony any harm, I swear it.” She glanced around at Dash and Twilight. “I also know who was trying to kill you.”

“Flix it is then …” Luna sat back down as the doors were closed again and calm returned to the throne room. “And who was this, if not you or … your brother, is it?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Flix returned her attention to Luna. “It was another changeling, but she is dead now.” She looked down. “I can show you where I buried her only hours ago.”

Luna's brow furrowed as she watched Flix and her brother. “Let me get this right, you claim that you killed the changeling who tried to poison Twilight and her friend?”

“I … I did, Your Highness,” Flix said. She looked around, her eyes briefly lingering on Dash before she continued. “She tried to hurt … somepony. I had no other choice. She had her saddlebag full of poison and pictures of Twilight and her friends.”

Dash watched intently. It was impossible to tell what the princess was thinking, but Dash got the impression that Luna had already guessed most of the answers and just wanted to hear it confirmed.

“She tried to kill … somepony? What pony was this, miss Flix?”

Flix's wing twitched slightly. She glanced around again. “Rainbow Dash, Your Highness.”

“We are talking about miss Dash's double, I presume?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Flix straightened herself up a bit, seemingly deciding that the cat was out of the box now, so she might as well talk. Blaze was staring at the floor next to her. “She was with me in the forest. We were gathering herbs to fix her broken leg. She ran into the other changeling who tried to stab her, and so I killed her. The changeling, that is.”

Luna nodded a little. “I see. So where is the other Rainbow Dash now?”

“I told her to return to where she has been staying,” Flix said evasively. “After I got her out of Ponyville,” she added.

There were a few glances among the guards. The princess remained unreadable. “Ponyville?”

“Yes. When she saw the pictures and the poison she rushed off to warn her friends and ran into royal guards who thought she was a changeling. I do apologize for knocking out one of your sister's corporals, but I had no choice.”

“Why?”

“To protect her, Your Highness. They can not meet, or they will die. Or so I understand it. They must be kept apart until they can safely be reunited.”

Dash blinked and looked at Twilight. Her friend shrugged, looking no less surprised.

Luna's eyes still revealed none of her thoughts. If she was surprised, she didn't show it. “And then you told her to return to where you have been secretly keeping her? Unescorted?”

Flix nodded. “Yes, Your Highness. We do not keep her against her will.”

“And where do you keep her?” Flix said nothing. Luna waited several seconds before continuing. “You will not tell, is that it?”

Flix looked straight at Luna. “I will not betray my Queen, Your Highness.”

“Eden, I presume?”

Flix nodded once. “I will not betray my Queen,” she repeated. Dash thought she detected a tiny glimmer of a smile on her lips, like she was planning something. “But I will show you to the body of the assassin, and if you let my brother and I go free, then I shall arrange a meeting with her there.”

Luna narrowed her eyes, and the silence of the room grew tense. Finally she said, “Show us to the assassin. We make no further promises.”

II.14 - Through the Looking Glass

The forest was silent when Rainbow finally found the spot where she and Flix had buried the changeling. She landed and quickly located Flix's saddlebag with the herbs they had gathered. She hoped it was enough, because she couldn't remember half of what they had been looking for, nor did she feel like sticking around to find it in any case.

She picked up the bag in her mouth and paused, looking around the forest. She could go see Zecora instead. She knew where the zebra lived, and Zecora always had lots of herbs and potions. Rainbow bet that Zecora would be able to fix her leg in a jiffy. It was hurting pretty bad after the incident with the guards. But what if Zecora thought she was a changeling too? What if her hut was guarded too?

Rainbow bit her lip. Flix had told her not to linger, and she didn't want to in any case. The eerie light of the two moons made the forest even more unnerving than usual. No, she couldn't turn to Zecora for help, or any of her friends. Not anymore … not yet. She looked up and resolved herself.

Rainbow swung the bags over her back and set off, quickly picking up pace as she burst out from the cover of the forest into the open night sky. It didn't take her long to reach the waterfall. She glanced around the dark treetops, scouting for anypony watching, before slipping past the curtain of water into the hidden cave and ancient ruins hidden there.

It took her a bit longer to find her way through the still unfamiliar halls and corridors to the prison. She paused outside the door before peeking inside. Frostfell was sleeping in the corner of her cell. Blaze was still awake, reading a book in the dim light of a candle. He looked like he wasn't far from falling asleep as well. Rainbow hesitated before quietly turning around to leave.

“You're not going to say hi?” Blaze said quietly, looking up just when she turned around.

Rainbow froze and bit her lip. She couldn't leave now that he had seen her, that would really be rude. She turned around and entered the room, looking around without really looking at Blaze as she sat down. “Yeah sorry, I didn't want to disturb you,” she said, not too loud so as not to wake up Frostfell.

“Fair enough.” She couldn't tell what his expression was. She was sort of looking at the floor in front of him, occasionally glancing at the walls or the sparse decoration of the cells. “So how went your trip? I see you came back,” he said. “I take it you didn't take the chance to escape, then.”

“They aren't bad,” she said, a little louder than she had intended. She felt she needed to defend the two changelings. She added more quietly, “I trust them.”

She could hear Blaze close his book and put it down on the floor next to his bed. “I'm sure me saying this doesn't change a thing, but don't you think they have messed with your head a bit? They've got some strange magic that screws with your thoughts and makes you think they're really your friends, that sort of thing. It's pretty scary stuff, when you think about it.”

Rainbow scowled at the floor. “If they've fooled me, then they're really good at it, and … and I don't think they're really that good.” She looked up and sort of stared past Blaze at everything but him. “They try, and they really do the best they can, but I don't think they could pull off fooling anypony that much. They're just ordinary cha—ordinary ponies, doing the best that ordinary ponies can.”

Blaze said nothing. Rainbow scraped the floor idly for a few awkward seconds. “Anyway, I didn't want to bother you,” she said and got up to leave again.

“I wish you would stay a little longer and talk to me,” came Blaze's voice again. “We can talk about something else if you like. I don't mind.”

Rainbow paused and slowly turned back again. “I would kinda like to find Eden. My leg hurts pretty bad,” she muttered as an excuse. She didn't want to simply leave him.

“You're not looking at me,” Blaze said somewhere outside her field of vision. “I don't blame you for this, you know. I understand that you are in a difficult situation.”

“It's not that.”

“What then? I would like to know why I'm making you uncomfortable.”

“Trust me, talking about it would only make it more uncomfortable,” she muttered and tried a grin. It didn't quite work and ended up more of a facial twitch.

Blaze sat up. “I don't understand,” he said slowly.

Rainbow forced herself to look up at him. It was a mistake. She sat down again and bit her lip as she sought for a way to put it. “I thought I loved somepony,” she said.

Blaze looked at her for a moment before his eyes flickered in understanding. “Until he turned out not to be the pony you thought he was.”

Rainbow gave a half-nod, ending up staring at his shadow on the floor and feeling her cheeks redden. “Yeah, that. I thought I loved one of my friends too, until I found out she loved some other pony. And … and maybe I don't know what it means to love somepony, maybe I'm just confused. I can't love a changeling,” she felt herself rambling slightly. “But I think I still do.”

Blaze smiled. She could hear it in his voice without looking at him. “When I was a young colt in flight school, I thought I loved a filly named Sky Dancer. I invited her out and we really clicked together. Sky was beautiful, witty, and so damn sexy. We spent a lot of time together, just hanging out, you know?” Rainbow could hear him grin with the memory. “Then I met Flash Fatale, a new filly at the school. I showed her around, and she showed me a couple of tricks behind a shed. After that I thought I loved her too. She was pretty wild, pretty addicting.”

Rainbow looked up at him. He was still smiling as he recounted. “I tried to be with both, until Sky found out. Needless to say she was pretty angry … well, furious is more the word, and I was pretty broken. I went to a bar to drown myself and woke up next morning with another filly named Moon Flower. For a little while there I thought I loved her too, even though I was still fooling around with Flash. She was like a drug, I couldn't say no to Flash. That's when things got really complicated, when Flash announced that she was with foal. I wasn't exactly prepared for that in my life.”

“Anyway, long story short,” he said and shook his head. “After a lot of nerve-wracking time and some magic, it was determined that the foal was not mine but some other stallion that Flash had been fooling around with behind my back. Neither of us knew, and he wasn't too happy to learn that I had been screwing his lady, so he kinda gave me a black eye, and that was the last I saw of Flash and her coltfriend. I think he's a guard now. Moon Flower found somepony else a few days later, and then I was alone and depressed. I poured all my loneliness and frustration into my training and forgot all about fillies for a while. All that single-minded training really helped me a great deal in qualifying for the Shadowbolts, in fact.”

“I learned a lot from all that,” Blaze went on. “I haven't thought much of Flash or Moon since, but I have often missed Sky. There have been times when I wanted to go find her and tell her how sorry I am, but I'm sure I had my chance with her long ago, and I totally blew it by being a bastard and a fool. An intelligent, witty mare like her is probably married now with somepony who deserves her more than me, and I have no business getting back into her life. Love takes time, Rainbow, and sometimes we lose it. I don't put much stock in the loves that hit you like a flash, because they leave you like a flash too. If you want to know that you truly love somepony, and that they love you too, then you need to get to know them as a friend first.”

Rainbow stared at the floor for a long time, then looked up a Blaze again. “You never found anypony else?”

Blaze smiled. “Before joining the Shadowbolts I trained every day and forgot all about love and friendship. After getting the job … well, I've had time to get to know some pretty great ponies now. One pony in particular.” His eyes drifted briefly to the sleeping form of Frostfell. “I haven't told her yet, but after knowing her for some time I'm pretty sure she knows and feels the same. Maybe after all this is over I'll take the vacation I have saved up and open my heart to love again.”

Rainbow smiled a little for the first time. She felt relieved. “Thanks, Blaze. You've given me something to think about, that's for sure.”

Blaze winked. “My pleasure, and now you know what to ask me if you ever wonder if I'm the real me. Nopony else knows. Yet.”

***

Rainbow wound her way through the halls and winding stairs in search of Eden. She wasn't sure she had taken the right turn a few times, and she couldn't quite recognize all the rooms she passed by either. She had intended to check with Kin first, but every stair she headed down seemed to ultimately lead further up instead. The corridors took on a less ruinous look as she continued on, and a few ghostly wisps passed her by in their own mindless tasks. Rainbow watched them uneasily, still unable to get used to their eerie presence or the non-sound they made.

And then she was back in the grand hall, and she didn't know how she had got there. The door to the pool under the tree was open, letting out small bits of mist and gently dancing light. Rainbow approached and looked through the doorway.

There were a lot of clouds. Eden was reclining on one, looking like she was asleep, or possibly in some deep meditation. Rainbow glanced into the water. Strange shapes flickered in its deep, too washed out and vague for her to make sense of. It was kinda mesmerizing, however, like a sort of lava lamp. She moved closer and reached out a hoof to touch the surface of the pond.

“Bad pony!”

Rainbow squeaked and jumped several feet in the air. There was a chuckle from one of the clouds. Rainbow glanced up at Eden and tried to regain her cool. “Oh, heh, just checking the pool—” she began.

“Got you,” Eden smiled, her eyes twinkling. “But really, don't touch the water.” She noticed the saddlebag with herbs and swung herself around on the cloud. “Ah, you got all the herbs, did you?”

“I have no idea,” Rainbow admitted while glancing into the water. The shapes had drifted off, leaving just a blank surface of bright blue water. “I got bored, and then we ran into some trouble.”

“Yes, I know.” Eden levitated the bag off Rainbow's back and dug through the contents. “Now let's see what you've got so we can get that leg of yours fixed. It's starting to look a little bad on you. It must be so tiring too, having to be careful all the time.”

Rainbow nodded, and her brow furrowed in thought. “You knew what was happening, didn't you? Did you arrange all of this? With that changeling and the guards and everything?”

Eden put a bunch of mushrooms back into the bag and looked up. “I keep a close eye on what goes on, and sometimes I play a little card or two, usually because someone asks for help, but I am not here to rule your lives and play you like puppets on strings. That's Discord's game, not mine.” She looked back into the bag and snapped a paw. “Take a look in the water.”

Rainbow looked down into the pond where now images were forming again. She saw a pony she didn't recognize, brown coat and blond mane, fairly plain looking, sticking a hoof into an unsuspecting pony's saddlebag and surreptitiously slipping out a bag of glittering bits.

“Random pony in Manehattan, has absolutely nothing to do with you, probably never will,” Eden said and watched from her cloud. “The greatest connection between your two fates is that you're watching his right now, and he is not. This is five minutes in the future. I didn't make him steal those bits, he made that choice for himself. Just about now he's going to regret it.”

There was some yelling and tumult as apparently somepony else had seen the thief's misdeed. Eden smiled and snapped her paw. “He might have got away with it, and since that was the future we just saw, I could make it so, but I'm no petty puppet master. He'll make his own decisions and reap his own rewards.”

The images changed, now showing another—no, the same pony, Rainbow realized, but older. He was working a field and wiping his brow. “Twenty years later, this is his fate, almost certainly. Not too bad. Good honest life for a former thief.” She snapped her paw again, and the image changed to show the same pony now at a grand dining table in some fancy mansion. “This is not his fate, but I could make it so. It would affect other ponies, of course. Everything affects something else, the only question is what and how.”

Another snap, another change of scene. Rainbow narrowed her eyes. The image before her was slightly blurry and occasionally things seemed to change for no reason, like ponies suddenly appearing that were not there moments ago. She recognized one pony, though. It was Soarin' and the place was Sugarcube C—no, some fancy restaurant in—no, out training somewhere near Cloudsdale?

“Tomorrow morning, and a pony who has become quite entangled with you and your friends. The uncertainty here is noticeable.” Another snap, the scene fixed on Soarin' comforting Fluttershy in Sugarcube Corner. “Of course, I am not without talent, so I can tell you that some very strange things indeed would have to happen for this not to be the real scene, more or less.”

Another snap, yet another scene. Now Soarin' was older, and that was about all Rainbow could tell. She thought she saw a flash of a grave, and a ceremony, but everything flowed together into complete obscurity. “Twenty years later, and even I will have to work hard to tell you much of interest. The effects of a life touched by the Elements, even tangentially, are clear.”

Now the scene changed to show Rainbow herself. Rainbow blinked as she looked into the water as if it was a perfect mirror. “You in this very instant, right here in this room. Clear as day. The present is fixed, after all. As is the past. I can not affect either.”

The water changed and now showed herself standing in a throne room. Twilight was there next to her, and Luna and … Blaze, or Doodle. “Still right now,” Eden commented. “But this is the other you.”

Again the scene changed, but now it was a blur of vaguely recognizable shapes. “You again, a week from now. I could try to narrow it in on the most likely future, like I did for you yesterday, but I am sure you can see how the Elements distort your fate, and the fates of everything you interact with. I can see clearer than you, but I can not fully penetrate the veil around you and your friends. Therefore, even if I wanted to play puppet master, the Elements would probably foil me. Even Discord struggled with you more than you think, and he's an exceptionally skilled puppet master.”

Rainbow considered the pool as it returned to just plain water. “The double moon? Was that you?”

“Dragons,” Eden winked and looked innocently into the bag of herbs. “I might have tweaked the timing just a tad,” she muttered very quietly and smiled at the corners of her mouth. “Anyway! I think you got most of the herbs.” She plucked out a single small berry and popped it in her mouth. “Mmm, yes.”

Rainbow squeaked in surprise and moved aside swiftly as a ghostly wisp snuck up behind her and drifted up to Eden, carrying a small crystal goblet with water. Eden took it carefully and began mixing in the herbs while the wisp drifted off again.

Rainbow settled down on a cloud as she watched the process, occasionally glancing into the water or behind her for any more sneaking ghosts. “What's going to happen?” Rainbow wasn't sure she had intended to ask that out loud, but it just happened. “Is there any hope for my friends?”

Eden crushed a small piece of dry bark into the goblet. “Have faith, Rainbow Dash,” she said and swirled the cup as she looked up. “Have faith in yourself, and those around you.” She held out the cup for Rainbow to take. “Drink this.”

Rainbow winced as she leaned forward to take the goblet in her teeth and carefully tipped it to let its contents trickle into her mouth. It tasted slightly sweet, probably because of the berries, with a strong earthlike undertone. Once finished, Eden picked the goblet back up and levitated it in the air. A wisp appeared and took it away. Rainbow licked her lips and watched the ghost drift off.

“That should help,” Eden said. “Make sure you don't move your leg for the next few hours. You can stay here in the well until it is healed. I will have the wisps provide you with something to eat and drink.”

“What about you?” Rainbow moved carefully so that she was lying down and could rest her broken leg without moving it. She was tired and didn't mind a rest.

“I need to make a little appearance elsewhere,” Eden said and dropped off her cloud. “I may not be able to simply fix everything with a snap, not yet, but I do my best where I can. Have faith in me, too.” She snapped her paw.

Rainbow glanced down into the water where images of the forest blurred into focus. Among the trees she could see herself and Twilight. She looked back up at Eden.

Eden smiled. “A little entertainment. I can't take you with me, but I can let you watch from here. Rest, and have faith.” She snapped her paw a last time, and with that she was gone.

II.15 - Ultimatum

Luna rose from her throne and watched as the guards led the two changelings out of the room in chains. Dash waited next to Twilight until the doors closed behind the guards, then turned as Luna walked down the few steps from the throne towards them.

“You two must go and do what you believe you must,” the princess said and looked at Twilight. “My guards will be there to protect you and to watch the changelings for any signs of treachery, but I can not go with you. I do not trust myself to deal with this rationally, and my presence would only complicate any dealings with Eden, if she deigns to show herself at all.”

Twilight glanced at the floor and bit her lip, then raised her head. “You can count on us, Princess.”

Luna nodded once. “Then go. There is precious little time, and you must learn all that you can.”

Twilight bowed and turned. Dash followed, glancing back at the princess. Luna stood in the middle of the throne room like a dark statue, icy blue eyes watching them as they left. She looked tense, full of carefully restrained anger. Dash was only thankful it wasn't directed at them, as she trotted a little faster to catch up with Twilight before the doors closed behind them.

The guards were standing at attention near the entrance to the castle, watching the two changelings with steely gazes. Twilight trotted up to them and gave the prisoners a stern look. “You—” She pointed a hoof at Flix. “Lead the way, and no tricks. I'm right behind you, and if I see anything I don't like I'll personally make sure you regret it.”

Flix's wing twitched nervously as she bowed. “Of course,” she said and turned, walking slowly ahead of the guards. Twilight rubbed her head and took a deep breath before following close behind. She was clearly drained and needed rest as soon as this was over, if not before.

Dash leaned against her slightly, offering her support as they walked. Concern gnawed away at her. Concern for Twilight, mostly, but for their friends too. The best she could do was stay by Twilight's side and support her whenever she needed somepony. Dash felt she could do that, at least. Twilight would find some way, Twilight always did, and Dash would be there to help her all the way.

***

The forest was musty and cold from a recent downpour as they wound their way through the labyrinth of dark trunks, old roots and thorny branches. Flix headed the procession with her brother close by and the guards carefully watching their every step. Twilight made up the rear, supported by Dash. Twilight walked carefully, her hooves dragging slightly.

“Do you want me to carry you?” Dash whispered in her ear.

Twilight shook her head and shot the two changelings a dark glance. “I don't want them to get any ideas if they see that I am weak,” she whispered back, very quietly. “I'll be fine,” she added and gave Dash a grateful rub.

Dash returned the rub and wrapped a wing around her back to keep out the cold and rain. The slow march progressed through the forest. The guards were silent and attentive, but the changelings walked obediently in front and showed no sign of having plans of escaping.

After almost an hour, Flix paused and pointed a hoof. “It is just up ahead,” she said. “We buried her where she died. Her possessions are still there as well.”

“Show us,” Twilight commanded. When they were moving again, she added, “I didn't know changelings buried their dead. It was my understanding that you eat them.”

There was a long silence, then Flix spoke. “Your understanding is largely correct. The young eat the old, that way the dead stay with the tribe, or so the words of our tradition would have it.” Dash felt sick at the thought and wondered if the shame in Flix's voice was earnest. She couldn't imagine eating any animal, much less a fellow pony. “I wanted to give her a proper burial … as a pony.”

“You consider yourself a pony?” Twilight continued her questioning as they stopped among a copse of trees and bramble bushes. Twilight was always eager to learn, but it was clear that she was hoping for more than just a fascinating tale of a foreign culture.

Flix looked up. “I try to be,” she said and pointed at where the ground had clearly been disturbed recently. A saddlebag had been thrown nearby. “It is there.”

Twilight nodded at a pair of guards. “Dig it up.” The two guards began digging up the grave, while the remaining guards led the two prisoners aside.

Twilight followed and stood next to Flix as she watched the digging. “If changelings honor their dead by consuming their bodies, isn't burying them a punishment for the deceased? That way they will forever be lost to the tribe, is that not true, Flix?”

Flix ruffled her wings and stared straight ahead. “I don't believe in our traditions, miss Twilight. A corpse is a corpse; whatever once animated it is gone and won't hang around because you eat it. At least ponies honor their dead with a memory carved in stone. Stones last, bodies don't.”

“Very insightful. I imagine other changelings don't see it that way, am I right?” Twilight turned a bit and looked at Blaze. “Does your brother agree with you too?”

The stallion had been staring silently at the grave where the two guards were quickly uncovering the remains of what certainly looked like a dead changeling. “I …” he muttered, then just nodded a bit flatly. Dash watched him carefully.

Twilight pressed on. “But certainly your tribe would not look kindly upon you for this if they found out?”

“I'm sure they wouldn't,” Flix said. She was looking uncomfortable now. Dash wondered how much Twilight was taking away from this that wasn't being said. “But we are no longer with the tribe. We follow our own Queen, one who isn't raving mad and lovesick.”

“I see,” Twilight said and turned back to watch the progress with the grave. She looked satisfied as the corpse was pulled up and laid next to the hole. She stood up and gave Flix a brief glance. “I notice you didn't give her a stone.”

“I was going to,” Flix responded.

Dash watched as the guards stepped aside to let Twilight examine the dead changeling and her muddied saddlebags. Twilight sat down and picked up a vial of some dark liquid. “Did you know her?” she asked idly over her shoulder.

“Vaguely,” Flix said.

Twilight was silent for a few minutes, then she stood back up and turned back to Flix and her brother. “It sure looks like she was on her way to Ponyville to finish off the rest of our friends,” she said. She looked uncertain to Dash, as if she was wondering if she should believe it.

Dash wasn't so sure herself. She looked up through a fresh curtain of rain and sighed at the cold drops hitting her face.

“We will take the body and poisons back to the castle for further examination,” Twilight's voice continued as she mulled over all that she had seen and heard.

“What will happen to her?” Flix sounded worried.

“She will be used for scientific study,” Twilight said. “To learn more about your kind … and your poisons. It's just a body, is it not? There's nothing sacred left inside. We will bury what remains and raise a stone after we have learned what we can, if that would make you happy.”

“It would,” Flix said quietly.

Dash closed her eyes and let the cold rain wash over her face, listening without much care. Twilight knew what she was doing. Dash was only there for support. She opened her eyes again and lowered her head tiredly, then blinked and felt a shiver run down her spine. “Twilight?”

Twilight looked around. “Yes?”

Dash pointed at where a green light flickered among the trees some distance away.

Twilight followed where Dash was pointing and briefly considered the strange light, then she turned to address the guards. “Pick up the corpse and gather her things.”

***

Dash wasn't sure if she really ought to find this as odd as she did. The light came from a small glade in the forest, but unlike the forest around it, which was dark and rainy and full of dead trees and overgrown bushes, this glade was beautiful, warm and inviting with colorful flowers and tall trees through whose crowns the moonlight shone. It was eerily beautiful and unearthly.

Twilight held up a hoof for everypony to stop. She trotted a few cautious steps around the small glade, then very carefully stuck a hoof into the rough circle of light. Nothing happened. “I'm going in,” she announced and looked around. “The rest of you stay here until I say.”

Dash fluttered up next to her. “I go with you.”

Twilight held out a hoof to stop her. “Dash—”

“No!”

Twilight looked at Dash, then sighed. “Alright, the rest of you stay here. Dash and I will go in there.” The guards nodded, and Twilight turned back to the small glade. “Alright …” she muttered and stepped onto the soft mossy ground. Dash followed close beside her, watching every shadow suspiciously.

Nothing happened. Nothing, except the rain stopped, the noise from outside was dampened, the air felt warmer, and the slight smell of flowers made Dash feel a little calmer. It was altogether a nice feeling and altogether a nice place, if it wasn't so strangely … out of place.

Dash was first to spot her. She was sitting on a pillow of moss between the roots of a young birch tree, her white coat blending in with the bark surprisingly well. Dash had at first taken her bright green eyes to be leaves. She smiled and moved slightly, and when she did it was like she was suddenly very visible despite being virtually gone from sight only a second ago.

“I thought you might find me,” she said and gestured at the ground. “Sit down, if you please.”

Neither of them felt much like doing so. Twilight gave the creature a scrutinizing look. “You are Eden Aspect?”

“Yes, but simply Eden will do. I am not one for great formalities, as you see. You are, of course, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash.”

Twilight looked around and, after a few seconds of hesitating, sat down. “Why that name? Why not Destiny? Is that not your particular duty?”

Dash sat down next to Twilight, wishing to feel like she was being supportive. She didn't want to say anything, she would probably just mess things up with something brash and poorly thought out.

Eden smiled. “I am so pleased that you should ask. Your name is Twilight Sparkle, magic fills your life, but you are not miss Magic, are you? Nor are you Element of Magic. You are Twilight Sparkle, a name that speaks volumes about you.” She leaned back against the tree and folded her paws over her knee. “And I am Eden Aspect, a modernization of the old Imperial Tongue.”

Twilight furrowed her brow in concentration, but it was Dash who spoke up first. “Aspicio, to look … towards paradise?” she said, scratching her head as she worked it out, feeling very rusty but suddenly proud that she had beat Twilight in a contest of learning. Even if it wasn't exactly a contest.

Eden's smile turned into a grin. “Indeed! The pegasi still teach their old tongue, don't they?”

“If you're unfortunate,” Dash muttered, remembering her time in school. Her parents had insisted she take classes in the proud old tongue, as utterly useless as it was. It was a matter of familial pride, the sort of thing every proper, high-born Cloudsdale pegasus did. Twilight was smiling proudly at her; perhaps all those boring lessons were worth something after all, Dash thought with a secret grin.

“Indeed, that is so,” Eden said. “I look ahead and dream of paradise, of the day when the world is in bloom and life flourishes in peace and harmony, the day when all chaos and disharmony is in the past. I look and work towards this vision, and that is my name and who I am. Destiny is such an unimaginative name that tells you so little about me, bless the pony who thought of it.”

“I had been wondering about that,” Twilight said.

“I bet a lot of ponies do, and few of them think to ask even when it's such a simple and natural thing to do,” Eden said. “I feel we're off to a good start, and you can make it an even better one by releasing your two prisoners. They have been wrongfully accused and pose no harm to you and yours. In return you may ask, and I may answer.”

“What if I do not wish to let them go?” Twilight didn't take her eyes off Eden. “I do not trust them.”

“Then I am afraid I must simply state my purpose and leave you without any answers, and should they escape later—purely by chance, you understand—I can not guarantee that no innocent guard is not hurt in the process. If you do let them go here and now, however, I give you my assurance that they will cause you and your friends no harm now or in the foreseeable future.”

“What of the two Shadowbolts they have been impersonating?”

“They are safe and have suffered no harm,” Eden said reassuringly. “They shall be allowed to leave, if they so choose, at an unspecified time and place within the next few days, on condition that Flix and Doodlebug go free now, of course. Otherwise we will keep them indefinitely.”

Dash could see Twilight's mind racing as she tried to process the whole thing and make a decision. Finally she turned and called to the guards standing at attention outside the glade. “Let the changelings go.” There was some hesitation from the guards before they cautiously unlocked the chains.

Flix and her brother looked at Eden, then set off and disappeared among the dense trees of the forests. As soon they were out of sight, Eden turned back to Twilight and Dash. “You have my thanks.”

“I don't want your thanks,” Twilight said fiercely. “I want your answers. You can start by telling me about this new moon.”

Eden leaned back against the tree again. “The dragons have found a moon prism of truly remarkable size deep within the mountains. They have long wanted to control part of the skies and have searched for centuries for a way. Since I already granted young Luna the night, they have found their own way. Or so they hope.”

“A moon prism?” Twilight looked incredulous. “There aren't any moon prisms that big in the whole world. They're all tiny, or hoof sized at best.”

Eden smiled. “Well, now there is one.”

Twilight scowled. “I'm sure you didn't have anything to do with that, did you?”

“I promised Luna the night, and I do not break promises.” Eden looked very serious, then shrugged. “But I never promised her that I wouldn't give some dragon a pretty bauble. It was a fair and simple wish, and the dragon asked politely, so I decided to grant it. Besides, I see you know about moon prisms. It's just a reflection, your princesses still control night and day as they always have. No, what is really important here is the message.”

“And what is that message?”

“Dragons are greedy creatures, Twilight. They want more power, more influence, and since no one wants to give it to them, including me, this is their way of saying that they're going to take it. This is a declaration of war, Twilight. That moon is just a cheap reflection, it means nothing, but its message couldn't be any clearer.”

Twilight looked up at the two moons through the sparse green leaves of the glade. “Alright, then. If the changeling who tried to kill us wasn't one of your servants, who then wants us dead, and why?”

“I certainly don't want you or your friends dead.” Eden looked mildly insulted. “I really don't. But you know the name of Chrysalis?”

“Yes,” Twilight muttered.

“She wants you dead. She wants you and the princesses and your brother dead, because she mistakenly thinks she can claim the Elements and Equestria and all the heavens for herself if you're all dead.”

“And why would she think that? Did you tell her?”

“Flix could tell you that she is utterly insane and completely blinded by an all-consuming lust for the power of love and friendship. This is her own demented idea, and hers alone, there is not a single trace of rhyme or reason to be found in it. I want no credit for that.“

Twilight looked down as she thought. “You did ensure that the Zebrica ambassador was visiting Canterlot today, in time to save me, didn't you?”

Eden nodded. “I suppose I did.”

“And—” Twilight's brow furrowed a little. “I assume it wasn't chance that Flix happened upon our would-be assassin either, was it?”

“I might have told her about some herbs that grow in only a few places, yes. Herbs to heal a broken leg. Her actions are her own, of course.” Eden smiled a little. “The fact is, I have been doing a lot to help you and your friends, including Rainbow Dash in particular.”

“Yes, I was wondering about that.” Twilight looked back up. “Rainbow Dash nearly dies, then suddenly there are two of her, and at the same time you and your servants just happen to show up too and all this talk of war and assassins. And now Flix says that the two can not be brought together or they will die. What is all this, and how much of it is your doing, I wonder?”

“I can not touch you or your friends, Twilight.” Eden's smile faded and she looked serious again. Both Dash and Twilight were watching her carefully, but Dash found her face seemed to reveal no signs of what she might be secretly thinking. If Twilight saw anything it wasn't obvious. “I noticed what was about to happen in time to have Flix and her brother swoop in to save her. It was a very close call. I did this for the same reason that I saved you from the assassin, the same reason I continue to stall the dragons, to mention but a few of the things I have done.”

“Do you begin to see?” Eden continued. “The dragons, the changelings, they all want you and the princesses dead because of the Elements, and others may soon join them. I have been doing what I can to stall them. At the same time, Rainbow Dash is split in two and will die soon. I have been doing what I can to stall that too, she would have died now if not for me. I alone can reunite her soul and body without both dying, except that the Elements you wield prevent me. I could stop this whole war too. As it is, the best I can do is stall it all for a few weeks at most.”

Silence fell over the glade, then Eden added. “And that is what I am here to give you, Twilight Sparkle, an ultimatum. A few weeks, a month at most, no more. Give back the Elements that you were unfairly burdened with, that were never for your princesses to give, and I promise it all ends peacefully. Refuse, and there is nothing in the world I can do to save your lives, or Equestria.”

Dash wrapped a wing around Twilight's back as Twilight looked down silently.

“You don't have to make the decision right here and now,” Eden said and stood up. “I give you a week at least, a month at most. Should you see reason, my name is all you need.”

Twilight looked up. “I do have one more question,” she said. “About the Elements.”

Eden nodded. “Of course.”

“Why are there two of each now?”

Eden smiled.

***

“She didn't know!” Twilight grinned as she collapsed on the bed. “Hah!”

Dash wondered if her friend had finally become delirious from exhaustion and the poison. She wrapped the blanket carefully around Twilight as the unicorn sighed and closed her eyes. It had been a very long and trying day. “Know what, Twilight?”

Twilight breathed in slowly and for a moment Dash thought she had fallen asleep. “The Elements … she didn't know there were two of each. She … she tried to hide it, but … Didn't you see? She was trying to decide if it was a trick question.” Twilight laughed and muttered half asleep. “She didn't know.”

Dash sat down and blinked. “Um, why is that so great?”

Silence fell over the room except for Twilight's slow breathing. Dash sighed and glanced out the window at the stars outside, then she crawled into bed and closed her eyes. After a while she edged up next to Twilight and wrapped a wing around her friend.

II.16 - Echo and Narcissus

Of all the images playing in the still blue waters, one alone held her eyes prisoner. It was the image of herself in the mirror surface of the pond, sitting beside Twilight. The lights and colors of the forest glade flickered in the depths but could not compete with the vivid rainbow of her reflection. Eden and the two changelings shimmered at the periphery of her focus, and voices reached her from an unknown and distant place as the scene played out, but her mind paid none of this more than a token attention.

Rainbow lay on the soft cloud above the pond, one hoof dangling over the edge and head resting where her eyes could lazily gaze into the water. She hadn't moved since Eden left, except for a ponderous swinging of her hoof and occasional flick of her tail, and the snacks the wisps had brought her sat untouched beside her. Their coming and going hadn't even passed her notice.

In the depths of the well, close and yet worlds apart, Dash turned her head to look at Twilight as the unicorn said something which Rainbow only registered in passing. Rainbow narrowed her eyes as she watched herself from afar, watched the way Dash sat and moved.

A slow realization crept upon Rainbow while she watched, and a strange new terror loomed over her heart. She pulled her legs close to her body and lay there staring at the water, mesmerized by her own reflection, until the visions drew her in and night lulled her in its embrace.

***

A cold wind drifted across the surface of the little pond and touched the back of Rainbow's neck. She shivered and fluffed her wings in the vain hope of keeping a little warmth about her body. The reflection in the water looked back sadly at her and was joined by a second. Rainbow looked up at herself, standing there by her side with a cold expression. Dash didn't look back at her, but merely gazed at the pond.

“Hey,” Rainbow said with a hopeful flicker of a smile, hoping to draw the cold from her double. “We can fix this, right? We can save the day and our friends, and then we'll be whole again.” She summoned a bit more conviction and smiled a bright smile. “Together again, you and me, right?”

Dash turned and raised an eyebrow in a haughty expression. “We?”

Rainbow felt her smile fade and heart sink. A part of her died as she looked into the heartless eyes of her double. She opened her mouth to speak, feeling tears at the corners of her eyes. “We—”

Dash shoved a hoof in her chest and leaned closer, their eyes locked. “Hey, there's only one Rainbow Dash, got it? I don't know who you are.”

An eerie glow of violet lit up the darkness and cast long shadows behind Dash as Twilight stepped forward, face like a glacier. “There can be only one. You are but an echo, in time you will fade and nopony will remember you ever existed at all.”

Rainbow scrambled back on her hooves and backed away from the advancing unicorn. “W-what are you doing?” she cried and spread her wings uncertainly. “T-Twilight?”

“Fixing a mistake.” Twilight's horn flared as she spoke the words.

Rainbow's wings beat desperately as she jumped aside, but too late. A sudden and terrible cold pierced her heart and silenced her scream, as a force like a mountain tied to her leg pulled her down through the surface of the water. She fought to resist the pull, but it did not yield as the veil of blue closed in around her and pulled her relentlessly down, down into the freezing depths of the pond. Rainbow cried out and gazed upwards in despair at the stone-cold faces of herself and Twilight. Her screams and despair drowned as the surface of the pond froze over above her. Twilight's magic faded with the finality of her grave.

The image of Twilight and Dash, frozen upon the surface of the pond, grew smaller and smaller as she sank, pulled down until the pond was but a tiny dot, a lonely star in the endless black ocean above her.

A deep and utter stillness filled the void of her life.

And then, as the whole world seemed to end in oblivion around her, a long and distant whistle tickled her ear. The melody was soft and spoke of loss, of ponies once known who had gone away, friends and family drifted apart and lost to time. Rainbow blinked through tears that washed away in the cold water, and looked up as the melody faded into silent anticipation.

Rainbow stared, mouth hanging open at the black skies above where one lonely star gazed back at her. It blinked, once, and another tiny light flickered into existence. Another joined it, and in the span of a moment the whole sky had exploded into a billion stars before her.

A great horn blared and sundered the silence, the sound shaking the dark firmament of the heavens. Rainbow shut her eyes tight, but the star-blazed sky burned through her mind and ripped like cloth torn down its length. The darkness unraveled in strands of shadows, laying infinity bare before her eyes.

Out of the heavenly rift galloped a line of figures, like the army of ancient gods long forgotten. An armored black figure rode in front, darker and more glorious than any night. Her voice rose in song, as clear as frost and joined by horns echoing across the vast expanse between stars. Their hooves, gleaming with metal, trailed prismatic flares with each hit, and in their wake flowed forth a rainbow greater and more resplendent than any Rainbow's mind had ever dared dream of. It descended from a point at infinity and carved the sea of night in twain like a blade.

The dark waters around her parted, a great wall of water rising up in a circle, retreating before the oncoming riders. Horns were blown again, and the faceless host spread out across the seabed and came to a halt. Their leader galloped down the last steps of the gleaming bridge and reared up, her song reaching a crescendo before dying as her hooves once again hit the ground. Her long, slender horn glowed, and her grim helmet slipped off her head, revealing a mane of flowing starlight as she shook her head.

Princess Luna smiled at Rainbow and held out a heavy hoof clad in iron for her. “A warm welcome, Rainbow Dash,” she said as Rainbow, too bedazzled to form any coherent thought, took the hoof and felt herself pulled back up as if through miles of darkness. “It has been far too long since we visited your dreams. You liked our little dramatic entrances the last times, if we are not mistaken,” she said with a warm gleam in her eyes.

Rainbow shook herself, sending a cascade of water drops flying around her, and blinked at the lines of armored silhouettes behind the princess. She stretched her wings and found her voice again as she looked up at Luna. “M-my dreams?”

None of the water touched Luna as she stepped back from the shimmering bridge. “You are about to wake up. We wanted a chance to speak with you, and to facilitate contact with Twilight and your double.” Here she tilted her head in the direction of the bridge. “There may come a time when you are all asleep. I can bring you together, in dream at least.”

The bridge seemed to loom above her as Rainbow's gaze followed its wide arc where it ascended into heaven.

The princess stood next to her, tall and strong like a stone pillar. “You have seen how it must end,” she said in a voice that offered no comfort except the truth. “The dream is a lie, but it feeds on a truth.”

“There can be only one,” Rainbow murmured with a heavy heart. She could feel the darkness closing in around her as the vision of the dream faded.

Luna placed a heavy hoof on her shoulder and knelt down to look her in the eyes. “Even Eden can not make two equal one. She may offer you your life back, but whose life shall it be?” Rainbow felt lost and hopeless as the princess held her gaze. “Follow your friends, Rainbow Dash. Find your hope there,” she said and turned her head towards the point where the rainbow disappeared, far above them.

***

The great rainbow still lingered in her vision as she blinked awake. She lay for a time, thinking about the dream and what she had seen in the pond, before she became aware of the flickering lights now dancing in the water below her. She turned her head slightly and searched the room until she spotted Eden sitting nearby, observing the water in silent contemplation. Her face showed nothing except deep concentration and maybe a hint of worry as her eyes drifted slowly across the pond in search of something.

“Is … something wrong?” Rainbow asked, hoping she didn't disturb.

Eden didn't show any surprise and her gaze never left the water. “There are two sets of Elements,” she said quietly. For a moment she looked smaller. “I did not know when Twilight asked about them. It would seem your double appeared with them, or they with her.”

Rainbow felt a stab of sympathy and wanted to say something to reassure her. It was strange, and probably silly as well. She hesitated and said instead, “What does it mean?”

A hint of definite concern crossed Eden's face. “Your friend Twilight took me by surprise tonight. She knows that I was not aware of the two sets, and I fear this has given her reason to feel bold. She will most likely fight, and it will be hard to make her listen to reason. I also worry that it means she is going to try something incredibly stupid if we can not convince her otherwise.”

Rainbow leaned over the edge of the cloud and gazed into the water, trying to make out something, but all that met her were dancing lights. It was possible that there were images in there, but if so they moved past her too quickly. “If there are two Elements now, can't you just get one and we keep the other? Wouldn't that solve everything?” she asked, feeling a sliver of hope.

Eden shook her head lightly. “There are not actually two Elements, not like there are two of you. You can not divide or duplicate the magic itself. If you and your friends gave up one set, you'd give up the other too because they are one and the same.” She looked up and searched for a way to express it simply. “There is only one set of Elements, but at present that set exists in two places at the same time. One set, in two places.” Eden fell silent, staring back into the water.

Rainbow watched her for a time, waiting for more, but she seemed to have drifted off in some thought of her own. A terrible feeling snuck up on Rainbow, crawling down her spine. Something had frightened Eden, and whatever it all meant, it was surely bad news.

***

The hall was empty as Rainbow left the well and Eden to find her bed. She stopped briefly and looked around at her leg, bending it slowly to test the healing. There was only a mild ache and bit of stiffness left in it now. She stretched it and moved it back and forth a few times before putting it down again. Slowly she put more weight on it and smiled in relief. It would be good as new in the morning, at this rate.

Hoofsteps echoed down the hall and made her look up. Doodlebug came through the door a moment later, still wearing the Shadowbolt uniform and looking a bit rough as he walked in his own thoughts towards the living quarters. Rainbow stood still, watching him in breathless silence. He reached the corridor before something made him look up and see her standing there. He paused, a haunted look crossing his face briefly before being replaced by a hopeful smile.

Rainbow didn't move and said nothing. The seconds ticked by in silence as she fought with herself, feeling a crushing emptiness around her heart. But she couldn't give in. Slowly the hope drained from his face, replaced by sadness. She watched him turn back and disappear down the corridor, watching her over his shoulder until she disappeared out of his sight. Rainbow remained for several minutes before slowly making her way in the other direction.

***

Blaze and Frostfell were both asleep as she snuck the door open. Rainbow slipped inside as quietly as she could and found a spare blanket in the corner. She stopped with the blanket in her mouth and watched them for a time through the bars. Nothing but their slow breaths were heard. Rainbow looked down, then slipped back outside and headed down the lonely corridors.

All the rooms and corridors looked the same as she got deeper into the old castle. There weren't any decorations or anything else to distinguish rooms from each other. It matched the feeling threatening to overtake her.

Ash covered the floor and thick smoke snaked around her hooves as she reached her destination. The ruined throne loomed at the end of the great hall, and before it sat the hunched figure of Kin in perfect stillness. Rainbow paused in the archway and watched him for a minute before silently flying around him towards the throne. She settled down with a breathless sigh on the ashen stone next to the throne and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket.

She huddled up and stared ahead of her at the darkness, trying not to listen to her selfish heart screaming in her hollow chest. This was where all her reason told her she should be. It was the right thing, the loyal thing. Here she could not hurt anypony or break their hearts, here she could stay and be a zero. And one plus zero is one, just as it should be.

She closed her eyes, but they might as well have been wide open. No rest would come to her.

“Hrm hmm.” The sound of Kin's rumbling voice was as much felt as it was heard. “So you have given up on your friends, have you, hrm?”

“No,” she muttered under her blanket.

“How will you help them if you hide down here?”

“In my dreams, maybe,” she said with a bit of a hint in her voice.

The gargoyle was silent for a few minutes, and Rainbow almost thought he had taken the hint. Then the rumble returned thoughtfully. “Solitude and desolation never fostered any dreams. You will find no, hrm, dreams down here. Only ashes, and me.”

Rainbow opened her eyes and gazed out from under the blanket. Somewhere in the dark, Kin was watching her silently. The stillness was oppressive and seemed to poke at her. Finally she sat up and lowered the blanket from her head, but didn't look up to meet his gaze. “I saw my double. She's out there living a life of her own, and I can not ask her to give that all up if … when we become one again,” she explained, gazing down at herself. “It is better if I don't get involved with anypony so I don't hurt them when I go.”

Kin coughed, or made a noise very much like a cough. “A little late, no?”

Rainbow sank a bit but said nothing.

“Hrm.” The gargoyle took a long breath and sighed, causing the smoke to rise up across the room. “Life is change, hrm, and to live is to lose. You have a chance to live, a chance to experience great and wondrous things for a short time. If you don't seize it now you will lose the most precious thing of all: the chance to, hrm, have those things,” he said slowly. “That's what I keep telling myself, over and over. I tell you—” Rainbow glanced up at the glowing embers of his eyes “—If I wanted a coward to keep me company, I'd polish one of these stones to a mirror sheen, hmm?”

***

Doodlebug blinked awake and looked up at her. Rainbow paused in the doorway, holding the now sooty blanket. “I'm not a coward,” she murmured and lowered her eyes. “Can I sleep here tonight?”

II.17 - Dreams

Thin rivers of rain washed silently down the windows, and outside the darkness closed in around the castle, cold and dismal. The last stubs of the candles cast shadows across stacks of books and scrolls with hastily scribbled notes scattered over every available surface. Dash pushed one away from the bed—one of Luna's private tomes with cryptic runes which Twilight had helpfully translated as Weaving the Skein, which wasn't any less cryptic to Dash—and brushed a hoof through Twilight's mane. Rarity would call it an absolute disaster, but what did she know about beauty?

Dash smiled and followed the curves of lavender beauty, tracing her gaze along Twilight's back to the root of her tail and star-blazed flank. Like most unicorns her figure was gracious and slender more than it was athletic. Dash let her eyes travel back along her gently heaving body, sighing at the way she breathed, and leaned down to nuzzle the little spot of her neck below the ear.

Twilight smiled in her sleep and muttered something quietly. Dash closed her eyes and breathed in the slight scent of perfume and old paper—you had to be really close to notice—as she paused to whisper in Twilight's ear. “I don't know any pony I'd rather be with,” she said and licked Twilight's cheek affectionately. “I love you, Twilight.”

“… you too,” Twilight murmured and stirred at the touch. She breathed in slowly and turned, reaching a hoof out to caress Dash's neck as their lips met. Dash held on to Twilight's soft flank as the unicorn rolled over on top of her, never breaking the kiss. Their bodies pressed together and for a time at least the whole world and its worries were lost to Dash.

A soft warm glow of purple crowned Twilight's head as she finally broke the kiss and opened her eyes to smile at Dash. There was a moment of perfect bliss, and Dash quite wondered if she had died as she looked up into Twilight's eyes. Then the light flickered across Twilight's face and something changed.

A slightly bemused look crossed Twilight's smile as she looked around the room, then down again at Dash. She paused as if trying to figure out a conundrum. “I'm in your dream, right?”

There was a highly restrained snicker from the shadowy corner of the room, and Dash thought she caught a glimpse of starlight before it vanished through the doorway. Dash could feel a blush starting to rise, coloring her face a bright red as her mind struggled to catch up. Had she really just dreamed of making out with Twilight Sparkle? She totally had, unless … no, there was no way around it. How much of the dream had Twilight glimpsed? This just couldn't get any more embarrassing.

Twilight brightened up in a look of triumph and rolled off of Dash, seemingly—Dash chose to believe—oblivious to what had just played out before her arrival. “I did it!” she proclaimed and jumped around the bed excitedly. “I told the princess I could do it, and I did it! I entered your dream on my own,” she said and spun around to face Dash, smiling. The smile became tinged by slight concern. “I-I didn't interrupt anything, did I?”

Dash blinked and quickly shook her head, rolling off the bed and standing up, trying to look cool. “No! No no, not at all,” she said and gave a strained chuckle. “Um, no,” she added just in case. “So um, you're in my dream, huh?”

Twilight looked momentarily unsure, and Dash wondered if she had seen and heard everything after all. Was she blushing? It was so hard to see with that purple coat and the shadows of the room. After a second she shook it off and turned around to look out the window at the dark rain. “Yeah! Isn't it awesome?”

“Yeah …” Dash said, regaining control of her blush, and scratched the back of her neck.

“Didn't you remember?” Twilight said. “We were going to meet your double in our dreams. Oh, I just hope she shows up.”

“I must have forgotten for a moment there.” Dash tried not to look at Twilight's flank and turned instead to the door, giving it a nasty glare just in case the princess was still there. She got no response. “So you can enter dreams now?”

“I really didn't mean to intrude.” There was a hint of a blush now, Dash thought, as Twilight turned away from the window and the light of a candle fell across her face. “But yes, yes I can. It's really advanced magic and there's a lot to learn, but I want to show the princess that I can do it. I think it will be really important too.”

Dash went to close the door, just in case. “How so?” she asked, sticking her head out into the hall and glancing up and down the place. There was no sign of the princess, or anypony else. The castle was empty, but she got a feeling like something had gone away, as if the dream had changed somehow. Slowly she closed the door.

“Well, with your double for one,” Twilight explained. “And I have some ideas, but I really need to think that through,” she added quickly and looked out the window again. “Oh, I think it stopped raining.”

It had indeed stopped raining, and the moon was out now as clouds parted. Its pale light glittered in the last rain drops and shimmered across the arch of a thin rainbow. Dash turned and trotted up to the window, looking out next to Twilight. “Is that her?”

A tiny figure was walking uncertainly down the narrow bridge in the sky towards them. Twilight held up a hoof and pressed her nose against the window to see. “I think it is,” she said. “Okay, let's try not to scare her away or anything.”

Dash rubbed the back of her neck a little. “Are we sure it is safe for us to meet in a dream?”

“As sure as we can be.” Twilight went to open the door to the balcony. A cold wind blew through the room and got under Dash's feathers. “Luna said it would be safe,” Twilight added.

Then we'll just hope the princess knows what she's talking about, Dash thought and felt the dream fall quiet around her. She had no wish to die in her sleep, or any other way.

Outside on the bridge, Rainbow spread her wings and flew the last distance down to the wide balcony of the castle. She landed with echoing hoof beats and hesitated before Twilight in the door. “You—”

“Don't stand out there in the cold,” Twilight said and smiled as she stepped aside. “Come on in.”

Rainbow gave a nervous glance to Dash in the window, then stepped inside. Nothing happened. After several seconds of nothing happening, two breaths of relief were heard, and three ponies looked quite relieved, though Twilight tried to hide it. She closed the door on the wind and smiled. “See? I said it was safe. Now—”

“You have to stop what you're planning,” Rainbow interrupted. “It'll go all wrong.”

“Yeah?” Dash glared at her double. “And what are we planning, exactly?” If it came to that, she really couldn't say herself. Twilight seemed to have some kind of plan in mind, but she hadn't shared any of it and didn't seem so certain herself yet.

“I—” Rainbow hesitated a bit and frowned. “Well, I don't know … but you're planning something, and whatever it is, you can't do it!”

“Oh yeah?”

Twilight stepped up next to Dash and placed a hoof on her back to calm her. “Why not?” she asked, directed at Rainbow, who was looking rather nervous again.

“Look, Eden just wants us to give her the Elements so they can't be fought over or misused. Would that be so bad? We've lived without them before, we would still be friends, right?” she said, looking hopefully between the two. “But if you fight, then we'll all die, or … or something worse. I don't know what, but I have a really bad feeling, okay?”

Twilight looked at Dash, then seemed to think for a while. “This is all something Eden has told you, isn't it? She didn't know about the two Elements, and she can't explain why they are here either, can she? So I bet she's starting to get worried.”

“Yeah!” Dash grinned. “That's why we will beat her! We just need to find out why there are two of them before she does. Do you really want to be on the loser's side? Are you me or what?”

“No! Yes! I mean …” Rainbow closed her eyes and lifted a hoof to her face in an exasperated look. “Dammit! Alright, look, Eden isn't bad, and I really think she knows what's best, alright? I mean, she practically is Harmony.”

Twilight nodded. Dash wasn't sure she liked that.

“I'm … afraid,” Rainbow continued. “I shouldn't tell you,” she said and frowned. “But maybe you'll see.”

Dash and Twilight looked at each other for a moment. “Tell us what?”

Rainbow looked like she was fighting with herself. “Eden is gone,” she said finally. Dash and Twilight blinked. Before they could say anything she hurried on. “She was worried about something after you told her about the two Elements … she says they are the same but in two places at once. Anyway, she thinks you're going to do something really stupid and dangerous, and now she's gone somewhere. I don't know where, but the place is dead and that's how I can tell she's gone. I don't know if she'll come back either, and that frightens me. I think she's going to kill you before you can do whatever it is you're going to do. She won't allow it to happen, whatever it is, so she's going to do something first.”

Dash and Twilight were looking at her in silence as she rambled slightly.

“Maybe I shouldn't have told you that,” she continued and looked like she wanted to beat herself up over it. “But you see? I have to warn you and make you see! I have to convince you to give up before it's too late, and this may be my only chance now. I'd fight for the Elements too, but not if it means losing my friends. I'd choose my friends over all the magic in the world.”

Twilight walked up and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “But what if we can keep the Elements without losing our friends? Isn't it worth fighting for that hope?”

Rainbow shook her head. “You can't fight. There is no hope, Twilight.”

“I think you trust too much in Eden. I have a theory, if you will hear it,” Twilight said and sat down. “I know Eden means well, and that she is only trying to achieve peace and do what's best, but I also don't think she knows what is best any more. She made that deal with the princesses back in those days because it was what she knew would lead to harmony and peace, it really was the best choice. But to do it, she had to give a piece of herself, the piece that incidentally knew about harmony and peace.”

Dash smiled to herself, standing behind Twilight as she talked. Twilight was so damn smart, it had to be illegal to be that smart. Rainbow didn't look convinced, however. Dash couldn't figure out what was wrong about that pony. She's the one with the heart, and yet she's all afraid, Dash thought. She had to be brainwashed or something. That had to be it.

“Maybe it wasn't even Destiny's to begin with, maybe there was a Harmony once, before she disappeared along with all the other djinn and left her power with Eden.” Twilight looked up. “Whatever the truth, I choose to put my faith in the Elements rather than her. They must have been … mirrored for a reason, and there must be a reason why Eden couldn't tell and why it was her—” she gestured at Dash, “—and not you who had them, maybe because if it had been you then Eden would have got them now, right? I think the Elements know what's right, I think they know a way to bring peace, because that's what they are made to do, and they are trying to show us that way!”

Rainbow looked down. “Or something went very, very wrong with the Elements.”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, then looked like something invisible hit her right on the nose. “Argh!” she cried before fading.

Dash looked around just before fading as well. “Twilight?”

Rainbow jumped up as the walls of the castle vanished and the ground under her dissolved. Quickly she took wing and rushed up the shimmering bridge.

***

Dash rolled around frantically among the tangled sheets of the bed. Light hit her eyes as her head untangled itself enough to look around the room. “Twilight!”

There was a groan somewhere next to her. “I'm here, everything is fine,” Twilight's voice reassured her. “Just a letter from Spike.”

Dash blinked her eyes until they became accustomed to the light. Twilight was standing next to the bed, rubbing her nose while unfolding a letter that had apparently dropped on her in her sleep. Dash untangled herself from the bedsheets and stretched. “Oh, what does it say?”

Twilight read the letter quickly. “They're all doing well. The guards are keeping a close eye on Ponyville. Oh, and Fluttershy is still really, really, really sorry and hopes you're not mad at her and Soarin'.” Twilight smiled and levitated the letter over to her.

Dash read it as Twilight searched through the stacks and piles of books. Dash sighed. She didn't really want to think about Fluttershy and had written to her to let her know that she was fine, but Fluttershy always worried. It had been a few days here in Gloaming. The first two days had been so chaotic and terrible that she simply hadn't had much room to feel sad or think of anything but the most pressing concern at any given moment. And the rest of the time she had found that Twilight took most of her attention away from Ponyville, and she was happy about that.

She liked Twilight. Dash sneaked a glance over the letter at the purple unicorn, who was sorting through several heavy tomes and ancient scrolls in search of material for today's studies. And she liked being there for Twilight and helping her with all of this, even if she wasn't much good with the books. Perhaps it was the time pressure and the terror of thinking about what would happen if they failed, because Dash had never found studying to be a thrill, but helping Twilight now didn't seem as boring.

She liked being here with Twilight, helping her with this important work, but surely … surely that dream had just been some silly fancy. It was just lust, and the dream had just randomly involved Twilight because she was spending so much time with the unicorn lately. It could have been anypony else. Yes, that made sense.

So why did the dream feel so important?

Twilight caught her eye and paused in her work. “Are you alright?”

Dash forced herself not to look away and rolled up the letter. “I was just thinking …” She stopped herself from biting her lip, too. “I'm feeling a bit famished. Would you like to go out for breakfast?” With Luna's guards now zealously watching over them and everything they had to eat or drink, she felt quite safe about trying the café again.

Twilight gave her books a little, almost sad glance. “You know that I really have to study,” she said. “If Eden is up to something now, then we may have even less time than we hoped for.”

Dash watched the disappointed look on Twilight's face. She wanted to go. She really wanted to go. Dash smiled. “Just take the books with you, Twilight. You can read at the café.”

“You wouldn't mind that?” Twilight was already packing up her books.

“Pfft, of course not,” Dash said and didn't add, “I enjoy watching you read.”

***

After the first two days, things seemed to calm down, but both Twilight and Dash knew that it was only a brief respite, a silence before the storm. The two moons and the increasing presence of guards made it hard to miss that something big was happening and getting more threatening day by day. Canterlot was locked in a diplomatic battle with foreign powers, a battle which could break down any day, and Equestria was now preparing for what would follow if that happened.

Cloudsdale and the other pegasi strongholds were mobilizing their troops and openly recruiting, preparing to move at any moment. Formations of pegasi could be seen patrolling the skies almost anytime Dash looked up.

Equestria was preparing for war, but everypony hoped the princesses would find a way to talk it out as they had always done. The nervous anticipation could be felt everywhere, but for now things were calm. Eden had predicted they'd have at least a week, but that was before she knew about the Elements. Did that change anything?

Twilight hoped she could find what she was looking for before the end of the week, but the pressure was growing. She spent all day and most of the nights combing through books and scrolls, most of them from Canterlot's archives or Princess Luna's private collection, but also a few from Ponyville and other cities. Some had even been requested all the way from the Crystal Empire where Twilight had asked Cadance to look through the old library for anything that might be helpful. Those hadn't arrived yet, however.

She seemed reluctant to explain what she was looking for, perhaps she wasn't certain herself and didn't want to give false hopes. It involved a lot of dreaming, though, and she frequently consulted with Princess Luna on her studies.

Dash dreamed a lot more than she used to. Perhaps it was the stress of everything happening, but they were strange dreams and often involved Twilight. Twilight was very interested in her dreams, although Dash made certain to leave out certain parts. It had helped that Princess Luna had explained to Twilight that there were ways to give a bit of forewarning before entering a dream, and that it was only respectful to give the sleeper a chance to decline the visit. Twilight had looked so adorably flushed standing before the princess who was gently berating her for the minor oversight.

Dash had never looked at Twilight this way before. She didn't know what to make of it.

***

The early sunlight glittered in the central stone of the village as Dash landed and trotted past its inscription. She paused and glanced around. Several guards were standing around with stoic expressions, eyes watching every movement, but aside from this constant presence the village was quiet and peaceful. It always was this time of day, when most of the population was asleep. Twilight liked that, because it made it easier to study. Dash didn't mind it either, especially right now.

She could have done without the guards too, but she knew better than to try to get them to look away. With a last glance around she continued across the central square of the town and down a road where a little shop had opened for the day. She stopped and looked at the array of flowers arranged outside. There was a lot of bright yellow and red mixed with white and green. They all smelled delightful and fresh. How did you pick flowers for somepony? Maybe she should ask the owner of the shop, but that would lead to questions, and questions she could do without.

Dash gnawed on her lip and looked back towards the square. It had been six days now, and the dreams were making her restless and confused. She had never felt this way before, and she didn't know how to deal with it. Was it real, or had she really hit her head too hard in that fall? Twilight was still very curious about that fall—especially what it could tell them about the Elements—but Dash honestly couldn't remember anything, even though she tried really hard all the time.

But her dreams kept telling her that she loved Twilight Sparkle. It was like her dreams knew things about her that she didn't know herself. That's why Twilight was so interested in them. Dash knew she had to tell her these feelings and dreams, even if they were only dreams. She had been stupid and never told Fluttershy. She couldn't make the same mistake again.

She could see the owner of the flower shop in the window. She had noticed Dash and was on her way out with a smile on her face. Dash began to panic. She had to pick some flowers quick. There weren't many in Twilight's colors, but …

The door opened and a young mare, maybe a little younger than Dash herself, came out. “Good morning, miss Dash,” she chirped happily. Everypony in town knew her and Twilight by now. A guard standing further down the street turned to watch them. Dash was getting used to that. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Yeah,” Dash said, acting cool. Twilight had a bit of pink in her mane, and red was sort of a dark pink … red was the classic romantic color, too, she thought. Yeah, that'd work. “I'd like a bunch of those,” she said, pointing at some light red flowers with a scent that actually made her a bit hungry.

“Certainly,” the seller chimed and began sorting out a hoof full of the red flowers. “Are these a gift for somepony else?”

“No no,” Dash laughed in a way that she hoped sounded casual. “I'm just a bit hungry and your flowers look real tasty.”

“Oh, thank you,” she smiled. “You don't want them wrapped up, then?”

Damn. “Oh, yeah, um, sure,” she scratched her head while trying to think. “I'll … eat them later, when I get back to the castle. Just … wrap them up nice. The look is half the taste, right?” she grinned, remembering what Rarity had once said while talking about some posh food or something. It was all in the presentation.

“Of course,” the girl gave her a grin back and deftly wrapped the stems of the flowers in bright paper and ribbons. “There you go, miss. Will that be all?”

“Yeah, thanks. How much?” Dash took the flowers with a secret sigh of relief and fished for her cash.

The flower pony still had a grin on her face. “Fifteen bits, but I'll make it ten for you because it's such a nice day today.”

“That's real cool of you, thanks!” Dash grinned and paid her, then made sure she had a good grip on the flowers before setting off towards the square.

“If you'll take my advice, I bet she'd love a book too,” the flower seller called after her.

Dash felt her face flush and nearly took a turn into a wall. “Heh eh, th-thanks,” she tried to laugh. Behind her the flower seller giggled. Dash hurried away, red as the flowers in her mouth.

***

There was only one place in Gloaming which sold books. It was a small general store which had a shelf with a collection of books for sale, most of them secondhoof items. Dash hovered in the air slightly above the floor as she looked over the backs of the books on the shelf, flowers still in her mouth.

There was an old copy of Daring Do and the Pharaoh's Feather, a small book for little fillies with flowers and fairy ponies on the cover—Dash groaned—and a heavy gray one titled The Interesting Times of Stones and Rocks. She might get that one for Pinkie Pie just to see the look on her face, provided this all worked out and they all survived. She picked out another book, titled Hollow Eyes. Dash flipped through a few pages. It seemed to be a half-decent horror story of a recent nature. Something for Scootaloo perhaps, to read on a rainy night. She paused to sigh. Maybe she should write the little filly a letter too.

She put the book back on the shelf and narrowed her eyes at the rest of the rather limited selection. After a moment her eyes fell on a small one that she had passed over at first. She pulled it out and turned it in her hooves. It had no title and no other identifying marks on the cover. She flipped through the first few pages, then the rest. She turned it upside down and stared at it for a time. This was definitely a book for Twilight. Dash had no clue what it was, which had to mean it was practically made for Twilight.

Satisfied with her choice, Dash paid the pony behind the counter and hurried back out. It had taken a lot longer than she had planned. She hoped Twilight wasn't getting worried, but knowing Twilight she probably hadn't even noticed Dash was gone yet.

***

She landed on the balcony and gave the guard stationed there the daily password. He gave her a slight nod, and Dash continued inside. Twilight wasn't there. Her books lay on the desk along with several notes. Dash gave it a glance but found it no less mysterious than always.

Dash put the flowers and book down on the bed and trotted back and forth a bit. What was she going to say? There were definitely certain things you might say in this kind of situation, and probably some things not to say too. A few minutes passed, but little did it help her.

The door opened and Twilight trotted inside, a cup floating beside her, and smiled as she saw Dash. “There you are!” She trotted up to the desk without spotting the flowers and sat down her cup where there was a tiny bit of space. She turned to Dash, still smiling though there was a hint of a worried look now. “I … I need to talk to you.”

Dash blinked, momentarily lost. Even more than she already was. “Oh?”

Twilight trotted up to her. “There's something I've wanted to try, something that may help us a great deal. I just talked to the princess about it,” she began, choosing her words carefully. “But I won't do it if you say no, and I'll understand if you do.”

“Well … what is it?” Dash blinked at her friend.

“I don't want you to feel pressured,” Twilight said carefully.

“I won't,” Dash said and then added, because she saw Twilight's eyes, “I promise.”

Twilight nodded and took a breath before beginning something that obviously took some care to explain. “Okay, look, we have to find out why there are two Elements, and I think … no, I am almost certain that you, or some part of you, knows. I know you haven't been able to remember anything so far, but I think it's there, hidden deep within your subconscious.”

She took a breath, but only a short one, before continuing. “Your dreams are really strange. I don't think they are all dreams. I think some of them are memories or parts of memories mixed with dreams. I think they're trying to tell you something, but we may not have time for your mind to sort itself out. Lost memories can take years or decades to return, in some cases they never do.”

Dash bit her lip. She remembered the dreams she hadn't told Twilight about. Maybe they really were trying to tell her something, maybe it hadn't just been her imagination. But she couldn't have memories of making out with Twilight, not real memories at least, so what was it? “What is your plan? Do you think you can bring my memories back faster with magic?”

“No,” said Twilight very seriously. “That would not be safe. I—” Twilight looked at Dash, who sat down because it seemed like the thing to do. “I want, with your permission of course, to … search your mind.”

Dash looked at Twilight, who was looking like she really hoped Dash understood what she had just said. “Like …” Dash reached up to scratch her head but lowered her hoof again. “Like reading my mind?”

“And your dreams,” Twilight nodded. “If I want to be sure I find what we're looking for, you see, then I have to be very thorough, and what we're looking for must be hidden very deep. It is completely safe, it won't hurt or harm you at all, but … it'll take a lot of time, several sessions I expect, and I'll be seeing your most private thoughts all that time, things you may not even be aware of yourself.”

Dash stared. A lot of things were racing through her mind. “I … I need to think.”

Twilight nodded in understanding, and Dash stood up and closed the door to the balcony behind her, flowers and plans completely forgotten for the moment.

II.18 - Taking Charge

The door was shut. Rainbow leaned her shoulder against it and pushed with all her strength, but the door remained defiant. Stepping back, she grit her teeth and turned around, scraping the ground to get a solid footing before bucking it as hard as she could. The force of the kick hit the door and shot right back down her legs, making her cry out. And the door stayed shut. Rainbow fell back on her haunches and sat in front of the door, glaring at it as if willing it to open or fall to pieces before her.

“Are you me or what?”

The muscles of her legs and shoulders tensed. She pressed her hoof hard against the stone floor, as if to direct all her anger into the unyielding stone. “I am,” she said aloud to herself in the stillness of the hall. She willed herself to relax and continued in a louder voice. “I am Rainbow Dash. I would never let my friends down. And I'm going to find a way if it kills me!”

All the life and light had gone out of the place, leaving an empty and desolate ruin now lit by torches which Flix and her brother had dug up somewhere. Wherever Eden was it was not here, and it was not behind this door, but that was the only place Rainbow could think to go right now. Perhaps the well held answers. She had to know.

She looked over her shoulder at the deep darkness of the hall behind her. Something moved soundlessly like a shadow behind a pillar. They were even more unnerving now, creeping around in the dead darkness. Rainbow didn't know why they hadn't vanished with Eden. They were her servants, were they not? Or were they a part of the place that Eden had simply made use of?

An idea struck Rainbow and made her shiver. But she was going to find a way, and that meant trying everything. She stood up and approached the darkness and the ghostly wisp she knew drifted around in the shadows. She nearly screamed, but then quickly composed herself, as it appeared as if out of nowhere and passed right through her body. The sensation was something she resolved to purge from her mind immediately.

Rainbow shivered again and spun around. “Open the door to the well!” she commanded in the most steady voice she could summon. To her surprise, the wisp turned immediately from its prior purpose and drifted towards the locked door. Rainbow punched the air with a hoof and grinned. “Yes!”

There was a gentle glow from around the wisp, then it faded as the door gave a little click and swung open without a sound. Beyond lay the well, as empty and eerily still as the rest of the castle. Rainbow picked up a torch off the wall and entered uncertainly, looking at the calm, cold waters. The light mist and clouds had gone, leaving the room clear as a winter's day.

She hovered over the water and looked into its depths. There was nothing there to be seen, no helpful visions waiting for her to find them. Just dark waters and her own flickering reflection in the light of the torch. She hung there for a long time, hoping something would happen, then sighed and turned back around. So this had been for nothing, then?

Rainbow stopped. She barely dared to move for fear of losing the slight glitter out of sight. Slowly she turned while keeping her eyes fixed on the spot. A glitter of something had caught her eye just as she turned. She moved the torch a little closer and peered back into the water.

There was something glittering at the bottom of the well. Something small and made of metal. Rainbow hesitated. Eden had told her not to touch the water. But that had been then, and this was now. More importantly, Eden wasn't here now.

It was just water.

Right?

Rainbow looked around, as if expecting Eden to be lurking among the roots, then reached out a hoof and very carefully touched the surface. The water was cold. She pulled her hoof back up and turned it around in the light. Nothing. Just wet, and a bit cold.

It was just water, then.

Rainbow returned the torch to its place on the wall in the other room, then went back to the dark well. She reached out for the glittering object—

Just water.

—and stuck her head in the pond.

***

The pain struck her again, worse than before. She wanted to scream but the fire coursing down through her body ripped her voice from her chest, and all she could do was sob helplessly. Tears soaked her cheeks as voices urged her on and blood filled her vision.

Then a cry filled the air …

***

… and her lungs swelled with the breath of life.

Rainbow opened her eyes and stared right into a harsh, black face as it pulled away from her and looked back at her with the blue, shining eyes of an insect. “D-Doodle?” she said and shivered at the cold trying to creep into her bones.

The changeling looked relieved as he moved off of her and helped her to sit up. “Are you alright? Do you … feel well?” he asked, looking frazzled despite his relief to see her alive. “What were you thinking!?” he added.

Rainbow shivered as she sat up and looked around. A large keyring hung around her hoof and gleamed in the light of a nearby torch. She held it up to study it. There was a single key dangling from the ring. She held it up towards Doodlebug. “T-this was at the bottom … I think.”

Doodlebug sighed and wrapped his hooves around her, pulling her close in an effort to warm her. “You just lay there in the water. I thought you were dead. I bet you're lucky you don't breathe, or you would have been.” He hugged her a little tighter. “Didn't Eden tell you not to touch the water?”

“Yeah, but I … I thought …” She fell silent and looked at the changeling holding her. “Why are you … Why don't you look like a pony, I mean?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, looking at her and then at himself.

Rainbow reached out to touch his smooth, black body, his dark blue carapace and membranous wings. She hesitated and reached up to touch his horn. “You look like a changeling.”

“I … do?” he seemed shocked and turned to better look down at himself. There was a green glow of ethereal flames and he looked back up at her. “Now?”

She studied his face. “The water …” she said and shivered again as a bit of cold returned. “It must have done something to my eyes. I can't see you any other way than how you really are.”

Doodlebug looked horrified. “But … I'm a pony! I-I want you to see me like a pony, not … not like this.”

He was not exactly comely like this, Rainbow had to admit to herself. But it wasn't as bad as she had thought it would be, especially once she got used to it. He looked almost like a pony in black armor, if she willed herself to see it. She reached out again to stroke his smooth shoulder. Her hoof settled over his heart. There was a pony in there, she knew. He had a pony's heart, it was just trapped in a changeling's body.

“Rainbow?” Doodlebug shook her slightly.

She looked up at him and blinked. “What?”

“You sort of spaced out,” he said, looking at her with concern. “Are you okay? What did the water do to you?”

“I …” Her brow furrowed in an effort to remember. “I don't know.” She held up a hoof to her eyes. It looked normal, only wet. “Maybe my eyes will return to normal once I get dry.” She didn't believe that, but it was always possible. “But … I saw something down there.” She turned her hoof in front of her and looked down at herself. She was soaked and cold.

Doodlebug helped her back on her legs. “What did you see?”

She stopped. “I don't remember. I just … I don't know.” It was impossible to explain. She looked at him again, searching for words. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Finally she said, “I need time. Just … give me time, I know I can figure all this out.”

He nodded, still looking worried and a little sad as he led her across the hall. “I'll make you some tea.”

Rainbow took a few steps, then stopped again. She turned around to face him. Before he could say anything she leaned over to kiss him.

***

“Are you sure about this?” Flix stopped in front of the door and turned to look at Rainbow. “They aren't exactly on our side. Who knows what they'll do.”

“I know.” Rainbow stopped as well and looked at the changeling. “But it's got to be where the keys fit. It's the only room in this place which needs keys, other than the well, and Eden did make a promise out there in the forest. I bet she intended me to find the keys. I don't think she would break a promise even now, so I'm keeping it for her.”

Flix's wings twitched uncertainly, as they always did when she was nervous or bored. “If you're sure you know what you're doing.”

Rainbow paused. It was as if part of her mind remembered seeing something in the water, but it wasn't a part of her mind inclined to give her any details. It was as if part of her mind kept saying “Just trust me on this one, kid.” She frowned and picked up the key in her mouth. “If I don't, then I really hope Eden did.”

Flix stepped aside and stood behind her as she pushed the door open and walked inside. Frostfell and Blaze both looked up at her, and noticed the key. Then they noticed Flix and their initial hope looked a bit dashed. Rainbow stepped up to the bars. “I'm here to let you go,” she said.

“The Quin be gone, aye? An' ye found the key,” Frostfell said and rose up from where she had been resting. “But I reck'n ye dinnae be comin' with us?” she said, glancing at Flix as if the changeling answered the question.

“My place is with them,” Rainbow said flatly and turned to Flix. The changeling held out a pair of black hoods for her. Rainbow took them and turned back around. “You will have to wear these over your heads, and we will tie your wings too. We will then lead you to a safe distance from this place, spin you around a bunch of times, the usual drill, and then you will be free to leave on your own.”

Frostfell sighed and looked at Blaze. He shrugged. “We'll stay if it's all the same to you,” he said. “You look like you could use some help.”

Rainbow looked at Flix who merely shrugged as well.

“Oh aye, cannae be leavin' ye all alone with them bugs, noo can we?” Frostfell concurred. “Ye be a wielder of the Elements, that means we be honor bound tae keep ye safe, ye ken? Part of our oath.”

Rainbow shrugged and threw Flix the black hoods. “Your choice.”

Blaze stood up. “Look, let us out and we can help you,” he said. “Whatever comes next, you will need all the help you can get, am I right? We could be useful.”

“Very likely,” Flix hissed. “And your help will consist of a dagger in the back when we aren't looking.”

“You can have our word that we will not try to flee or kill you in your sleep,” Blaze said and stepped closer to the bars. “And we will follow where you say and do as you command.”

Rainbow held out a hoof to keep Flix back, then turned to regard Blaze. “I may be about to betray my friends and all of Equestria, for their own good and for the sake of all our futures. You would help me do that? You would defy the Princess? Why?”

“Tae keep ye an' the Element ye wield safe,” Frostfell repeated. “Whutever ye do is on yer own conscience, but if ye die an' we weren't thar, then yer death an' the loss of ye Element be on ours.”

Blaze gave a nod of agreement. “In a nutshell. Please allow us to help you.”

“They're up to something,” Flix said. “Don't listen to them. Just leave them in there, alright?”

Rainbow considered the wall for a time, then glanced around at Flix. “I trusted in you and your brother, even when every sane pony might have told me not to.” She looked back at the two prisoners. “Besides, I may have need of them.”

“You're making a mistake,” Flix said, her wings twitching.

“Yes yes.” Rainbow sighed and waved a dismissive hoof at Flix. “Blaze and Frostfell, if I open this door, do you swear to serve and follow me, the me who is standing in this room as we speak, without question until there are no longer two of me?”

“We swear,” they both said.

“You will not leave these ruins without my permission,” Rainbow continued. “And you will not do anything to hurt anyone within. Do you swear?”

“We do.”

“Aye.”

Rainbow considered them for a long time, then she smiled and added, “I want you to swear that on the other one's heart. Break it and you break their heart as well.”

Blaze and Frostfell looked each other in the eyes. There was a long silence, then Blaze spoke first. “I guess this is not what I had in mind, but … Frostfell, I swear by your heart and my love for you, that I will follow and serve the Rainbow Dash before me without question until there are no longer two of her, that I will not leave these ruins without her permission or lift a hoof to harm anyone within these halls.” He paused for a second and then knelt down. “And Frostfell, will you marry me once this is over?”

Frostfell looked like she had been hit by something. The normally headstrong mare stammered slightly as she replied in turn, “Blaze, I … I do swear by yer heart an' my love fer ye, that I too will follow an' serve the Rainbow Dash in front of me withoot question until there dinnae be two of her, that I will nae leave these ruins withoot her permission or lift a hoof tae harm anyone within these here halls.” She smiled. “And … aye. Aye, I will!”

Rainbow grinned. “Now seal it.”

“Ye have an evil mind, Rainbow Dash,” Frostfell said, her eyes never leaving Blaze's. “A right evil mind.”

Their eyes were locked for another second, then they both leaned forward together and their lips met.

Rainbow stuck the key in the lock and turned it with a click. “I know.”

***

“Hrm …”

The ground shook slightly and a wave of smoke billowed past Rainbow as Kin looked up. There was a sorrowful tone in his voice as he spoke, sighing occasionally.

“The place feels so empty without her,” he rumbled. “Are you going to take over, then?”

Rainbow stared at the figure in the smoke, sitting among the ashes. “I'm taking charge,” her mouth spoke the words while her mind was trying to accept what her eyes was telling her.

Kin looked at her impassively and gave a long sigh. “I will wait, hrm. She will return one day and set me free. She promised.”

“I do not think she will,” Rainbow said, and believed it. “I could use your help, however.”

The gargoyle showed no change. “She will return.” It didn't matter if he believed it, he was going to hold on to that promise forever if need be, because it was all he had to hold on to.

Rainbow scowled. She could see the lie. It was nothing more, just a prison of the mind like Eden said. He wasn't much bigger than a pony, but he believed himself to be, and that belief made it real in the eyes of everyone who ever looked at him. He just looked big. It was some kind of magic, but it wasn't the truth. Rainbow wanted to buck the living daylight out of whoever had given him this belief, but they were long dead and gone now, of course, and only Kin remained down here in the dark. All because of a lie.

And it was so simple, wasn't it? She didn't need Twilight's magic or Eden's powers, all she needed was a bunch of hooey and some make-believe.

“Eden has left, and you need to get out too, right now,” she said and dug her hoof in the thick layer of ash and soot on the floor. With a dramatic gesture she dragged the ash across her face and around her eyes, then fixed the gargoyle in a stare. “Eden has told me how to make you small. It is an old zebra ritual from beyond the Everfree Forest.”

“Eden promised she would release me when I was ready,” the rock said. Dumb rock.

“I'm fulfilling her promises of late,” Rainbow said and dragged a sooty hoof down her chest, recalling everything she could about Zecora's little hut and the masks and drawings within. She needed all the inspiration she could get to make herself believe that it looked real. Belief was the key. “And I'm saying you're ready, because somepony damn well has to say it, and I can see it's not going to be you!”

Kin lifted his head slightly and his eyes glowed as he watched her dance back and forth on the spot like a boxer getting warmed up for the fight.

Rainbow looked around. There wasn't much to work with in this pony forsaken place. Some spooky masks and a big bubbling cauldron would have been a nice touch. All she had was smoke and no mirrors. Princesses damn it all, time to dust off those drama lessons she never took and hope like hay that Kin had never seen real zebra magic performed … or heard any of the traditional pegasus weather songs.

At least none of her friends were going to see this, or ever know about it. She closed her eyes, took a moment to collect herself, then launched into a slow dance around the not-so-giant gargoyle while singing under her breath. She began slowly, building herself up as she circled around Kin in the darkness, whirling up bits of smoke. She had to believe it looked pretty mystical and awesome from outside the circle.

The words she sang were a mix of ancient pegasus weather calls and improvised zebra mumbo jumbo that she kinda thought she had heard Zecora once chant over a bubbling cauldron. By complete chance it probably translated into something incredibly stupid, or naughty, but she had to believe it sounded pretty authentic if you weren't Zecora … or another pegasus.

She was getting into the mood now and picked up her pace. Smoke and ashes whipped around her as she spun and spread out her wings, raising her voice in an eerie chant which echoed and rumbled through the cavernous ruins. It was working! “I'm freakin' awesome, is what I am!” she thought to herself as she kicked up another cloud of ash and rose into the air, lost in the magic of the dance.

“Spirits!” she cried. The voice came out shrill and eerie, and rolled back in waves. Rainbow almost scared herself, but forced herself to continue chanting.

“To me!” She rose into the air above Kin, who was leaning his head back to stare up at her in the dark.

“I command you!” she roared under the stone ceiling. “Spirits of the stone! Spirits of the earth!”

A wind blew through the room, cold and haunting. Rainbow lifted her hooves in the air, and her voice came out in a whisper. “Dance with me!”

Pale shadows danced in the smoke and ashes and surrounded Rainbow as she lowered herself between them, feeling like a goddess of old and swelling with imagined power. They really did follow her command. Hah! She let out a long cry and launched herself back into the dance, trailing ghostly ponies whose horns glowed and wings beat to her rhythm.

This was real …

She came to a stop with a low, drawn out hiss and knelt down, wings stretched out in front of the gargoyle. Flickering lights rose up all around him, casting long dancing shadows in the clouds of smoke.

The lights dimmed as the spirits faded back into the stone.

Kin lifted a glowing hand and considered it as the darkness flooded back into the room. “You are not all you appear to be,” he said, believing.

Rainbow grinned widely, her teeth gleaming in the last flickers of light, like a mask from the deep jungles of the south where dark magic called up ancient spirits and performed miracles of make-believe.

***

“You don't mind?”

Rainbow lay down on the pillows and stretched her legs. It was hard work being awesome, and all she wanted right now was to unwind and let someone else take over. Someling in particular. She turned her head and looked at him. “No,” she said.

“You don't find it—”

“No,” she repeated and closed her eyes. So many impressions and thoughts floated around her mind from these past few days, but whatever had happened in the well, she felt … clearer. She opened her eyes again and looked at him sadly. “I do not think I will survive this …” she said and patted the pillows with a hoof.

Doodlebug stood for a moment, looking lost, then he walked over and sat down by her side.

Rainbow sighed and closed her eyes as he stroked her mane. “No, scratch that, I am sure I will not survive this,” she said quietly. It stung her heart to think of it, but she needed to come to terms with it, and he as well. Better now, when they still had time to make the most of it. No delusions of living happily ever after. “Even if I survive, it won't be me … not the me who loves you, because that would mean I let the other me die to save myself.”

Doodlebug said nothing. His hoof caressed her neck and was joined by a second as he positioned himself into a more comfortable position and began to rub her shoulders.

Rainbow groaned with pleasure as his hooves skillfully worked the tenseness out of her back. “If this is all the time I get,” she said and let out a little sigh as she felt his touch between her wings, “then I don't want to think I wasted it, doubting or pitying myself, and I don't want to die without having loved. I …” her wings twitched slightly at the touch. “I love you, Doodle.”

His hooves stopped and settled on her back.

“I don't care if you look this way,” she continued. “I thought I would, and at first maybe I did, but …” She turned her head and looked up at him as best she could. He looked so sad just sitting there listening to her words. She lifted a wing and touched it against his heart. “I see a pony in there. A knight in black armor. Pretty cool, huh?”

A little smile crept over his face, making his eyes gleam as he lifted a hoof to hold her wing. “You're a very unusual pony, Rainbow Dash,” he said.

“I know, I know,” she grinned and turned her head back around, closing her eyes as she lay back down to relax. “I am pretty awesome. Pretty AND awesome, right?”

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “The prettiest.”

Rainbow's chest filled with pride, if not air. “I know.” She felt his kiss on her cheek and sighed as he returned to massage her back.

He seemed to have something more on his mind as he worked his way down to her lower back and haunches. “You never told me your plan,” he said after a while. “You seem very confident.”

Rainbow was silent for a time, enjoying every stroke of his hoof. She didn't honestly feel confident, but she had to believe it anyway, believe herself when she said she was going to do it. “I'm going to steal the Elements,” she said. “I don't know what my friends are planning, but I know I don't want to find out what happens if they succeed. If they won't listen to me, then I have to take matters into my own hoof before it's too late. Maybe then they will be forced to see reason and give them up.”

Doodlebug hesitated slightly as if thinking, then moved on to work on her hind legs. “That will not be easy. I assume you will need my help?”

“Oh yes,” Rainbow said, as much at the massage as to his question. It felt divine. “You and Flix will be invaluable. But we must move quickly. We will start with the ones in Gloaming early tomorrow. We will sneak in while the princess is asleep, and hopefully Twilight and my double will be out at the time. Then we only have to deal with the guards.”

A cunning plan was taking form in her mind as she spoke. “Once we have the first set of Elements, we must move quickly to Canterlot and get the other set before anypony notices anything amiss and alerts Princess Celestia. We will have to somehow convince her to open the vault for us, which will be tricky, but I know I can count on you and Flix. We can't really plan much, so we'll just have to wing it. Fortunately, I'm the world champ at winging it,” she grinned and sighed with delight. “They won't expect such a daring stunt. That's what I'm counting on.”

Doodlebug leaned over and kissed the back of her neck. Rainbow shivered at the touch. “Sounds like a plot worthy of Daring Do …” he whispered.

“Speaking of plots—” Rainbow smirked and turned around, placing a pair of hooves on his flanks “—perhaps you would close the door, mm?” She gave a nod towards the door where the flickering light of a torch shone through.

The changeling gave her a mischievous grin and stood up.

Rainbow watched him close the door and turn back around in the dark. “And then perhaps the black knight would like his princess,” she said.

II.19 - Love Story

A lonely bird chirped somewhere among the brickwork of the ancient castle. Dash walked up to the edge of the balcony and sat down, gazing up at the sky and the towering peaks of the castle. The door to Princess Luna's room was open and a light breeze made the curtains move slightly, but the room beyond was shrouded in darkness. As far as Dash could tell from the past few days in Gloaming, the princess always slept with the door of her balcony open.

Two guards were stationed there, just like on Dash and Twilight's own balcony. Dash had learned not to pay the guards any attention. They were everywhere now and they never moved or said anything except to verify the identity of anyone arriving. Dash couldn't imagine standing around like a statue for hours, no matter how good the pay or great the honor.

One of the guards on Luna's balcony turned his head and looked at her briefly.

Dash sighed and leaned over the balcony, staring down over the village and the sprawling tree tops of the forest. The bird gave an occasional little trill, and the breeze whispered among the old towers, but otherwise it was quiet. Dash closed her eyes and just let herself soar through the deep blue sky in her imagination. Her breathing slowed and she quickly felt at ease as the tenseness washed away.

She was going to do this. Sure, Twilight would understand if she said no, and then they would try something else … and what if they couldn't find another way? And that was why she would do it, because she would do anything for her friends and for Equestria.

Also … because she trusted Twilight and wanted to tell her everything, even the things that she couldn't tell anypony else. The thought of laying her self and her soul bare before Twilight, letting her see her every thought and secret frightened and thrilled her at the same time. A part of her wanted to open herself up and give herself over to Twilight unconditionally.

She had probably been standing for half an hour, just feeling her breath and letting the silence around her flow through her. She felt calm, and she needed that now. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around. Nothing had changed. The forest looked like itself, the castle still stood, and the curtains still drifted about the open door to where the princess was resting.

Dash turned around, and lowered her gaze as she opened the door and stepped back inside.

***

Twilight turned a page quietly. She was smiling peacefully to herself as her eyes moved down the page, lost in the book and unaware that Dash had walked back in.

Dash closed the door quietly and stopped as a brief flash of tension returned. Of course Twilight had found the flowers and the book lying on the bed. Dash had completely forgotten about that for a moment. She closed her eyes to calm herself back down. “Twilight?”

The unicorn looked up, still smiling. “Are these for me?” she asked, stroking the flowers with a hoof as she lowered the book. “They are lovely.”

Dash nodded and took a few steps towards the bed and Twilight, keeping her gaze low as she sat down next to her friend. “I-I wanted to tell you that I've been thinking a lot about you, Twilight.”

Twilight blushed and cradled the flowers in her hooves, the smile never leaving her lips as she too looked down. But she didn't look entirely surprised. “You have?”

Dash cursed herself for this nervousness and forced herself to look up at Twilight. “Yeah,” she said, willing herself to stop being such a weakling. “I have been dreaming of you. I, uh … Some of those dreams are a bit, you know …”

“Like the one I stumbled into?” Twilight said and gave her a coy smile.

“You knew, didn't you?”

Twilight fumbled a bit with the flowers. “I wasn't sure.”

Dash sighed. “I think I love you, Twilight, I really do, but I'm also so confused.” She looked into Twilight's eyes and felt the calm from before return and fill her up. “These few days with you have been the most amazing, despite everything we've been through. I never thought I would spend hours with you studying or … or just watching your read. You know you're cute when you're reading, right?”

The blush on Twilight's face brightened and her smile grew a bit. She said nothing.

“Yeah,” Dash said, feeling how Twilight's response so far was lifting her up and giving her the courage to continue. “So what I'm trying to say, Twilight, is that I really like you, and I don't know if I just hit my head really hard or something,” she said and scratched her head, grinning a little awkwardly, “but, well … you tell me, right?”

A chuckle slipped from Twilight's lips as she looked up at Dash. “Let's find out together.” She gave Dash a little dash on the nose with the flowers. “Your taste in gifts makes me think there's hope for you after all. I love them,” she said and gave Dash a peck on the cheek.

Dash grinned. “Oh? I have no idea what the book is. For all I know it's something awful, but it looked all dusty and old, so I figured it was perfect for you.” She stuck out her tongue.

“You're such a charmer,” Twilight said and hit her on the head with a pillow. “I expect the long words threw you off.” Twilight stuck out her own tongue. “There are three whole syllables in some of these words, I can see how those would be a challenge.”

Dash gave a fake laugh and hit back at Twilight with the pillow. “So what is it then? Is it an ancient grimoire with dark secrets on how to open portals to eldritch dimensions that ponykind was never meant to know? I read about that in a Daring Do book,” she said proudly.

“Wouldn't you like to know?” Twilight teased and held the book away from Dash.

“Yeah, I would. What is it?” Dash reached out for the book, leaning very close to Twilight as she did.

Twilight smirked and, with surprising strength and suddenness, pushed Dash down on the bed, forcing her hooves down against the mattress and dangling the book just out of her reach. “I'll tell you, if you tell me who's the most beautiful pony here.”

Dash smiled and wrested a hoof free to rest it on Twilight's shoulder as she looked up into the unicorn's deep violet eyes. “You are, Twilight. You are the most beautiful pony I know.”

“Tell me how beautiful I am.” Twilight looked back at her, biting her lip expectantly. She looked so damn adorable when she did that.

“Oh gee, um …” Dash panicked slightly. She wasn't exactly known for her brilliance with words and would certainly never win any awards for love poetry, but Twilight was waiting for her to say something. “It's in your smile—yeah, like that right there—and … you're smart, and that's, you know, pretty hot actually.” Dash scratched her head. “I never really realized how smart you are before. I guess I look at you and see somepony almost as awesome as myself, and I've never really known anypony else like that.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow teasingly. “Almost?”

Dash squirmed a bit. “Well, you're pretty awesome and all, but you can't be the impossible, Twilight. You have to be realistic here,” she grinned.

“Is that so?” Twilight smiled at her. She leaned down and whispered in her ear, “So I guess you don't want to hear about the book, or find out what else I might give you.” She touched her muzzle against Dash's ear. “That's too bad, you know.”

Dash bit her lip and looked around as if checking that no one else was in the room. “Okay okay … you win, but … if you tell anypony, I'm totally gonna deny it!”

Twilight flashed her a mischievous grin. “Deny what?”

Dash groaned and looked away. “You're the most awesome pony I know,” she muttered.

“Say that again, I want to hear it again. I don't think anypony could hear you.”

Dash sighed and looked Twilight in the eyes. “I think you're the most awesome pony I know, Twilight. You're intelligent and beautiful, and you could kick any pony's tail … and you really are cute when you're reading, you know.”

Twilight giggled and lowered the book, resting it on the bed next to Dash. “Not as cute as you when you're squirming like that. And that was a big admission.” She licked Dash on the nose and smiled at her. “I think I might like you too.”

Dash blushed and returned the lick. “So are you going to tell me about the book now, or what? It's all gobbledygook to me, with all those old runes and stuff. It's not even written properly.” She turned a little and flipped to a random page, tapping the book with a hoof. “I mean look at this …”

Twilight smiled and lay down next to her with the book between them. “It's because it's partially written in verse. It's a really old love story about a princess who falls in love with one of her guards, and when he is sent off to war, she dresses up in armor and runs off to follow him. It's very sweet, but also quite dark. They go through a lot to be together. Did you find it in the shop here in town?”

“Yeah, I almost missed it at first. It doesn't even have a title.”

Twilight turned to the first page where a short line was written in small script. “ 'The Kiss of Polaris',” she translated. “I wonder how it ended up here.”

“What's that?”

“What's what?”

Dash flipped the pages with her wing, to somewhere near the back of the book where a piece of paper was sticking out slightly between the pages. “There's a note or something here,” she said.

Twilight smiled and picked it up. “Oh? It wouldn't be from you, would it?”

“What? No,” Dash shook her head and leaned over to see. “I just bought the book, nothing else.”

Twilight turned the paper around and stared at it for a moment. “It's a drawing,” she said and put it down for Dash to see, then flipped through each page of the book.

“Looks like a map or something,” Dash said. “Can't say where it is, though. There are some marks, but it doesn't say what they are. Oh, and it says 'L' here on the back.'”

“There's another one here,” Twilight said and picked up a smaller piece of paper, turning it around in her magic. “Just says WH … or,” she turned it around again, “could be HM.”

Dash scratched her head. “Her Majesty?”

Twilight took another look at the first note, then carefully put both of them back in the book where they had been found. “Could be. Someone must have left it for someone else to find.”

“Maybe it was the princess,” Dash grinned. “A note with a meeting place for her secret lover? 'L' could be 'Luna', and isn't that what the story is about? A princess who falls in love with one of her guard?”

“Rainbow Dash!”

“What?” Dash chuckled. “Come on, Twi, you're the one who told me she was a mother. Don't tell me now that she doesn't have her fun from time to time.”

Twilight blushed a little and picked up the book. “Yes, but … okay, look, I'll ask the princess when she wakes up if she knows about it.”

***

“So what exactly will I have to do?” Dash settled down on the bed and watched Twilight as the unicorn went through her notes and books a last time to make sure she had got everything.

“Try to relax and don't think,” Twilight said and ducked under the desk in search of a wayward note. She emerged a moment later with a piece of paper. “Just let the thoughts flow on their own, I'll be trying to dig up the right ones, and the more you think of other things the harder that will be.”

“Oh,” Dash muttered, hoping things wouldn't be too … distracting, knowing some of the things on her mind recently. “Will this be like a dream? Do I need to sleep?” Dash sat up slightly, leaning her head on a hoof.

“No, you shouldn't sleep.” She looked up from her notes at Dash. “I need you to be awake, otherwise your dreams may distract me. And if ever you want me to stop, simply say it and I will break the spell.” She looked very serious. “I mean that. Don't hesitate if you feel uncomfortable or that I'm going too far.”

Dash nodded. She understood that, and it was good to know that whatever happened, she could always trust Twilight. “Have you tried this before or is it, um, I mean, are you sure it's safe?”

“Princess Luna let me do a few tests on her, so I'm fairly confident in the basics, and we'll start slow. The magic is safe, but I can not guarantee that I won't dig up something unpleasant.” Twilight trotted over beside Dash. “But you can stop it anytime.”

“Wait wait wait—” Dash blinked. “You've read the mind of the princess?”

Twilight sat down. “Only what little she let me see. She has much more practice at this magic than me, and all I could read were the words of a song she was thinking about. It was just for practice.” Twilight smiled and lay a hoof on Dash's leg. “Are you ready? I will see if I can find your recent dreams first.”

“Oh … um,” Dash winced and felt her face turn red. “I'm ready. I'm … an open book, you know.”

Twilight smiled and rubbed her hoof. “Try not to think, just let it flow and let me do the work.”

Twilight's horn brightened and a lavender haze surrounded them as she lowered her head, touching her horn briefly against Dash's forehead. Dash watched the horn as Twilight straightened back up, a faint glow now connecting them. It pulsed slightly now and then, and Dash found it hard not to focus on it. She wasn't sure what she had expected. There was a gentle feeling of warmth and a comforting touch, but not much beyond that.

Twilight rubbed her hoof again. Dash settled down a little more, feeling safe with Twilight. She closed her eyes and tried not to think. A dream sprang back into life in her mind, all the details slowly returning to her. It was just a short memory and she had almost forgotten about it entirely. It was a strange sensation as the memory took on a life of its own, showing her a brief glimpse of blackened skies over Canterlot, something she had dreamed the other day. She felt like spreading her wings, but resisted the urge.

Another memory imposed itself before the previous one was over. Dash blushed and bit her lip. So this was it then, the dream Twilight had inadvertently stumbled into earlier, and now she got to see it in full. Twilight squeezed her hoof as the memory flashed through Dash's mind. Dash opened an eye and watched Twilight. The unicorn was blushing in the flickering light of her magic. In her mind, their lips met and Twilight rolled over on top of her.

In the real world, Twilight gave a blushing smile. “Don't think, it's … distracting,” she said quietly, still holding Dash's hoof. “Just relax.”

Dash certainly found it distracting too, but tried her best not to think. She found that watching Twilight made her feel better as dreams followed one by one, rarely staying long. Some of them were dark and stormy, and they were rarely long, but others left her feeling warm and wondering … just once, what it would be like for it to not be a dream.

“I never would have thought of you like this,” Twilight said quietly.

Dash struggled not to freak out a little, but this was … it was …

“Relax.” Twilight smirked. “I like it.”

It was pretty cool. She knew Twilight was aware of everything she was thinking and feeling right now. The princess might have been able to protect herself effortlessly against Twilight, should the unicorn have been tempted to look where she wasn't invited, but Dash was completely open and left in the hooves of the other mare. It was so hard not to think about how wild that made her.

Could Twilight even—

“Yes.” The answer came before she was even aware she had thought the question. The tone of that one word was playful but made it absolutely clear that Twilight' wouldn't.

But it was possible.

Dash grinned. She was starting to feel more confident and relaxed. Twilight was going over some of the dreams more closely. Dash just relaxed and let her do it, let Twilight control the flow as Dash let her eyes settle upon the unicorn.

Twilight had her eyes closed throughout. Most of the time she was concentrated on the task, looking thoughtful and completely focused, but occasionally she smiled with playful surprise.

“You really think my horn is pretty?”

Dash hadn't been aware that she was staring at Twilight's horn, which was also the center of attention in her dream now. The horn was unassuming by some standards, certainly compared with the royal sisters, but a tremendous power hid behind that spiraled tip, a power as mysterious as it was alluring to Dash. She simply smiled in reply.

Twilight opened one eye to wink at her, then turned back to work with renewed focus. The seriousness returned to her face as a dream returned to focus. Dash winced as she recalled the storm and her sense of despair as she dived to save the tiny lavender dot just before the lightning shattered the remains of her hastily conjured shield. It had been the first dream since her crash in the forest, and it had haunted her ever since waking from it in the Canterlot Archive. Twilight was bringing it back now and letting her relieve it again and again, trying to push beyond that last wall of light or find some clue hidden in the memory.

Luna's scream echoed in her mind, followed by the hopeless blackness and her despairing dive, too far and too late to ever make it. Blinding light and a terrible pain drove through her body and heart. It was the moment of her death, it had to be. Dash closed her eyes tightly and whimpered slightly. “Twi … stop …”

The glow around Twilight died suddenly and she reached out to hug Dash. The memory stopped replaying, but a shadow still remained, haunting her with its images of death and despair. “I'm so sorry, Dash. Are you okay? I shouldn't have pushed so hard—”

“No, it's okay,” Dash said and let herself slip into Twilight's embrace, feeling the warmth wash away the bad dream. “I can handle it. You have to do whatever it takes. But Twi—” She sank a bit. “Twi, that was my death, wasn't it? I was trying to get to you in time, but I couldn't. There was no way I could possibly save you. Why do I remember our deaths?”

Twilight was silent for several minutes. Dash could feel that she was thinking hard about everything she had seen. It wasn't the only dream that seemed to offer a glimpse of a dark future. “I don't know,” she said. “Maybe the Elements are warning you.” She held on to Dash for a little longer, then let go with a determined look. “I need a short rest, and I should tell Luna about that book while I remember, but then we're going to get to the bottom of this. I promise!”

Dash nodded and sat up. “Yeah, a refuel would be nice. I'm starved.”

***

Two moons peeked out from behind the clouds, casting their pale silvery glow through the window of the room. Candles burned on the desk and lit up Twilight's exhausted face as she went through the notes she had been scribbling about their discoveries, or lack thereof.

They had been working all day and it was well into the night now. The princess claimed not to recognize the book or be able to shed any light on the notes, but had duly taken copies of the two notes in case they turned up any clues. Twilight and Dash returned to their room and their own research after a late lunch together in the castle's kitchen.

Despite doing nothing but just lying there on the bed with Twilight next to her, Dash had found it a trying and deeply exhausting experience. Twilight wasn't doing any better, but she kept going in the hope of finding the right piece of the puzzle among the tangled threads of Dash's memories and dreams.

The dreams had provided only more questions, so Twilight had looked for memories of the day of the crash in the forest, and found none. Dash remembered running away from Fluttershy's cottage, going into the woods, and getting strangled by the roots. All of that was perfectly clear in her head. She remembered no crash, and only a flickering moment of being found by Twilight. She also remembered nothing about the Elements. Twilight had searched through her memories for it, and found nothing anywhere she looked.

Twilight's eyes closed and her head sank a bit as she nodded off to sleep by the desk. Dash didn't have the heart to wake her. Instead she picked up a blanket and wrapped it around the shoulders of the unicorn. After a moment's hesitation, she kissed her cheek and sat down, snuggling up against Twilight.

Dash had almost drifted off to sleep herself, when there was a light knock on the door. She looked up as Princess Luna stepped inside. “A blessed night to you two,” she said and closed the door behind her. “I see that you are still hard at work. How is your research going?”

“Nowhere,” Dash said and rubbed her eyes. “I don't remember a thing about crashing into the forest or the Elements. Not a damn thing. I do remember my own death quite clearly, however. Twilight's and … um, and yours too, I suspect.”

Luna raised an eyebrow as she lay down on a couch and made herself comfortable. “Really? My first one, or is this one I have yet to experience the pleasure of?”

It took a moment for Dash to remember the tale of Luna's entrapment in the moon. “Oh … um, yeah, something that might happen, I think. I've been reliving that dive over and over today. But it's way too far, no pony could fly that fast!”

“I think you lost me,” Luna said and smiled. “Why don't you start from the beginning?”

Dash rubbed her temples hard. “Yeah, alright,” she sighed and went over the dream again. Not that she was happy to relive the memory, even without Twilight's magic focusing on every detail for her. “And that's it,” she finished. “I dive, but it's too far and too late. And then I die.”

“Fascinating,” Luna said and tapped her leg with a hoof as she looked up at the moons outside. “Seems to me you do remember a crash, then, do you not? It is just not where—or when—you have been looking for it. Perhaps it is not the only thing not where or when it should be.”

Dash looked blankly at the princess. “What—”

“THAT'S IT!” Twilight burst to life and nearly flew over the surprised form of Dash to hug the princess. “Oh thank you thank you thank you Princess!”

Before the princess could say anything, Twilight was back at the desk, going through her notes. “Glad to be of assistance,” Luna said with a gentle laugh.

“We will need a few more sessions, Dash, but by Starswirl's beard, I think I've got it!” Twilight said excitedly, then stopped suddenly and stared at nothing, her lips moving as she went through some complex thought to herself. Her brow furrowed in concentration, then she picked up a piece of paper and turned around. “Princess, I need access to the Starswirl the Bearded wing!”

“Why, of course, Twilight. You know the guards will be happy to let you in at any time.” Luna stood up and smiled. “I have arranged for a carriage to bring you to Canterlot at sunrise. Now if you will excuse me, I am awaiting an important visit tonight and—”

“At sunrise!?” Twilight interrupted. “There is simply no time to waste. I have to—”

Luna held up a hoof. “I am sure these things can wait a single night. Not to mention you look like you could both use a good night's sleep. I strongly recommend you take the chance.” The words weren't exactly an order, but they had much the same effect.

Twilight deflated a little, but quickly recovered. “Yes, yes of course, princess.”

“The carriage will arrive before dawn,” Luna said and turned to leave. Twilight had lost herself in her notes again, muttering about the beards of ancient unicorns.

Dash blinked. “Wait, you already arranged that?”

Luna stopped in the door and looked back around. “It will not do to have you here tomorrow.”

II.20 - Thief of Harmony

It was impossible to tell whether it was night or day from where she was. The room had no windows, and since Eden's disappearance the unnatural light that seemed to permeate the place had gone as well. She could only just make out her hoof in front of her nose, and that of the changeling currently holding her. She wouldn't be able to move, not without having to push him off of her …

She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep again.

Just as she was about to doze off, a light tapping of hooves outside the door woke her up. Rainbow ignored the sound and tugged herself a little bit further into her lover's embrace.

A light knock on the door followed a moment later.

When Rainbow offered no response, the door inched open, casting a flickering light across the room. After a few more seconds, Flix poked her head in and looked at them. “Rainbow Dash?”

“I'm sleeping,” Rainbow muttered.

Flix paused, then stepped inside. “Yes, I can see that.”

“Unlike you, I notice,” Rainbow commented.

“It's just as well. I wouldn't like to walk in on you two doing anything else. It's almost morning,” Flix said, refusing to take the hint. She stuck her head back out to check the corridor, then closed the door behind her. “I don't trust those Shadowbolts. I dozed off earlier while watching them and woke up to find one of them had gone off to snoop around. I can only imagine what she was up to.”

Rainbow sighed. At least Doodlebug was proving a sound sleeper and was still blissfully holding Rainbow in his sleep. “Look, I may need them, and we couldn't have just left them in the prison in case … you know, in case we never come back, okay? I don't know if we can trust them, but we'll keep them close the whole time.”

Flix didn't look convinced. “What do you need them for? They'll only be trouble.”

Rainbow hadn't really thought out a plan yet. She bit her lip as she thought. “Well … okay, look, I just think it's better to have them where we can keep an eye on them, and we can't leave them here. I don't believe they would hurt us, and with Kin watching the entrance there's not a whole lot they could do.”

“I don't know,” Flix said and shook her head. “I have a bad feeling about them. They're hiding something, I can tell. They have that scheming look in their eyes.”

Doodlebug stirred and woke with a yawn.

Rainbow sighed. “We'll see. Just … um, give us half an hour?”

Flix rolled her eyes and opened the door. “Just don't give my brother too many ideas. I don't want to see him turned into a love slave.”

Doodlebug stuck his tongue out at her.

“Oh, don't worry, that won't happen.” Rainbow smirked and watched as Flix left the room and closed the door behind her. “I'd much rather be his love slave,” she added and turned to smile at him.

***

Rainbow flew back and forth across the hall, surveying her troops. All five of them. Plus herself, that made six, which was a lucky number in her book. She was quietly contemplating giving them pet names. Flix would be Fluttershy, then, with her nervous twitching and worried nature. And she had Blaze figured as kinda like Applejack. “Hmm …” she hummed and turned back around for another lap.

Sadly, the comparison kinda stopped working there, and even those two were sketchy. “Okay, listen up … first of all, do we know where they'd keep the Elements in Gloaming?”

“I'd say the treasury,” Blaze offered. “That's the most logical place.”

Rainbow nodded. Sounded reasonable. “And where is that?”

“Behind the throne, there's a secret door.”

Flix raised a hoof, looking smug.

“Yes, Flix?”

“I bet they would love to lead us to the treasury, full of guards and traps.” She gave the two Shadowbolts a nasty look which said she knew everything about their little schemes. “But I happen to know that the princess keeps them in her private chambers.”

“Oh aye?” Frostfell returned the look just as nastily. “An' how ye be so sure she would nae have moved 'em noo she ken aboot the two o' ya?”

Rainbow brought a hoof to her face. “Great. So we might have to check both places. Okay, moving on, how would we get in anyway?”

“The princess always sleeps with her window open,” Doodlebug offered.

Flix shook her head. “Yeah, but all windows and balconies are guarded. We wouldn't get within a mile of the castle without being spotted. We could try to climb up from below rather than flying, though.”

“One of the lower towers is still unused off because it's falling apart,” Blaze interjected thoughtfully. “We could approach through the gorge and climb up from below, without being spotted by the guards at the bridge. That's what I would do.”

“Getting into that tower would be easy, but getting anywhere from there is still a problem,” Doodlebug said. “Still, it's one problem down.”

Rainbow drifted back and forth in her own little world of daring and ingenious plans. “Approach through gorge, enter through low tower, then find princess' chambers in the high tower … that's a lot of guards to pass and narrow stairs with nowhere to hide, I bet. What of the treasury? That's through the throne room, which is on the ground floor, right?”

“Yes.”

“But that'd be guarded too, right? Lots of guards in the throne room, I bet.”

“A few, certainly.”

“Just perfect. Okay, let's take the treasury first, if we can, and hope like hay the Elements are there.” Rainbow shook her head and turned to the hunched figure of Kin, who had been watching quietly behind the others. “Kin, tell me you can even fly with those wings of yours.”

“Hrm, never tried in my life, ma'am,” he rumbled.

Rainbow watched the gargoyle for a time. Sometimes she wondered just how many tricks Eden was playing on her, and whether any of them would be to Rainbow's advantage. “Okay. Would you care to try now, before our lives might depend upon it?”

Kin looked at his wings, then nodded and took a few tentative flaps. “Hrm, should be easy enough,” he said and slowly lifted off the ground, wobbling a bit uncertainly.

Rainbow watched the creature fly unsteadily across the room. Rocks really weren't meant to fly, she thought. “Uh, yeah, … that'll do, I'm sure.” She sighed and glanced at each of them. “We have a kind of plan, so I guess … we wing it from here. Move out.”

***

The forest was full of life as they made their way towards Gloaming, staying off paths and open glades where they might be seen from above or run into other travelers. It was slow work, not only because the forest was dense and difficult to travel through, but because Kin spent the entire time watching every tree and bush in wonder. The gargoyle had to be constantly prodded and reminded to move on, a task which Flix had happily delegated to Blaze and Frostfell.

The changeling caught up with Rainbow and looked back at the two Shadowbolts trudging along behind them. “Look—”

“I know, you don't trust them,” Rainbow said and pushed aside a thorny branch. “You told me already.”

Flix shot her an angry look. “You're not listening to me, are you? You think I'm just being paranoid or something?” The anger turned to hurt. “Please trust me, Rainbow. Just … trust me, okay?” She glanced back again to make sure the others were still a way behind them. “I think they hope we'll go for the treasury. They probably know more about the castle and its defenses than I do. I can't help but feel they hope to walk us into a trap.”

Rainbow looked around at them too. “Alright, what do you suggest?”

“Don't go to the treasury. Pretend you will, but then go to the princess' room instead. I'll bet you the Elements are there, and she'll be asleep with the door to her balcony open. There'll only be two guards on the balcony, and if they don't see us coming we could knock them out and simply leave that way. If we're lucky, then no pony would pay attention to who leaves, and the princess would wake up a few hours later when we're long gone.”

Rainbow paused and gnawed her lip thoughtfully. There were so many potential holes in that plan, but the alternative wasn't any more solid. Finally she nodded. “Okay, Flix. I trust you.”

Flix smiled and bumped her hoof. “Thank you, Rainbow.”

***

The ravine around the castle was narrow and deep, and it wasn't as easy to travel through as Rainbow had hoped. It was absolutely overgrown with thorns, and the bottom was flooded by stale, unpleasant looking water. A dense fog made it impossible to see very far, and Rainbow couldn't help glancing around at every little drip or snap of a branch, wondering what horrible monsters might be living down here in the misty gloom.

The last thing they needed was something ugly with teeth jumping out at them and making a lot of noise to alert the whole castle.

“How far?” she whispered.

“It can't be far,” Doodlebug replied somewhere in the fog ahead of her. “I think I can see the pillars of the bridge up ahead now. Yes, that must be the bridge.”

Rainbow gazed up at the small strip of sky visible above them. “Alright, we're going up, then. Follow my lead.” She began to climb towards the sky and the castle with the others close behind. She peeked over the edge of the ravine and spotted the bridge not far ahead. Several guards were stationed outside and on the bridge, and possibly others were watching from towers.

Everything looked normal.

“That thar's the tower we be wantin'.” Frostfell pointed at a small tower low to the ground. It looked abandoned and ready to crumble. It would be no problem at all breaking a window or a door open and getting inside. Of course, an abandoned tower held nothing of worth, so the next problem would then be to get into the part of the castle that did. Rainbow was still working on several plans for that.

“And that up there is the princess' tower,” Flix noted, pointing a hoof.

Rainbow craned her neck to look up at the tower where a curtain billowed in an open door on a balcony. From here she couldn't see the guards on the balcony. “Good to know. Let's move quickly.” She waited until she was certain the two guards by the bridge was not looking in their direction, then hurried the last few feet out of the ravine and raced towards the castle wall.

Her heart was beating with the thrill. She was about to break into the castle of Princess Luna, to steal the most valuable and powerful magical artifacts in the world. And she had made it this far. The others quickly joined her and gathered close to the wall, waiting tensely for any shouts of alarm. After a minute of nothing happening, Rainbow began edging along the wall towards the rickety old tower.

They reached it and found where the door—which had likely been a servant entrance in ages long past—had been blocked by a collapsed ceiling. Rainbow glanced up along the wall towards the windows higher up. “Okay, we'll climb in through one of those windows,” she said and pointed. “Kin, I have a different plan in mind for you, however.”

“Hrm?” The gargoyle looked away from all the things distracting him to look at her.

“You saw the princess' tower, right? I want you to climb up there,” Rainbow explained. “And I want you to wait there, in case the treasury fails and we have to try that way. Nopony will notice a gargoyle on the walls of an old castle, but they definitely would notice one waltzing around inside.”

“Well put, hrm.” Kin looked around to get an idea of the castle's layout. “Shouldn't be a problem.”

“Good. The rest of you—” Rainbow spread her wings and began rising towards the nearest window. “Follow me.”

***

Rainbow glanced around the corner of the stairs at the guards stationed in the hallway, guarding the entrance to the old tower. If they could only get past those, things should be easier. “Was there anything in any of the rooms?” she asked as she quietly slipped back down to the others in the ruined tower.

“Some tools, but most of it is pretty old or broken. I found a decent enough hammer,” Doodlebug said and offered up the slightly worn piece of equipment. “And Flix got a pair of screwdrivers.”

“We did find a pair of helmets too,” Blaze said. “They are a little dented, but they could still serve. Probably belonged to the last ponies who inspected the tower.”

“But no clothes,” Flix said.

Rainbow considered the meager selection. Could have wished for better, but when you were winging it you couldn't expect even this much. “Okay, good enough, here's the plan,” she began. She hoped like hay all the assumptions she had made for said plan were even half true. “Flix and Doodle, I trust you can look like a pair of repair ponies?”

There was a green glow around both changelings. Rainbow had to assume they were looking like a pair of work ponies, because nothing had changed in her eyes. It was a little unnerving. “Done and done,” Doodlebug nodded and took a helmet from Blaze. Flix did the same.

“Good, here's what you do. You tell the guards the corridor is unsafe and needs to be vacated,” Rainbow explained. “Tell them to go around and guard the tower from the outside while you make sure the place is safe. When they leave, we all just walk right in. Easy peasy, right?”

“Right,” Flix said. “If you say it.”

“Come on, you gotta believe it!” Rainbow tried to look optimistic herself. “Now get up there and work your magic. The rest of us will hold back and wait.”

Flix looked a bit uncertain at the two Shadowbolts behind Rainbow. “Yeah, okay,” she said and flashed the two a glare.

***

“Hold! Who goes?”

Rainbow's heart skipped several beats and changed gear as she hid in the stairwell, listening to what was going on. Everything now hinged on a whole slew of assumptions and vague hopes. It was going to fail spectacularly, by all rights, but she had to keep that hope …

Where was Eden when you needed a little pull at a string or two?

“Here to ward off this section, sir,” Flix said quickly, taking the lead with confidence. “A defect in the masonry, sir, the whole tower could collapse if hit by a wind, and we fear it would take this corridor with it. Better safe than sorry, sir.”

The guards looked at each other. “Where are the rest of your workers?” one of them asked suspiciously. The other looked ready to sound the alarm, his horn already glowing a faint blue. Things were already going wrong, Rainbow thought and bit down on her hoof.

“We are only here to ward off the place,” Doodlebug said.

“That's right, sir,” Flix nodded at her brother. “The rest of the team will arrive later to begin actual repair, but the princess wanted the place warded off as quickly as possible.”

“We would have been informed if anything was planned for the tower,” the first guard said, clearly not buying a word of it. “And you would know a pass phrase, Missy.”

Flix's wing was twitching, making Rainbow wonder what she was looking like, if it was an earth pony or a pegasus. “Pass phrase, of course, of course,” she said, desperately searching for an idea. Rainbow couldn't listen, but she couldn't turn away either. Her heart was racing ahead of her and her entire body getting read to make a run for it.

“What is going on here?”

Rainbow pressed herself further into the shadows of the stair as a dusk pony stallion in royal armor, with the markings of an officer, trotted past. He passed by the stairs without spotting her and stopped, giving everyone a closer look. Rainbow stared at the back of his head from her position in the shadows.

“Sir—” one of the first guards began, but was cut off.

“Ah, excellent! I see the repair has begun,” the officer said. “A sad state of affairs indeed. I for one shall be quite happy to see the tower returned to its old glory.”

Flix hastily seized the opportunity. “Aye, sir. Place must be closed off, for everypony's safety, until it can be repaired. A stiff wind and the whole tower could collapse, taking the hall here with it.”

“Sir, these ponies—”

“At ease, soldier. Everything here looks in order,” the officer cut off the guard again. “I shall inform the captain that work has begun as scheduled. Good job.”

“Sir—” the guard tried again.

“I suggest you two get out there. I want that tower guarded until the repair can begin. Do I make myself clear, soldier?”

“Yes, sir.” The two guards snapped to attention somewhat reluctantly and trotted off.

“Very good,” the officer said and watched them leave. “Good work, you two,” he said and turned around. “Oh, and miss Dash, the phrase for today is 'under the nightshade'. Try not to forget again,” he said and winked as he passed the stairs. “Give my regards to miss Sparkle.”

They all watched him leave. It was several seconds of stunned silence before Doodlebug broke it. “What was that about?”

“I guess every army has its gullible fools,” Flix shrugged.

“And apparently your double has a history of forgetting the pass phrase,” Blaze grinned and slapped Rainbow on the back as he emerged from the stairs.

Rainbow was still staring at where the officer had turned a corner and disappeared. “Something was wrong about him,” she muttered, paying no attention to Blaze's comment. “Did any of you notice anything?” She looked around at the others. “Doodle? Flix?”

“Seemed fine to me, but I'll trust your eyes if you say something is up. I think his name is Lieutenant Shine, though,” Flix said.

“Aye,” Frostfell nodded. “An' I dinnae ken him tae be a gullible pony.”

“Maybe Eden had a little finger in this,” Doodlebug suggested.

Rainbow looked at the empty hallway. “It … could be,” she muttered. Maybe she had just imagined that something looked odd about him, too. “Alright, let's move on before our luck runs out. Flix, I want you to look like Twilight.”

“Yes ma'am.” Flix glowed green for a second and did a little pose.

“Doodle? Can you look like one of the guards?”

“Easy, but it won't work very well without the armor.”

Rainbow considered for a moment. “Even the guards take off their armor when they're off duty. We'll pretend we found these two,” she pointed at Blaze and Frostfell, “out in the forest and are here to bring them to the princess. You're just a random off-duty guard who happened to be around and decided to help. Now that we know the pass phrase, it should be a smooth ride with the other guards.”

Doodlebug gave a nod and flickered with green light for a second. “Right. But let's hope the rota of the royal guard hasn't changed, or I might run into myself here.”

“Oh right,” Rainbow muttered. “We'll try to avoid the guards. It'll probably be fine.” She paused, then added, “Gotta believe it.”

***

“The throne room is down those stairs,” Blaze said and pointed behind them.

Rainbow paused and looked around. “We're not going to the treasury.” The castle was surprisingly empty. Most of the guard was stationed at the various entrances, and only a few servants were around during the day. None of this eased Rainbow's desire to get the hay out of there.

“Oh,” Blaze nodded. Rainbow could see Flix watching them carefully, but neither looked very concerned about the change of plans. “The princess' tower would be this way, then.”

“Good,” Rainbow said and hurried in that direction. They passed through several corridors and then up through the winding, seemingly endless stairs leading up through the high towers. The few guards they met made no fuss once they heard the pass phrase.

She slowed down near the top of the stairs and approached cautiously. The tower was silent. Rainbow held a hoof up to her lips and looked around at the others, then she slowly advanced the last few steps. A door appeared at the end of the stairs, unguarded. Rainbow stopped. “This is the door to the princess' bed chamber? Shouldn't it be guarded?”

“I couldn't say,” Flix admitted with an apologetic look. “Sorry, but I was never in on that.”

“They dinnae tell us aboot the princess' pers'nal protection,” Frostfell added. “We never needed tae ken such things.”

Rainbow sank a lump in her throat and approached the heavy door. Anything could be waiting to meet her on the other side. She frowned at herself. If it could be anything, it could also just be a sleeping princess and a chest containing the Elements. Maybe the princess felt safe enough in her own castle to not have guards outside every door.

She reached out and pushed at the door. It opened without a sound. The large suite beyond was dark, and empty of any princesses. The bed was neatly made, and all the windows and doors were closed, covered by heavy curtains. It was clearly the princess' room, however. The paintings and exotic decorative flowers, the bookshelves with heavy tomes, and a grand piano in the corner all seemed to fit Rainbow's mental picture of the princess of the night. A large mirror in the other corner reflected Rainbow's blank face, and at the other side of the room was an open doorway to a luxurious bath. It too was dark.

“She's not here,” Rainbow muttered and carefully stepped inside. No alarms or fireworks went off. The floor was covered in a soft carpet which silenced her steps and absorbed her voice.

Flix stepped in behind her. “Let's find the Elements and get the hay out of here, then!”

Rainbow gave a short nod and tried to think. Where would the princess hide the Elements? It pained her to search through the princess' private things, but she had to do this to save her friends. And the Elements could be anywhere, but probably not anywhere obvious. “Help me out here,” she said as Blaze and Frostfell stepped in, followed by Doodlebug. They looked around uncertainly.

Who knew how long they had. The princess could return any moment.

“I found something.”

Rainbow spun around and looked on as Doodlebug pulled out an elaborate chest and set it down on the bed. If she had had a breath, the moment would have left her breathless. “Open it,” she whispered as they all watched. “No, wait, I'll open it!” she said hurriedly and pushed past Frostfell.

Doodlebug stepped aside for her, and Rainbow carefully reached out to open the lid. It didn't even have a lock. Why didn't it have a lock? She tensed and readied herself to leap out of the way.

The lid opened without a sound, and a warm glow lit her face from the six Elements within. “We got them,” she whispered, feeling ecstatic. It had been easy, maybe …

A gentle chime, as of somepony hitting their glass very gently to begin a speech, broke the silence and punctuated her thought. Rainbow spun around and choked a scream as the light died around her and a dark phantom stepped silently out of the mirror in the corner.

“Captain, I do believe we have ourselves some thieves in my room,” the ghost said and the shadows seemed to slip away from her, leaving just a pony. Luna's calm blue eyes stole all warmth away from Rainbow as she clutched the chest with the Elements. Something else in those eyes made her heart freeze, but she couldn't tell what it was. “Caught red-hoofed, I dare say.”

Rainbow spun towards the door, and found it shut. Blaze stepped in front of it and turned the key. “I'm truly sorry,” he said and pulled out the key. “But this is for your own protection, Rainbow Dash.”

“I knew it!” Flix yelled and lunged at Frostfell. A sudden blue glow brought her to the floor before she could reach the other mare. “Let me go!” she cried and was silenced as her muzzle snapped shut.

“Easy now,” the princess said and turned back to Rainbow. “You didn't honestly think I wouldn't know, did you? After all, bars and hiding places are no hindrance when you can walk through dreams. My Shadowbolts have served me well and warned me of your plans. They knew little, but it was enough for me to prepare a welcome.”

Rainbow was speechless, unable to tear herself away from staring at the princess. It was Princess Luna standing before her, this she would swear, but there was a dark gleam deep in her eyes.

“We did it fer yer own good.” Frostfell stepped away from the prone Flix and gave Blaze a little rub. “The changelings have ye in some kind of a spell. We dinnae expect ye tae see reason in yer current state. Just ye ken that the princess will help ye.”

“That's lies!” Doodlebug burst out, but thought better of trying to attack the two with the princess around. “We never did anything to you, Rainbow. You know that!”

Rainbow backed away from the princess and the two Shadowbolts, edging slowly towards Doodlebug. “I love Doodle, and I love my friends. I am not the one who is wrong!”

“I am sure we could have a long and rewarding discussion about this,” said Luna, and once again something in her eyes sent a chill down Rainbow's spine. “But I am a busy pony, and we have much to do.” She turned and looked towards the door to the bath. “Captain, I leave these three in your capable hooves.”

Rainbow and Doodle looked around, and an icy claw gripped Rainbow's heart as she saw the face appearing in the door. Or perhaps it had been there this whole time and they simply hadn't seen it. “No …” she gasped and felt Doodlebug turn rigid next to her.

“As you command, my princess,” the captain smiled, sharp teeth flashing in the corner of her mouth and bright green eyes glowing with dark delight. “We must certainly … help such loose elements.”

Rainbow opened her mouth and struggled for a second to find her voice before almost screaming at Luna. “Princess, don't listen to her! That's Chrysalis! She's the changeling queen!” She looked pleadingly at the princess. “She's not your captain! Don't believe her lies!”

Luna raised an eyebrow. Something dark glinted in her eyes again, and Rainbow thought she caught a little hint of green buried within. “I am very sorry, Rainbow Dash, but it seems you are indeed insane. It is a fortune we got to you this soon,” she said and turned to Blaze and Frostfell. “You two have served your princess well. Go now, and take the rest you so rightly deserve. I shall reward you later.”

“You will help her, won't you?” Blaze said, giving Rainbow a concerned look as he opened the door for Frostfell. Rainbow caught a glimpse of guards waiting on the stairs outside.

“Worry not, she will receive the help she needs,” Luna said blankly and watched them leave and lock the door behind them. Rainbow felt the whole world crumbling around her as she listened to the click of the lock and looked into the eyes of Luna.

Chrysalis strolled past them and turned around, standing next to the princess. “What would you have me do with them … my love?” She purred and gave Luna a loving glance.

“Whatever … you desire, my dear,” Luna said, her eyes turning blank as a green flicker played in their depths.

“What have you done to the princess?!” Rainbow demanded, holding the Elements so tight against herself that it hurt.

“She is lovely, is she not?” Chrysalis beamed and caressed Luna's neck with a hoof. “And all it took was a lover's little kiss,” she said and pushed Luna's unresisting head to the side, revealing two dark marks on the back of her neck. “One bite, and now I control half the throne of Equestria.”

“Y-you won't get away with it!” Rainbow cried desperately. She knew she was wrong. She had seen the future, and right now she just wanted to cry.

“Oh, but I will!” Chrysalis laughed. “I must say, getting close to the lovely Luna was tricky, but in the end love conquers all. When she finally invited her 'Captain' to her bed tonight, she was mine with but a single kiss! Imagine my surprise and delight to learn from her about your little visit. Now all I have to do is kill you and your friends, then get rid of the princesses. No pony will even notice anything amiss as I replace you all! I shall rule this world, and all shall love me!”

She turned to Doodlebug, who was standing stiff as a board next to Rainbow, and Flix who was still pinned helplessly to the floor. “As for you two,” she said, her voice and features turning dark, “I know just what to do with worthless little lice like you!”

Four changelings in royal armor stepped out from the bathroom where Chrysalis herself had been waiting earlier. Chrysalis turned to them. “Take these two 'ponies' away and bury them in the forest! They like burying their kind? Let them get the same. Make it deep, and be sure to give them room enough to truly enjoy the experience.” She smirked. “I am not an unkind queen, after all.”

“NO!” Rainbow threw herself in front of the two changelings. “I won't let you hurt them!”

“How sweet,” Chrysalis yawned. “My dear princess, restrain this troublemaker for me. I wish to deal with her personally.”

Luna's horn flashed. Rainbow tensed and in a last desperate move she threw herself at the princess, intent upon fighting to the last. That is, she thought it, but her mind didn't follow up on the intention. Rainbow cried as she stood helpless in the middle of the room, her own mind betraying her as she watched the false guards chain and drag off her two struggling friends.

II.22 - A Breath Away

The queen's caress was not loving as his. It was a possessive and twisted touch, letting her know with each teasing stroke that Rainbow was her slave now. Rainbow wanted to push her away, but the pale aura of light emanating from the princess left her will drained and standing helpless there, unable to move or speak. She couldn't even cry as Chrysalis walked around her, inspecting her, studying her.

“And now you will be so kind as to give me the Elements.” Chrysalis stopped in front of Rainbow, looking down at her expectantly.

Luna's horn gleamed, causing the light in the room to billow in waves. Rainbow wanted to obey. She should give the Elements to Chrysalis, and she made the choice herself. She relaxed her iron grip on the box containing the Elements and obediently, willingly, happily held them out for Chrysalis to pick up.

Green light surrounded the box as Chrysalis lifted it out of Rainbow's outstretched hooves, smiling pleasantly. “Very good.” Chrysalis lifted Rainbow's head with a hoof to look at her, then she leaned down to say quietly, “You are now useless to me, except as amusement. A shame your love is wasted on that worthless failure of a changeling, and I can't even seem to fool you into loving another, can I?” Her eyes narrowed. “I can not have ponies whose eyes are not fooled.” She stood back up. “Princess!”

“Command me, my love.” Luna was still standing there, horn glowing its soft glow.

“This pony is an affront to my being. Her eyes displease me.” Chrysalis trotted up next to the princess, brushing her neck with a hoof. “Take away her wings too, and do give her a chance to beg. I love it when they beg.”

Rainbow's eyes turned to the princess in fright as she felt herself regaining some control to speak. “I-I will never beg!” she stammered, feeling tears betray her.

“How very disappointing.” Chrysalis brushed through Luna's mane with a relaxed sigh.

Luna's horn burned a bright teal, casting back the shadows of the room. Rainbow tried to staunch the flow of tears and face Chrysalis with a defiant glare. She breathed hard and cried out as a pain surged through her back, making her fall on the floor in agony. A thousand tiny needles pricked her muscles as her wings fell limp, hanging lifeless and heavy by her side.

She could hear Chrysalis say something and forced herself to look up through the red haze of pain. Luna's horn drove away the shadows once again, then took away all the light.

Rainbow cried helplessly on the floor as she felt Chrysalis touch her face and whisper in her ears. “I believe I shall keep you alive until your double returns. It will be interesting to see what happens when you two meet.” She stood back up, and Rainbow could vaguely make our her hoof steps as she walked to the door. “Enjoy your stay. Not many ponies get to stay in the royal chambers. I trust you won't be going anywhere.”

The door opened and Chrysalis walked out. Rainbow heard the click of the lock as she closed it behind her.

She hadn't heard Luna leave.

***

The pain faded after a while, leaving only two lifeless lumps of feather. Something similar had happened before—once or twice that she could recall—when she had been sleeping awkwardly on one of her wings, but blood and life always returned to it after a minute or so once she woke up and moved off the wing. This time nothing happened, both wings just hung limply from her back, dragging along the floor as she tried to pull herself up.

The darkness didn't leave her either. Rainbow managed to pull herself up into a sitting position and closed her eyes, or thought she did; it made no difference. All this didn't matter. She had to get out, and find Doodle and Flix before it was too late. If it wasn't already.

She tried to think. The door was locked and the hall would be guarded anyway. The balcony was guarded too, and there was no way she could fight even one guard in this state. She would fall to her death from the tower even if she did beat them.

And where was Luna?

Rainbow held her breath and listened. After a minute or two she thought she could hear another's breath nearby. The princess hadn't moved much, if any. Was she asleep or watching her?

Rainbow tried to stand but fell over, groaning as she hit her jaw on the floor. She closed her eyes, or thought she did, and felt a tightness in her chest as she cried. It was hopeless. Even if she could get out, how would she ever find Doodle? It had all gone wrong, and she had failed them all. She wiped her nose with a hoof and lay there, crying at the darkness.

She wasn't sure how long she had been lying there. Couldn't be long.

She didn't think she had fallen asleep.

It didn't matter.

She might as well be dead.

The princess sighed faintly … or perhaps Rainbow had simply imagined it. Another minute drifted by, and with each second ticking away, Rainbow felt less sure of what she had heard.

“… mm …”

It wasn't a sound. It was … a little bit like the wisps back in the ruins, a sound, but not a sound. It simply came to her and touched her thoughts, she just knew it had been there despite everything being silent. Rainbow didn't dare to move, lest she drive off whatever it was or reveal herself to it. She wasn't sure which she should hope for.

A sudden chill went through her as a ghostly presence flitted through her mind.

“We …”

Something simply left the word lingering in her mind. Rainbow tried to move, pulling herself up in a mounting panic. She couldn't take any more. She would rather risk throwing herself off the tower than this.

“We are …”

The words became clearer as she scrambled to her legs. “N-no …” She grabbed her head and collapsed again, crying on the soft carpet. “P-please …”

“We are sorry,” the voice whispered in her mind.

Rainbow gazed into the darkness as she felt herself slipping away, her thoughts fading one by one, her mind dissolving into oblivion …

…

***

“And may you … never forgive … us …”

The first thing to return was utter darkness. Next came the memory of words, then the pain and the heavy weight of her two dead wings. Rainbow sobbed and opened her mouth, letting go of something she had been grasping in her teeth. Something warm ran down her face and soaked her coat.

A metallic scent filled her nose and made her freeze.

Shaking and crying, Rainbow reached out a hoof, touching something soft and wet. A host of feelings fought for dominance of her reeling mind as she blindly ran her hoof across the limp body in front of her, too terrified to pull away. With trembling hooves she found the graceful neck, felt the blood still gushing from a savage wound … felt the muzzle and …

Rainbow choked as her hoof touched a slender horn and the cold metal of a crown. She fumbled in a panic, trying to find the wound and stop the bleeding. She knew it was far too late.

“P-princess …” she whispered. There was no response.

Feeling her way with her hoof, Rainbow gently closed Luna's eyes and sank a bit as she stared blindly ahead of her. All was dark and silent. The princess was dead, and no pony had heard? It couldn't take long before they noticed, and she would be right here, covered in blood.

… Chrysalis will know soon.

Rainbow's head nodded a bit, as if tired.

… The bathroom window.

Rainbow's head perked up. She wasn't sure where the thought had come from. Why hadn't she thought of it before? She turned her head slowly, trying to orient herself before dragging her body around, and with fumbling hooves she found the end of the bed. She tried to remember the room. Her only chance was finding the bathroom window. Dragging herself forward as fast as she could, Rainbow searched the floor until she found the wall and the doorway to the bathroom.

The floor was cold as she stumbled and crawled her way along the perimeter of the room, trying to find a window. There would be one, but she didn't know how she knew.

It took her several stumbling trots around the room before she found something, higher than she had hoped. Pulling herself up, she hung with her hooves and head over the window's edge. With some effort she managed to push the window open and felt a gust of fresh air in her face.

“K-kin …” she tried to call, not too loudly. The last thing she needed was to alert any guards.

“Ki—Kin!”

She prayed the gargoyle had made it up here without being noticed.

“P-please …” she whimpered. How could her wings be so heavy? She felt light headed and her body ached too. Had she fought the princess? She didn't remember a thing.

“Kin … are you …”

There was a slight scrambling outside the window. Rainbow lifted her head weakly. “K-Kin?”

A strong claw grasped her hoof, and she felt herself pulled up. “I am here, hrm,” the creature said as quietly as it could. Rainbow winced as she was pulled over the edge of the window, only a pair of strong arms and clumsy wings between her and a fall to certain death. “What happened?”

“I n-need …” Rainbow paused. She wasn't sure what to do now. She had to save Doodle and Flix, if it wasn't already too late. But she was in no state to do anything, and didn't know where to even look. Except somewhere in the woods.

She needed help, but she couldn't trust anypony in Gloaming.

And Kin didn't know where anything was.

“I …” She stopped and concentrated. Where was Zecora's hut from here?

“Take me to the s-south road out of the city,” she said finally. “Hurry! We d-don't have any time!”

***

“What manner of rudeness is this? Knocking down my door and disturbing my bliss!”

“Hrm, sorry 'bout that.”

“Is that … miss Dash my eyes espy? Careful! Put her here, and let her lie.”

Rainbow sighed at the familiar voice. Hearing it filled her with hope again. She had made it this far, and if anypony could help her, it was definitely Zecora.

She felt herself slipping away at last from pain and exhaustion.

***

“Rainbow Dash! Awake and listen here!”

An insistent voice woke her again and was followed by a hoof hitting her cheek with some force. Rainbow groaned and felt her head lifted up as if to look somepony in the eyes. “W-wha—” she murmured in a daze. All she could see was darkness still.

“When the beat of my drum you hear, your wings you will shake, make you no mistake!”

“W-wha—” Rainbow stumbled over the words and stared blankly ahead at where the hoof was pointing her head. Her ears perked up to listen as a hollow beat broke her off, and her whole body twitched. She cried out as the drum beat again.

“Listen! Listen to the drum! Beat your wings to its rhythm!”

A thousand little needles pricked her muscles and made her scream. The drum kept a steady and relentless beat, her body twitching and twisting with each sound. Several beats passed before a wing lifted off the ground slightly. Rainbow cried. It felt heavier than ever, like solid gold feathers weighed down by stones. She grit her teeth and tried again, flexing every muscle in her body. Slowly her wings lifted and fell back down.

She flexed again and lifted her wings.

And again!

Her wings flapped slowly, each flap following the beat. The pain slowly subsided, leaving her exhausted and sweating from the effort.

“Good! Listen! And when the beat is past, you open your eyes to see at last!”

Rainbow blinked, or thought she did. The drum beat several more times, and stopped. The silence that followed was deafening. Rainbow blinked and winced as bright light flooded her vision. She groaned and closed her eyes tight. Only after several seconds did she open them a crack again and blink away the painful light.

The interior of Zecora's hut, and the serious face of the zebra herself slowly came into focus. “W-what happened?” Rainbow groaned and looked back at her wings, stretching them out carefully. They felt a bit weak, but seemed to be just fine. She had a lot of scratches and a large wound in her side that she hadn't noticed before. Zecora had done her best to bandage it. “I thought the princess took my wings! I thought I'd never fly or … or see again!”

Zecora held up a small cup to her lips. “Your wings and eyes she took not, only your mind she put in a knot.” Zecora stood up slowly, watching Rainbow as she drank the sour liquid. “And very soon they would have died, had help been you denied.”

Rainbow let go of the cup and stood up unsteadily and a little too fast. But there were so many questions, so much to do, and so little time. Her face hardened as she remembered the urgency of the situation. “The princess is dead. The queen of changelings has taken over the castle. I don't have time to explain, I need to find my friends!” she said quickly and grabbed Zecora, looking intensely at the zebra. “Two friends. The changelings were going to bury them here in the forest somewhere, but I don't know where. I have to save them before it's too late!”

Zecora nodded in the direction of the center of the room before slipping out of Rainbow's grasp and turning to the big iron cauldron there. “Your friends I shall help in finding, from the cauldron they won't be hiding.”

Rainbow nodded eagerly. “Just point the way and I'm off!”

***

Every beat of her wings ached and felt like weights of lead as she raced through the forest, weaving in and out among trees and over and under branches at breakneck speed, unheeding of the pain screaming at her to stop and walk instead. She felt alive again, with purpose coursing through her veins and determination in her eyes. She had long since left Zecora and Kin in her wake.

There was no time for snails. She had to save Doodle and Flix before it was too late!

A rainbow trail shimmered in the air behind her as her hoof shot out and grabbed a tree, using it to slingshot herself ninety degrees straight down a narrow path and swiftly ducking under a fallen trunk in her way. Her mind was a crystal sea of calm, focused like a mirror glass on one point ahead. The only sound in her head was the pounding rhythm of her heart, driving her towards it.

She broke through a thicket and swung around, digging a groove in the earth with her hooves as a brake. The earth here had been disturbed. Two unmarked graves caught her sight.

Rainbow's heart beat but once in the time it took her to close the distance to the nearest grave and dig in her hooves. The hollow beat of the heart filled the whole forest as Rainbow dug in a still and focused frenzy, throwing dirt in every direction. The ground heaved beneath her and cracked open.

Her hoof hit a chitinous blue shell. Rainbow threw herself down and stuck her hooves into the soft earth, grasping the quaking body, and with a cry for strength she pulled it out of the ground.

Flix gasped in the cool air and choked on a scream, flailing wildly in mindless panic at the ghost of her grave. Rainbow dropped her and scampered wildly towards the second grave.

There was no time for thought or hesitation, no time for fear or panic. Earth and stones exploded out of the hole around her until her hooves, chipped and bleeding, hit upon something.

Rainbow cried as she pulled Doodlebug's still form out of the ground and dragged him out of the hole onto the floor of the forest. She cried as she felt his heart pumping, weak and failing on its last notes. She cried as she pressed her lips against his and …

Rainbow beat his chest and screamed.

She pressed her lips against his and …

“No!” she cried and shook him, tears streaming down her face.

“NO!”

II.23 - Powers of Two

Celestia held up the small piece of paper, gazing at the map in the light of the late sun as they trotted across the courtyard of the castle. The paper seemed almost transparent against the warm golden light. “This is an overlay map, or map key,” she said. “It is intended to be used with another map, one which the intended receiver no doubt possess, and we don't.”

“Then it's of no use to us, is it?” Dash looked around at the princess.

Celestia held the map a little closer and shut one eye. “Not quite useless, I hope,” she said and lowered the map again. “Lieutenant, bring me the map of the Rambling Rock Ridge.”

One of the guards following them bowed swiftly and turned to search his saddlebags. While he did, Celestia continued. “My sister may not have been able to make much of this. She spends her time with her eyes in the night sky; had it been a map to the stars, I have no doubt that she would have recognized the patterns even without the other map, while I would have been lost.”

“Your Majesty,” the guard said and held up a map.

Celestia took the map and spread it out in the air. “Thank you, Lieutenant. Now …” She scanned the map quickly, then placed the note with the drawing next to a patch of barren land. Twilight and Dash both trotted along next to the princess, looking at the floating map. “I however have spent millennia making myself familiar with the land that I rule,” Celestia said and swiftly marked several different locations on the big map. “These mountains and known Diamond Dog mines form a pattern remarkably similar to your map.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes as she compared the map from the book with the points Celestia had marked on the other map. “Diamond Dogs? Are they involved with any of this?”

Celestia shook her head. “I doubt it. There are not many points of interest in the Rambling Rock Ridge, and these are simply reference markers. No, the real point of interest is this,” she said and pointed at a mark on the small map. “It appears to correspond with the very caldera where the meeting with the Dragon King is scheduled. It was supposed to be known only to him and my sister, as well as their closest aides. One close to my sister must have intended to communicate these plans to someone on the outside, but for what purpose I can not tell.”

Dash spread her wings, eager to rush off. “Doesn't matter, we have to warn them!”

Celestia stopped and looked out across the horizon. “I shall send a letter to inform my sister immediately. Meanwhile, you two must warn the dragons. Sending armed guards would make the wrong impression, as would my own presence.” She turned and looked at Dash and Twilight. “A war with the dragons would ruin Equestria, and my sister has been working hard to ensure a peaceful agreement with the Dragon King. If anything were to happen to the king or his aides, all hope of peace will surely be lost.”

Twilight sank a lump and took a deep breath before straightening up. “You can count on us, Princess!”

“Just remember, they may not trust you, and sending you is a risk in itself. Only my sister and her personal guard are supposed to be there for the meeting, but they must be warned. So be careful—” She glanced up at the sun “—but make haste!”

Twilight bowed swiftly and took another look at the map before rolling it up and putting it in her saddlebag. Dash took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She could feel the gentle warmth of Twilight's magic surrounding her, right before the sudden feeling of being sucked through empty space.

***

The world flooded back into being around her. Dash fell several feet through the air before she managed to catch herself. “Whoa!”

“Ah!”

Before she had time to analyze what was going on, Dash spun around and swooped down to catch Twilight, swiftly bringing them both down to the ground safely. “Off by a bit there, Twi?” she grinned.

Twilight blushed and returned the grin as she settled her hooves down onto solid rock. “A little, maybe.” She looked around at the barren stones and mountains around them and pointed a hoof behind Dash. “But not that far. Look.”

Dash turned around and gazed up the side of the mountain. Light clouds shrouded the peak, making it hard to see what was up there but no doubt easy for someone standing at the top to spot anyone approaching long in advance. “That it?”

“I think so.” A bright light surrounded Twilight as she concentrated, weaving a complex spell around herself. The light grew brighter and lifted her off the ground, wrapping around her body like a cocoon before unfolding like a flower in bloom. It was a beautiful display, as were the dark gleaming wings that now graced Twilight's back. The unicorn let out a breath and wiped her brow. “Whew. Did—” She looked around at her wings and smiled. “Ooh!”

“Awesome! You should totally use that spell more often. Then we could fly together and lounge on clouds all day.” Dash grinned and joined Twilight in the air, supporting her slightly as she wobbled. “Are you alright?”

Twilight blinked and took a few more deep breaths. “Yeah, I just … need a moment. That was a bit much after just teleporting all this way.”

Dash nodded and looked over the wings as she allowed Twilight a moment to catch her breath. Rarity's had been more fancy, more colorful like butterflies, as she recalled. These were more like those of a wasp and a gleaming dark purple. They fit Twilight stunningly well.

“I think I'm ready,” Twilight said and looked back up the mountain. “We should be able to reach the top before the dragons arrive ahead of their king, but we should be careful. We don't know what plot might have been prepared for the dragons.”

Dash looked around the empty plains of rock and soil before following close behind Twilight as the unicorn headed towards the mountain peak. They flew at a slow pace for Twilight to keep up, but it would have been much slower to climb the mountain by hoof. Way too slow if they wanted to make it there in time.

It took them about twenty minutes, as best as Dash could judge, to reach the summit. Neither of them said much in that time, keeping their eyes on the surroundings for signs of dragons or anything else alive or moving. Nothing much caught Dash's attention. If anything was lurking down there on the mountain, it was well hidden.

The actual meeting place was a huge open caldera, the ancient remains of a volcano long since collapsed into a wide bowl with a shallow lake in the middle. Plenty of room for a meeting with full-grown dragons. It was quiet there as Dash and Twilight landed on the edge, gazing out over the Rambling Rock Ridge around them. Dash's last memory of the place was when they had gone to save Rarity from diamond dogs. It looked larger from up here.

She held up a hoof to shield her eyes as she scanned the horizon all around. “I don't see any dragons anywhere. Are you sure this is the right place?”

“I am sure. It fits Celestia's mark on the map,” Twilight said. “I expect the dragons will be flying very high to avoid being spotted before arriving. They should be here soon.” She squinted at the sun. “Fifteen minutes, maybe less.”

Dragons could fly pretty fast, which meant they could still be a few miles away. Dash didn't let her eyes off the horizon, however. “Where will they be coming from, do you think?”

Twilight trotted down a path into the caldera itself. “South, I expect.”

Dash nodded and settled down to keep watch while Twilight explored the area. She glanced Twilight's way occasionally, but nothing seemed to threaten them here yet, and after a while she relaxed a little.

A few minutes passed. Dash rubbed her eyes tiredly and blinked. She blinked again and held up a hoof, narrowing her eyes to see. “Hey Twi! I think something is headed this way.”

“Dragons?” Twilight called from below and appeared an instant later next to Dash.

“I don't think so.” Dash pointed roughly south-west at where two figures were approaching the mountain. “Too small to be dragons, unless they're not much older than Spike or something.”

They sat for a minute watching the two figures getting closer, until Twilight broke the silence again. “I think … It's the two Shadowbolts.”

“Weren't they with my double?” Dash could make out the uniforms now too.

“Yes. They must have been freed earlier today. Perhaps Luna sent them here ahead of her when she got Celestia's letter.” Twilight climbed down into the caldera. “Or it could be the two changelings again. Let's hide and see what they do.”

Dash nodded and followed Twilight. They found a large rock and knelt down behind it, peeking out from behind. Another minute passed before the two pegasi appeared and landed at the summit, not far from where Dash and Twilight had been a moment earlier.

“I dinnae see any dragons yet,” Frostfell proclaimed, shielding her eyes from the low-hanging sun as she surveyed the caldera. “How long, ye reckon'?”

Blaze gazed at the horizon. “Five minutes maybe. Let's settle in and wait.”

“Aye.” Frostfell looked around in search of something. “Ye think them dragons be up to foul play?”

“I couldn't say.” Blaze pointed a hoof towards a large rock overgrown by dense brambles. “But the princess is counting on us to find out.”

Frostfell followed towards the hiding place and sighed quietly. “Dinnae expect we'll be havin' that vacation anytime soon, will we?”

Blaze smiled at her. “We will, I promise you that.”

Twilight stood up and stepped out from behind the rock. “Uh, hello?” Dash followed suit.

The two pegasi turned around swiftly and fixed Dash and Twilight with a suspicious look. “We weren't told there would be others here,” Blaze said cautiously. “Why are you here?”

“An' be ye who ye seem, or be ye more bloody changelings?” Frostfell added.

Twilight paused in confusion which turned quickly to suspicion. “Princess Luna did not tell you we would be here? Then why did she send you here?”

Blaze's eyes narrowed a little further. “I believe we asked first.”

“Aye,” Frostfell concurred.

Twilight hesitated, glancing at the skies. Dragons could arrive any minute. “Princess Celestia sent us to warn the dragons. We think something might happen to them before their king arrives. Celestia should have informed her sister, so why are you here if she didn't send you to assist us?”

The two Shadowbolts glanced at each other briefly. Blaze shook his head. “We were sent to make sure the dragons are not up to anything before the meeting. The princess never mentioned a letter.”

“Perhaps she didn't get it yet,” Dash suggested, watching the sky.

“She did seem in a wee bit of an ill mood,” Frostfell noted, still looking suspicious. “An' that be an understatement, let me tell ye. She was sendin' oot half the royal guard on some search or somethin'.”

“Probably a certain two changelings escaped somehow,” Blaze said with a grim look at Twilight and Dash, the accusation obvious. He glanced up. Dash followed his gaze and caught a gleam of scales in the distance. “Damn,” he cursed and looked at Frostfell. “What do we do with them?”

She frowned in thought. “We cannae hide noo, or they might rat us oot to them lizards,” she concluded. “An' if they be sayin' the truth then we dinnae want tae be fightin' either.”

Blaze gave a nod and turned back to Dash and Twilight. “We'll be keeping a real close eye on you both, then.”

“Yeah? Don't think we won't be watching you either.” Dash glared at them.

Twilight sighed and turned to watch the gleam in the distance. “Let's just make sure the meeting goes according to plan. We can resolve our own conflict later.”

***

Dash had seen many dragons aside from Spike, most of them during the great dragon migration and Spike's quest afterwards. As majestic and awesome as those dragons had been, none of them could hold a candle to the graceful figure circling down towards them. He was not as big as some of the dragons she had seen, not even as big as one of the other two that accompanied him, but his scales gleamed like polished silver and diamond in the reddening sun, and he carried himself with an obvious air of importance.

Dash watched him land at the edge of the lake, flanked by a richly decorated blue dragoness with a sly look in her eyes and an older rust-red dragon with obvious scars from many battles. “Is that the king?” Dash whispered to Twilight. “I thought he was supposed to arrive later.”

“I … don't know,” Twilight admitted, watching nervously as the three dragons looked around.

The possible king tilted his head upon spotting them and leaned over to converse quietly with the blue dragoness. After a moment he turned to the red one, who gave a curt nod and flew off to keep watch at the other end of the caldera. The first dragon beckoned them forward with a claw.

Twilight gulped and approached with Dash close behind, watching the two dragons closely. They watched Twilight and Dash curiously in return. Twilight stopped and bowed. “Greetings, Your Excellency,” she began, choosing her words carefully. “Forgive us if we have been misinformed, but are you the King of Dragons?”

The dragon smiled brightly, showing off rows of razor-sharp teeth gleaming like diamond. It might have been enough to strike terror into a pony on most any occasion, except he seemed quite pleased at the greeting. “Not yet,” he said, his voice smooth and sharp as a blade. “Alas, I am only Prince, my father's eldest. He will be along as planned.”

He lifted a claw to gesture at the dragoness by his side. “The lovely dragon by my side is Lazuli, First Enchantress of the Sapphire Regency—” She merely smiled in response, a glint in her eyes which was returned by the prince. “—And behind me, Lord Rust of my father's personal guard.”

Twilight smiled politely. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Your Highness. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said with a smile to her side.

“The one and only, yes?” Lazuli murmured, sneaking the words off of Dash's lips. It seemed as much directed at Twilight as Dash herself.

“And none other than the Shadowbolts, if my memory serves me yet,” the prince added and looked around the wind-blown caldera as if expecting more ponies to poke up out of the ground. “I must admit, I did not expect such a welcome. Do indulge my curiosity by telling me why you have come.”

“We are here to warn you of a possible plot against you,” Twilight explained. “We fear someone may wish to attack you before your father the King arrives.”

“Oh? How curious,” the prince said, brushing a claw over the scales on his head. “What evidence has led you to this conclusion? Surely we must not draw hasty conclusions, you understand.”

Twilight searched her saddlebag for the notes and map. She levitated it out for the two dragons to see. “We found these notes hidden in a book. The map appears to mark this location, and the notes together with the book gave a time, ten minutes before the King's arrival.”

The prince picked the notes up between two nails and inspected them. He looked at Lazuli and held out the notes for her to see before turning back to Twilight, lowering his voice. “I see. Thank you, Twilight Sparkle, for bringing this to me. I have good reason to believe that this is the work of my father, part of his move to lead us into war with you.”

“The king?” Twilight looked up at the prince in surprise.

“Understand, my father does not wish peace. He is an old wyrm, out of touch with the times, but he is crafty. He has promised your princess peace and a gift to show that his intentions are genuine. He will arrive soon, bringing with him the Moonstone which reflects your Luna's moon.” The prince glanced around. “But it is merely a ruse, the sole purpose of which is to lead her out here. She will bring with her four of her guards, just as he has chosen four of his, but tell me truly if four ponies against four dragons seem fair to you?”

Dash scowled at the sky. “That lying snake!”

Twilight looked more thoughtful. “But what does that have to do with these notes? Surely he would not make secret deals with ponies to attack his own guards. That makes no sense!”

“Doesn't it, though?” The prince smirked. “Think about it. Not all dragons are eager to see a war, many of them are old and content with their life and need convincing. He enters these discussions in what appears to be good faith, only to arrive to find his guards and even his eldest son have been viciously attacked, maybe even killed by ponies. He gets a perfect excuse to call off the deal and declare war, with one of your princesses right there in a vulnerable situation. No dragon could claim it is not justified. Appearances is everything in these games of politics, miss Sparkle.”

“It is also of note that your father does not much like you.” Lazuli smiled thinly.

“Right as always, dear,” the prince said and straightened up, glancing once again over his shoulder at where Rust was watching the horizon. “I do not think we need worry about an attack by ponies now, thanks to you four. I would be obliged to offer you a deal in return. My father intends to harm you and your princess and bring war to your land. Help me kill him, and as the new rightful king I shall gladly offer you what he would not: Peace and the Moonstone for your Princess.”

Frostfell glanced up at the dragon suspiciously. “An' just how do we ken that ye'll keep yer word any better than yer lyin' snake of a father?”

“You have my word as a noble and honorable dragon,” the prince said, raising his head importantly. “And besides, it is not like I don't benefit from my father's death, is it now?”

“Contemptible,” Blaze muttered.

“You have no compunctions about killing your own father?” Twilight questioned.

“Our cultures are very different. As a noble dragon prince it is practically expected of me to take my father's place by force or trickery. What kind of king would I be if I did not earn my place? No, no proper dragon would accept the authority of a king who simply sat on his tail and waited for the old wyrm to die of old age, which by the way could take a very long time.”

“I will not assist with murder,” Twilight said firmly.

“Don't think of it as helping us.” The prince smiled. “See it as a necessary action to ensure peace. My father will find a reason to attack you and your princess, even if he has to straight-up lie about what happened. In fact your mere presence will likely be enough, as it is a breach of the agreement that was made to have only four guards on either side. Furthermore, it was hard enough for me to ensure Lazuli here a spot among the four dragons to accompany him. Lord Rust back there is as loyal to the king as they come, so it's two against three for me, and my father is no stranger to battle.”

Dash looked around. “Who's the fourth dragon?”

“My father likes to keep his personal guard somewhat uncertain, to better foil schemes against him. In other words, I do not exactly know who will be at his side when he arrives.”

“Your cousin Ice Vein,” Lazuli said with a thoughtful shake of her head.

The prince gazed up at the sky, then smiled at the dragoness. “Wishful thinking, dear?”

Lazuli considered her reflection in the clear blue surface of the lake. “I'm sure he would think it was poetic. Your father always had a soft spot for such thinking, as well as for your cousin.”

“Indeed.” The prince turned back to the four ponies. “So there you have it. Given that I do not have the advantage of numbers, I intend to strike first and to strike hard. But I need to know that I have you on my side.”

Dash didn't feel too certain about it, and it seemed the others shared her feeling. Twilight's brow furrowed, but finally she said, “I guess we don't have much choice. We must avoid a war.”

The prince smiled. “Excellent. Just follow my lead, and focus on the guards. Lazuli and I will deal with my father. Once he is dead, the loyalty of his guards will be to me.”

Dash frowned. Some loyalty.

***

“The princess is on the horizon,” Blaze called from his position atop the caldera.

“So is my father,” the prince said more quietly.

Dash looked up at the sky above, where a large silhouette of gleaming scales and metal was descending towards the meeting place. A smaller figure hovered behind the king, holding a massive pearlescent stone aloft in its claws.

The semblance between father and son was uncanny. Dash mused that perhaps to dragons they looked completely different, but if it wasn't for the king's greater size and crown of spikes she would have had trouble picking them apart. The dragon behind him carrying the stone was light blue and white and looked like cracked ice, translucent spikes and jagged scales jutting out at odd angles. Ice Vein seemed an apt name. “I bet he doesn't get many hugs,” she whispered to Twilight.

Dash watched as the king landed and looked around the barren mountain top. Behind him, Ice Vein settled down and carefully lowered the rock onto the ground. The king's eyes settled first on the ponies, then on his son. “Plans changed, son?” Dash wondered it the king had indeed expected to find a battle, but his voice revealed nothing.

“Oh, one could always hope for better,” the prince said blankly. “But as these things go, I'd say the plan is going well enough.”

The king looked bored, gazing at where the princess was slowly approaching the meeting while he humored his son. “Indeed?”

“Quite.” The prince paused and followed his gaze. “My plan, at least.”

Dash had seen fast—Dash was fast—but the sudden swiftness was startling for such massive creatures. In a lightning move, Lazuli had lunged for the king, teeth bared for his throat. Surprisingly, the king rolled to evade just as swiftly and brought himself around to face the dragoness, whose tail was already sweeping through the air for a second strike. A wing deflected the attack with apparent ease.

“Don't think I didn't have my eyes on you, witch,” the dragon growled as he snapped at her neck.

He was interrupted as his head was locked in a stranglehold and pulled backwards. The prince swept his large membranous wings around his father to blind and tightened his grip around the larger dragon's neck. “Never turn your back to any son of yours. First rule of kingship—Ponies!”

Rust was barreling across the caldera to tackle Lazuli. Dash set off and crashed into the dragon's face, hind hooves first. The combined momentum of them both sent the dragon staggering back while Dash was thrown across the sky.

Dash recovered midair in time to see Ice Vein crashing into the lake by a well-placed bolt from Twilight's horn. Meanwhile Frostfell and Blaze were doing their best to harass Rust. An explosion of lightning from Lazuli singed Dash as she shot back down towards the action, aiming for another kick, this time at the guard dragon's eye.

The battle-scarred dragon spotted her in time and spun around, swinging his tail like a heavy flail. Dash grit her teeth as she rolled to the side, briefly gracing the surface of the water before pulling back up. Her eyes briefly glanced towards the horizon where the princess was approaching fast, having clearly seen that something was going on on top of the mountain.

Down in the caldera, the king had somehow regained his freedom and sent his son crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust and stones. Lazuli rose out of the cloud in front of the king, claws crackling and mouth aflame as she struck.

Twilight appeared in a sudden flash beside Dash, her horn burning as a wall of purple energy flashed into being around them both. Dash flinched as a spiked tail smashed into the barrier, making Twilight reel back and grit her teeth at the force.

“Concentrate on the guards!” Twilight gasped.

Dash gave a grim nod and dove out from under the magic field. She made a sudden turn and shot right back up, spinning around mid-flight. Her hooves connected with the underside of Ice Vein's jaw as he lunged at Twilight. The dragon roared and shook his head, but Dash was already gone, weaving in and out among swinging tails and stray magic bolts.

A crash of thunder barely broke the noise of the battle. Princess Luna's voice, uncharacteristically low, echoed across the caldera. “What is going on here!?”

“Princess!” Twilight jumped out of the way of a snapping jaw and caught the offending dragon in the eye with a lance of energy. Ice Vein cried in pain and lashed out with a claw. Twilight was caught by surprise, but a timely kick from Blaze deflected the claw.

Dash roared past Ice Vein's face, distracting the dragon from Frostfell's attack. She caught a glimpse of the princess as she took in the scene, her eyes burning with a cold anger and horn glowing. With the princess on their side, they could totally win this battle yet, she thought.

Dash swerved away from a claw and raced to help Twilight. A cry from the prince made her spin around, feeling a stinging pain as a powerful blast of magic narrowly missed her. A green light lit up her face as she turned to the source, staring at the princess. Four royal Night Guards were already racing towards Blaze and Frostfell.

“Princess! What are you doing?” Twilight cried out and stumbled as her force field was wrecked under the weight of Rust's massive body. Dash felt her heart drop as the dragon collapsed on top of Twilight …

… or where Twilight had been. A flash of purple next to Dash and the appearance of a gasping Twilight kicked her heart back into action. “What the buck is going on, Twi?”

“I don't know!” Twilight cried.

Dash groaned and pulled Twilight down just in time to evade another blast from the princess. “Damn it!” she cursed, looking around frantically. Frostfell and Blaze were frantically trying to evade Luna's guards as well as Ice Vein's razor-sharp claws and cold flames. On the other side of the caldera, the prince was on the defensive against his father's relentless assault.

A loud explosion shook the mountain. Dash spun around and saw Luna under a green dome of light as rocks rained down around her. Lazuli was baring down on the princess. “Help the prince!” the dragoness roared.

Twilight was paralyzed, staring at where Luna was holding back the flames and claws of the dragoness. Dash grabbed Twilight and pulled her towards the battle between the prince and his father. “Come on, Twi! Forget the Princess! She's gone crazy or something!”

“But—”

Dash shook Twilight hard. “Twi! I need you!”

Twilight stared at her, then her face set in a determined frown as she nodded. “I'll cover you,” she said, her horn flaring with renewed energy.

An explosion of purple shocked the ground and drew the attention of the king as he waved off the magic flames, only for Dash to impact with his face and a second bolt of magic to hit him in the gut. The king grunted and wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth. “You are outnumbered and overpowered, son. Surrender, and maybe I'll show you mercy.”

The prince wheezed flame as he got back up. “I only have to kill you,” he growled.

A shock wave of green lit up the sky. In the emerald inferno, Dash thought she caught a glimpse of the princess and Lazuli locked in a grim battle. The light made her realize how dark it had suddenly become on the mountain. She was not the only one who had noticed, as a stillness settled over the battle.

Dash backed up next to Twilight. “Why's the sun setting?”

Twilight glanced at Luna and the dragoness, still oblivious to anything but the destruction of the other, then back up at the swiftly darkening sky. “It's too early,” she said without emotion.

A thunderous roar shattered the relative silence. Everyone's attention was drawn to the prince, his jaws locked around his father's neck. The elder dragon struggled, but the prince had him in an a deadly hold now. With a final crack of his tail, the king crashed to the ground.

The prince let out a roar of triumph to the skies and grabbed his father's head in both claws. With a sickening sound, he sank his teeth back into the other dragon's neck and tore at the scales and flesh. Dash looked away from the savage display, and vaguely heard Twilight throw up next to her.

“At last!” the prince declared, holding up the head of his father as blood gushed onto the ground. “I am King at last!” He lowered the grim object of his victory, then casually threw it away.

Even the princess and Lazuli had stopped their fight to watch. The dragoness spared Luna a glance before joining the prince.

Ice Vein and a battered Rust both bowed to their new king, the former with visible resentment.

The newly crowned king looked around at the battered mountain top, his eyes lingering on Dash and Twilight. “You have my thanks.” He smiled for a moment, then glanced at Luna. “Unfortunately it seems our esteemed host attacked us most viciously,” he said and looked at Rust and Ice Vein. “You both saw it, did you not?”

The two dragons nodded obediently.

“Lazuli?”

“Indeed, My Liege. Most distressing.”

Luna looked like she was smoldering, then swiftly gathered herself back up and stepped forward. “I was merely defending the king of the time, Your Highness, as your own guards would. Let me reaffirm our commitment to peace between our people,” she spoke smoothly.

“Well said,” the king said and smiled. It was not a pleasant smile, even aside from all the blood. He gestured at the corpse of his father. “But my people will demand answers. They will demand retribution. As their king, I am obliged to serve my people.”

“What!?” Dash jumped into the air and pointed an angry hoof at the king. “You promised!”

The king looked up and flashed her a smile. “Appearances, miss Dash.” He leaned forward and said in a low voice, “My father was a fool. He didn't like my vision, or the stone that I gave my people, but not a single dragon will question me now! Since I owe you for your help, I shall be nice and let you live … for now.”

Luna was smoldering again, glaring at the dragons. The king smiled at her. “I hope you enjoy it, because when I return, it will be as conqueror. Dragons shall rule the world, with me as their King!”

“We'll see about that!” The princess hissed. “We'll see about it when I crush you beneath my hooves, lizard!”

The king pulled himself up, looming over the princess. “I can very quickly change my mind, princess,” he growled. “I might just kill you right here and save time.”

Luna's horn glowed and her eyes flashed dangerously. “Bring it!”

“Gladly!”

“Um …” The voice came from Twilight.

Dash looked at her, then followed her gaze upwards. The moon had almost reached its highest point in the sky, shining brightly in the growing darkness. The dark silhouette of a mare's head graced its surface, her eye seeming to linger upon the mountain top and the gathering of dragons and ponies.

Blaze and Frostfell looked at each other and seemed to pale. Dash frowned and looked at the supposed princess, then at the king. “Oh yes … do us a favor and eat her.”

“An' may ye choke on her too,” Frostfell said coldly.

The princess stepped back, her horn glowing a sickly green as her eyes darted between those gathered. Her guards gathered closely around her. “Your precious princess is dead,” she hissed with malice. “I didn't mean for her to die, not yet, but it no longer matters! Because I already fed on her love, and I possess the Elements now!” A mad look crossed the changeling's face as the six Elements materialized around her.

“You can't just take the Elements like that!” Twilight almost shouted out loud.

“Oh, we'll see about that!” Her lips twisted into an insane distorted expression between a grin and a sneer. “Nothing will stop me this time! Not you and your little friends, not your brother and not Celestia! Not anyone! It is my destiny to rule this world! If you will not love me, then you will bow to me or die at my hoof!”

A shiver ran through the ground as she spoke, and a chiming whisper filled the air. Chrysalis snarled and looked up as a light gleamed across the sky. Her gaze fell again to settle upon the stone still left on the ground near the lake.

Dash looked at the stone. It was glowing with reflected moonlight, white flames visibly licking the air around it. “W-what's happening?” she whispered, but received no reply.

Somewhere, Lazuli opened her mouth to speak, “Oh s—”

The stone sang, a single rising tone before reaching a peak too high to hear but deeply felt, and the moon … exploded. There was no other way to describe the wave of light, reflected and magnified by the stone for one brief second. A ghostly blaze of white flames exploded across the mountain top.

Dash threw herself on the ground, pulling Twilight down with her. It all happened too fast. She held her wing out above Twilight and shielded her own head with her hooves. It was all she could do.

Somewhere in the field of blinding light, she thought she heard screams.

Then it faded, and Dash looked up to see a ghost-white figure hovering above the stone, reflecting in its surface and casting strange shadows in the dimming light. The figure spoke, facing the dark silhouette of a dragon standing against the tide of light. “Leave,” she commanded.

The dragoness lifted her head to glare at the glowing figure. Her voice came out in a hiss, “I will return, mark my word. You will come to rue that day.”

Dash watched the silhouette of the dragoness spread her wings and disappear on the horizon, followed by two other dragons. She blinked and turned to stare at the figure still hanging above the stone.

The light dimmed and night quickly flooded back in. Princess Luna landed beside the stone, eyes fixed upon the fleeting forms of the dragons. “Kindly stick a sock in it, Lazuli,” she said tiredly.

***

Dash helped Twilight back up and looked around. Blaze was supporting Frostfell, who had earned herself a nasty gash across the side of her head and was looking dizzy. The corpse of the old king still lay where it had before, his blood slowly draining into the lake. There were no signs of the other four dragons, but Dash only remembered seeing three of them leave. The Elements lay scattered across the ground where Chrysalis had been, with no sign of her or her guards.

“What happened?” Twilight said uncertainly and leaned a bit unsteadily on her legs.

Princess Luna closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose before looking around. “I got tired of them all. Lying bastards every last one,” she said. “The old king is dead, and good riddance. The new king and the changeling queen will have a few centuries together in this lovely piece of stone. It should be an experience for them both, I dare say.”

Twilight looked up at the moon. The mare was gone from its face. “How do we know you're the real Luna?” she asked, giving the princess a scrutinizing glance.

Luna turned back around. “I shall demand every pony in the castle give a blood test to prove their identity, no exceptions,” she said, her voice hard. “That includes myself, and you as well. I will send my sister a letter first thing when we get back, to request that she or her guards verify my identity in public. Will that satisfy, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight nodded. “But I don't understand. Chrysalis claimed that you were dead, and we all saw the Mare in the Moon. What happened?”

“This is not the first time I have died, nor will it be the last, if you remember,” the princess said. “I shamefully left myself vulnerable and would still be the changeling queen's blood-slave had I not been able to slay myself. Last time, I was prevented from restoring myself in physical form for a thousand years, but not this time. The dragons were even foolish enough to bring their Moonstone out in the light of my moon.”

“The other Rainbow Dash tried to tell us about Chrysalis,” Blaze said quietly. “We didn't believe her.”

The princess shook her head. “You did nothing that was not expected of you. This whole incident is my mistake, and I shall deal with it in due time.”

“What now, then?” Dash looked around the mountain top. “What will happen now?”

Luna straightened herself up. “Now we must prepare ourselves. With their king dead and his eldest son missing, I have no doubt that Lazuli will move to take immediate control of the Regencies and launch a concerted attack on us.”

Seeing the confusion on their faces, Luna cleared her throat to explain. “The dragons are ruled by a king, but the Regencies reign in his absence. As a First Enchantress with a close tie to the missing new king, Lazuli is going to have no trouble getting her will hammered through, especially given all the lies she can feed them about the old king's death and the fate of his missing son.”

Twilight looked down. “We came here to bring peace, not … this.”

Luna placed a hoof on her shoulder. “There was never much hope. We were only trying to stall for time, Twilight Sparkle, not ensure lasting peace. War is inevitable as long as Eden pulls the strings. It is a question of when, not if. And we can't stall her any longer, I fear.”

Twilight scowled and looked at the Elements scattered on the ground, and at where she had left her saddlebags against a large stone. “Then I have no time to waste.”

II.24 - Storm Front

Rainbow slumped down on the cold ground beside his lifeless body, staring at nothing in his empty eyes. She had nothing and felt nothing but emptiness. If she had only been a little bit faster. If she had dug up this grave first instead of the other. If she had left the two Shadowbolts in the prison.

If only she had had a breath to give.

But she had nothing.

She hardly noticed as Flix came stumbling and pushed her aside. The changeling frantically shook her brother and tried to breathe him back to life. Rainbow just stared blankly at them, the whole thing looking so unreal. He had still been alive for a brief moment when she dug him up. If only there had been a breath in her lungs, he would not have died. And now it was too late.

Flix dropped him and turned around, her eyes settling on Rainbow. “You killed him,” she said and stared at Rainbow as if lost in a trance. “I told you not to trust the Shadowbolts, but you let them out! I trusted you … You killed my brother!”

Rainbow said nothing.

“He believed in you!” Flix cried and stumbled to her legs. She swayed as she struck Rainbow. “I'll kill you!” Rainbow fell back as Flix hit her again. She merely cried as the changeling kicked her in the chest and bore down on her. “I'll kill you!” Flix grabbed Rainbow's head and lifted her up, staring madly into her eyes.

Blood trickled down Rainbow's face as she stared blankly at Flix, expecting the changeling to make good on her word. She no longer cared, or felt anything but emptiness.

Flix stared back for a long time, then leaned closer until their noses almost touched. Her eyes bore into Rainbow's skull, like two needles of ice. “I'll … bury you! I'll bury you too!” she hissed and turned, pushing Rainbow into the hole from which she had dug out Doodlebug moments earlier.

Rainbow coughed and scrambled at the dirt. Flix was on top of her in an instant, pressing her head down into the grave. “How long do you think you'll survive?” she whispered. “You don't breathe … should be a long and lonely death!” She leaned down closer and bared her fangs. “And don't think I won't sit here and watch that you don't escape.”

“I … I loved him too,” Rainbow whispered and closed her eyes.

“He deserved better,” Flix spat, her eyes filling with tears as her voice trembled. “I h-hope he can forgive you, because I won't. I told you … I told you, and you didn't listen to me. And now he's dead.”

“I tried …” Rainbow choked on the words. “I tried to do everything right.”

“And now he's dead,” Flix repeated with a look of defeat as she sat down heavily next to Rainbow. She lowered her head and covered her eyes with a hoof, sobbing quietly.

None of them moved or said anything. Rainbow lay in the hole, staring blankly at the clouds drifting by far above. A drop of rain fell on her muzzle, mixing with the tears and dirt. Next to her, Flix continued sobbing. Rainbow sat up painfully and wrapped her hooves and wings around the changeling.

None of them moved or said anything as Kin and Zecora burst into the clearing. Zecora galloped up to the corpse and knelt down beside him. She quickly lowered her head.

Kin stopped and looked down.

None of them said anything.

***

It was far past midnight before Dash finally found herself back in the castle, in the room she shared with Twilight. She dropped the saddlebags in a corner—with both sets of Elements inconspicuously hidden under the books and scrolls from Canterlot—and trotted across the room to the balcony door. The rain was drumming against the cold glass, and the wind was howling fiercely outside.

Princess Celestia had arrived promptly with her guards and quarantined the entire village, rounding up everypony within to verify their identity. A few changelings were caught trying to escape the quarantine, others had tried to avoid attention by hiding in and around the castle, but Luna had demanded that every inch be strategically searched.

The hunt was still going on, but most ponies had been accounted for, and things were slowly calming down. In all, not more than a dozen changelings were now awaiting trial and execution before dawn. Dash had seen too much death already to stay around for that part.

It had been a small but surgical take-over by Chrysalis, compared with the large invasion she had once launched against Canterlot. Of course, as Luna was quick to remark, this only meant that most of her forces were still out there; who knew where and what they were up to. A few patrols had been dispatched to search the immediate surroundings, but so far they had found nothing unusual.

Dash sighed and tried to put the whole thing out of her mind as she sat down and stretched her tired wings, wearily preening the feathers in the rainy mirror of the balcony door. She looked as mess.

The door behind her opened quietly, and Twilight walked in carrying two mugs in her magic. She smiled and sat down next to Dash, levitating the mug for her and leaning closer. “I thought you'd like some tea, as well.”

Dash let go of the wing she had been preening and took the cup carefully, leaning over to nuzzle Twilight as thanks. “Yeah, the castle isn't exactly a sauna. It's kinda chilly in here.”

“Aw,” Twilight smiled and hugged her. “Perhaps you need more than tea, then?”

“Mm … If I don't fall asleep first,” Dash said and blinked her heavy eyes.

Twilight stifled a yawn and nodded, her eyes heavy too. She lifted her cup and took a little sip while staring out at the dark clouds and pouring rain. “We should write to Spike and the others in Ponyville tomorrow. I hope they're all safe and well,” she said after a few minutes of silence.

Dash nodded and closed her eyes. “I miss them,” she whispered and rested her head on Twilight's shoulder. “It feels like ages since I was back in Ponyville with them.”

“I miss them too,” Twilight said absently.

***

A wave broke the shore, rolling across the beach in white surfs of foam before being dragged back out to sea. Rainbow stared at the water, her mouth hanging open from a lack of will to close it or do anything else that required action. A minute passed and another wave rolled in, licking the tip of her hooves where she was sitting in the sand, gazing at the endless wastes of water before her.

The tide was coming in, and so was a pony.

Rainbow broke out of her lethargic stare long enough to look up at Luna as the princess flew in from the sea. She landed on the beach and folded her wings before walking towards Rainbow. There was none of her usual regal look in her eyes and stature, instead replaced by a sorrowful expression.

“You're dead,” Rainbow said without feeling. A statement of something that no longer held meaning or importance to her.

Luna stopped in front of Rainbow and knelt down gracefully. “I was, and not for the first time. Nor was it to be my last.” She lowered her head and closed her eyes. “Miss Rainbow Dash, I have wronged you, and I am here to offer my sincerest remorse. What I have done can not be forgiven, and so I do not ask your forgiveness but only for a chance to speak with you and explain.”

Rainbow looked down at the water breaking the shore again. “I know this is just a dream,” she said. “Why should I care?”

“It is,” Luna said and got back up before sitting down next to her. “But that does not make the words I speak now any less true, or me any less real. I assure you that I am not dead.”

Rainbow watched the waves roll in one by one. They no longer quite reached her where she sat. After a while she said, “You knew I was going to try to steal the Elements. You talked to the Shadowbolts in their dreams and they told you everything they knew.”

“They worried for you and wanted me to help you. They couldn't have known about Chrysalis.” Luna looked out to sea. “I wasn't aware of her either, but I should have been. I was careless, and Chrysalis took advantage of my weakness. If it had not been for you, I would likely still be her thrall and we would all be much worse off.” She turned to look at Rainbow again. “You saved me, Rainbow Dash. And you may have saved much more in the process.”

“I don't get it,” said Rainbow, looking at the princess.

“I let her get close to me,” Luna explained. “Her magic I could have matched, but her venomous kiss brought me low. With a bite she turned my own blood against me, and there was nothing I could do. I tried to fight it, but I knew it was a losing battle. I was barely able to hide away a part of my mind, deep within where I hoped she would not find it.”

“I knew my body was lost to her will,” the princess continued. “And I could not simply hope for her to be discovered and defeated by Twilight or my sister. I could not regain control of my own body, so I tried to transfer my mind to one of her changeling guards, but their minds are alien, and I was weak and growing weaker.”

Rainbow rubbed her temple thoughtfully. “So you took over my mind instead?”

“In a manner of speaking.” Luna closed her eyes. “I … replaced your mind with my own, for a time. It is crude magic, but it was all I could manage in my state. It is also absolutely unforgivable, but I saw no recourse. The alternative was to allow Chrysalis to continue unchallenged, using me against my subjects and my own sister, not to mention you and your friends.”

“So I used you to kill myself and break Chrysalis' hold over me,” she said and opened her eyes. “It is not the first time I have died, as you may know. I have safely stored away my soul in the moon before. Only, back then I was prevented from returning by my sister. This time I was able to return much quicker, and I am quite pleased to say that Chrysalis is now trapped inside a stone, where she will be staying for a very long time, and her changelings have been rooted from the castle.”

The ocean seemed to be moving away, or perhaps the waves just didn't reach as far. She should be happy that her friends were safe from Chrysalis, but it felt like too little and too late.

Luna watched her. “This does not please you?”

“He's dead,” she said flatly. “The changelings buried him alive, and I wasn't fast enough. And I had no breath to save him.” She looked down at her shadow falling across the sand. “I loved him. I loved him, and I couldn't save him. I love my friends too, and I can't save them either. I try all I can, but nothing I've done has made any difference.”

“For what little it is worth, I am truly sorry. I never wished you or your two friends any harm. I take full blame for what Chrysalis did. It was I who let her in in a moment of weakness.” Luna turned her head to gaze at the sky briefly, before turning back. “I can not undo the past, as much as I sometimes wish I could. But if there is anything I can offer you, as some small token of regret, please ask.”

Rainbow watched their shadows drift as only something in a dream could. “I only wish to know that my friends will live and be happy,” she said. “I don't care if I have to go … I just want her, my double to be happy too. Please—” She looked up at the princess “—give Eden what she wants and end all this death and war. That's all I wish.”

Luna sighed. “You know I could not give her what she demands, even if I wanted to. The Elements are not mine to give anymore, they belong to you and your friends. Only you seven can give them up.”

“But you could convince Twilight and the others to give them up.” Rainbow frowned.

The princess shook her head. “I am sorry, Rainbow Dash. To grant you this wish would be to do wrong against all of ponykind, to deny the Magic of Friendship to all of my subjects, and I could never justify that for any pony, no matter how much I owe you. Doing so would make me a monster, and I have already made that mistake once. I would advise you not to make this mistake either, but I see that you are determined.”

Rainbow stared at the sea but said nothing.

“I never wanted any of this, either,” the princess said more softly now. “But we all have to fight for what we believe, and I choose to believe in the Elements. I don't know what Twilight intends to do, but I know she has a plan and that it frightens Eden. That gives me hope, because … I don't know if giving us the Elements took something out of Eden, but she is no longer what she was. She has become a monster, as surely as I once was.”

“Then maybe the monster should be given back what it lost,” Rainbow muttered. “I want to go back to Ponyville. I want to see my friends again before … before we all die. That's my wish,” she said and looked up at the princess as if daring Luna to deny her that wish too. “I want you to order the guards in Ponyville to let me and those with me in and leave us alone.”

Luna nodded. “I shall grant you that wish. Give them the password 'Saving Grace', and I will instruct them to let you pass and even help you should you need it,” she said sadly and looked up as the sea began to stir. “But I don't think you will find what you seek there. If we never see each other again, remember that I am sorry.”

The world drowned in a wave of foam and was washed away. Rainbow blinked awake and pulled her head out from under a blanket to find herself in the familiar surroundings of Zecora's hut. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes again.

***

Dash opened her eyes and slowly rolled around in the bed, coming nose to nose with Twilight. The unicorn was still sleeping quietly next to her, while thin rivers of rain washed silently down the windows. Outside, the darkness seemed to close in around the castle, cold and dismal in the early dawn. Dash pushed a stray book off the bed and sat up in bed as she brushed a hoof through Twilight's mane. Rarity would call it an absolute disaster, but what did she know about beauty?

A soft warm glow of the early morning sun, breaking through the dark clouds for a moment, crowned Twilight's head as she finally broke the kiss and opened her eyes to smile at Dash. There was a moment of perfect bliss, and Dash quite wondered if she had died as she looked up into Twilight's eyes.

This time the dream was not broken. This time, there was no dream. This was it, the moment she had dreamed of and wished for. Dash stared up into Twilight's loving eyes and her beautiful spiraling horn.

“Déjà-vu, huh?” Twilight grinned.

“Oh, it never gets old to me,” Dash smiled and nuzzled Twilight's horn.

***

The minutes ticked by as Rainbow lay in the small hut, staring at the rows of bottles and dried herbs, strange masks and stranger painted patterns. She had no idea how long she had slept, or how long she had been lying there awake, trying to summon the will to get up. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, forcing herself to roll out of bed and rise slowly.

Tired and beaten, Rainbow crawled out of the bed Zecora had arranged for her, trying not to disturb Flix sleeping on another bed nearby. Her entire body ached, and looking down at herself she looked about ready for Nightmare Night; a messed-up half-zombie half-mummy. She turned and looked at Flix. The changeling didn't look much better off.

There was no sign of Zecora or Kin inside.

Rainbow sniffed and rubbed her eyes before trudging towards the door. It was raining heavily outside, and the dense black cloud cover offered little light to brighten either day or Rainbow's mood. She stepped out into the bleak downpour and closed the door behind her. All around her the forest seemed cold and dismal, branches drooping and the ground drowning in rivers of mud.

Not far from the hut she spotted Kin, standing in a growing puddle while staring at the sky, motionless as a statue. She sighed and dragged herself through the rain towards him.

Kin looked down at her as she stopped beside him. When she said nothing, he turned to look uncertainly at the ground where rivers of mud and water wound their way between them. “Hrm, Miss Zecora went out a while ago,” he murmured quietly to break the silence.

Rainbow stared ahead of them into the forest. “What is it like?” she asked after a while. “What is it like to lose everything and everyone you ever knew? To live alone for a thousand years with no hope of ever seeing them again and without anyone to talk to at all?”

The gargoyle turned up his hand and opened it slowly, staring at where drops of rain quickly pooled together in the palm. Soon the water was trickling out between his fingers. “I don't remember them at all,” he stated flatly. “Years in silence, and they just vanished along with all memory of them. Their faces, their voices, the things we said and did together, I no longer remember. It didn't even take a thousand years. A decade, perhaps two. I couldn't say.”

He closed his fist and let it drop back down by his side. “After a time I fell asleep. There was, hrm, nothing for me to do but sleep, and when I couldn't sleep I just sat and stared and thought of nothing.” He looked at her with a rumbling sigh. “I have long since stopped feeling anything for the friends I once had. They may as well have been nothing but a distant and long-forgotten dream. My past self would cry at the thought of losing their memory, but I … find it a mercy.”

“All fades and wears away, hrm. Time triumphs over all,” he added solemnly. “Even loss.”

Rainbow stared into the forest at some distant point beyond. “I won't live to forget them,” she said. “And I don't want to die without seeing them all one last time.”

Kin watched her as she turned back towards the hut.

She stopped in the door and turned around slowly. “Do you … do you think there is a life … after this one?”

Rain poured down the ancient stone face of the gargoyle. “I hope not for me,” he said. “I have lived and suffered enough in this life. I would welcome oblivion.”

Rainbow looked down at the step she was standing on. “I hope I'll get to see him again. And I hope you find your peace too one day.” She turned around and went inside. “But there is one last thing I must try before I go.”

***

Dash signed the letter and dipped the quill back in the inkwell. She leaned back and stared at the scroll in heavy silence. These could be the last words she ever told her friends back in Ponyville. She had never spent so long on one letter in her entire life, and still it felt insufficient. She wanted more than anything to rush out and fly back to Ponyville to say the words in person, words she had never wanted to say before because … because they sounded way too sappy.

“I love you all,” she said to the room and wiped her eyes. “I love you all so much.”

She rolled up the letter and looked out the window. The storm was growing worse, dark clouds swelling with rain and thunder. It didn't seem natural, but the weather of the Everfree rarely did. It often seemed to respond to the mood of the princess, and with everything that had happened in the last few days perhaps the weather had reason to be as gloomy as it was.

Perhaps she could take a quick trip to Ponyville to deliver the letter in person. It wasn't that far, not when you happened to be the fastest flier in all of Equestria. Dash had flown under worse conditions too, even if the weather was getting pretty bad now.

She stood up and trotted over by the window, glancing out through the rainy glass. It was impossible to see much, but many lights were gathering around the castle and the village of Gloaming. Fortifications were being built, and ponies were trickling in from all around, summoned by the princess to defend their land. An army was taking form as war was coming.

She turned around as she heard the door open. “Applejack!” Dash leaped over the bed and wrapped her hooves around the surprised farm pony in the door, surprising herself perhaps even more with the sudden display of affection.

“Whoa Nelly,” Applejack smiled and returned the hug. “Miss us much, did ya?”

Dash squeezed Applejack tightly before letting go, blushing a little. “Heh, just a little,” she grinned and looked around the hall outside. Guards were milling about on their way somewhere important, but there was no sign of her other friends. “Are the others here too? What are you doing here?”

Applejack shook her head. “Just me, sorry to disappoint ya. The others will be headin' to Canterlot instead, but I decided it was here I needed to be, fightin' for my land and all that. So I signed up right away when I heard the princess was sendin' out the call for all able-bodied ponies. Half of Ponyville's probably here somewhere.”

Dash gazed back at the window and the lights gathering in the storm outside and sank a bit.

“Where's Twilight?” Applejack continued. “The guard said to look for you two up here.”

“She's got something big planned,” Dash said and looked back at Applejack. “I think she was going into the castle dungeon to practice her magic.”

“Something big, is it? If I ever knew Twilight, I'd bet she'll blow all the dragons out the sky an' turn 'em to snowflakes or somethin' pretty,” Applejack jabbed Dash with a friendly grin, but when Dash didn't look convinced she let the grin drop a bit. “What's the matter, Sugarcube?”

“I …” She looked at the letter she had written a moment ago. “I had a, um, letter for you and the others.” A moment ago she had been keen on rushing all the way to Ponyville to say it all in person, but now she wasn't sure what it was she had wanted to say exactly in the first place.

And what would it do, anyway? What was going to happen was going to happen, and there was no reason to worry them all sick now of all times. There would be time for reading sappy letters and sobbing once she was gone. Dash paused, then turned back to Applejack and tried to brighten up. “You can read it later, how about we go see Twilight?”

Applejack looked at her as if she wasn't entirely convinced, but quickly shrugged and followed. “Sure, why not. I bet she could use a break from all that magic too.”

Dash closed the door to her and Twilight's room behind them. “Great. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you,” she said as they walked together down the stairs and crowded corridors of the castle.

Applejack nodded, taking in the castle and the guards marching by. Even below the castle, in the old, expansive dungeons, ponies were running around, preparing armor and weapons or looking frantically for somepony or other. Dash was relieved when they finally found the right place.

Two guards were standing outside a heavy iron door deep beneath the castle. Bright purple light was burning under the door, and even the thick metal itself seemed to glow, almost turning transparent.

“Twilight in there?” Dash casually asked the obvious.

The guard gave the door a few light kicks with a hind leg. The sound echoed through the dungeon, loud and clear. A minute passed before the purple light faded and the guard nodded. “Go on in.”

Dash pushed open the door and looked around. “Hey Twi!” The room hadn't seen any repair in ages. It was large, largely barren and full of broken pieces of stone scattered across the floor. Several stone surfaces had been scarred and seared by magic, the source of which was turning to look at them.

“Oh, hi dear,” Twilight smiled with some effort. She looked like she had been running loops around herself for hours, trying to accomplish Celestia only knew what. She trotted across the room and gave Dash a tight hug before noticing Applejack behind her. “Applejack!”

For the second time that day, the apple farmer was tackled enthusiastically. She grinned and gave Dash a crooked look. “Dear? Now I'm sure there's something I want to hear more about. Much more,” she winked.

Dash rolled her eyes and quickly changed the subject. “How are things going down here, Twilight?” She took a step into the room and looked at a pile of stone. A sudden brick smashed against the floor right next to her and exploded into three smaller pieces. Dash leaped back in shock and barely dodged another stone. “Whoa! What the hay?!”

Twilight ducked her head and pushed Applejack to the side as more stones fell out of thin air and shattered against the floor. A second later she straightened up again and brushed some dust out of her messy mane. “I'm so sorry! I totally forgot to say, um, watch out for that. There might be a few more coming, I lost count.”

“Lost count of what exactly?” Applejack said, eying the roof and air around her suspiciously.

“I'm really sorry,” Twilight said and walked up to give Dash an apologetic nuzzle. “This is difficult magic, and when the time comes there's no room for mistakes, so I have to squeeze in every second of practice I can. But there's just so little time,” she sighed. “I feel like I'm running myself dry here, but I can't fail. My best just might not be good enough.”

Dash wrapped a wing around Twilight and nuzzled her back. “I know you can do it, Twilight. I have complete faith in you. Trust me, I know you can pull it off!”

Applejack nodded. “Aye, that's the right thinkin'. And just remember that you've always got your friends, if not by your side then thinkin' of you and cheerin' for you.”

Twilight watched another stone tumble out of the air and hit a wall before rolling across the floor. She sighed and closed her eyes. “I hope you're right, girls.”

***

Rainbow leaned over and stretched her neck to look past Kin. The gargoyle was proving handy for forging a path through the overgrown and overflowing forest, but it was hard to see where they were going from behind the walking rock. The rain and howling wind wasn't making it easier, or their progress any faster.

Zecora hadn't been happy to let them go in their current state, and Rainbow would much rather have licked her wounds and tended her grief under a warm blanket, but there was no choice. She only had one chance. If this didn't work … if she failed again, everything would have been for nothing, including his death.

“What exactly are you going to do?” Flix complained behind her. The changeling had not been too happy about leaving in this weather either.

Rainbow cursed at her soaked bandages and aching bones. “I'm going to Ponyville, to see my friends. It may be the last time I get to do that.” She looked around. “You know you didn't have to come with me,” she said, trying to sound happier than she was.

“I know,” Flix mumbled. “But I'm coming anyway. I don't trust that zebra too much. And I bet you'll need someone to save your ass before the day is over, even though you don't deserve it. Have you forgotten the last time you went to Ponyville?”

“I have to try,” Rainbow sulked. “If I can't convince Twilight and my double to give up the Elements, perhaps I'll have luck with the others. Fluttershy would listen to me, and if enough of them agree then Twilight would have to listen to us too.”

None of them said anything more as they pushed their slow way through the storm. As they neared Ponyville, Rainbow began to feel ill at ease. The storm clouds looming over the whole forest did little to reassure her or lighten her spirit, and what had the princess meant when she said that Rainbow wouldn't find what she sought?

“I want you two to stay behind when I go to see them,” she said. “I'm not sure a changeling and a gargoyle is going to make it easier for me to convince them I'm not crazy.”

Flix muttered something, but otherwise kept quiet. The forest began to thin out and the wind grew fiercer. Rainbow looked up as they left the forest and came out into the open. She lifted a hoof to shield her eyes against the driving rain and looked across the village before them.

“Looks like everypony's left,” Flix said as she came up beside Rainbow.

Rainbow looked at the village in dismay. Most of it looked abandoned, only a few lights were still on here and there. “Perhaps it's just the storm,” she whispered, trying to convince herself of it. “Okay, you two stay here. I'm … going to find my friends.”

“Hrm, good luck,” Kin said and settled down, unheeding of the rain and wind.

Flix continued on. When Rainbow turned to her, she quickly gave her a look back. “I'm looking like a perfectly plain pony, for your information. And I'm coming with you whether you care for my company or not.”

Rainbow frowned and opened her mouth, but quickly shut it again and sighed. “Thanks, Flix.”

“Hmph. I just don't care to sit out here in the rain,” the changeling said as they continued down the path towards Fluttershy's cottage near the edge of the forest. Rainbow's heart took a leap at the sight of light in one of the windows, and she picked up her pace a little.

Three guards came towards them as they neared the cottage. “Identify yourselves, please,” one of them said tiredly. Even the stoic faces of the royal guards were falling slightly at the rain and cold.

“My name is Rainbow Dash, and I was told to say 'Saving Grace',” Rainbow said, eying the three guards uncertainly. She hoped the princess had indeed not been a dream, and that she hadn't been lying either.

The lead guard nodded and bowed his head slightly. “My apologies, miss. Go on, get yourselves inside before you catch a cold.” He gave both of them a closer look. “You look like you shouldn't be outside in the first place.”

They thanked him and hurried on. Despite the light, Fluttershy's cottage looked only marginally less abandoned than the rest of the village. “Please be home,” she prayed under her breath as she knocked on the door.

“W-who is it?” Fluttershy's frightened voice sounded through the door, and Rainbow could hear hoof steps inside approaching.

“It's me … Rainbow Dash,” Rainbow called. “Please, Fluttershy, I really, really need to see you.”

The door opened a crack and Fluttershy peeked out at them. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the two drowned and beaten ponies. “Oh goodness!” She scrambled aside to open the door fully for them. “Come in! Oh, you look terrible. I'll, um, I'll … I'll make you some tea and …” She looked around a little lost at the room.

Rainbow stepped inside and took in the room while Flix closed the door. Most things had been packed down or put away. It was clear that Fluttershy had been busy packing and was about to leave town. “What's happening, Fluttershy? Where is everypony going, and why are you leaving?” she asked as the shy pegasus scrambled to find a pot and some tea leaves. “Are the others here?”

Fluttershy managed to fill a pot with water and set it down on the cold stove. Rainbow decided to help her while they talked. “Oh Rainbow, it's this awful war. Applejack left this morning; she was going to fight with you and Twilight against the d-dragons.” She searched a box and found a bag of tea. “Pinkie and Rarity left with Spike for Canterlot earlier, and I'm supposed to go there with Soarin' later. Princess Celestia says we'll be safer there.”

Rainbow sank down on her haunches in front of the flickering flames of the stove. A sudden memory flashed through her mind, of Ponyville abandoned and standing stones with carved names … her own name, and Applejack who had gone to fight in the war. Followed by a vision of Canterlot and Pinkie's lifeless body swinging from a rope.

Nothing had changed at all, had it? Eden's vision had been true all along, everything was going to happen just as she had predicted. “Fluttershy …” she said, feeling very weak.

“Oh dear!” Fluttershy rushed to her side. “I'm so sorry, you look terrible. What happened? I'll get you some bandages and—”

“Fluttershy,” Rainbow cut her off. “I need you to listen to me. This is very important,” she said and tried to fix her eyes on the quivering pegasus.

Fluttershy stopped and looked at her, eyes full of worry. “What is it?”

“We … we won't make it,” she said and sank at the words. “We won't win this war, Fluttershy. And … and you won't be safe in Canterlot. We're all going to die, all our friends … but Twilight won't listen to me. I really, really need somepony to listen to me,” she cried and hugged Fluttershy.

“I'm listening,” Fluttershy whispered. “I'm listening to you, Dashie.”

Rainbow closed her eyes. “We need to give up the Elements of Harmony. I need you to promise that you'll give up yours.” She looked back up into Fluttershy's eyes. “It's the only way to save everypony.”

***

Twilight yawned and rubbed her eyes. Her mane was an utter mess and her face was lined by exhaustion. Dash sat down on the bed and rubbed her back, hoping to massage a bit of life and spirit back into the pony she loved.

They were silent for a long time, Twilight looking like she was already sleeping while Dash watched the sky through the window. It had stopped raining for now, but massive storm clouds still hung low over the castle and the forest, and distant thunder rumbled low and menacing far above.

Dash turned to look at Twilight. “This is it, isn't it? We might never have another night together.”

Twilight opened her eyes and stared at the floor. After a moment she nodded quietly.

Dash reached out a hoof to brush Twilight's mane away from her face. “It's okay,” she said. “I still believe in you, Twilight. I always will.”

“Dash, I—” Twilight looked at Dash, pain in her eyes.

“Shh …” Dash leaned in to kiss her. “Just tell me what I have to do when the time comes.”

Twilight looked down at her hooves. There was a look in her eyes, the same one from back in the library. Something was carefully being left out of what she was about to say. “Luna tells me your double is in Ponyville. She will try to convince our friends to give up the Elements, but only Fluttershy is still there. Applejack is here, and Rarity and Pinkie are already in Canterlot.”

“Fluttershy will listen to her, I bet,” Dash muttered.

“Yes, I have no doubt she will, but it's okay. She can't be allowed to convince the others, however,” Twilight lifted her head with some effort to stay awake. “I need you to find her. I need you to keep her moving. Chase her, race her, keep her away from Canterlot, and away from here. Don't let her escape you. Don't worry, she'll do her best to get away from you, because you'll both die if she doesn't. She won't have any choice but to try to get away from you, and you must not let her.”

“What about you?” Dash looked at Twilight worried. “What about the dragons?”

“The information we have suggests they will be here tomorrow, early. But don't worry about that. Luna and I will deal with the dragons, and with Eden. Trust me,” she looked at Dash. “Find your double, chase her, don't lose her. And … remember me, Dash. Remember that I love you.”

Dash looked into Twilight's eyes and reached out to wipe a tear away from her cheek. “I'll never forget you, Twilight. And I'll always love you too, no matter what happens.”

II.25 - The Triumph of Time

Fluttershy took a glance down at her hooves, before looking out the window at the darkness residing beyond. A sincerity filled her eyes as she looked back at Rainbow. “I-if this is the only way to stop this awful war and save my friends, then of course I'll give up my Element.” She lifted a hoof to go through the motions now familiar to all her friends. “Pinkie promise,” she finished with a hoof covering her right eye.

Overtaken by emotion, Rainbow wept as she hugged the yellow pegasus. “Thank you, Fluttershy. Thank you! I knew I could count on you. I knew you'd listen to me.”

Fluttershy smiled and patted Rainbow's soaked mane. “You're my oldest friend, the only one I had until I met the others. You've always been there for me and listened to me, so of course I'd listen to you. I'll always listen to you, Dashie.” She let go and looked down a bit. “I never needed my Element to be kind to my friends—or anypony—before. It'll be … different, but I'm sure the others will remember that they don't need them either.”

Rainbow sniffed and rubbed her nose. “You're the best, Fluttershy. Maybe … maybe it's not too late after all,” she felt a little warmer. She looked up and dared to smile with honest confidence. “We just have to convince Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Together we can make Twilight and my double see reason. You'll help me, won't you? Help me convince Pinkie and Rarity?”

“Of course,” Fluttershy said kindly and carefully unrolled the rain-soaked bandage around Rainbow's aching chest. A couple of ribs had cracked in her fight with Flix earlier, and her treatment back in the castle hadn't been gentle either. Zecora's healing had done a lot, but she was still aching. “Oh m-my. W-what happened to you?”

“Never mind that,” she said and jumped up, wincing at the sharp pain from the sudden movement. “We have to get to Canterlot right away. There's no time to lose!”

Fluttershy pulled her back down with surprising firmness and looked at her softly but insistently. There was no way to resist that look, Rainbow knew it and didn't even attempt it. “You are in no condition to go out there like this. It's much too dangerous,” Fluttershy said and poured a mug of tea for both Rainbow and Flix, who had kept to herself the whole time.

The changeling took the tea without a word and held it in her hooves while staring sullenly ahead of her at nothing.

“Soarin' will be here in a few hours to help me get there safely. I'm sure we can take you two with us as well,” Fluttershy continued as she got up to search the place for fresh bandages. “Meanwhile you two need to rest and let me take care of your wounds.”

Rainbow sighed and settled down with her tea, somewhat reluctantly. But Fluttershy was right. She would need to gather all her strength if she wanted to fly in this storm, and there was no doubt that she would have to fly; walking or taking the train, if it was even operating now, would be much too slow.

She closed her eyes and resigned herself to Fluttershy's gentle but skillful care, trying to squeeze the most out of a few hours of rest.

She might have fallen asleep at some point. When she opened her eyes again, the darkness outside was complete and the storm was howling strongly in the trees. Her wounds had been tended and a thick blanket wrapped around her. She was feeling anything but strong from her rest.

“What time is it?” she wondered aloud, and her eyes drifted to the window. Despite the perpetual gloom all day, she could tell that the sun had definitely gone down by now. She turned around when a fragrant scent of vegetables caught her nose. “Fluttershy?”

“I made you soup,” the yellow pegasus said meekly by the stove. She was looking terrible, wracked by lack of sleep and worry. She had looked a bit frightened earlier, as she was wont to be, but the change since then was stark.

“Fluttershy?” Rainbow repeated, worried. She looked around the room at Flix sleeping on an improvised bed of blankets, then at the door. “He hasn't shown up, has he?” she said, suddenly understanding. “Oh, Fluttershy …”

“He'll be here,” she said and hugged the wooden spoon she had been stirring the soup with. “He'll be here, Dash. He promised he would.”

Rainbow looked out the window. She stood up and trotted over to the other mare, wrapping a wing around her back and gently teasing the spoon out of her hooves. “Get some rest, Fluttershy,” she said and led her friend over to the couch.

“But what if he—”

“I'll keep watch,” Rainbow assured her. She didn't want to say the next thing, but there was no way around it. They were wasting time; every hour they spent here was an hour that could mean the death of their friends. But it was obvious that Fluttershy was in no state to fly, and Rainbow herself didn't feel too strong herself. Just two more hours and they could still reach Canterlot before dawn, she hoped. “I'll wake you up in a few hours, no more, then we have to leave. I'm sorry, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy looked at her pleadingly. “But—”

“He's a Wonderbolt. We'll look out for him on the way, but he knows how to survive, trust me,” she said and wrapped her blanket around Fluttershy. “You need rest too if you're going to make it through the storm. I'll wake you.”

Fluttershy looked anxiously across the room at the door but eventually gave in and closed her eyes. “He'll be here,” she promised herself quietly before drifting off to an uneasy sleep.

Rainbow watched her for a time, before turning to the soup still simmering on the stove. She sighed and poured herself a bowl, sitting down next to the couch to eat it quietly. She hated sitting around, waiting. It seemed like all she ever did.

***

A single resounding tone shook the ancient stone walls of the castle, majestic and terrifying in its volume. It continued for a whole minute, unwavering and undimmed, and came to an end in a rumbling thunder of echoes and rebounding waves. Only as the last echo faded away did the great horn sound anew, waking heavens and earth to battle.

Dash shivered to her bones as she slipped out of bed after Twilight, standing up in silence to gaze out the window at the great near-solid wall of storm clouds raging around the castle. Feeble little lights were flaring to life all over the castle and its vicinity as Luna, gliding majestically above the towers, lifted the horn to her lips for a third time.

“Is it dawn?” Dash asked uncertainly.

“I don't think so. The dragons are coming,” Twilight said, her voice lacking strength as she watched the horizon. “Sooner than we hoped.”

“It … doesn't change anything, does it?” Dash asked and looked at Twilight with concern.

Twilight stared at the window, then glanced briefly behind her at the saddlebags in the corner. “Only that …” She looked down. “I'll have less time with you before … you must …”

“Twilight …” Dash reached out a hoof, pulling Twilight into a hug. “No amount of time would make it easier.” She closed her eyes, forcing herself not to cry. “I know I won't return to see you again, Twi. I know, because you know. I'm ready to go. As ready as I'll ever be, because I also know it is what I must do, because I know that you'll succeed.”

Dash pulled away to look into Twilight's eyes. “I don't have to tell you that I love you more than anything. You know better than any other pony could, better than I could ever know myself. Make sure my memory lives on, make sure I am remembered. That is all I wish for.”

Twilight was crying openly as she leaned forward to kiss Dash, pouring herself and all her passion into it. Dash returned it and felt a warmth spread through her mind as Twilight's horn began to glow. She didn't resist, trusting Twilight even without knowing what she intended.

Twilight's horn burned with brilliant flames and graced her forehead softly as their lips seemed to fuse and Twilight's mind touched hers. The world exploded into a far vaster expression than Dash had ever experienced or imagined. Raw magic flowed around and through her, filling her within and playing at the tip of her forehead, ready to be woven by her will alone. And at the center of that tiny point was Twilight, her love like the sun shining eternally for her. Thoughts of deep affection and sorrow intertwined and weaved throughout her mind, throughout their mind.

It was the most profound and beautiful experience Dash had ever had, and it seemed to last only a fraction of a second, but that one moment was enough. She collapsed into Twilight's waiting hooves, weeping. The magic left her mind gently, yet it seemed as if she stayed with it.

Dash had never cried as she did now, held in Twilight's hooves as the magic slowly dissipated, their heads merely touching for a long time.

Twilight sighed and the saddlebag in the corner stirred. Five necklaces and a crown drifted out from under the books and settled around Dash's neck and on her head. “I've cast a spell to make sure they stay on. You should not lose them no matter how fast and recklessly you fly,” she explained solemnly.

Dash lifted a hoof to touch the necklaces gingerly, tears still soaking her cheeks.

The door to the balcony opened by Twilight's magic. The wind was surprisingly still here in the eye of the storm, but the titanic walls of dark fury were not far. Dash did her best to hide her awe and trepidation at the sight. She had seen many storms in her life, but none of them rivaled what she assumed the princess had stirred up in the last twenty-four hours.

“Go now …” Twilight whispered. “Before I change my mind and beg you to never leave.”

Her wings and heart had never felt so heavy as she set off from the balcony, looking back at the purple unicorn. Slowly but surely the castle grew smaller, and the storm came closer. It felt like Eternity before the darkness and rain swallowed the last sight of Twilight behind her.

***

A giant shape loomed in the doorway, lit up from behind by a flash of lightning. Rainbow had to admit, if you didn't know the gargoyle, Kin would have looked very, very frightening standing outside your door at a night like this with dim red embers in his eyes.

She sighed and turned around. “It's just Kin,” she said to the shivering pink tail sticking out from behind the couch. “He's a friend, you can trust him.”

“Hrm,” the small giant of stone rumbled. “I did not wish to frighten you, but it had been many hours and I was getting worried.”

“And with perfect timing too,” Rainbow said. “Because we really can't wait any longer.” She refrained from mentioning that she had fallen asleep again and that it was a great fortune that the gargoyle had come knocking when he did. She silently scolded herself for it. “We're leaving this instant!” she proclaimed to forget her weakness.

Fluttershy dared a peek from behind her shelter. “B-but …”

Rainbow turned around to look at her. It was probably a bit cruel to say this, but Celestia knew they would never reach Canterlot with a terrified Fluttershy in tow, not in this storm. It would be like dragging a mountain all the way there. “Fluttershy, Soarin' isn't going to show up. He risked his life to get you to safety. Are you going to hide in here for him until the dragons come and take you, or are you going to go out there and be brave for him?”

Fluttershy whimpered and closed her eyes. “I—” Her face hardened, and she looked up with steel in her eyes. “I'm going to be brave,” she declared.

“Good!” Rainbow said and turned back around at the silent form of Kin. “Kin, I want you to walk there,” she said and lead the gargoyle out into the open, pointing north. “It's kinda hard to see now, but Canterlot is that way, almost straight north from here. You can't miss it; Giant castle on the mountain side. Look for any signs of a pegasus stallion with pale blue coat and dark blue mane. He or some of his friends may be in uniform, blue with yellow lightning patterns. Help him any way you can. Got it?”

Kin lifted a heavy hand to the side of his head. “Got it.” With that final salute, the gargoyle trudged off towards the north, soon disappearing in the storm.

“Flix! Get your shifty butt out here! We're leaving!” Rainbow yelled and turned back at the door where Fluttershy was wrapping herself in a double layer of scarves to keep out the cold. She held out a pair to Rainbow as well, who took them thankfully. “Thanks, Fluttershy. I swear we'll make it there.”

Fluttershy nodded sadly and held out the last pair to a gloomy Flix. The changeling took them with a mutter, eyes heavy from sorrow and lack of rest. When Flix was out of the house, Fluttershy carefully locked the door and stuck a small note in a bottle next to the door, safe from rain and wind. She frowned before hurrying to catch up with the other two.

The wind and rain whipped against them as they rose steadily but slowly into the dark skies above Ponyville. Rainbow stuck close to Fluttershy, making sure her friend was safe against the storm. She dared a brief glance back over the Everfree and felt thankful they weren't headed in that direction. The weather was pretty bad here, but what loomed over the forest was terrifying to behold.

“The dragons are attacking,” Flix remarked next to her after a time of flying.

Rainbow realigned herself and tried to stay steady as she looked to the south and narrowed her eyes. It was hard to see anything through the storm and this far away, but many flames were now lighting up the storm far behind them and over the forest.

Why had they waited so long?

“More reason to push on!” she called over the driving rain.

The great city of Canterlot was still not within sight. It was starting to worry her, as the wind kept pushing them back and to the south-west. She wished she could push through, but Fluttershy was already pushing herself as hard as she could. Flix was having some trouble too. Rainbow stared ahead into the dark clouds.

She had lost sense of how long they had been fighting against the wind when Flix called out again, almost losing her balance and getting blown off course in the process. The changeling struggled to right herself as Rainbow looked back around.

A glimmer of a rainbow trail broke through the clouds behind them, clearly headed north too, and faster them them. Horror grasped Rainbow as she realized what she was looking at. “What is she … Hay no! Flix!” Rainbow called out, picking up her pace and trying to break the wind ahead of Fluttershy.

“What?” The changeling yelled back.

“It's my double!” Rainbow was nearly screaming to be heard. “Can you lose her for us? I have to stay with Fluttershy!”

“Right!” There was a flash of green and with a swift turn the changeling was gone, helped along by a strong wind.

Rainbow backed up next to Fluttershy. “Holding up?” Tears streamed down Fluttershy's face as she nodded, too. Rainbow watched her and the approaching rainbow behind them with worry. There was no way she would be able to stay ahead of her double with Fluttershy in tow, but there was no way she would leave Fluttershy behind either. If Flix failed …

She shook off the thought and gave Fluttershy an encouraging look. “Come on! You can do it!”

***

Dash looked back as she tore through the clouds, boosted by the wind. It was a blessing that she was going towards Ponyville and not the other way, because fighting her way towards the heart of the storm would have been a nightmare exercise that even the Wonderbolts would strongly reconsider. Hopefully it caused the dragons some pause as well, because they were already swarming in on their target when Dash left.

They had not paid her any mind, however, and with the wind in her back she had made the trip to Ponyville in half the time. She even had to fight to slow back down as she descended towards Fluttershy's cottage, afraid that she might crash into a tree instead.

She stumbled a bit as she came to a halt on the road and looked up at the lonely house. All the windows were dark and there was no sign of life.

Dash hesitated as she approached the door, wondering if anypony was even around. Her gaze fell on the bottle by the door, with a note stuck inside. Dash leaned down to pick it out and unroll it. “Oh …” she muttered and gazed towards the north where Canterlot lay hidden, somewhere high in the clouds. So they had left.

She hastily stuck the note back in the bottle and set off, taking a brief detour west to pick up speed before turning back north with the wind in her side. Twilight's words echoed in her mind, along with the last image of the unicorn. She had to stop her double before she got to Canterlot. Twilight counted on her.

Even with the wind in her side rather than against her, she had to push herself hard to keep up a good pace and stay on course. She narrowed her eyes and adjusted her glasses before picking up pace, cutting through dense storm clouds and torrential winds.

She hoped it wasn't too late. If her double had already reached Canterlot, then—

A sudden prismatic glint of light caught her eye. Dash spun around and stared at a pale blue and rainbow dot speeding off in a wide arc. Had she seen Dash too? Dash didn't have time to contemplate details. She couldn't allow herself to lose her target now.

Pushing herself forward, Dash raced after her double. The other mare glanced back briefly, and Dash caught her eyes. “I've got you now,” Dash muttered to herself against the raging wind. “That's right, keep flying west, far away from Canterlot.”

It was going well. It was going too well. They were flying pretty fast, but she could easily fly much faster now that she had the wind in her back most of the time. So why wasn't her double matching her speed? Dash looked up and narrowed her eyes at her target. Was she wounded? That would make it easier.

Everything felt fine too. Dash would expect something to start happening if they got too close, but they were already close enough that she could clearly see her double.

Dash picked up speed, quickly catching up with her double. The other mare looked back and seemed to realize that she wasn't getting away fast enough despite her effort.

An uneasy realization struck Dash. “You're not me. There's no freakin' way I would fly that slow with Death chasing me.” She spun back around, ignoring the false target and breathing hard as the full force of the wind struck her. “Another damn changeling! I swear …” she thought, trailing off as she focused on fighting her way back against the wind.

She'd been led astray, and now her real double could be anywhere.

***

Fluttershy beat her wings frantically against the torrents of rain, fighting bravely through the storm. Every now and then she was thrown back by an unseen force, but she kept going like her life depended on it. It very well might, Rainbow thought as it became clear that they were making far less progress than she could have hoped.

Rainbow glanced back in the direction Flix had disappeared. There was no sign of the changeling or Rainbow's double, but it could not be long before she realized the diversion. If they couldn't get away, then they had to hide from sight.

“Come on, Fluttershy,” she called as she steered a little east, directing Fluttershy to follow her lead. “Stay close to me. You can do it!”

“I-I c-can't,” Fluttershy wept. “Dashie, please …”

She really couldn't. Rainbow could see her strength starting to wane. She was pushing herself too hard just to make any progress at all. Rainbow took another glance to the west. Was that a faint prismatic trail or just her imagination?

“Hang on, Fluttershy!” she said and backed up. “Hang on to me!” She swiftly caught her friend, feeling her body tremble from the effort.

“W-where are we going?” Fluttershy cried in Rainbow's grasp.

Rainbow's wings strained as she turned and ascended sharply towards the darkest clouds above. “Into the clouds!” she called above the rumbling thunder and screaming winds. “We can hide there.”

“Isn't that d-dangerous?”

Rainbow didn't respond. What could she say? It was a foolish thing to do, but there was no choice. She closed her eyes tightly for a second as they disappeared into the darkness of the clouds. Trails of lightning lit up the darkness in flashes as she opened her eyes again. Rainbow fought against the forces around her, riding the powerful winds.

Canterlot had to be close now. If she could only keep it up and reach somewhere …

“R-rainbow!” Fluttershy cried.

A sudden bolt and crosswind struck Rainbow. In a growing panic she felt her grasp on Fluttershy slip and herself torn from her by the wind. “Fluttershy!” she screamed and dove to catch her friend again.

Rainbow felt herself thrown across the cloud, spiraling out of control. Fluttershy was already a tiny yellow and pink dot far below, growing smaller by the second.

“Fluttershy!”

***

A flash of lightning and a glimmer of rainbow caught Dash's eye. She kicked out hard at the changeling trying to seize her, feeling her hooves connect with something solid, and turned swiftly, speeding towards the tiny dot spiraling wildly out of control. “Now I've got you,” she thought, gaze locked on her target while the changeling vanished in her wake.

Her double caught sight of her almost instantly but seemed to struggle to regain control. She was calling out something, but Dash couldn't hear anything over the thunder and winds. Dash was starting to think her double wouldn't regain her bearing when the other Rainbow finally found some stability and made a sudden dive.

The race was on at last, and there was no turning back! Dash dove swiftly after her double, trying to force the other pony off her course, away from Canterlot and away from the ground. She had to keep her where there was no possibility of hiding or escaping, and that meant west and as high as possible.

Dash made a sharp dive to cut her double off and force her back upwards. The two of them cut through the clouds like twin spears. The storm was still raging, and in her move to push her double to go higher, Dash found herself forced up against the wind, led towards the east and the forest.

At least it was away from Canterlot. As long as she could keep her double on this course, upwards and away from Canterlot …

***

“Leave me alone!” Rainbow screamed as she tried to force her way back north but found her way cut off by the insane pony behind her. She was trapped, her double was behind her and could see her moves and swiftly counter them. She was being herded, like a sheep by a wolf towards a cliff, and they were both going to die because of it.

And she had completely lost sight of Fluttershy. Her friend was probably lost in the storm somewhere way, way behind them. If she hadn't fallen to her death or crashed somewhere in the wild.

“You're going to get everypony killed!” she cried and tried to feign a left before swiftly turning right instead, but her double wasn't shrugged off so easily. “Everything is your fault! They'll all die because of you!”

The storm was getting worse, and there was no sign of things getting better. They were over the forest now, somewhere north of the storm's titanic heart. Rainbow had never seen such fury as what loomed ahead, thundering and groaning with untold power unleashed.

Surely … surely her double would not be crazy enough to follow her into the heart of the storm. A sinking feeling filled Rainbow's stomach. Was she crazy enough?

She looked up at the towering black wall of magical rage. It was her only hope now.

***

The wind hit Dash like a wall of liquid ice, leaving her body numb and wings threatening to fail her. She grit her teeth hard and beat harder, forcing herself forward against the storm and the pain. This was utter madness, but she was doomed to follow. Fated to chase Death to keep him away from her friends. Dash glared ahead, eyes fixed on her target as tears froze on her cheeks.

The monstrous cyclone in front of her looked like nothing if not certain death now. It seemed to drain all heat from the air, sucking it up to discharge in great thundering blasts of searing white lightning.

Something massive roared past her, and she barely managed to evade the long tail trailing behind it. Dash stared ahead, daring not to blink or look around. A dragon had just been flung through the air, right past her, like nothing more than a snowflake in a stiff breeze. It was almost certainly dead.

Her double was desperately fighting to gain altitude and quickly disappearing in the storm. A flash of lightning and she was gone. Dash climbed the torrential air currents in pursuit, pushing herself to catch up. She couldn't lose her now, she couldn't fail her friends or Twilight.

Rain was turning to hail, and lightning roiled through the titan clouds like a web of celestial spiders seething with unimaginable power. A merciless wall of rain and hail drove against her tormented body as she rode across the sky on a prismatic wave.

She was not fast enough! She could never be fast enough!

She had to go faster!

The dome was faltering, flickering under the force of a persistent assault. Great black holes were forming in the glowing pale blue. Dash stared in abject horror and déjà-vu as the shield flickered one last time and collapsed. A scream rose up from deep below as bolts of black flames struck at the ground.

In a second it would kill her. Her shield would shatter at the blow.

“TWI!”

And her heart beat once …

***

Rainbow cried at the pain as she pushed herself on. She had lost her double and escaped the storm, but it had taken everything she had to give. She was losing altitude fast now, her muscles giving up the fight, and she was far away from Canterlot. Far away from her friends.

She had to get to Canterlot. Had to convince her friends … it was their only hope.

“I'll make it still,” she whispered as her wings refused to move any longer, turning her into a fatal dive. “I have to,” she thought as the world rushed to meet her and the whole sky lit up brighter than the sun itself.

“I'll never give up …”

Far above the world, Rainbow closed her eyes in silence as all pain and thought vanished from her life, and breathed out the faintest of sighs …

***

Twilight lifted a hoof to her head and felt the world spin and rush up to introduce her face to the ground as she half-galloped, half-stumbled across the bridge towards the battle. “Oh horse apples …” she moaned at the violent vertigo.

“Easy there, Sugarcube!” Applejack's steady hooves caught her out of nowhere before she hit the ground. “You alright? You don't look too fresh.”

“I don't have time to worry about that!” Twilight sank hard to avoid throwing up, grimacing at the sour taste of acid. “W-what's—ugh—the situation?” She managed to steady herself and look around at the battle surrounding them. Ponies on the ground were taking up position as best they could, aiming volleys of arrows, stones and magic bolts at the attackers above, or helping those who had been wounded. Above them in the sky, the dragons and pegasi were engaging in violent clashes.

“I really think you—” Applejack recoiled from Twilight's glare and quickly dropped the topic. “It's not looking too good,” she admitted. “The storm keeps away the worst of 'em, but many make it through an' we think this is only the beginnin'.”

“Where's Luna?” Twilight demanded as she searched the skies for the princess of the night.

Applejack shrugged. “Somewhere up there, but I haven't been lookin' for her.” Applejack tried to steady her friend, but Twilight was already marching towards town. “Wait, Twi!”

Vertigo struck again and nearly grounded Twilight for a second time. “Oh come on!” she complained and stumbled on, stubbornly trying to ignore her weak and complaining body.

Applejack caught up with her again and resolutely stepped in front of the unicorn, blocking her path. “Twilight, listen! You need to stop and breathe! What the hay have you been doin' anyway?”

Twilight stopped, much against her will, and took a deep breath. “The worst possible thing if it doesn't work,” she sighed. She really was in no shape to be doing anything right now. Above them dragons in the dozens were now making it through the storm, pressing the defenders in the air and assaulting the ground with blasts of flame countered by flashes of magic.

Was it supposed to go like this? Twilight closed her eyes to fight the dizziness and regain control of herself. If nothing happened soon, this was going to be a short and futile war. But she had to trust in Dash's visions.

“An' what if it does work?” Applejack's voice broke through the clamor of war around them.

Twilight looked down. She didn't answer. As she looked up again, her eyes caught the dark blue form of Luna, soaring down through the center of battle. Dragons all around—growing in number all the time and threatening to blacken the sky with their bodies—turned their attention at the regent. The princess' horn glowed and was joined by several horns on the ground.

The wave of magic surging across the town and castle nearly knocked the air from Twilight's lungs, and were it not for Applejack catching her once again, Twilight would have found herself met with the ground. Again.

“Whoa Nelly!” Applejack gasped.

Twilight glanced up weakly at the expanding dome of shimmering blue light. Dragons roared as they were struck mid-air. Bursts of energy crackled across the surface of the dome, searing any dragons unfortunate enough to not be thrown far enough by the oncoming wall of magical energy.

“The dome,” Twilight gasped. The moment of the dream was approaching.

The dragons were already recovering, directing their attack at the dome in growing numbers. Many were struck down by flashes of white lightning and hails of arrows, but they were soon replaced. Hovering near the center of the dome, Princess Luna poured her all into the protective wall around her subjects, while directing their assault on the dragons outside.

Many were cheering at the princess, cheering as the ranks of dragons seemed to falter. Twilight watched in silent terror as the dragons began to fall back.

It wasn't over. The dream wasn't over.

A distant laugh echoed through the storm and across the battlefield. Every eye but Luna's looked up at the remains of the dragons. Twilight blinked to shake off the vertigo as her eyes settled on a blue shape far above, descending through the horde of dragons.

Lazuli the dragoness settled close to the dome, calculating eyes peering at the princess through the magical veil. Her voice magnified by magic was easily heard all across the field. “You have stretched yourself too thin with all these walls between us, princess. Was that wise?”

“I am strong enough for you,” Luna said with a measured stare.

A sinister glow flickered in Lazuli's eyes, crowning her in darkness. “Are you now?” She turned around, her back to the princess. “Resume the attack, my subjects. Destroy these weak ponies and their loving princess. Show them the fate of the world!”

Dragons charged at the dome, flame and fury striking the seething wall of magic and being met by flashes of blinding white energy. Ponies cheered and resumed firing arrows through the dome, but doubt and confusion soon began to tinge each cheer.

Black streaks filled the flames, seeping through the air and the dome like a poison through veins. Twilight could only watch as the darkness corrupted and infected the magic around it, staining the bolts of white with sickly black streaks. Luna strained against the onslaught, as did the dome.

Lazuli turned around, her face twisted by the corrupting darkness. “Don't put all your hope in something easily corrupted,” she chuckled darkly. “Say your last prayers, princess!”

“Princess!” Twilight watched helplessly near the edge of the town as the dome cracked, great holes of darkness destroying and corrupting the magic, turning it against itself.

With a terrifying surge of darkness the dome fell apart, and bolts and tendrils of black flames struck at the stunned princess. In a breathless moment, Luna gazed up at the doom coming at her. “Corruption is a two-headed snake. It bites back,” she said as the darkness hit her.

A scream of agony sundered the air, but Twilight had no time to figure out if it belonged more to Luna or Lazuli. She had torn herself from Applejack's side and stormed through town towards the falling princess, her own cry drowned out by the war above her.

It didn't matter that she wouldn't make it. She had to protect the princess, whether it was too late or not.

Luna hit the ground in a cloud of dust near the central stone of the town. She wasn't moving as Twilight stormed across the plaza, purple light pouring in waves of pain and dizziness from her horn. She turned her head up as she ran, staring at the black bolt screaming towards her.

“I love you, Dash!” she cried as she stared into the eyes of death and beyond, to where a brilliant rainbow trail descended down through the storm towards her, reaching critical velocity.

The darkness struck Twilight's shield as the sky exploded with the light of a million stars.

… and one fraction of a second seemed to expand forever …

***

“What have you done?”

Twilight opened one eye, then another. Around her the world stood still, a billowing wall of pure color, the castle and the village only barely visible through the veil of pure light.

“I took the liberty of pressing pause for a second,” the voice continued.

Twilight looked up at Eden. The creature was standing near the central stone, looking at her with humorless eyes.

“I was going to offer you a last chance of miraculously surviving that bolt,” Eden added and gestured vaguely at the air. “But you seem to have gone and changed the script. What did you do, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight looked around once more, then turned resolutely towards Eden. “I want my three wishes.”

Eden showed no change of emotion as her eyes remained fixed on Twilight. “You can wish all you want, but I don't think I'm going to give you anything at this point. What did you do? Answer me!”

“The Worst. Possible. Thing!” Twilight said, matching Eden's humorless stare. “Something I am certain even you would never let happen. One pair of Elements just vanished back in time, forever stuck beyond the reach of you and me. I know you can't affect the past, it being already fixed. I also remember that you can't touch me or the Elements, and earlier today I misplaced the other set somewhere in the uncertain future. I can complete the spell and give them a time and place to return, but I'm not going to unless I get what I want. So I'll be having my three wishes now!”

Eden said nothing, staring coldly at Twilight.

“If I die now, or don't get my wishes, then the Elements will be forever stuck in limbo. The Elements lost to all, forever. It's that, or my three wishes.” Twilight didn't break the stare or blink. “It's your call.”

Silence hung heavily over them as the air between them seethed, but Twilight wasn't going to break first. After what seemed like eternity, Eden closed her eyes and lowered her head. “You win, Twilight Sparkle. What are your demands? If it is within my power at all, I shall give it to you.”

Twilight made no move. “First, I demand that you give up all claims to the Elements of Harmony and the Magic of Friendship forever. I want you to swear that you will never lay claim to them again, unless the Elements themselves choose you, except for a limited time if their wielders are unable to use them or they are lent to you willingly and without trickery. In those cases you may use them until conditions are so that they can be returned to their former wielders, or a new group of wielders.”

Eden sighed. “It's that, or no one gets them?”

Twilight gave a single nod.

Another long silence passed, then Eden raised her paws in defeat. “So be it. I hereby give in to your demand, and relinquish all rights to the Elements of Harmony and the Magic of Friendship except under the conditions you have outlined.”

“Good.” Twilight relaxed her stare slightly. “Second, I want this war to end here and now, with minimal casualties.”

“I can not restore those who have already died,” Eden reminded her. “And I can do little for you and your friends.”

“I know, but many have not died who could still live. I shall hold on to my third wish for now. Those are my demands. I will complete the magic and bring back the Elements once I know the war has ended and everything is resolved. Only then.”

“So let it be,” Eden looked down. “I hope you are pleased, Twilight Sparkle. I hope it was worth your sacrifice. We will meet again at least once.” She lifted a paw and snapped her fingers. Eden vanished, and the world snapped back into action.

Twilight winced as the blast knocked her off her hooves and landed her in the dust. Above her the sea of light exploded in a prismatic nova, banishing the darkness and washing the corruption from the air. The dragons that had been were gone, blown away or killed in the blast. Even the storm seemed like only a distant memory in the wake of the explosion.

Twilight collapsed on her haunches next to the still form of the princess and watched as the light faded, leaving only a lingering flicker across the sky. As the last traces of rainbows died, Twilight closed her eyes and let out her tears. “I will never forget …”

II.26 - Twists of Fate

A cry filled the air …

… and her lungs swelled with the breath of life.

***

“I got you … I … I'm here,” a voice whispered, gentle yet pained. The world was blue and bright, drifting slowly by. The eyes were blue and kind, carrying her away in soft but steely hooves. “I'm here. D-don't give up, everything is going to be okay. I-I promise … I won't leave you.”

***

She awoke, confused and crying, with a single driving thought in her mind.

Her eyes sought out and settled upon the one thing familiar and safe in the dark and threatening world around her. Her legs felt weak and unfamiliar as she crawled and pulled herself up towards the yellow winged one on the ground beside her. A pair of tears fell on the golden cheek, settling below the kind blue eyes which were now closed.

She nuzzled the pink mane and muscled herself down next to the prone body to get it up on her back. In a daze and determined dream she stumbled forward, dragging herself and the yellow one through the world of shadows and tall silent giants.

***

Twilight sat on the cold ground, staring at nothing as ponies carried the princess off in a hurry to the castle. The dark alicorn, her wings and coat charred and her lips bleeding, smiled at her in passing before closing her weary eyes, but Twilight didn't return it.

No pony said much, either too polite or too busy to bother her. The dead and wounded were carried to the castle, and slowly the village was left empty except for a few ponies here and there going about no tasks in particular.

“Twilight, sugarcube,” the voice of Applejack said behind her as she settled down next to Twilight. “You need somepony to listen?” She placed a hoof on Twilight's back, rubbing her shoulder softly.

Twilight shook her head weakly.

“You sure?”

Twilight looked down in silence. After a minute she spoke in a dry whisper. “She's gone. Rainbow Dash is gone and I won't ever get her back. I loved her. I … loved her, Applejack. Maybe it's silly, and I … I never told her, because I knew there was no hope. I knew it would never happen, but … but I wished that maybe … maybe one day, after all this was over, we could have been a … family.” She chuckled; it sounded despairing. “A real family.”

Applejack said nothing, instead just listening as Twilight continued, only half aware of the other pony next to her. “Now I know I sound silly. Dash a family pony? B-but … maybe it wouldn't be so silly,” she said and looked down again seriously. “We … we could have adopted, maybe, when we both felt ready. There are many young ponies out there in desperate need of a loving family. A little pegasus foal of our own maybe. I know Dash would love to teach the little one all about flying.”

Twilight stared at a random pebble and let out the choked beginnings of another laugh, tears welling up in her heavy eyes. “I wish … but what good is that? She's dead. No one can change that, not for all the wishes in the world.”

“Maybe she ain't, Sugarcube,” Applejack said softly next to her. “They are still out searchin' for her.”

“No,” Twilight said definitively. “She's not coming back, Applejack. I … I know, and she did too. There's no point in false hope. I know.”

Applejack looked down. “You know more than me, surely, but I do know one thing,” she said. “I know that Rainbow would never have blamed you, or wanted you to blame yourself for her choices. Whatever it is she did, she did for her friends, and for you. I reckon' she must have loved you very dearly, because I don't know much about magic, but I'd bet the whole farm it was the strength of that love which saved us all today. Nothing short of that could have accomplished what she did.”

Twilight said nothing. The whole town—soon all of Equestria—was convinced that Rainbow Dash's spectacular rainbow explosion had destroyed the dragons and saved them all from certain doom. Of course that wasn't untrue, and Twilight had kept silent about the details of herself and Eden. Maybe she would have to tell the princess later, but it was all details anyway. Unimportant details that no pony else needed to be bothered with.

Twilight wanted no praise, but Rainbow Dash would be remembered as a legend—the hero who gave her own life to single-hoofedly save all of Equestria against the army of dragons—just as she had always dreamed and deserved. A true hero of Equestria, remembered in tale and song for all time.

“Thank you, Applejack,” Twilight said quietly and closed her eyes. She was so terribly tired, she could just fall asleep right here and maybe never wake up. She felt tired enough to sleep for a thousand years.

Applejack leaned closer and squeezed her in a friendly hug. “You're always welcome, Twilight.” She let go and stood up slowly. “Come on, let's get you inside.”

“Just let me sit here,” Twilight sighed.

Applejack didn't move or say anything. Twilight imagined she'd go eventually and just stared blankly at the inside of her eyelids.

“Twi.” Applejack shook her a little.

“Applejack, I—”

“It's Rainbow Dash,” Applejack persisted.

“I—”

“And … Fluttershy! Twi, look!”

Twilight blinked awake in confusion and looked up. Rainbow Dash was walking straight towards her, dragging herself blindly through a street from the direction of the forest, carrying an unmoving Fluttershy on her back. Twilight stared in disbelief at the scene in front of her while Applejack raced to help the two. Applejack reached them just in time to catch Rainbow Dash as the pony collapsed in a heap, both of them scratched and beaten bloody.

Twilight's body shook with sudden rage as she jumped up, glaring at the rainbow-maned wreck of a pony. Her eyes flared dangerously and her horn burned with fury as she stomped towards the three. “Don't toy with my heart, changeling! Don't you dare!” she screamed, making Applejack recoil in fear from her. “Don't you dare do this to me! Don't you dare befoul Rainbow's name, or so help me I will destroy you!” she charged hysterically forwards at the impostor, who showed no sign that she was aware of what was going on. “I'll drag you all the way to Tartarus, and I will ruin you!”

Applejack jumped in front of her and, too shocked to do anything else, grabbed her and shook her hard. “Whoa! Twilight!” She looked hard at the unicorn. “What if she ain't no changeling?”

“It must be!” Twilight foamed, looking past Applejack. “It will not fool me! I will not be toyed with!”

“So what if she is.” Applejack shook her again to gain her attention. “She saved Fluttershy, and they need help! So calm yourself and help your friends!”

Twilight stared at Applejack, then at the two ponies on the ground. They were both out cold and looked like they had been through Tartarus already. She pushed Applejack away and stepped towards Rainbow Dash.

“Twilight dammit!” Applejack tried to stop her, but found her hooves suddenly leaving the ground, trapping her helplessly in mid-air. “Hey!”

Twilight wiped a hoof across Rainbow's bloody neck and held it up, narrowing her eyes. Purple light burned at the tip of her horn, and her eyes widened. “B-but … t-that's not possible,” she gasped as her face fell and her hold on Applejack faltered.

Applejack landed heavily on her haunches and stumbled quickly to her hooves. “Twilight, I do not—” she growled.

Twilight brushed her off. “There's no time! I have to get them to the castle!” Her horn flashed again and Twilight groaned, ignoring the return of the vertigo as she disappeared in a flash along with the two unconscious ponies.

Applejack stomped the ground in frustration before turning towards the castle, adjusting her hat. “Bloody stubborn unicorn!” She sighed and galloped towards the gate.

***

“What can you tell me, doctor?” Twilight wrung the hoofkerchief nervously as she glanced at the two beds where Rainbow and Fluttershy were resting, still unresponsive. “Please be honest with me.”

The doctor bid her sit down. She sat down next to Rainbow's bed, eyes never leaving her two friends. “They are both stable for now, Miss Sparkle,” he began, much to Twilight's relief. “Miss Fluttershy has a torn ligament in her wing—it is likely what caused her to crash—as well as general bruises and strains. The wing will need surgery, but I expect no complications. A few weeks of solid rest and she will be fine.”

Twilight nodded vaguely. “And … Rainbow Dash?”

“She is very weak, Miss Sparkle.” The doctor looked at the sky-blue pegasus. “Her heart and lungs only barely sustain her right now. We may have to put her on a ventilator.” He looked back at Twilight seriously. “If her condition does not improve, then I fear her prospects are not good. She may end up in need of care for the rest of her life.”

Twilight stared at Rainbow, feeling the words sink in. She merely nodded in understanding.

“She is in a coma,” the doctor continued. “Understand that we are doing everything possible to help her, but there is no telling when—or if—she's going to wake up. It could be days, weeks, or even years. She may never wake up.”

“Have the princess—”

“Princess Luna is still being treated and have not spoken, but I understand that she is expected to recover. Her sister is doing everything she can too. Nothing is being spared here, miss Sparkle.”

Twilight nodded and caressed Rainbow's hoof gently. She looked so peaceful.

“There is one other thing,” the doctor said carefully.

Twilight looked up again and listened. She had to hear it twice. She glanced at Rainbow, blinking. “Can you … can you just repeat that one more time, please?”

***

Twilight eased the door open and stepped inside. All looked as it had looked when she left. Fresh flowers were still on the table, most of them from Rainbow's friends and family. The window was still opened a crack, letting in a fresh breeze. And the breathing machine still chugged away steadily.

It had been almost a week, and still no sign of change.

She sat down next to the bed and picked up Rainbow's hoof in hers, looking at the face of her friend and love. The face too was exactly as it had been when she left, so calm it hurt deep in her heart to watch it.

Twilight smiled sadly at Rainbow. “I … I still don't know if you can hear me,” she said and looked down. “Fluttershy is doing really well after her operation, especially after Soarin' showed up yesterday. He was lost in the wild for three days until he was found by a kind family who took him in and treated him. Fluttershy is so happy, you should have seen her.”

“I hope you wake up soon.” She looked out the window and sighed. “I really, really hope … because I have so much I have to tell you. You know, I've figured it all out, and … and I'm a little excited but also really frightened about it, and I guess I don't want to make any decisions for you.” She looked down at something in her hooves. “I also have something to ask you. I … I like to think you'd say yes, but …”

She closed her eyes and breathed in slowly. “I need your courage, Dash. And I need you with me. Without you I'm just a hopeless little egghead.”

She leaned over and lay her head down next to Rainbow's. “I wish you'd just wake up.” A tiny flicker of white light played at the tip of her horn, unknown to Twilight.

Next to her, Rainbow opened her mouth slightly.

***

Rainbow opened her eyes and stared up into a white stone ceiling. Twilight's wide purple eyes appeared in her field of vision. The unicorn was crying and smiling while saying something, but all Rainbow could hear was a heavy and oppressive silence.

She blinked and watched as nurses and doctors came running. Within seconds, her vision was a blur of ponies examining her and speaking to her, their mouths moving silently in front of her.

Rainbow furrowed her brow and tried to lift a hoof as memories began to return, trickling in and settling into place. Rainbow stared into the ceiling, letting it all come back to her.

***

Twilight stroked Rainbow's hoof and smiled. “Can you hear me?”

Rainbow opened her mouth to ask the one question on her mind. “W-what happened?” Her voice was so weak that she had to say it twice before Twilight caught what she was saying.

Twilight was fighting not to cry. She opened her mouth and took a careful breath. There was one question that she herself needed answered. “Dash, can you tell me what you remember?”

“Everything … I think,” Rainbow muttered. “At least … until I escaped the storm, then I can't remember anything more. It just goes … blank, I guess.”

“I … I think I can guess the answer to this,” Twilight said. She had guessed it already, but still worried that she was right. “Of the two doubles, you are the one who was with Eden, am I correct? You can just squeeze my hoof for yes if speaking is too hard.”

Rainbow hesitated a little before nodding. “What happened?” She asked again, watching Twilight as if she wasn't sure if she was going to the gallows as a traitor.

“Don't worry. I do not blame you for your choices.” Twilight said and looked down sadly. “I know you just wanted to save your friends, and we are all well,” she continued. After a brief pause she continued to explain what had happened.

Rainbow listened silently until Twilight was done. “That's a little hard to believe. I didn't know you could fly that fast,” she muttered.

“You can't,” Twilight smiled. “Nothing material can reach the speed of light. But your double wasn't really material, because technically she was just your soul. The Elements aren't truly material either, they are … magical.” Twilight settled on that and continued. “That's how it could happen, perhaps helped by her friendship and … and her love.” Twilight looked down at what she was holding in her hoof.

“So … I am definitely, without question, the fastest pony ever now?” Rainbow grinned.

Twilight couldn't help but laugh happily at Rainbow Dash being Rainbow Dash. “Oh yes. No living pony will ever be able to break that record. Not even close.”

“Sweet!” Rainbow smirked. Her smile slowly faded, however. “I only wish it had been me … I mean, me me, not … the other me.”

Twilight stared at her hoof and the little box she was still holding. “Then you wouldn't be here now,” she said quietly.

“Why am I here?” Rainbow turned a little to look at Twilight. “If my double went back in time, doesn't that mean I shouldn't have a soul now?”

“Yes.” Twilight bit her lip and looked up to meet Rainbow's eyes. “You don't,” she said. “This may … come as a shock, so … you're already lying down but, uh, please don't jump up or have a heart attack.”

“Uh … okay?” Rainbow stared blankly at Twilight. “Now I'm worried.”

Twilight wondered how best to say this sort of thing. Perhaps there was no great way. “Rainbow Dash, you … you're with foal.” Right, at least she isn't screaming, Twilight thought. Although that stiff look is less encouraging. When Rainbow just stared at her in silence, Twilight continued. “You are a few weeks pregnant, or so,” she repeated the fact. “It is why you are alive. You see, you don't have your own soul now. You share that of your unborn child; it is keeping you alive.”

“I-I'm going to be a mother?” Rainbow stuttered.

“Yes,” Twilight smiled, trying to hide her own selfish worries. “Do you know who the father is?”

Rainbow sank and looked away. “He …” She sniffed, trying to hide her tears and quell the anger rising in her chest. “Chrysalis killed him. I wasn't fast enough to save him.”

“I'm sorry, Rainbow.” Twilight looked down again, feeling the terrible emptiness inside. “It … It was the changeling, wasn't it?”

Rainbow nodded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hoof. “He loved me, and he died because of me. Do … do you really think I-I'm carrying his child?” She looked down at the blankets covering her body and reached out uncertainly to touch her stomach through the fabric. “Is that even possible?”

This wasn't what Twilight had expected. But she hadn't expected to have anything. And she had wished for this, hadn't she? Was this Eden's revenge, to give her the letter of her wish if not the spirit of it? She nodded. “I would expect so. Changelings do … live among ponies, after all. It would … make sense if … if they can occasionally reproduce with … with the pony they, um, live with.”

“Will I … die once it is born and we are no longer … connected?”

Twilight shook her head. “Zecora believes you will both live and share a single soul, no matter how far apart you become. A little bit like you and your double. Since it is the child's soul, it should survive your death too, but you may not survive if it dies first. That's what Zecora explained, at least.”

They were silent for a long time. Twilight stared, eyes still fixed at the little box in her hooves. She opened it silently and looked at the glittering contents. If this was her wish come true, then …

She looked up. “Rainbow, I … did you know that I loved your double?” If it was to be, then she would never forgive herself for not giving it a chance. “And that … she loved me too?”

Rainbow looked up at Twilight, but said nothing, waiting for her to continue. Twilight nodded, as a response to herself. “I loved her very dearly, and she died for me … and came back.” She smiled sadly and blushed. “The most amazing pony who has ever lived and died. I may never be as awesome as her, not even close, but I still love her. I will always love her … and I hope she will love me too.”

Twilight reached out a hoof to Rainbow. “I love you, Rainbow Dash. I do not care if things are not as we expected, or if our child turns out to be a changeling. I will still be there for both of you. Do you think … there is any hope you could love me too?” She looked hopefully at Rainbow.

Rainbow looked down at Twilight' hoof. After a few seconds she gingerly took it and looked back up into Twilight's waiting eyes. “I don't know, Twilight, but … but I'm willing to give it a try. I don't want to be alone. I hope that I can find love again. I think he would have wanted that for me and … and our child.”

Twilight smiled, feeling a huge weight slip off her heart as she leaned over to wrap her hooves around Rainbow. The pegasus returned the hug weakly but sincerely.

Twilight looked at the little box still in her hoof and smiled. Some things could wait a little.

***

Twilight opened her eyes and held back a yawn as she lifted her head from the hospital bed and tried to clear her tired vision. Rainbow was asleep next to her, the breathing machine still on. It was going to be many weeks before she and the child were strong enough to safely do without it, but Twilight didn't care. She would be there for Rainbow.

Twilight sighed and looked around for the clock. Her eyes fell on the shape of Eden, idly playing with some kind of puzzle in the corner. It seemed to involve several pieces of wood and string, all hopelessly tangled together. “Oh,” Twilight muttered, a little startled.

The djinn looked up. “Congratulations are in order, I think. To both of you,” she said and put down the puzzle.

Twilight sighed. “I … Thank you, Eden. I never thought I would have Rainbow back, and I certainly never dreamed that my silly wish for a family might have a chance either. This is the greatest gift you could have given me, and I don't even know why you would do it. For what it's worth, I'm sorry we had to be enemies.”

Eden lowered her gaze slightly. “And I wish I could take credit, Twilight Sparkle. But I shall consider your third wish fulfilled nonetheless, though it matters little, to be truthful.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight sat up a little more. “If this isn't your work, then I'm Queen of the Penguins, Eden.”

“Better learn to like the cold, then, your Majesty.” Eden stood up silently, the little puzzle thing disappearing in a glimmer of white light. “I am as surprised as you were to discover this little twist on the tale. But as your dear Princess Luna would put it—I suspect—the Elements know best. They certainly played me for a fool.”

She frowned and raised her paws to lift off the silver crown adorning her head. Eden stared at it for a time, then threw it at Twilight's hooves. “A symbolic gesture. The crown is but a pretty bauble,” she said at Twilight's astonished face. “But the Elements belong with the one whose responsibility it is to guide and nurture this world and its multiple fates. If I can not possess the Elements …” She closed her eyes and sighed. “Then I hereby pass on the mantle and power to you, Twilight Sparkle.”

“What?!” Twilight sputtered.

Eden gave her a slightly crooked smile. “You've defeated Destiny, Twilight Sparkle. Does that not make you master of Destiny? Consider it my parting gift, and friendly revenge.”

Twilight stared at the crown lying at her hooves in disbelief. Luna had to be playing some kind of prank on her in her dreams. That had to be it. “But w-what about you? I can't be Destiny!”

“Can't? I dare say there's little you can't do, and it's already done. The world and all its tangled threads now rest in your hooves. I expect with your talent you will figure out the subtle strings in no time and prove my trust in you well justified. As for me …”

Eden glanced out the window at some distant point and sighed. “Perhaps it is time I finally followed my kin and left this world for the next. It shall be an adventure, and I leave it in good and worthy hooves. Perhaps I should have seen the signs long ago, when I first gave the Elements to your princess Luna and her sister. Perhaps I should have seen it as a sign that my time was coming to an end and passed on the mantle even then.”

Eden closed her eyes. “But the past is beyond even I. For what it is worth, I too am sorry we could not have been friends. I wish you and yours the very best, Twilight Sparkle. And once again, congratulations.” She snapped her paw, and vanished with barely a blink or fanfare.

Twilight stared at the now empty spot, then down at the crown at her hooves. After several minutes she cautiously picked up the crown and stared at it.

Without a breath, Twilight Sparkle lowered the crown onto her head and let out a tiny giggle.

The End!

Author's Note

What? :rainbowwild: Come on, at least I didn't turn her into an alicorn, haha :rainbowlaugh:

Twists and turns were my master plan ... I hope you enjoyed this story. I certainly did! I wrote and edited this last chapter in a single day. It just clicked for me, which is a wonderful feeling as a writer.

8 months of working on this, I can honestly say I am happy with the outcome, even if some things didn't quite turn out as I wanted, but that's the special charm of writing and publishing a chapter at a time. I may do some polishing and minor fixes once I've had a little break, but as always, nothing major.

So what's next, you ask? What happened to Flix and Kin? What's going to become of Twilight and Rainbow? Is Rainbow really going to be a mother to a changeling? How will Twilight handle being the new Destiny? What about Dash stuck in the time loop? Oh so many delicious questions!

The answer is ... who knows?

II.1 - Heartless

A branch hit her across the muzzle and left a sharp tang of blood on her trembling lips. Tears streamed down her cheeks and nose as she made a sudden turn and snatched the offending branch in her teeth, pulling and twisting it violently. The wood broke with a loud snap that echoed among the dark trunks of the forest. The trees loomed high above her in the still summer air as the forest fell silent again. Now the stillness was broken only by her frantic sobbing and struggle for breath.

The forest seemed as if it was listening.

She spat out the branch and looked around. She had no idea where she was. She hadn't looked where she ran or cared to stop and think about it. She didn't care. She just wanted to be lost and forgotten in the forest. It didn't matter if they never found her. It didn't even matter if she died, she thought as she pushed through the thicket. Thorns and branches tore at her frazzled mane and wings. They probably wouldn't even care, so why should she?

Her life was ruined, and it had all started with a letter.

***

The letter had been delivered by Derpy, who had for once endeavored to put it under the door of the cloud manor instead of a nearby tree or faraway bush. It had been waiting neatly on the floor for her when she came back from working late on the weather team. Rainbow Dash had been so stunned by this that she had decided to buy the friendly mail mare something nice from Sugarcube Corner when next they met, as thanks for a job well done.

Then she had picked it up and promptly forgotten everything else. Had somepony asked her then and there, she probably wouldn't have been able to recall her own name if it wasn't written on the envelope. It was a simple envelope, the kind of plain cover that suggested it wasn't very formal but not from a close friend either. But it had a little logo stamped on the back, showing a simple pair of wings with a bolt of lightning down the middle. The logo wasn't very prominent, as if it didn't want to get you too excited.

It had gotten Rainbow Dash excited, and she had carried it delicately over to the couch. She had sat for what was probably hours just staring at the envelope, turning it over and over while being too afraid to open it. Finally she had ripped it open with her teeth, very carefully, and pulled out a small letter written in a large, steady hoof.

“Heyo, Dash,” it had begun, very informally, and continued in the same manner,

“How is Ponyville? I hear it is a lovely place this time of year. I have a few weeks vacation coming up before our next big tour, and I was planning a week or two in the country when I thought of you and your lovely friends. It would mean much to me if you could show me around and introduce me to the town. If you have the time, that is. I wouldn't impose, of course, but I am sure I can think of a way to repay you for your kindness, wink.”

“Let me know. Looking forward to it. Soarin'.”

***

Rainbow Dash slipped as the ground unexpectedly sloped down into a small dale. She rolled and tumbled several feet before she caught herself, hovering unsteadily off the ground. Leaves and twigs were stuck in her mane, her feathers were a mess, and blood and dirt smudged her coat. Tears left wide streaks down her face as she continued on wing, flying in and out among the densely scattered trees.

She picked up pace as frustration and anger welled up inside her at the memory of the letter and the weeks that had followed. The warm night air rushed through her mane as she raced through the forest, moving in and out among the trees. She spun around and kicked out at one in passing. Her leg slipped in the haste and scraped painfully against the rough side of the tree. She cried and kicked again, making the tree groan under the force of the kick.

She hated it. Hated it all!

***

Twilight Sparkle had left two days earlier on a vacation of her own, presumably on the advice of the princess, because Twilight would never take a vacation if it wasn't more or less an order. She had left the library in Spike's capable claws, although not before emptying the shelves for some light reading to drag along with her.

Rarity had been in Canterlot for the week to showcase her latest creations at some fancy fashion fair, and the Apple family was visiting Applejack's cousin Braeburn in Appleloosa.

This had left Pinkie Pie with only two of her bestest friends to throw parties for, but Rainbow Dash had other plans for how to spend her summer nights. Rainbow Dash didn't always want to admit it, especially when it involved such things as butterfly migrations, but she loved spending time with her shy pegasus friend. They had always been close, so she had invited Fluttershy out a few times. The two had spent a lot of time alone without Pinkie, just the two of them, which was why the pink pony had a lot of pent up partying when Soarin' arrived. The whole town was invited. It was wild.

Soarin' had thankfully taken it all in stride and really seemed to enjoy being the center of attention. He had gotten along quite well with everypony, all of them eager to meet the famous stallion. Things had quieted down after the first few days, and Rainbow Dash got to spend some time showing him around or just hanging out. Sometimes he had come by when she was working and even helped out with the clouds, but most of that idle time he had spent with Fluttershy, possibly—as Rainbow Dash had reasoned—because the shy pegasus offered some peace and quiet from all the partying and other excitement.

He had really seemed to get along well with her friends.

It had been like a dream come true. Two whole weeks with one of the Wonderbolts, and all she had to do was to make sure she made a good impression so he would speak well of her to Spitfire. That had been easy. Right up until today, only a few days before Soarin' had to return, when the dream had become a nightmare …

***

… and she was now running away from it.

Rainbow Dash was forced to land in a small glade as the memories from less than an hour ago hit her again. She found it hard to breathe, sobbing painfully and hating herself for it. She hated it all. Hated Soarin', hated Fluttershy, hated Ponyville, but most of all she hated herself.

She had gone to see Fluttershy after working the evening shift. Nights were warm, and the window to her friend's room had been open …

***

Soarin' broke the kiss and nuzzled Fluttershy's cheek. The yellow pegasus was blushing brightly and smiling but looked down as he led her towards the bed. “I-I'm not sure, um …” she said quietly and trailed off.

He stopped and ran a hoof through her mane as he looked into her eyes. She had a small blue flower behind an ear. Blue like her eyes. Rainbow Dash noticed that Soarin' had a small yellow feather in his mane. “You don't have to be afraid,” he said.

Fluttershy continued to look down at her hooves. “I-it's not that. I … I'm just not ready yet,” she said in a tiny voice. “I want us to know each other better first.”

Soarin' reached out and gently lifted her head back up, smiling at her as he hugged her. “I wouldn't dream of doing anything you're not comfortable with,” he whispered, barely heard through the window. “I can wait for you.”

Rainbow Dash felt a strangled cry escape her throat, the only thing her screaming mind could express at the moment. They both turned around and must have seen her. She could hear Fluttershy calling her name behind her as she raced towards the forest, but she didn't care. There was nothing to explain.

***

“I thought you loved me too,” she sobbed as she tried to bring herself to stand back up again. She was tired and hurt all over. “I thought we had something,” she cried and felt herself collapse again. The anger rose back up. How could Fluttershy do this to her? After everything—

She thought she heard something move in the darkness behind her and turned, glaring at the shadows. She knew the forest was dangerous, but she was angry, and she wasn't thinking. She just didn't care. “Come on out! I'm not afraid of you,” she cried into the dark. The forest was listening again. There were no sounds. Then a twig snapped behind her. Rainbow Dash spun around again and rushed forward, but one of her legs stayed behind. She fell over with a pained cry as the leg was twisted and pulled.

Through tears she looked back at where her leg was stuck among the roots. The glade she was in was full of roots, ancient and gnarled, winding in and out among each other until you couldn't even see the ground below. She tried to pull herself free, but the pain almost made her faint.

Something touched her other hoof. She pulled it away and looked down at a root snaking its way around her. She tried to move away, but the movement made her leg hurt. Angrily she lashed out at the root, hitting it hard. The whole mass of roots began to tremble under her as all the roots came to life like a pit of angry snakes, and she was sitting right in the middle of it!

Desperately she clenched her teeth hard and pulled at her leg. The world exploded in a red daze of pain as the hoof came free, but before she could regain herself a root caught her across the face, knocking her over. Another one wrapped around her and pulled her down hard against the writhing mass before she could unfold her wings.

Rainbow Dash cried as she struggled against the roots, but they were all over her now. She gasped for breath as a thick root wrapped around her neck and slowly tightened its grip. There was nothing she could do. It was over before she had had a chance. Rainbow Dash knew she was going to die. A moment ago she had almost welcomed the thought, but now as the grip of death closed around her she didn't want it to end like this. Now that it was too late, she suddenly didn't want to die.

“H-help …” she croaked feebly with the last bit of air in her lungs. She knew no pony would hear it.

A sudden flash of pure white light lit up her world in a blinding vista of shifting landscapes and faces too fast gone to make out. Rainbow Dash gazed into the sea of light and saw two figures descending towards her, their wings beating. It was the last thing she saw before the light died.

***

“…s everywhere up thar, searchin' fer somethin'. Dinna ken whut they be after, but we better be stayin' low doon here. How's the bonnie lass? Any better yet?”

So that's how angels talk, Rainbow reflected vaguely as words and unfamiliar voices filtered through to her. She thought she could hear a river nearby as she listened, and the air felt damp.

“Out like a light,” another voice said almost right by her ear. It was a stallion's voice and somehow more like she had imagined the voice of an angel, if only because she had never imagined angels with an accent. It was a strong but pleasant voice.

“Aye, thar's a blessin',” the first voice said. It was a mare's voice, quite soft and wary. “Ye be keepin' an eye on 'er in any case, will ye?”

There was a moment of silence. Rainbow felt like she was being carried through the air, her aching body dangling from a pair of strong hooves. After a while the stallion spoke up again. He sounded worried. “It wasn't natural, I tell you. I don't like it. And I still don't think she's—”

“Aye … aye look, I dinna ken whut's up either, but the Queen will want tae know right quick, so giddyup an' lets get the puir lass …”

Rainbow didn't catch the last words. The voice faded and soon seemed to come from very far away. She groaned before unconsciousness took her again.

***

“Rainbow Dash?!”

A voice called. Dash blinked. Was it a dream?

“Rainbow … oh no! Rainbow Dash, can you hear me?”

She coughed painfully, tasting the blood on her tongue, and looked up through a haze of pain into a pair of purple eyes. “Twil…” she managed to say before she passed out for what felt like a second time.

***

“…light,” she whispered.

A cool mist of rain washed her face and woke her from the dream. It was silent except for the wind in the leaves and the sound of falling water. For a moment she lay in silence, her mind blank. Slowly memories returned, dreamlike wisps at first but quickly taking root. She groaned as her body remembered the pain and opened her eyes slowly.

A figure sitting nearby had turned to look at her in the dim light of the moon filtering through the dense leaves of the trees. “Welcome back to the land of the living,” he said, while working with something she couldn't see. The stallion was dressed in black and purple with yellow lightning patterns. Rainbow recognized the uniform instantly.

“We almost thought you were gone for good back there,” he continued conversationally, looking again to see if she was still awake or had passed out again. “Would have been a hay of a downer to tell the truth.” He smiled brilliantly, although his eyes seemed to study her curiously.

Rainbow tried to move. A stab of pain shot through her leg and made her cry.

“Don't move,” the Shadowbolt cautioned as he got up and trotted the few steps towards her, carrying something in his teeth. He sat down next to her and held out a large leaf with a bit of water to her lips. “Drink this, then chew the leaf if you can. It'll help, or so I hear,” he said, smiling when he realized that perhaps the words didn't sound so reassuring. “Newt's Tail … er, the plant, not an actual newt's tail. Sorry if it's a little primitive, but we didn't count on being stuck out here. This was all I could find.”

“Who are you?” Rainbow asked, before opening her mouth weakly to accept the drink. When she had finished, she took the dripping green leaf and chewed it slowly. It had a slightly sweet taste with a prickly aftertaste.

“Call me Blaze,” he said and rubbed his hoof on his outfit. “Frostfell should be back any minute, and hopefully then we can get you to somewhere more comfortable.”

“Where are you taking me?” Rainbow managed to ask, feeling tired. She sank the leaf and blinked to keep her heavy eyelids from closing.

“Somewhere safe and hidden,” Blaze said as another pegasus clad in black and purple appeared from among the nearby trees. “Don't worry about it, though. Just try to get some sleep.”

The mare stopped and pointed in the general direction of north. “They be headin' t'wards the north noo. I reck'n we can risk the flight from here.” She looked down at Rainbow. “How's she doin'?”

Rainbow's eyelids closed slowly and her body relaxed as sleep returned.

***

Somepony was crying.

Dash tried to focus on the world around her. There was a fresh scent of flowers, and the air was cool and peaceful. She was on a bed from what she could tell. It was soft and warm. She lay for a while taking in the sensations, trying to pick out the sounds. There were sounds, and a voice. Dash's ear flicked as her attention was drawn to a conversation nearby.

“I am sorry,” a voice said, marked by sorrow and a hint of uncertainty as if the speaker wasn't really sure what to say. It seemed vaguely familiar, a powerful and regal voice despite the mood. “I know this is painful, but I must report to my sister with haste. If you can think of anything else … anything at all,” she said.

There was a long silence except for a faint sniff. “I don't know, Luna … I have no clue. Nothing makes sense at all.” This voice was definitely familiar. Twilight Sparkle sniffed again. “Maybe she called them somehow, but I don't know how she could.”

“I understand,” the princess said slowly. There was another brief pause. “I shall have to leave for now. Would you like me to deliver the news?”

“No,” Twilight said. Dash could imagine her shaking her head. “I'll do it. They will appreciate hearing it from a friend first. It's the least I can do.”

Dash wondered what they were talking about. It sounded so somber. She turned carefully and winced, expecting a stab of pain but found to her surprise that all her legs seemed to be unbroken. Her head felt like it had hit a concrete wall in the middle of a Sonic Rainboom, though. She opened her eyes and winced at the light. Twilight was sitting nearby with a hoofkerchief and her head low. The princess had a comforting hoof around her shoulders but was about to get up.

“Exc…” Dash tried to speak, but barely a choked whisper escaped her. She wanted to ask for a glass of water. The sound seemed to startle Twilight. Both of them turned to look at Dash with surprise. “C—” she tried again and coughed.

Twilight got up and approached her bed uncertainly, looking at her with disbelief. “Rainbow Dash?” she asked and examined Dash. “Are you … how are you feeling?” Luna was standing behind her, watching Dash with an unreadable expression.

“W-water,” she managed to say and shivered slightly as Twilight's cold hoof touched her neck. The unicorn looked thoughtful, while Luna looked around and levitated a glass of water from a nearby table towards Dash. Twilight took over the glass and gently held it up to Dash's lips.

Dash drank slowly, feeling better as she sank the cool liquid. “Thank you. I'm … better,” she said. “What happened? Where am I?”

Twilight glanced at Luna briefly, before putting the glass away and examining Dash again. “What do you remember?”

Dash concentrated. She did feel a bit hazy now that she tried to remember. “I remember running. I was … angry,” she said, not wanting to get into details. The memories came back now, and she didn't want to remember them. Not in front of Twilight.

“Where were you going?” Twilight asked.

“I … I don't know. I just ran. I guess I didn't care,” she said, a little annoyed. “Away. I was going away, alright? Then there were all these roots grabbing me, and I couldn't get free. There was a great light and two ang—” she paused, confused. “The Shadowbolts. There were two Shadowbolts. Did they rescue me?”

Twilight exchanged another look with Luna. She looked back at Dash. “I found you in the forest. You were alone. There had been a flash of light—we are investigating that, and it's why I was there—but I don't remember any roots. You looked like you had crash landed at a very high speed.”

Luna's brow furrowed slightly. “I do not recall the Shadowbolts being on patrol tonight. I shall have to look into that.”

“Might have been …” It was hazy, now that she tried to remember. She suddenly wasn't so certain. “Could have been a dream, but I'm sure about the roots. They were strangling me, and I thought I would die for sure.”

“Do you remember the Elements?” Twilight looked at her carefully. Luna was watching too.

Dash blinked at the strange question. “Elements? Sure. I guess.” She wasn't sure where this was going or what was going on. She was confused and mildly annoyed. She hadn't expected this kind of questioning. “Is something going on? What's the deal with all these questions? I almost died, you know. You could show a little concern.”

Twilight leaned over and gave her a light hug, careful not to squeeze her. “Sorry, it's just—”

Luna levitated something off a nearby shelf and held it up. Dash recognized the five golden necklaces and the crown. “You were wearing these,” the princess said, putting them down on a table.

“What?” Dash stared at the princess and Twilight, looking for some sign of a joke, but both looked serious. “I never … that's not right!”

Twilight nodded. “Nevertheless, that is how I found you: crashed in the forest with all six elements and nopony else around. They are the real thing in case you're wondering. I would know. But they should be in the castle back at Canterlot under guard and wards.”

“I … I don't know,” Dash said, desperation creeping in now.

Twilight looked down sadly. “We had hoped you would remember something that might explain it.” Dash didn't know what to say.

“I need to inform my sister,” Luna said after a brief silence. “I will return as soon as I am able,” she added. There was a brief deepening of the shadows, like an inverse flash, and the princess was gone.

Dash looked down at herself in the bed. She was in a small, well-decorated room with ancient stone walls and floor. There were flowers on the table, and the window was open to let in the cool night air. She lifted a hoof and inspected it. She was dirty, and her coat was covered with scratches and wounds, but she could move all four legs without much pain. “I could have sworn my leg was broken,” she said quietly, bending the leg.

Twilight watched her silently, before reaching out to take her front hoof in hers. “I don't know about that either, but it is not the greatest mystery,” she said and placed the hoof on Dash's chest above her heart.

Dash looked at her friend. She was looking back at Dash sadly, as if waiting for her to realize something. Dash wasn't sure what was expected of her. She looked down at where Twilight was holding her hoof over her heart. “I don't understand …” she said.

“Me neither, and that's putting it mildly,” Twilight said and moved the hoof up a little to press firmly against Dash's neck. “Dash, do you … feel anything?”

Dash stared at the ceiling in a creeping realization. “But …” She looked at Twilight in horror, feeling a sudden panic rise in her chest, which was heaving as she breathed. But there was no heartbeat. “I-I'm dead, then?”

Twilight removed her hoof slowly. “I … don't know,” she said.

II.9 - Blood From a Stone

Twilight pushed the door open and stepped out onto the balcony in the light of the sun. Dash watched her as she rolled up the scroll and held it up against the wind. She had never really given Twilight's magic much thought before, but now she found herself watching how the horn glowed as a smokeless flame of indigo burned from its base and licked up the length of the sharp point. The fire leaped from the tip of the horn and engulfed the letter without passing the distance between. In an instant the flame had incinerated the paper, leaving nothing but a cloud of smoke swiftly blown away on the wind. In a few brief moments it would reach Spike back in Ponyville.

It seemed so effortless the way she simply directed the flame at whatever she wished, and things just happened the way she intended it. Dash had no idea how it happened, it just did. It was magic, but the way Twilight always talked about it she sounded like there was a real explanation. It probably just wasn't any explanation Dash could ever understand.

Twilight turned around and noticed her looking. “Is something on your mind?” she asked as she trotted back inside and picked up a brush from the bed. Twilight had been using it earlier to tame Dash's mane and tail, while Dash wrote the letter to their friends to let them know she was alright. Dash didn't normally bother much with her hair, but the braids Twilight had woven looked alright, maybe even kinda cool. At least it wasn't like what Rarity would do once she got one of her ideas.

Dash watched Twilight as she trotted across the room while brushing her own mane. It didn't look too bad when it was a bit wild like it was right now, maybe even sort of cute. “Just … kinda thinking,” she said as Twilight disappeared into the bathroom. She waited briefly, then shook off the thoughts and turned to look out at the open sky. “It's nothing. I'm going out for a bit. I need to stretch my wings,” she said and got up.

“Oh … okay. Just remember to take it easy—” Twilight poked her head out of the bathroom “—and don't fly too far off. Remember I promised you breakfast.”

“Yeah yeah.” Dash grinned through the window and spread her wings, eager to feel the air between her feathers. It had only been one night, but she felt like she had been earthbound for ages, holed up in the old castle. It was a nice castle, sure, but Dash was born to move. “I'll meet you down there.”

“Alright, have fun,” Twilight called.

Her voice was already half gone as Dash set off from the balcony. The wind blew through her mane and under her wings while the sun warmed her back. Dash laughed as she went into a dive and raced over the roof tops of the village, turning abruptly to fly straight up and back towards the castle. She spiraled the tower a few times, watching the forest stretch out towards the horizon. This was bliss.

***

Dash landed heavily in the town square, stumbling slightly. She had never felt this exhausted from such a short flight, but all of a sudden her wings felt like they were made of lead. For a second she had almost crashed before she managed to right herself. She came to a stop and took a while to catch her breath and give her wings a worried look, before looking around for Twilight. Her lavender friend was standing nearby, looking at a large stone planted in the middle of the town square.

Twilight looked up as Dash approached. Her expression turned to a look of concern as she saw Dash. “Are you alright? You look a little pale.”

Her reflex told her to deny anything was wrong, that she was strong and could handle anything. Dash opened her mouth but stopped and scraped the ground. “I-I don't know. I feel really tired all of a sudden.” She turned her head and rubbed her wing with her nose. “My wings hurt like I've just done a marathon, but I only just flew around the castle a few times.”

Dash sat down and let Twilight examine her eyes and wings. Twilight's brow furrowed as she stared into Dash's left eye, then the right one. She lifted one of the wings with her magic and stretched it carefully to have a look. The magic left a pleasant warmth where it touched her feathers and sore muscles. “How is your head feeling?”

Dash shrugged. “I feel alright, just really drained and sore all of a sudden. Maybe I just gotta have something to eat. I haven't really had much since yesterday at lunch, if you don't count the apples you bought.” Her stomach gave a low, persistent growl as if in answer.

Twilight didn't look entirely convinced. She held a hoof to Dash's forehead, while Dash glanced at the stone Twilight had been looking at before she arrived. It was placed in the very center of town but didn't look anything special. She narrowed her eyes a little as she noticed an inscription.

Blood and Steel
Twain halves of our heart
Sword and Art
I carry our zeal

Light and Dark
United, triune
Sun and Moon
I am your bulwark

~ C ~

Dash took a moment to make out the words from where she sat. “What's the stone?”

Twilight paused and glanced around at the stone. “I … think this is where Celestia and Luna fought long ago, actually. I never knew it happened here. I think Celestia carved those words on the stone after defeating her sister.” Twilight seemed to forget for a moment about Dash's condition. She looked at the stone as if lost. “She must have been so strong to carry on for a thousand years.”

“It's very …” Dash looked at the words. “It's kinda hard to imagine Celestia like that.”

“Is it?” Twilight smiled at her. “She can be pretty tough when she has to. Imagine what she lived through.” She looked back at the stone and sat down, just looking at it in reverence. “It's beautiful, don't you think?”

Dash watched Twilight and the stone. It was beautiful. She wondered how many ponies wandered by this stone every day and how many stopped to look at it. Did anypony know its history? It was just an unremarkable stone—it had probably been sitting in the middle of the forest for ages, forgotten under a thicket until this village was built around it—but knowing what it meant left a tightness in her chest.

Twilight gave her a pat on the back and a soft smile. “Come on, let's get something to eat then. You could use it, and I did promise.”

She was pretty hungry. She nodded and got back up to follow Twilight. “Yeah, alright.” They crossed the square together and sat down at a small street café with a view of the stone and the rising sun. The village was almost deserted at this time, except for a few ponies about to start the day. Another pair of ponies were enjoying a quiet breakfast at another table, but otherwise the café was empty.

A young earth pony with a creamy coat and coffee-colored mane came up to them, wearing a bright smile and a pair of glasses. She was holding a small notebook for taking orders. “Good morning, Miss Sparkle, and a beautiful day to your friend too. Is this your first visit to Gloaming?” She looked cheerfully at Dash.

“Yeah, I came in last night,” Dash said.

“Good morning, Café au Lait,” Twilight greeted the pony and gestured at Dash with a nod. “This is my friend Rainbow Dash from Ponyville.” Twilight smiled at Dash. “Rainbow, this is Café au Lait. She runs the entire café during the day.”

“That's right.” The pony smiled and reached out to shake Dash's hoof. “Nice to meet you, miss Dash. So! What can I get you two? The usual for you, miss Sparkle?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, please. Make it three, please.”

Café au Lait made a small note in her book while Dash briefly considered the menu. Her eyes quickly settled on an item of choice. She pointed a hoof at the tempting picture. “I'll have the pancakes with wild berries!” She grinned, feeling her mouth water at the thought. “And whatever Twilight is having to drink,” she added.

“Excellent!” Café au Lait chirped and noted it down. She picked up the menu from the table and left the two alone again.

Twilight put an elbow on the table and rested her cheek on her hoof as she watched Dash across the table. “Are you sure you can handle what I'm having?” she said with a teasing smile.

Dash rolled her eyes at the unicorn. “Let me guess, Twilight … you're having tea, right?”

“I usually do, yes.”

“I know you, Twilight,” Dash said and looked through the window of the kitchen at where Café au Lait was preparing her pancakes. The earth pony was deftly flipping them into the air and catching them again. Meanwhile quiet music poured from a record playing in the background. “I'm the loyalest of ponies, I know my friends well.”

Twilight merely chuckled, and Dash turned to watch the stone in silence while she waited. “You know, there's so much I never knew about the princesses. Luna is a lot different than I thought,” Dash said after a while.

Twilight looked tired but smiled and took her hoof off the table as she looked at where Dash was staring. “Because she had friends? Or lovers? I hear she had her fair share of both.”

“Yeah,” Dash muttered. Even Luna could find love. Or perhaps she really shouldn't have been so surprised. Both princesses were very attractive mares.

Twilight nodded. “She's a mother too.”

If Dash had had her drink yet, she probably would have spat it out. “No way, you're kidding?”

“Not at all,” Twilight said. “I had a look at the royal family records in the Canterlot archives some years ago. I wasn't meant to see them, but I was doing some research and … I couldn't help but take a peek.” Twilight blushed a little. “Luna had at least two daughters before her imprisonment in the moon. Cadance is descended from the youngest of them. I noticed that Luna seemed more open about her past, perhaps we could ask her later. Celestia always skirted the topic when I asked about it.”

Dash stared at the stone, lost in this new information.

“They were both different mares back then,” Twilight continued. “Before all went wrong,” she added a little quietly. “I think they were both happier back then, more carefree.”

“Like us, until today?” Dash said and looked at Twilight. The unicorn looked down.

The silence was broken as Café au Lait arrived back at their table, smiling like the sun. Dash blinked as two large cups of steaming dark coffee were placed in front of them, followed by fresh pancakes for her and scones for Twilight. Café au Lait bowered slightly. “Bon appetit,” she said and left again to see to her other two customers.

“I thought you said you had tea,” Dash said and gave the cup a sniff.

Twilight grinned. “You said that. I said usually, yes, when I'm with you girls, but in the morning I drink espresso, and when I've been studying all night I make it a triple.” She gestured a hoof at the larger-than-standard cups in front of them. “What did you think kept me going all day?”

Dash hoofed the cup and took another uncertain sniff.

“You don't have to drink it,” Twilight said sympathetically.

“No no, I ordered it,” Dash said, feeling that it would be disloyal somehow to not drink it now that she had wanted to have the same thing as Twilight. Besides, maybe it would give her the boost she felt like she could really use today. “I'm just not much for coffee, normally.” She took a tiny sip and hid a grimace. “It ain't bad,” she lied and decided that maybe loyalty could sit this one out.

Twilight watched her, before giving a little nod as she picked up a scone and broke it in half. “Alright, just don't drink it for my sake.”

Dash turned to her pancakes, putting the coffee off to the side. Pancakes she could handle. They ate in silence, watching the stone and the few ponies walking around the small square. She got halfway through her pancakes before her appetite seemed to fade a little. She poked the berries and glanced at the untouched espresso.

Twilight put down the scone she had been eating and looked at her. “Is something wrong? You're usually not this silent, or this introspective, Rainbow.”

She wanted to say 'everything'. Everything was wrong. Her eyes settled on Twilight's hoof. “Have you ever loved somepony, Twilight?”

Her friend looked down a little. “Other than my family and the princess? Both have been very dear to me.” She nodded when she saw Dash's look. “Yes, I once loved a pony.”

“What was his name? Anypony I know?”

“Moondancer,” Twilight said and turned her cup between her hooves. She looked like it was a little hard to speak of. “Her name was Moondancer. We had several classes together in Canterlot, but I think she lives in Fillydelphia now. I got a book she wrote about a year ago.”

Dash looked at Twilight as if seeing her friend for the first time. It looked like there was so much she never knew about Twilight, too. “A mare? I always had you pegged as, you know … into guys.” Dash waved her hoof in search of the word and gave up. “This is way cool.”

Twilight blushed a little and smiled. “You really think so? I never told any of you. I know it's silly, but I worried a little what you might think.” She shook her head. “I never really had any interest in the stallions at school, but Moondancer captured my heart. We both loved magic, Moondancer in a sort of poetic sense, and … we both loved to experiment, too.” Her blush deepened.

Dash listened with interest, watching her friend talk. “What happened?”

Twilight sighed. “Moondancer was the brightest pony I ever knew. She was beautiful, smart, and simply magical with words. She wanted to be a poet, that was her special talent. But she needed attention constantly. She just couldn't be alone for half an hour. She always wanted to go somewhere together to see a play or try a new café, while I always put my studies first and never took time for her. We tried, but it just didn't … really work.”

Dash looked down. “I'm sorry.”

“It's past now. I moved on and found you girls, my best friends.” Twilight smiled and sipped the last of her espresso.

Dash took a small bite of her pancakes and watched the stone again. She couldn't help but see the connection every time she looked at it and thought of its words. What was going to happen to them? What were they going to do now? Was it all destined to end in misery as it had for Luna and Celestia?

Twilight must have read her mind. “Our destiny is not written in stone, Dash. We'll figure something out.” She reached across the table to take Dash's hoof. “There has to be some way to resolve this, I refuse to believe otherwise, and I'm not going to give up or let you down. I don't know why, but the stone gives me hope.”

“What are you going to do?” Dash turned and looked into Twilight's eyes.

“I'm going to find out everything I can,” she said. “I was thinking I need to head to Canterlot today. I need to see the other set of Elements with my own eyes, and talk to Celestia.”

Dash looked a little confused. “You don't trust the princesses?”

“Of course I do,” Twilight said, looking a little horrified at the suggestion that she didn't. “But they don't wield the Elements anymore, so perhaps they have been deceived somehow.”

“I'm coming with you,” Dash said, expecting a protest from Twilight.

Twilight looked about to object but then relaxed a little. “Are you sure you won't get bored? I'm going to spend some time in the library while I'm there.”

Dash groaned a little, but her mind was set. “Might as well be bored there as here, so yeah … I'm coming with you, Twilight.” And that was that.

***

It felt like the world was turned inside out and then back on itself with a snap. If Dash ever had a choice of transportation, teleportation would not be her first choice. As they came out into the courtyard of the castle, Dash stopped to check all her limbs, before looking to find Twilight by her side.

The unicorn looked tired as she gave Dash a quick glance to make sure she was with her and alright, then continued in silence towards the gates of the castle. Dash paused briefly before catching up. “Are you alright, Twilight?”

Twilight nodded. “I just need a rest later, when we get back. It's been a long night.”

The guards at the gate stood to attention as they approached. One of them held his wing in front of the door. “Identify yourself.”

“I am Twilight Sparkle, and … what was it …” Twilight concentrated a bit before continuing. “ 'Three golden eggs in the morning sun',” she recited and gestured vaguely at Dash. Her hoof was shaking slightly. “This is Rainbow Dash, I can vouch for her. We are here to see Princess Celestia.”

The guard brightened and removed his wing. “Good to see you, Twilight. Her Highness is currently in a meeting, but I shall inform her of your arrival. You may wait in the lobby.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said quietly and followed the guard inside as the door was opened. Dash followed behind, watching Twilight.

The guard disappeared through another door, leaving them to wait. Twilight sat down and closed her eyes. Dash sat down next to her. “Are you sure you're alright?” she asked and placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. Dash's eyes widened as she touched Twilight. “Whoa, you're cold!”

Twilight sank a bit. “I-I do feel a bit … off,” she admitted.

Dash wrapped a wing around her friend, who was looking really sick now. “Is … is there anything you need? Should I call for somepony?”

“I …” Twilight coughed and lowered her head, breathing heavily. Dash caught her as she fell forward in a fit of violent coughs. A trickle of dark blood dripped from her open mouth as she struggled to breathe.

“Twilight!” Dash screamed.

II.21 - Clock is Ticking

The cliffs and towers of Canterlot rose up on the horizon as the chariot emerged through the sea of clouds. Dash looked up from the two mysterious notes they had found in the book she bought for Twilight. The golden roofs of the castle gleamed in the early dawn, and Dash watched as a large flock of birds rounded the highest tower and disappeared against the northern sky.

“Did the princess seem a little …” Dash trailed off and gazed distantly at the sky. “Far off?”

Twilight was silent, resting her head in a hoof as she read through her own notes.

“Twilight?”

Dash didn't have to be a mind reader to see that Twilight's mind was elsewhere, her eyes blankly gazing at the pages without really processing the words. Perhaps it was contagious, because everypony seemed to be living in their own little bubble this morning.

“Twi?”

Twilight stirred and lifted her head off her hoof but didn't take her eyes off the notes. “Huh?”

“Everything alright?”

Twilight shook her mane and blinked as if to shake off the night and its sleep. “I just have a lot on my mind,” she said and turned a few pages without any real purpose or spirit. “It will help once we get to Canterlot. The archives should have what I need.”

Dash wrapped a wing around Twilight's shoulders and nuzzled her cheek. “You'll beat the stuffing out of this problem, I bet,” she grinned, hoping to cheer up Twilight. “I know you'll find a way to fix this.”

“Yeah …” Twilight gazed at the papers for several seconds, then lay them down and turned to Dash with a weak smile that didn't quite seem to reach her eyes. “Anyway, did you say something before?”

Dash wasn't sure the response was encouraging. She decided to leave it be and looked ahead as the chariot rode through the sea of white. “Yeah, did the princess seem a little distant this morning?”

“I didn't notice,” Twilight admitted. Dash wasn't surprised. Twilight had had her head elsewhere since last night. It was a wonder she had slept at all or been able to eat breakfast without being spoon fed. “I'm sure she's just a little on edge about your double showing up and the dragon king's arrival tonight. If that doesn't go well, then there's not much hope for peace.”

“Yeah, I know,” Dash said and gazed up at the towers of Canterlot. “Only, none of that ever seems to rattle her. Haven't you noticed? I swear that pony has a gut full of ice.”

Twilight leaned against Dash and watched the sky drift by. She said nothing, but Dash could see she was thinking too. About what, Dash couldn't tell. After a while, Dash returned to staring at the two notes and the map.

***

Twilight thanked the guard and trotted through the door to the archive's Starswirl the Bearded section. “Just give me …” Twilight paused awkwardly. “I need a while,” she said finally and gave Dash an apologetic look before trotting down one of the aisles in search of reading material.

Dash followed inside and looked around the main room of the section, with the glass dome and giant hour glass in the middle. She had never been in the Canterlot Archives before. The air was dry and smelled of old paper, not unlike the library back in Ponyville, but much older. She found herself thinking it wasn't too bad. “Just tell me if you need any help.”

“Yes, um …” Twilight's voice came from somewhere in the back of the aisles. “I can't think of anything right now, dear. I'll let you know if anything comes to mind.”

Dear. Twilight had called her dear. Dash smiled a bit. She sat down with her back against the giant hourglass and turned the book in her hooves, wondering how long she had stared at those two notes or flipped through the pages of the book in search of some lost clue. She had what looked like a map, and a few letters which could be the initials of “Her Majesty Luna”.

But that wasn't an entirely proper and formal way to address the princess, was it? Still, it wasn't an entirely proper and formal document, so maybe it didn't matter.

Twilight returned with a pair of scrolls which she sat down on the floor next to Dash. She quickly disappeared back down another aisle.

Dash opened the book and idly flipped through its pages once more. “So what are you looking for in here?” she asked to break the silence and keep herself from yawning.

There was a pause as Twilight carefully lifted something heavy off one of the shelves. The book hit the floor with a soft thump. “Starswirl did a lot of research into the nature of time and space,” she said as she hauled the massive tome out into the main room. “I have studied some of this research before, but I need some of his notes for reference.”

“You call that 'notes'? It must weigh a ton.” Dash didn't look up, instead merely listening as Twilight trotted back among the shelves for even more material. The sound of the book hitting the floor had told her everything she needed to know about it.

Twilight pulled out another heavy book. “It's a … big and very complex topic,” she muttered. “I-I'm sorry, my mind is simply all over the place right now.”

“I'm sorry, Twi.” Dash looked up at the shelves. “Are you sure everything is alright?”

“Don't worry.” Twilight's voice came from elsewhere. “I'm fine. Just give me a little time.”

“If you're sure.” Dash yawned. She hadn't slept much tonight, and sitting in a library with nothing much to do made her eyes feel like lead. “I'll just take a nap, then, if that's alright with you.”

***

A book fell off the shelf as Dash's wing brushed against the bookcase. “Don't worry,” she whispered in Twilight's ear. “I believe in you,” she added before their lips met. A scroll tumbled off the bookcase as they pressed up against the corner together.

***

Dash blinked herself awake. “That dream again,” she thought with a longing sigh. The sight of the library's main room slowly came into focus where she sat in the shadow of the giant hourglass. She turned her head to the pile of books, scrolls and notes Twilight had assembled and been working hard at for … Dash had no idea how long. Judging by the sun shining down through the glass ceiling, it had been a few hours at least.

She looked around for Twilight and became aware of a quiet sound elsewhere among the shelves. Dash pushed herself back up and approached one of the aisles. Advancing silently, Dash poked her head around the corner and looked down along the rows of ancient books and scrolls. “Twilight, are you—”

Dash broke off and rushed down the aisle to where Twilight was sitting, with her back against a bookcase and her head in her hooves. “Twilight, what's wrong?” Dash sat down next to the unicorn, pulling her close and wrapping her wings around Twilight's back. “Come on, don't cry, Twilight.”

Twilight gave a quiet sob and rolled up in Dash's embrace. “I-I can't …”

“I'm here, Twi.” Dash rubbed Twilight's back and kissed her mane. “Just tell me what's wrong, alright?”

“I-I can't do it.” Twilight breathed, trying to hold back the tears that were flowing down her cheeks. “Eden is right, I … I can't do it.”

Dash felt a rush of anger well up at the mention of that name. She tensed. Why had she slept? Why hadn't she been awake to help Twilight? “That conniving little … was she here?! What lies did she tell you?!”

“No no …” Twilight sniffed. “I-I haven't seen her …”

“What is it then?” Dash relaxed a little again and pulled Twilight closer. “Just tell me, Twi. Take a deep breath and then tell me.”

A little hiccup escaped Twilight. “I know a way to end all this,” she said and tried to hold back another hiccup. “But I c-can't do it. Because … because I c-can't save you!” Twilight sobbed quietly, hugging Dash weakly. “I can't save you, Dash. Not … not unless we give up the Elements.” She sniffed. “I need to save you, Dash. I need to save you all. There's no other—”

“Shh …” Dash hushed her and pulled her up on shaking legs. She lay a hoof around Twilight's neck and leaned her head on her shoulder. “Just … shut up, Twi. You don't want to finish that thought.”

“B-but …”

“Shh …”

Dash slowly moved forwards, gently guiding Twilight to follow.

Twilight shuffled her hooves a bit before picking up the slow rhythm. With a little sniff, she rubbed her head against Dash's neck and followed her lead. In silence they danced among the shelves, moving to the sound of distant birds chirping in the sky above the castle.

Dash allowed herself to cry silently next to Twilight as they danced in the flickering sunlight from the window above. All she wanted right now was for this dance to last until she had dried herself of every tear, that she may never cry again.

***

Dash pushed the feeling of deja vu aside and pulled Twilight close, losing herself in the kiss and the heat of the moment.

***

“I can't do it.” Twilight sighed. “And I can't even tell you why or what it is. ”

Dash stared at the rows of books and scrolls surrounding them. Not a sound was heard except their own voices. “Because Eden might be watching?”

“That, and it might affect your future if I tell.” Twilight looked down at her hooves. “It's complicated.”

Dash was silent for a while. “I … I understand. Just tell me what you can.”

Twilight closed her eyes and sat up, taking a slow breath. “You remember when I traveled back in time to warn myself not to worry so much about the future?” Dash nodded. That had been a crazy week. “Well, everything points to you being future Rainbow Dash.”

For a week, Dash had been dealing with the knowledge that there were two of her. Of all the things she could have been told, this didn't seem terribly surprising. It almost seemed reasonable. “O-kay … that would explain why I remember stuff in my dreams that hasn't happened yet. But why don't I remember more?” Dash removed a hoof from around Twilight to rub her head a bit. “Did I really hit my head that bad? And why haven't I gone back yet, like your future self did?”

A look of pain filled Twilight's eyes. “It's … a loop.” She sat up a little more and paused. Dash knew the look of Twilight trying to search for simple words to explain something quite complex, while also leaving out sensitive details. “Future you become past you's breath or soul, causing the split back in the forest, and future you can only do this in the first place because … because the split happened. It is its own cause, just like my silly adventure. But now past you—and present you—go on to become future you, who then go back and become past you once more, completing the loop.”

“That's … bad, right?” Dash said with a sinking feeling in her stomach and the early beginnings of a headache.

“It is for you and your double … and for me,” Twilight looked down. “Because I love you and don't want to lose you.” Dash pulled her a little closer, and Twilight closed her eyes. “The moment you go back, you cease to have a future, there just won't be any you after that. And that leaves your double without a soul, so she will die. But it's what I—what will happen, if we don't want to give up the Elements instead.”

Dash stared ahead at the giant hourglass, watching the minutes fall through and disappear. Twilight was leaving out a lot, but Dash knew it was for good a reason. It was clear enough that Twilight was going to be the one who sent her back in time, even if the unicorn didn't say it. How else? Dash was no unicorn, and why else were they here in the archive with the time spells? Dash sank a bit. “And you're sure your plan would work?”

“If … If I am right about Eden, then yes.”

“And if you're not?”

Twilight shook her head. “I can't be. She's afraid, and she didn't know about the Elements. That tells me everything.” She sighed and held a hoof over her eyes. “It … it doesn't matter anyway, because I can't do it, Dash. I can't let you die just to save the rest of us. I could never do that.”

Dash lowered her eyes, staring at the floor and the scrolls and books scattered from their dance and brief passion. “Twilight … it's not just to save us, is it? It's for Equestria, and all of ponykind. It's for the Magic of Friendship. If we give that up, we'll lose so much more. Everypony will lose so much.”

Twilight said nothing. Tears were once again trickling down her cheeks.

“I … I trust you, Twilight,” she said and kissed her. “And I love you. I … I guess I'll die for you and the others too, when the time comes, if that's what I must. But I know I won't have to, because … because there's nothing you can't do, Twi!”

“Dash, I—”

Dash put a hoof to Twilight's lips and looked into her eyes. “I believe in you, Twilight. Don't say you can't, just do what you must.” She leaned in and kissed Twilight. “I know that you can do anything.”

Twilight closed her eyes and pressed her head against Dash's chest.

Dash sighed and held on to Twilight while staring blankly at a small scroll and book. The book had fallen and opened on a random page, with the scroll on top. Dash's brow furrowed and she straightened up a bit as something hit her. “Twi …”

Twilight looked up and wiped her eyes, looking at Dash and then following her eyes. “What?”

Dash stared, then scrambled back on her legs. “I think I know what those two notes mean,” she said and helped up Twilight. She hurried back to the main room and found the little book with the two notes still stuck between the pages. “It wasn't 'Her Majesty Luna'.”

Twilight watched as Dash flipped the book open on the last note and pointed a hoof at the first page. “The L means Left, as in the left page.” She paused a second, then pointed at the page number. “I bet it's the number, because …”

She flipped to where the first note was stuck. “HM isn't Her Majesty, but Hours and Minutes. Page 19 and 20, and …” She flipped back to the second note. “Left page here is page 107.”

Twilight gasped. “The tenth of July? But that's today!”

“Yeah, unless it's the seventh October, but I bet it ain't.”

“Tonight at seven the dragon king's retinue arrives ahead of their king … who will be there at half past seven for negotiations with princess Luna.” Twilight looked up at Dash. “Someone's planning something in between. Something is going to happen to the king's retinue!”

Dash scowled. “Yeah, just in time for the king to show up and see it, I bet! That's sure to break down the peace effort. But we have the notes, so whoever was meant to see the message didn't get it.”

“We can't take that chance, Dash.” Twilight quickly stuffed what she could into their saddlebags and levitated them onto their backs. “We have to warn the princesses! And … and I need to get the Elements from the vault!”

***

Celestia's eyes narrowed as she looked between them very carefully. Several royal guards did as well, brandishing weapons. “My sister warned me that the other Rainbow Dash might try to steal the Elements on this very day. I am sorry, but you must understand that I can not take any chances.”

“I understand, Princess.” Twilight held out a hoof and nodded for Dash to do the same.

The princess nodded at a unicorn standing behind her without letting her eyes off the two of them. “This will only take a moment. Again, I am sorry that it has come to these sorts of measures.”

“Don't sweat it, Princess,” Dash said and watched as the unicorn approached.

His horn glowed as he pulled a small knife out of a belt he was wearing and washed it carefully. Dash winced slightly and grit her teeth as he placed a small cut on her leg and gathered a few drops of deep red blood on the tip of the knife. He closed his eyes for a moment and a yellow flame of magic surrounded the blood briefly. “She's clear,” he said and turned to Twilight.

Celestia's eyes settled on her student as well, as the unicorn cleaned the knife and repeated the process. “Clear, your Highness,” he proclaimed after a while.

Celestia nodded. “I am terribly sorry. Your timing was most suspicious, and these are trying times already. We can not afford mistakes,” she said as she relaxed herself. The guards returned to merely stand at attention again.

Twilight watched as the unicorn wrapped their wounds for them, then set her hoof down carefully back on the floor. “I know, Princess. We are all doing our best, and we don't have much time.”

“Are you certain this is for the best, Twilight?” Celestia asked as she led them through the castle, followed by the guards. “The Elements are well protected within these walls, better than anywhere else I can imagine. What is it you need them for?”

“I can not say, for fear of being watched,” Twilight explained while looking down at her hooves. “I am very sorry, Princess. Just … please trust me. I have to end this, once and for all.”

Celestia stopped in front of the doors of the vault where the Elements were kept. “You are asking a lot at this time, and after thousands of years of this, it is hard to imagine how it could ever end,” she said with a pained look at Twilight. After a few seconds she smiled sadly. “But if anypony has earned my trust over the years, it is certainly you, my faithful student.”

Twilight smiled. “Thank you, Princess. I will not let you down. Besides, if everypony thinks the Elements are here, they may be safer in my saddlebags.”

“I shall endeavor not to let anypony know they are not here, then,” Celestia said as she lowered her horn. A bright glow lit up the room as Celestia unlocked the great doors and lifted the Elements off the pedestal, turning and holding out the box for Twilight. “Take the Elements, then, and do what must be done. If it brings peace, then you have my blessing.”

Twilight opened the box to make sure the Elements were within, then carefully placed it in her saddlebags beneath all the heavy books. “We have to hurry. There's not much—”

The grand bell of the castle's clock tower tolled six.

Twilight looked up. “—time.”

“Time is up, Twilight Sparkle!”

They all turned to the bright figure standing in the middle of the hall behind them. “Eden!” Celestia stepped forward, one wing shielding Twilight and Dash. Light golden heat radiated off her white coat and flames burned in her eyes. “You DARE show yourself within my halls?”

Dash held Twilight as they watched Celestia transform in front of them, from the calm and loving princess they knew to a burning and majestic figure of pure restrained wrath. Dash had never seen the princess react so fiercely.

“You DARE show yourself before me?” Celestia's voice thundered, low and menacing.

Eden looked past Celestia, straight at Twilight without the slightest acknowledgement of the princess. Her eyes were sad, but also hard. “From this moment, ponies are going to die or suffer and I can not help them. Innocent ponies, Twilight Sparkle. Ponies who love, ponies who are loved in return. Ponies you know and hold dear. Only war and despair will befall this land, and I can do nothing so long as you hold on to the Elements. Surrender the Elements now, or their suffering will be your doing.”

“I will not have you speak threats to Twilight or make demands within MY halls!” Celestia said, her voice highly restrained. “We will never give in to your demands!”

Eden fixed Celestia with a glare. “I am sure your student can speak perfectly well for herself. Or are you afraid she will not be blinded by your own old bitterness?” She looked back at Twilight. “Twilight? You do not have to listen to anypony, except your own heart. Is it really worth all this pain and suffering? Is it really worth it for ponies to suffer and die when they could live and be happy?”

Twilight looked down and closed her eyes. After a second she looked back up. “I don't care what you say, Eden. This magic belongs to the world, not you!”

Dash hugged Twilight. “You tell her, Twi!”

Eden looked down. “I shall weep for the suffering your choice will cause. I truly wish I could prevent it. I wish you may see it and change your mind,” she said, and with a sigh she was gone.