Live by the Creed

Chapters

1: The Candles
2: A Groundbreaking Rediscovery
3: Reliving the Past
4: The Pink Mare
5: Time of Desperation
6: Arrogance Begets Failure
7: The Solar Family
8: Escape from Manehattan
9: Bittersweet Nostalgia
10: Strange Places; Stranger Allies
11: Hard Times; Hard Decisions
12: A Change of Plans
13: Following the Breadcrumbs
14: A Plan Doomed to Fail
16: So Close; Still So Far
17: The Sun's Wrath
18: Doubts
19: Regret
20: The Thrill of the Fight
21: Moths to the Flame
22: A Last-Ditch Effort
15: The Warm Welcome

1: The Candles

Sometimes Spike wondered if Twilight enjoyed causing him stress of any kind, as silly as it sounded. On one end, she was the greatest friend he could have ever asked for, almost like a big sister. On the other end, Twilight would rarely ever hesitate to use him as a guinea pig for one of her many experiments.

Yes, he was resistant to magic. Yes, he always willingly complied. Yes, the experiments were rarely ever more life-threatening than a hair growth spell. However, that didn’t mean he always left without a few scorch marks, something he probably wouldn’t have minded so much if he didn’t have to clean up the mess afterwards. As though that wasn't enough, when it came to manual labor, Spike got the bad end of the stick too, always ending up with the heaviest lifting.

This was proven no better than on that one dreaded day: shelving day, the day when Twilight received a new bookshelf for the library. That meant that they’d not only have to assemble the bookshelf, but also fill it up with whatever books were still stored down in Twilight’s basement. Now, Spike wasn’t fearful of having to assemble the shelf himself. Twilight had that covered. No, it was what he’d have to do while she was busy with that.

While Twilight had the unfair advantage of magic to effortlessly put together the shelf, Spike only had his tiny frame and buckets of elbow grease to help him slowly, reluctantly, and laboriously carry book after heavy, spine-breaking book up from the basement.

Spike was no stranger to this kind of work, either. He had to do the same thing when Twilight first moved to Ponyville, and a few more times after that as Twilight added more and more bookshelves to the library. But there was a very crucial difference between then and now: all of the books back then were far lighter. Spike could complain all he wanted, but he couldn’t argue the fact that he never risked breaking his back carrying up a copy of Filly Sing-A-Longs. As for Everything There is to Know About Everything Vol. XXVII, that was an entirely different story.

With a final grunt of exertion, Spike dropped his literary burden at Twilight’s hooves, the resulting tremor sending the pair off of the ground for a brief second. Twilight just seemed to brush that off as she finished putting the final touches on the bookshelf, its various parts floating and arranging themselves in her magic. Once she finished, she finally looked down at Spike as the young dragon still tried to catch the rest of his breath.

“Thank you, Spike,” she said, a grateful smile on her face. “How many do we have left?”

Spike scratched the top of his head as he stretched his still-aching back. “Uh, I don’t know. Around fifty, I think?”

“All of them heavy?”

The young dragon sheepishly looked down at the floor. “Yeah.”

Twilight just rolled her eyes, unable to contain a small chuckle. Just what she expected from him. “Now do you see why I told you to balance out the light and heavy books?” she asked, her motherly side rearing its head.

Spike still didn’t look up. “Yeah.”

Twilight let out a small sigh. It didn’t take a genius to know that he’d be totally lost without her. She placed a hoof on his chin, lifting his head up until he was facing her again. “Tell you what,” she said. “I’ll help you with the rest. And since this will be the last of the books in the basement, we’ll stop by Rarity’s and get you some celebratory gems. How does that sound?”

Spike couldn’t have gone from worried to ecstatic any faster if he tried. With that promise, any thoughts of Twilight being some sadistic slave owner in her spare time flew right out of the window. “Really? You mean it?” he breathlessly asked.

Twilight nodded. “Yep. But only if you keep up the good work.”

That was all Spike needed to hear. With extra pep in his step, he skipped back towards the basement stairs. “Oh, boy,” he said to himself. “I get Twilight’s help with the books, then we go get gems, and best of all, I get to see Rarity! Oh, what kind of gems am I gonna get? Topaz? Ruby? I wonder if she’d give me a diamond or two.” Spike was on cloud nine. Absolutely nothing could put a damper on his day. Unfortunately, in his stupor, Spike forgot about one very important thing.

“Spike! Watch out for the—”

But it was too little too late. The last Twilight saw of Spike was him disappearing, head-first, down the flight of hard, unforgiving, wooden stairs. Almost as soon as he left her sight, Twilight heard the unmistakable sound of a bad tumble down the steps, wincing at the particularly loud impacts. It all came to a literal crashing halt when Twilight heard what must’ve been an entire shelf’s worth of supplies clatter onto the floor.

Then all was silent.

Twilight wasted no more time and darted down into the basement, not even acknowledging the small chinks in the wooden staircase. Once she was at the bottom, it took her little time to spot the result of her assistant’s little tumble. A pile of books, papers, pens, and other materials was lying right in front of her. It wasn’t exactly a stretch of the imagination for her to guess where Spike was.

“Spike, are you alright?” she asked, stepping closer to the pile.

Her question was swiftly answered when Spike poked his head out from the pile. He looked a bit out of breath, but otherwise, seemed unharmed. When he spotted the unicorn, his cheeks went a faint red. “Uh, you didn’t see that, right?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Nope. Of course I didn’t,” she said, the sarcasm dripping off of her tongue. “You’re okay, right?”

Spike forced his arms out from the pile, giving them a nice stretch before smugly crossing them across his chest. “Yep. It’s gonna take more than that to bring this dragon down.” As if to test him on that sentiment, a small box fell seemingly out of nowhere and clocked him right on the head. “Ow! What the heck? Where did that come from?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at the box’s sudden appearance. She certainly didn’t remember bringing such a thing with her. “That’s odd,” she muttered. Looking up at the wall, it didn’t take long before she found where the errant object came from. Amongst the numerous bricks making up the wall, there was a single empty hole. An alcove of some kind. Spike must've dislodged it due to his little tumble.

As Spike was busy rubbing his head, he took note of the object. It didn’t seem that fancy; just a wooden box that looked like it’d seen better days. The surface was chinked and worn. Age left what must’ve been a shining mahogany blackened and shriveled. However, despite its damaged appearance, there was one thing about it that managed to catch Spike’s attention.

On the box’s lid, faded with age, was something unlike anything Spike had seen before. A symbol of some kind. It was difficult for him to describe, but it seemed like some kind of stylized, upside-down ‘V’, but more than anything, it reminded him of the pincers on those beetles he hated so much.

He held the box up to Twilight, hoping she’d know more about it than he did. “Hey, do you know what this is?” he asked, showing her the logo.

Twilight took the box up in her magic, studying the symbol with her textbook scrutinizing gaze. “Hmm. What a strange insignia,” she said.

“What’s it supposed to be?”

Twilight shook her head. “I have no idea. I’ve never seen it before. I don’t know how this box ended up down here, either. It must’ve been left by a previous owner of the library, but just how long had it been there?”

Spike pulled the rest of himself out of the pile. “Maybe there’s something inside that’ll tell us who it belonged to.”

Twilight rubbed a hoof on her chin. “Maybe.” Following Spike’s advice, she lifted the lid off of the box, but instead of finding answers, she only found more questions. “Interesting,” she muttered.

Spike moved all around Twilight, trying to get a good look into the box, but she held it just out of his sight. “What? What’s inside?”

“Well, that’s the interesting part. Look.” Twilight held the box in front of Spike, allowing him to look inside. What he saw left him just as confused as Twilight.

The box only contained five off-white candles and an old, dusty, white journal. “Candles?” Spike asked, his face scrunching up in confusion. “Well, that’s, uh…”

“Interesting?” Twilight finished.

The young dragon shrugged. “I was gonna say ‘weird’, but I guess that works, too.” Spike picked up the journal. “Well, at least we’ve got this. It’ll probably tell us who owned the box.” Not one to respect personal privacy, Spike opened the journal and flipped through its pages. Just as quickly as he began, though, he shut it, an annoyed look on his face. “Yeah, I can’t read it,” he finally said, handing the book back over to Twilight.

“Let me see it.” Twilight took the book up in her magic and flipped through it as well. However, just like Spike, the moment she began reading, her mouth curled into a frown. “Oh. Oh, my. This is… this is…”

“Interesting?” Spike finished with a roll of his eyes.

Twilight shot him a quick glare before quickly nodding her head. She thought that the words would just be chicken-scratch, but it was actually in a different language entirely. Thankfully, all wasn’t lost just yet. “Hang on,” Twilight said, leaning in closer, eyes squinted. “I recognize this. It’s a very old version of the Equestrian we speak today. I think I have a book that can translate this. Shouldn’t be too hard.”

“And the candles?” Spike asked, picking one of them up.

“They were probably just so that the journal’s owner could see while they were writing. I suppose I could just put them with the rest. They still seem usable. Now, where did I put those translation books?” Twilight started off towards a nearby pile of books, but stopped when she heard a quick cough. She turned back towards Spike, who was tapping a foot on the ground.

“Something wrong?” Twilight asked.

Spike didn’t even need to say anything; his stomach was more than happy to answer. One loud growl was all it took for the mare to catch on.

“Oh, right. Your gems.” Twilight looked back and forth between her assistant and the strange journal. “Tell you what. You go over to Rarity’s and get your gems. Just tell her that I sent you. I’ll stay here and work on this journal.”

Spike raised a suspicious eyebrow as he looked past Twilight at the pile of books still awaiting shelving. “And what about the rest of the books?” he asked.

“Oh, those? I’ll take care of them for you. I think you’ve earned a break.”

Spike’s eyebrow didn’t lower just yet. “You promise?”

Twilight nodded. “I promise. Now go on. You’re not going to get your gems standing here.”

A smile cracked onto Spike’s face. “Okay, I’ll see you later, Twi.” With that, he ran up the stairs and towards the love of his life. And the diamonds, too.

As for Twilight, she took a few translators out of the book pile and took those, the journal, and the candles up to her study. Translating would only take her a few moments. Honestly, how long could it possibly take?

Six hours and far too much coffee later, Twilight, with a frazzled mane and bloodshot eyes, was still at her desk, hunched over that journal. Thanks to her translator, she managed to get through over half of the journal, with the translations written in a separate journal of hers.

It was clear from what Twilight could read that the journal belonged to a scientist, or at least some type of experimenter. It contained notes on experimental trials and such, listing successes, failures, and future ideas. There were also numerous lists of items that Twilight’s only ever heard of maybe once or twice. Mind root, dragon flowers, pixie dust, and numerous others. They sounded like things that Zecora might have had, otherwise Twilight had no idea where to even find those things.

Of course, translating all of that didn’t come without its hassles. Despite its relatively small size, translation was far more frustrating than it had any right to be. The overwhelming use of shorthand caught Twilight off guard on several occasions, resorting to her having to use context clues in order to figure out what some of the more obscure abbreviations and acronyms meant.

As for the experiments themselves, Twilight firmly believed that she had enough to at least take an educated guess as to what they were. Despite there being no diagrams, the experiments’ descriptions were more than enough to paint a picture. It seemed like this experimenter, whoever it was, was very interested in accessing certain memories inaccessible by normal means.

According to the notes, there were certain memories encoded into any living thing’s DNA. Memories from that subject’s ancestors. These memories could hide any number of things, from nothing at all, to secrets that even the princesses themselves tried to keep buried. Of course, the issue came in trying to access them. That was what the experiments were for.

Twilight didn’t get far enough to read the individual experiments, but there was a paragraph or two describing the theory that the experimenter made. By using a very precise combination of various, exotic ingredients, most that affected the mind, it would be possible for a subject to tap into their ancestor’s DNA, allowing them to ‘relive’ the memories encoded inside of them, so to speak.

Twilight didn’t even notice herself leaning closer to the notes as each word entrapped her attention further. In all of her studies, such a form of magic was never even mentioned, let alone attempted. Yes, she knew of many memory-retrieval spells, but none of them were anywhere near the scale described in that journal. While the idea itself was enough to keep her intrigued, though, what truly made her breath stop were what those ingredients were mixed into.

“Candles.”

For the first time in six hours, Twilight looked up from her desk and over to a nearby cupboard. With her magic, she swung it open, revealing the five candles she found in the basement. She took out one and brought it over to her desk. She turned it over and over and over again, observing every square inch, from its waxy base to the very tip of the wick. She was no longer looking at a mere candle. It was far more than a tool simply used to illuminate dark rooms. No, what Twilight was holding in front of her was something both revolutionary and dangerous.

Is it possible? she thought. Could I really relive my ancestors’ memories with this? The temptation to test it was there, and the temptation was strong. Twilight placed the candle in a candleholder on her desk. She stared at that candle with hungry, ravenous eyes. She tried to turn her attention back to the journal, but her eyes were glued to the tool before her.

Slowly, almost against her will, Twilight’s horn went alight with a faint glow. She could feel the warmth of her spell up against her forehead, sending trickles of sweat streaking down her face. A mere few seconds passed before the wick began to smoke and sizzle. Slowly, but surely, the twine glowed a very faint red as it grew hotter and hotter. Just a short while longer and Twilight would see if this experiment was a success or a failure.

Just then, a thunderous knock erupted at Twilight’s door. Her attention was immediately torn away from the candle, her spell dissipating just as suddenly, as somepony continued to bang away at the door with what must’ve been a small battering ram.

“Er, yes! Come in!” Twilight shouted, fixing her mane. The knocking finally stopped, but the silence was short-lived as whoever was knocking promptly bucked the door in. Before Twilight could protest, in flew a familiar blue blur that stopped right at Twilight’s desk.

“Twi! I gotta ask ya something!” Rainbow Dash frantically cried.

Despite the apparent urgency in Rainbow’s tone, Twilight only rolled her eyes, all too familiar with the pegasus’ lack of proper priority. “What is it this time, Rainbow?”

At that, Rainbow’s crazed, wide-eyed expression switched to a calm, stoic one. “Can I borrow a few candles?”

Silence promptly followed.

After a few awkward seconds, Twilight heaved an annoyed sigh. “They’re in the cupboard over there,” she said, pointing over to the one next to the front door.

A wide, dumb grin cracked onto Rainbow’s face. “Phew! You’re a life-saver, Twi.” Rainbow flew right over to the cupboard in question.

Twilight only shook her head before focusing back on the journal. “Just be sure not to take any from the top one.”

Rainbow nodded as if she was listening, but already had a candle in hoof. “Yeah, yeah. Top one. I hear ya. Thanks, Twi! See ya!” And just as quickly as she appeared, Rainbow darted out of the library, leaving Twilight in blissful silence once again. Granted, it wasn’t all bad, she supposed. That interruption was just the thing she needed in order to break her attention away from that candle. The last thing Twilight needed was some kind of tragic accident due to her foalish curiosity.

She took the candle up in her magic and trotted over to the cupboard containing the rest. There, she gently placed it in with the three others. Twilight closed the cupboard and started back towards her desk.

Then she stopped dead in her tracks as an indescribable sense of fear pierced her chest like an arrow.

Wait. Three?

Twilight darted back to the cupboard and nearly ripped the door open. “One. Two. Three. Four… Five?” Now, Twilight liked to believe that she was at least competent when it came to math. At first, the cupboard contained no candles. Then she added five. Shortly thereafter, she took away one. That being the case, unless her mathematical skills were failing her in an incredibly catastrophic way, she felt fairly confident with her conclusion.

Five minus one does not equal three!

Twilight looked all around the inside, but she couldn’t find the errant candlestick. “But that doesn’t make any sense. Where could it have—” Realization hit the mare like sack of bricks. “Oh no.”

In a brief, intense flash of light, Twilight disappeared from the library.

Most ponies liked to see Rainbow as an ‘in the moment’ kind of pony. They saw her as lazy, disorganized, impulsive, and a few other, not-so-classy words, some of which weren’t too far off. However, she did have a schedule for her days, it just wasn’t very substantial. It consisted of sleeping, working, and training, and not necessarily in that order. But if there was one thing that remained consistent from day one—or at least the day when she got into reading—it was the end of her day.

There were no nightly rituals, no side activities, nothing like that. After working, spending time with her friends, and training—again, not necessarily in that order—she just flew into her house and plopped down on her bed. Only on very special occasions would she even make an effort to try and stay awake.

Tonight just happened to be such a night.

Rainbow bucked open her front door before stomping inside, her mane hanging over her face in a dripping wet mess. As soon as she was in the safety of her thankfully dry house, she shook her entire body, sending a plethora of water droplets flying every which way, only to be immediately absorbed by the clouds.

Despite being drier, Rainbow still mumbled obscenities to herself. Whoever had the bright idea to have the storm going full force before Rainbow’s shift was over deserved to have a hoof shoved right up where the sun didn’t shine. It was probably Cloud Kicker. That walking buzzkill was riding Rainbow ever since Rainbow took up weather duty. Seriously, that mare probably wouldn’t have known fun if it hit her in the back of the head like a paintball full of laughing gas, which in retrospect, didn’t sound like a bad idea for a prank.

Rainbow made a mental note to run that idea by Pinkie when she got the chance, but that didn’t stop her from voicing her very clear disdain for her colleague. “It probably was her,” she muttered, dumping more water out of her ears as she approached her closet. “Snooty, stuck-up, pile of horseapples.”

As she reached out to open the door, a particularly loud crack of thunder made her flinch ever so slightly. In fact, just listening then, the pouring rain sounded like somepony was pouring buckets of rocks onto her house. Rainbow rolled her eyes. She was all for a good storm every now and again to water the land, but they were really aiming for overkill that night. Still, as long as nopony got hurt, it was no skin off her back. Besides, what she had planned for tonight was bound to get rid of any stress she felt.

With a push, she opened her closet. Just like she predicted, all of her day’s troubles just seemed to lift off of her shoulders as she inspected the contents inside. One item in particular really made her smile widen. A small, rectangular box that held everything she needed to make tonight like no other.

She picked the box up, gingerly placing it on her back before going back to her bed. She placed the box on the bed before hopping into the comfortable, warm covers herself. Snug and content, she lifted the lid off of the box. She would never, ever, ever admit it to anypony, but the smallest of squeals left Rainbow’s muzzle as she looked at the contents inside. Even if a pony did hear her, she honestly wouldn’t have cared. It was her night, and she was going to enjoy every second of it.

First, she reached inside and took out a beige safari hat with a green band wrapped around the crown. Just placing it on her head filled the pegasus with a foal-like glee. Next came the candle she borrowed from Twilight. She took it out and placed it in the candleholder on her nightstand.

With preparations nearly complete, Rainbow turned her attention towards the moment she was waiting for. With shaky, hesitant hooves, Rainbow removed the last item from the box: the latest issue of Daring Do, Daring Do and the Apple of Equestria.

It took almost all of Rainbow’s will to keep herself from bouncing around the room like an excited filly, and she didn’t even open the book yet. With her hat on her head and her book in her hooves, all that she needed was a light source. She turned her attention back towards the candle. Unfortunately, one, small problem presented itself to her. She didn’t have anything to light it with.

Rainbow’s hoof collided with her face as she let out an annoyed sigh. “Ugh. Stupid candles.” With the night brought to a short halt, Rainbow stomped off to find her matches.

Even though Twilight reached Rainbow’s place in just a few short seconds, it felt like an eternity knowing the potential danger the pegasus could be in. She should’ve been more careful. She knew how hard-headed Rainbow could be; she should’ve made more of an effort to make sure something like this didn’t happen. But it was too late. It was happening, and if Twilight didn’t get to Rainbow in time, anything that happened to her would be on her hooves.

As soon as Twilight rematerialized underneath Rainbow’s home, she was immediately soaked by the pouring rain. It wasn’t like she cared, or even registered that fact; she was far too worried for Rainbow’s safety to worry about a bit of water.

With the rain pounding every inch of her body, and the wind howling in her ears, Twilight looked up at Rainbow’s home, which was nearly invisible against the dark clouds above. With the desperation building up like a balloon ready to burst, Twilight took a deep breath and screamed at the top of her lungs, “Rainbow! Rainbow Dash!”

Even though her voice was nearly drowned out by the relenting storm, Twilight could only hope and pray that Rainbow heard her.

Rainbow came out of her closet, a book of matches in hoof. It was a minor setback to her otherwise perfect night, but it was nothing that she couldn’t fix herself. Returning to her place in bed, Rainbow took one of the matches in her teeth, and with a quick flick, lit it. She brought the orange flame closer to the candle’s wick until it was well within range.

Then Rainbow lit the candle.

Rainbow instinctively backed away as the candle wick burst into an emerald green flame. “Whoa,” Rainbow said as she stared at the flickering, green flame before her. “Even Twilight’s candles are weird.”

For a moment, Rainbow actually thought the candle looked pretty cool. The calming, green light it gave off definitely helped with setting the mood for her nighttime reading. But just as she started to make herself comfortable, something else happened. The candle’s flame, left absolutely untouched, cracked, sparked, and sizzled. The flame became larger, threatening to engulf the entire candlestick, as it grew more unstable with each passing second.

Rainbow, mere feet away from the spectacle, slowly slid away to the other side of her bed, eyes glued on the strange candle. “That… can’t be good,” she said, hovering over her bed. No sooner did she say that did the flame shoot up from its candlestick, the tip flying, gliding, and slithering through the air like some kind of snake.

At that point, Rainbow simply didn’t know what to do. Staring at the strange wisp of fire put in her in an almost hypnotic state. The way it flickered and slithered through the air was strangely calming in a way. Almost alluring. The movements weren’t sudden, jerky, or violent; they were graceful, as if the flame knew exactly what it was doing.

If it were any other scenario, if it were any other night, Rainbow would’ve been well out of the door five minutes ago, but something kept her frozen in place. The flame could do Celestia-knows-what to her, but she just couldn’t tear her eyes away.

“Rainbow! Rainbow Dash!”

The voice was faint, barely audible through the pouring rain, but Rainbow heard it. “Twilight?” Rainbow turned towards a nearby window. She only looked away for a second, but a second was all it took.

In that same second, the flame shot forward at a terrifying speed; faster than anything Rainbow ever saw before. She only had enough time to snap her head back towards the flame before it collided with her forehead. She didn’t even feel the impact, but if she didn’t feel paralyzed before, she certainly felt it now.

Her wings locked up and she fell on the bed, her entire body stiff as a board. Before long, though, her body grew loose and limp, but Rainbow still couldn’t move a single inch. Whatever the fire was doing, it had full control of her, and she slowly, but surely felt the effects.

Her face lost any and all emotion, losing its initial panic and replaced with a stoic expression. Her mind, like a tub with its plug pulled, drained itself of all thoughts. For that short moment, she couldn’t even think of her own name, let alone anything else. She was a statue, still and unmoving.

What felt like mere seconds went by before Rainbow felt something else. Thoughts, memories, and emotions poured back into her mind. They were barely noticeable at first, but they became more and more vivid as the seconds ticked by.

Unrecognizable imagery flashed through her mind. Visions of cities and castles fresh out of the history books. Ponies clad in armor. Ponies clad in stark white robes. Ponies fighting each other. Ponies killing each other. All of these things and more flashed before Rainbow's eyes within a matter of seconds. They weren't from her own mind, obviously, but it still felt like it. She was unable to think of anything else, not the Wonderbolts, not her friends, nothing, as if she completely lost control of herself.

Her vision grew blurred, but didn't blacken out. It seemed as though the world itself warped around her, growing distorted, becoming nothing more than an indiscernible blur of colors. The memories flashing through her mind slowly grew clearer, more vivid. Though she couldn't focus on it herself, she could've sworn that she felt cold air brushing over her body. She could smell... something. Rain, if Rainbow had to guess. It seemed obvious, since it was raining outside, but it felt different, somehow. Emotions, none of them hers, made themselves apparent. They felt cold. They felt unforgiving. They felt... lonely.

As Rainbow lay there, the reality slowly sunk in. Whatever was happening was changing her down to the mental level. She was no longer herself. She was somepony else.

Steel gray clouds loomed overhead, the familiar scent of rain filling the air. The faint rumbling of thunder boomed in the distance. The sky threatened to unleash a torrent of rain at any given moment, but that didn’t stop the townsfolk from going about their daily lives.

Dozens upon dozens of ponies packed the city streets, each one with a different agenda to attend to. The air was filled with the usual mixture of chatter and hooves clattering against the stone ground. Some ponies were in a clear hurry, pushing and shoving their way through the thick crowd, much to everypony’s annoyance. Others seemed to have all the time in the world, and simply went with the slow flow of the crowd through the maze of tightly packed, stone buildings.

Walking amongst these crowds of ponies, remaining as calm and stoic as a statue, was a single mare clad in stark white robes, contrasting with her black coat. Green eyes, hidden in the darkness of her hood, scanned the citizens around her. Nearly all of them wore a smile, some less intense than others, but a smile nonetheless. She almost pitied them.

Though nopony would openly admit it, all was not what it seemed in the city. All of those calm, happy faces were merely masks; a façade designed to hide what the city truly was at its core: a place ruled through violence and oppression.

The hooded mare took a moment to peer through the crowds. Everywhere she looked, she found guards sprinkled throughout their ranks; dozens of armed, armored stallions trotting down the streets, maliciously eyeing anypony who walked by. They spent every second of every day waiting for any slip-ups so that they could deliver their own brand of ‘Manehattan justice’. Some ponies still wore the bruises and scars from their last run-in with the law.

The overwhelming feeling of oppression not only killed spirit, but ambition as well, and it showed through Manehattan’s architecture. Nearly every building was a simple, one-story structure, carved from the greyest and dullest of stone. It didn’t matter if it was a house, a shop, or even a place of worship, they all looked the same, their signs serving as the only distinction.

There were none of the elegant, grand structures like the Royal Palace in Canterlot, or various temples such as those sprinkled throughout Hoofington and Trottingham. In fact, the tallest structures to be found in Manehattan were the numerous bell towers looming over the city. It didn’t take an expert analyst to realize that tension was thick in the air. That was what brought the mare there in the first place; the city needed her.

The only thing keeping these ponies in line was fear. Sheer fear. They were ready to explode, but fear of the consequences was the only thing holding them back. Some of Equestria’s more corrupted higher-ups caught onto that fact, and ensured that they were given reminders of who’s in charge. Today was the day for such a reminder.

At the heart of the city, a large crowd was gathered around the city’s infamous scaffold. Most ponies made it a point to never walk past this death display, but today was an exception. Criers all throughout the city gave news of an execution. Whether it was out of morbid curiosity or the fear of what would happen to them if they didn’t attend, nearly the entire city’s populace crammed themselves around the wooden structure.

Atop that structure, taking in the angry, heated stares of countless ponies, was a stallion covered head to hoof in armor. The only visible thing on him was the horn sticking out of a hole in his helmet. But it wasn’t his presence that made the onlooking crowd uneasy. In fact, most of them weren’t even paying attention to the stallion, or the duo of armed guards at the scaffold’s base. For most, their eyes, wide with shock and horror, were glued to the two corpses behind the stallion. Two young stallions, their lives cut far too short, hung by their necks.

“Thieves! Murderers! Plunderers! Let this be a lesson to all of you!” the stallion shouted. “This is what happens to those who don’t know their place. We are the ones in charge. Those who think otherwise, feel free to challenge us. We will ensure that your deaths are swift.”

The more the stallion spoke, the more uneasy the crowd became. Soon enough, insults and obscenities flew out from their ranks until the entire crowd became an unintelligible cacophony of angry chatter. The guards readied their weapons, raising them in their magical grip. A riot threatened to break out at any second.

In the middle of it all, remaining as calm as she was when she arrived, was a single mare clad in stark white robes. Her eyes were fixed on the stallion onstage ever since she arrived. She was just waiting. Waiting for that one chance, that one moment. The perfect opportunity to make her move. As soon as the ponies around her grew restless, she knew that the opportunity had finally arrived. It was time to make her move.

As the stallion continued to taunt the irate crowd with threats and insults, the mare started towards the front, lightly nudging ponies out of her way.

Each step towards the scaffold sent her heart rate up a notch. She could feel the rush of adrenaline surging through her veins. The stallion was still a good ways away, but she was already ready for anything to happen. She didn’t even notice when she broke into a trot, shoving more and more ponies out of her way.

Her less than subtle actions soon caught the stallion’s eye. The white figure moving through the thick crowd sent a chill right down his spine. “Stop her! Do not let her reach the stage!”

The pair of guards wasted no time in following their orders. Taking up their weapons in a magical grip, they rushed towards the crowd.

The hooded mare was practically galloping through the crowd. Forceful shoves knocked some ponies to the ground, not that she was concerned. She finally broke through just as the guards reached her. There was no more time for hesitation. No time for thought. There was only time for reaction.

A guard swung his sword, aiming it straight for her head. In the same instant, she ducked her head down. She felt the blade brush against the top of her hood. A second too late, and she would’ve received a rather unpleasant manecut, but that was besides the point. The guard was wide open, still recovering from his attack.

In one, quick motion, the mare reached her muzzle into the depths of her robes, mouth wide open. She firmly bit down on something strapped to her side; a handle, of some sort. The familiar taste of leather and blood danced on her tongue. Wasting no time, she pulled her head back up, removing the object from whatever sheathe it rested in. Though she didn’t look directly at it, she could see the glinting blade out of the corner of her eye.

There was no hesitation. No thought. It was simply reaction as she brought the dagger clean across the guard’s exposed throat. The magical grip on his sword dissipated, the weapon clanging to ground along with the guard’s bleeding corpse. She didn’t even bother with a glance. She still had one more in between herself and her target.

The remaining guard hardly seemed affected by the death of his comrade, and rushed forward with the same recklessness.

He didn’t take more than three steps before the hooded assailant flung the dagger from her mouth with a strong swing of her head. The weapon tore through the air as it flew towards the guard. By the time he gained enough sense to realize what had just happened, the dagger already pierced his helmet, and buried itself in his skull.

Before his body even fell to the ground, the galloped up the scaffold’s wooden stairs. There were no more distractions. No more obstacles. It was just her and the target.

Once she reached the top of the stairs, she pushed off of with back legs, leaping high and far. The stallion tried to draw his sword, but by the time he even got a magical sheathe around it, she was already in the air, ready to strike like a bird of prey.

She stretched out her right foreleg, exposing a silver vambrace attached to her hoof. Out the corner of her eye, she saw its silver exterior glisten in the dim sunlight. Then came that beautifully familiar sound. A blade shooting out of its confines, ready to strike. Ready to kill. There was no time for hesitation. No time for thought. There was only time for reaction.

In the blink of an eye, she brought her hoof down hard, driving the attached blade deeply into the stallion’s throat. All of her momentum forced the already dying stallion to the ground, her hoof still planted firmly on his neck. He struggled, he squirmed, he used every last bit of his remaining energy to try and fight back, but it was of no use. Soon enough, his movements ceased, whatever lingering life he had left leaving his eyes.

The mare gingerly removed her blade from his throat before it retracted back into her vambrace.

Her deed was done.

Twenty seconds. It had been twenty seconds and still no response from Rainbow. Granted, it was rather late, and Rainbow could’ve just been asleep. Twilight’s frazzled mind tried to convince her that, but she just had to make sure. That candle could be any number of things, from completely harmless to completely life-threatening, and if anything happened to Rainbow because of it, Twilight would never be able to forgive herself. Besides, Rainbow would’ve done the same for her; what reason did she have not to? The decision was clear.

Blocking out the pouring rain around her, Twilight focused her magic until she felt its tingly sensation wrap around her hooves. As worried as she was, she still couldn’t ignore precaution. She wouldn’t be of much help to Rainbow if she plummeted through the floor as soon as she arrived.

Once she finished her cloud-walking spell, she moved on to the trickier part: actually getting into Rainbow’s house. The distance wasn’t an issue. The same couldn’t be said for all the noise the storm was causing. The fact that she’d rarely ever been in Rainbow’s house didn’t help things, either. The image of her bedroom was blurry at best, but she couldn’t let that stop her. She was going to have to roll the dice.

Well, it’s now or never.

In the same instance that a flash of lighting illuminated the night sky, Twilight cast her teleportation spell. When the lightning was gone in that brief split-second, so was Twilight.

She reappeared in the middle of Rainbow’s bedroom, much to her short-lived relief. It didn’t take long for her to find Rainbow, either. In fact, it only took a sideways glance for her to spot the pegasus. But as Twilight approached her, she stopped dead in her tracks, frozen with shock. The sight before her left her completely speechless.

Rainbow lay collapsed on her bed, face blank, and body completely still. That, however, wasn’t what left Twilight speechless. The fiery tendril sticking out of Rainbow’s head was responsible for that. Fighting through the shock, Twilight used what little movement she could muster to find the tendril’s source. It didn’t take long before she found it, sitting tauntingly on Rainbow’s nightstand.

It was the candle.

Twilight felt her heart drop like a rock as a cold sweat trickled down her face. Her eyes, pupils reduced to nothing but pinpricks, looked back over to the still pegasus. She wanted to move, to help Rainbow, to do anything other than stand there. She’d have settled for screaming, but her voice kept getting caught in her already coarse throat.

Finally, the one thing that provoked Twilight to move was the terrifying thought of whatever was happening to Rainbow at that very moment. As soon as she regained enough of her senses to move, Twilight made a beeline for the candle. She could tell just from looking at Rainbow that trying to wake her up would’ve been a futile effort. She needed to solve the problem from the source.

While she was unfamiliar with a spell to that effect, Twilight was familiar with candle-based enchantments. Simply snuffing out the flame would do the trick. She reached out with her magic, extinguishing spell at the ready. However, as soon as she wrapped her magic around the flame, she cried out as a white hot pain shot down her horn.

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Twilight cried. She immediately cancelled the spell, but the pain lingered, as if she just touched her horn to a hot stove. She caressed her horn until the pain became bearable before turning her attention back towards Rainbow.

Despite that little display, Rainbow didn’t budge a single inch. If it weren’t for her breathing, Twilight probably would’ve feared the worst. Regardless, she was wasting time, and every second was crucial.

Growing desperate, Twilight resorted to getting rid of the candle entirely. She snatched up the candlestick, which thankfully didn’t burn her horn, and darted towards the nearest window. Just as she was about to chuck it, the candle suddenly stopped, refusing to go any further.

“What?” After a second’s hesitation, Twilight tried to move it again, gritting her teeth as she struggled to make it budge. The candle, however, was putting up a fight. It was as if it was attached to a chain that simply refused to break. Taking another break, Twilight looked at the flame itself.

In a sight that defied simple laws of nature, the flame stayed connected to Rainbow’s head, resembling a taut rope stretched to its breaking point. Twilight didn’t even bother questioning it. She just needed to get it away from there as quickly as possible. With newfound vigor, Twilight tried again, putting all of her strength and concentration behind her magic. She clenched her teeth until they hurt. Her eyes watered with tears. It was taking all she had, but she felt the candle giving in, even if it was just by a few centimeters. She just needed to keep it up.

After a few strenuous seconds, the flame finally snapped in two, and the candle flew out of the window. The flame attached to the pegasus’ head finally dissipated, releasing her from its clutches. Unfortunately, Twilight’s victory over enchanted household appliances was short-lived; whatever relief she felt was quickly replaced with dread when she laid eyes on Rainbow again.

Whether or not she was free from whatever influence the candle had on her was unclear; she was just as still as she was before. Several scenarios, few of them good, flashed through Twilight’s mind, but she quickly pushed all of them out of her mind. She wasn’t going to jump to any conclusions until she knew for sure if Rainbow was alright.

She didn’t even need to think about rushing up to Rainbow’s side. Still, Rainbow didn’t budge, even with Twilight standing right over her. It did little to calm her nerves, and even less to dismiss that one dreadful thought itching at the back of her mind. Thankfully, she still had a pulse, but that didn’t change the fact the she still wasn’t breathing.

“Rainbow! Rainbow, wake up!” Evidently, frantically shaking her friend like a rag doll was the optimal procedure; just a few seconds passed before Rainbow’s eyes snapped open as she sprung back to life. She took in gulp after gulp of air in an attempt to regain the breath she’d been holding for the past two minutes. The relief that washed through Twilight was simply indescribable. “Rainbow! Oh, thank goodness.”

Rainbow wearily sat up on her haunches, rubbing her temples in a vain attempt to get rid of the pounding headache she felt. It took her a moment to regain her bearings, and even longer for her to notice Twilight standing right in front of her. But despite seeing her friend with a wide, relieved smile on her face, Rainbow couldn’t say that she felt the same, not after the things she just saw.

The images that she just wanted to forget about raced relentlessly throughout every square inch of her mind. Every single detail—from the faint scent of rain in the air, to the spine-chilling winds, to the taste of worn leather on her tongue, to the blood pooling around her hooves—was crystal clear. It all must’ve been some type of sick dream; Rainbow would never, not in a million years, even consider doing even half the things she saw. But it all just felt so real. Too real.

“R-Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow finally snapped out of her shocked stupor when she felt a light prod on her shoulder. Still, she didn’t look up. She only backed away.

Twilight instinctively took a step forward. “Rainbow, what’s wrong? What did that candle do to you?”

“I… I…” Rainbow wanted to say something, but her mind was far too frazzled for her to think of anything coherent to say. That being the case, she resorted to the one thing she knew how to do best.

Rainbow turned tail and tore out of a nearby window, flying into the raging storm.

“Rainbow, wait!” Twilight cried. But it was too late. Rainbow was gone, engulfed by the storm’s encroaching darkness, flying off to wherever it was she was flying off too. Left there alone, Twilight had far more questions than answers swirling around in her head. One of the most prominent was also one of the most simple.

What happened to her?

Save for severe cases of stage fright, Twilight had never seen Rainbow act so… un-Rainbow, for lack of a better term. This was the same Rainbow Dash who would face danger head-on without so much as a second’s hesitation, yet here she was, flying out of her own home as if she saw a ghost.

Regardless, it was clear what was responsible for Rainbow being so shaken. It all had something to do with that candle, and Twilight was going to find out what that something

This called for more research.

What was all that about? Rainbow kept asking herself that question again and again as she blindly tore through the relentless storm.

The freezing rain pounded away at her body, matting her fur and mane until it clung to her skin. The howling winds lashed away at her flesh like frozen whips, each burst chilling her to the bone.

Her wings weren’t spared from the abuse, either. Every raindrop that pelted her wings may as well have been hot needles piercing the membrane. Every flap propelling her forward sent more cascades of pain down her back, but she didn’t let up. Her body had long since grown numb to it all, both from cold and shock. She just needed someplace quiet. Someplace to think, and she knew just where such a place was.

With the storm raging on, Rainbow flew higher up into the clouds. Flashes of lightning illuminated the entire sky for all of half a second. Claps of thunder boomed in her ears. The relentless rain pounded against her skin like tiny daggers. The wind only served to make her ascent all the more difficult, threatening to push her down to the ground far, far below. Her entire body screamed in agony with each flap, demanding that she turn back, but she wasn’t going to back down. Just as the cacophony reached its peak, she finally found bliss.

Rainbow finally burst through the clouds and found herself staring into the nighttime sky. In that single moment, it felt as though all of her troubles were washed away as she let out a long, calmed sigh. For a moment, she just hovered there, still sore, still sopping wet with rain, and stared out into the black, diamond-encrusted sky.

Unfortunately, her brief moment of tranquility was just that. Brief. She did, after all, fly all the way out there to think about what she saw, and it was only a matter of time before her mind drifted back to that subject.

“Alright, Rainbow. Calm down,” she muttered, settling down on a nearby cumulus. “Everything’s fine. You’re fine. No scratches. Head’s still on straight. Worst you’ve got is a bit of a headache.” As if on cue, another pang of pain shot through her skull. “A really annoying one, yeah, but take what you can get.”

Despite her reassurances, however, she still felt that unnerving sense of anxiety building up in her stomach. Trying to make sense of confusing situations was never her strong suit. She wasn’t very good at standing still for very long, either. Both of those were more of an ‘egghead’ thing. And just like that, Rainbow’s mind snapped to a certain, purple unicorn.

“Yeah. Yeah!” Rainbow perked up as an idea came to her. “She’d be able to help, right?” Of course, the obvious problem was figuring out a way to explain things without making herself seem crazy. If the things Rainbow saw was enough to put in her in a temporary state of shock and speechlessness, she couldn’t even imagine what it’d do to Twilight, if she decided to tell her at all.

The pegasus suddenly snapped back to reality as she realized she’d been sitting on that same cloud for the better end of ten minutes.

“Ugh! Forget this!” Rainbow shouted, throwing her hooves into the air. “I’ll think about it later.” After shaking herself dry, she took back to the sky.

She came all the way out there, braving a storm, in order to distract herself from the things she saw. Sitting on a cloud doing a lot of nothing was clearly not doing the trick. She was Rainbow Dash, for goodness sake, and when it came to distracting herself, there was one thing that never failed. With newfound vigor, Rainbow sped off into the night with the intention to do just that.

Night fell over the Everfree Forest. Anyone brave or stupid enough to wander in here would find it near impossible to see through the countless trees and vines during the day. At night, the darkness was near impenetrable. The forest was already notorious for its self-monitored nature and weather, but the variety of creatures, from manticores, to cockatrices, and even dragons, was more than enough to keep anyone from entering that forsaken place. This particular night was different.

Deep within the heart of the forest, a light shone through the darkness, casting shadows amongst the trees. The caster’s face was hidden by a black hood, as was the rest of his body. Slowly, he made his way through the forest, working his way around the various trees and vines blocking its way. The light shook a bit as its caster tripped over a tree root. After swearing under his breath, the mysterious unicorn continued his trip through the forest. Soon, he came to a cave. It was well-hidden by the various trees blocking it from view, but after a quick evaporation spell, those trees were nothing more than piles of ash.

The unicorn approached the mouth of the cave, but didn’t enter. Instead, he picked up a rock and threw it inside. As soon as it entered, it was vaporized in a flash of light and smoke. It was just as he expected; Celestia put up a protective ward. This would be child’s play.

A sudden yellow flash illuminated the forest for hundreds of meters, sending various creatures scattering for safety. It went on for several seconds before finally diminishing. Once it was dark again, the unicorn stepped inside the cave, remaining completely unscathed. The protective ward was gone. A smirk crawled onto his face as he went further inside.

“You make this too easy, Celestia.”

2: A Groundbreaking Rediscovery

Where could a pony expect to find Princess Celestia in the wee hours of the morning? Most go for the obvious answer and say that she was asleep, conserving her energy to raise the sun when the time came. Others thought that Celestia, being the all-powerful deity that she was, didn't need sleep, and instead wandered the halls of her castle, perhaps even going out into her grand garden for an early morning stroll.

From the plausible, to the unlikely, to the downright absurd, everypony had some sort of theory about what Celestia did in her free time. Unfortunately, not many even came close to the truth.

In reality, Celestia could be found within the depths of the castle's library, hunched over a desk. Shelves upon shelves containing thousands of books stood tall all around her, like a forest of literature. But out of the countless books surrounding her, Celestia was only concerned with one. It was nothing out of the ordinary, just a simple white leather book with a blank cover.

With her time to raise the sun less than an hour away, the princess devoted her time to reading that one book, frantically scanning her eyes across the pages. However, despite the speed at which Celestia was reading, she stopped after only eight pages, flipped back to where she started, and read those same pages again. She did this again and again, absorbing every word and image until they were practically burned into her brain.

In truth, the princess had already finished the book multiple times, but these eight pages were the ones that she kept coming back to. She wasn't reading them because they were fun or because they interested her. In fact, Celestia would have liked to forget that this book even existed. She would've liked to throw it away, burn it, or banish it to the moon. She would've liked to do any one of these things.

But she couldn't.

As ruler, it was her responsibility to be aware of any and all potential threats to Equestria. That was why she read these particular pages so intently and so frequently, to keep herself from forgetting about the terrible items they discussed, as well as the power that they possessed.

These eight pages were actually four pairings of an image and a description of that image.

The first was a shroud as white and light as a cloud capable of healing any wound, birth defect, disease, or ailment short of death. The next was a staff of pure gold that could bend the will of any and all living things. The third was a sword of the same gold that granted its wielder immense strength.

The last, and most peculiar, was an object simply referred to as 'The Apple'. It was a golden ball with strange engravings around its surface that possessed a range of functions, from causing insanity, to cloning its user, to granting its user's ultimate desires. If any of these items fell into the wrong hooves or claws, it could potentially doom all of Equestria.

Thankfully, she already had three of these items sealed away in underground shrines all throughout Equestria, but it was the last one, the Apple, that completely eluded her. Until she recovered it, what was to stop it from falling into the possession of someone looking to overthrow her? What was to stop someone from finding it and using it to undo all of the work she's done over the past one thousand years? The very thought haunted her for far too long. She needed to do everything within her power to retrieve it, but where would she begin?

"Celestia?"

Celestia jerked her head up and turned around, only to find Luna standing in the library's doorway, an eyebrow arched in confusion.

“What are you doing in here?”

Celestia quickly regained her composure before the younger alicorn could suspect anything and gave her a warm smile. "Nothing, dear sister. I'm simply reading."

Instead of calming her down, it only seemed to interest Luna even more. "Really? Reading what, exactly?" she asked, coming closer.

Celestia quickly pushed the book behind her. "I doubt you'd find it to your liking. It's a… book on politics."

Hearing the word 'politics' made Luna stop dead in her tracks. Just the mere thought of the word threatened to bore her into an early nap. "Politics? Never mind, then. Still, if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing up so early?"

"Oh, you know how it goes. Sometimes I just have one of those nights."

Luna only cocked her head to the side. "'Those nights'?"

"Yes, sometimes I just feel I need to start my day with a good book before the work rushes in."

"A good book? But you're reading a book on politics."

"Preferences, Lulu. Preferences."

Luna just rolled her eyes. "Well, since you're awake, would you care to join me for an early breakfast?"

The mention of breakfast made Celestia's stomach growl. She almost completely forgot about breakfast. In fact, she nearly missed dinner as well and for the same reason: she was too engrossed in that accursed book. Nearly missing two meals in a row? Celestia must've been getting forgetful in her old age. Perhaps a quick meal would help calm her nerves. "But aren't the chefs still asleep?"

Luna stood tall and confident. "Hardly a problem, dear sister. Lulu still knows how to create a supper truly worthy of envy."

"So, oats, then?"

"Indeed."

Celestia tried to stifle a chuckle, but failed. Only her sister. "That sounds lovely. But I’m afraid that will have to wait. I have to raise the sun soon, followed by immediate work in Day Court. I likely won’t have the time for another few hours.”

The supposed bad news did little to dampen Luna’s spirits. "Not a problem. The process of creating these oats is a long and arduous culinary process. After I take my early morning flight, I shall begin immediately. The wait will be well worth it." Luna turned and started towards the library's exit.

"And Luna?" Luna stopped just before the door. "Try not to burn the castle down this time."

The glare that Luna shot her was short, but fierce. But as usual, it soon turned into an amused smile. With that, Luna walked out of the library.

Once she left, Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. As much as she hated lying to anyone, especially her own sister, she felt it necessary in this case. Luna didn't deserve any of the terrible things that happened to her, that much was clear, and the last thing that Celestia wanted to do was remind her of the hardships they had to endure all those years ago.

Those four items were responsible for those hardships, and even after several millenniums' worth of thinking, she still couldn't decide whether they helped them escape their old life, or simply doomed them to this one.

Celestia placed the book back amongst the countless others filling the library's shelves. A solemn sigh passed through her lips. Try as she might, she couldn’t shake the sense of unease scratching at the back of her mind. With such powerful items in Equestria, the risk of them inevitably falling into the wrong possession was still present, slim as it was. Celestia couldn’t help but feel that such an occurrence was quickly approaching.

She could only hope that she was wrong.

Panting with exertion and with her wings strained to the breaking point, Rainbow Dash came to a less than graceful landing on top of a nearby hill. With all of the adrenaline rushing through her veins, she didn’t even register just how tired and worn her sleep-deprived body was. It was quick to tell her, though; the second her hooves made contact with the ground, her legs gave in beneath her own weight, and she fell to the ground.

In reality, she planned to do that anyway even if her body hadn’t made the choice for her. It wasn’t every day that Rainbow found grass to be just as comforting as a cloud, but that may have just been the fatigue talking. Either way, she was happy to just be laying down.

However, even though she was dead tired, she still had other things on her mind to think about. Things that were bound to bug her until properly addressed. Rolling onto her back, Rainbow stared up into the nighttime sky as she pondered on some rather pressing things.

I really need to tighten up that descent if I want that stunt to be killer. Way too shaky on that first time through. Don’t wanna get creamed by the ground. My sky writing’s gonna need some work too. Won’t mean much if the crowd can’t even read it.

It wasn’t that her first attempt at her latest stunt was necessarily bad; after all, she was Rainbow Dash. However, she was a bit of a perfectionist when it came to her flying, if her countless hours spent training was any indicator of that. She wasn’t going to make a name for herself if she skimped on the finer details. After all, in the Wonderbolts, precision was everything; one mistake could ruin an entire performance, and Rainbow wasn’t going to be the pony to do that.

I’m gonna have to work on it some more tomorrow. It’ll be way easier when this stupid storm blows over.

Before Rainbow knew it, she was going over every single detail of tonight’s stunt and several others that could use some improving. Even though her body just wanted to enjoy the sweet embrace of sleep, her mind was far too busy going over the tiny, intricate details. The shining night sky certainly made thinking all the more easier as well.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

With a jolt, Rainbow sat up and snapped her head around towards her unexpected guest. The voice, all too familiar, was enough to send a small chill down her spine, but when she actually saw Luna sitting right next to her, Rainbow could’ve swore she felt something plunge right into her stomach.

“P-Princess Luna!” she sputtered, scrambling up to her hooves to bow. Unfortunately, her tired body wasn’t up to the task, and she fell back to the ground.

Luna couldn’t help but chuckle at the pegasus’ anxiety. Far too often did she see ponies bend over backwards, both figuratively and literally, just so they could get the bow out of the way. “Now, now, Rainbow. Such formalities are unnecessary. I saw you flying and simply wanted to say hi.”

With that established, Rainbow took on a more relaxed posture as she lay back on the ground. It didn’t make her feel any more relaxed, though. “Oh. Well, uh, hi.”

“Hello.”

After digging her hooves around in the ground for a bit, Rainbow decided to speak up again. “So… what are you doing up so late?” she asked.

Luna chuckled at the question. “Well, this is my night, after all. Why would I not be up now?”

“Right, right, stupid question,” Rainbow said, scratching the back of her head. Small talk was another one of those things she wasn’t good at, especially when she was tired out of her mind.

Thankfully, Luna took the admittedly silly question in stride. “What about you?”

The sudden question made Rainbow perk her head up. “Huh?”

“What is keeping you awake at this hour?”

“I was… er… I…” And with that question, the floodgates inside Rainbow’s mind opened, releasing a flood of the very imagery that she did a very good job of forgetting about. Her reaction wasn’t nearly as reactive as it was before, though; she managed to keep herself from flying away, but it didn’t change the fact that her mood plummeted down into the floor. In all fairness, she did want to talk to somepony about it, if only so she could at least try to make sense of it all, and who better to talk to than one of the princesses?

“Rainbow Dash?” Luna quietly called, recapturing her attention. “Is something bothering you?”

Rainbow shifted uncomfortably in her spot on the ground. “You could say that, yeah.”

“What is it? Perhaps I can be of some assistance.”

Rainbow let out a small chuckle. Not one intended to lighten the mood, but rather one that was empty and humorless. “It’s funny. I was out here trying to figure it out, but I still have no idea how to explain it.”

Luna slowly nodded as Rainbow explained things. “I see. Can you at least try?”

“Yeah, I… I guess.” Rainbow took in a deep breath. That ‘dream’ of hers was still clear in her mind, so it wasn’t like describing it was going to be a problem.

However, there was another feeling along with all of that. It was strange, but familiar at the same time, like her mind was trying to cling to certain memories that threatened to fade away into obscurity. Either those memories were very close to fading away, or Rainbow was better at repressing memories than she thought, because she didn’t have the slightest clue what those memories were even supposed to be of.

Focusing her attention back on the princess, Rainbow gathered her thoughts before telling Luna everything even remotely relevant to the things she saw, from the armored guards, to the poor peasants, to the gloomy weather. However, she forgot, maybe even subconsciously, to mention the killing that she saw, or rather, took her time in getting to that part.

Luna never interrupted with questions or clarifications. She simply listened, her look hard with concentration, occasionally nodding. However, despite Rainbow’s clear struggle to get the words out, without hearing mention of any form of violence, let alone the killing that left the pegasus scarred in the first place, Luna had difficulty seeing the problem.

“The clarity of this dream of yours is certainly enough cause for concern. However, I am failing to see what has you so bothered. Is there something else that you are not telling me?”

Rainbow gulped down the anxiety building up in her throat. “Um, well, maybe a few things. But… I don’t even know if I’m ready to tell anypony about that stuff. It was all just so… messed up.”

Again, Luna nodded. “I understand, and will not force you to say anything that you do not wish to. However, if you are concerned about disturbing me in any way, fear not. I know that it can be easy to forget at times, but I have been in this life for quite some time, and have seen my fair share of ‘messed up’ things, as you put it.”

Rainbow shuffled around some more as she worked up the nerves to actually move on to that stuff.

Luna was quick to notice Rainbow’s discomfort. “Rainbow, tell me this at least. Were you ever going to tell your friends, or anypony of this?”

Rainbow tried to lift her head back up, only to let it drop again. “I don’t know.”

“Well, if you cannot tell me, nor your closest friends, then who else is there?” Rainbow’s silence prompted Luna to continue. “Consider this,” she said. “Would your friends think any less of you if you told them of this ‘dream’ of yours?”

It didn’t take long for Rainbow to think of an answer. “No, I guess not.”

“Then you should,” Luna said in a matter-of-fact tone. “You may be surprised by what will happen.”

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

“It is like I said. I will not force you to do anything that you do not wish. But just remember this: never underestimate the power of a strong friendship. It is one of the worst things that you could ever do.” Luna stood up and walked away from Rainbow. “I shall leave you to yourself. You will consider what I have said, yes?”

Rainbow, already lost again in her own thoughts, snapped her head up when she heard Luna calling to her. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Don’t worry, I will.”

After giving Rainbow one last smile, Luna turned away, and with a mighty flap of her wings, sped back towards the castle.

And just like that, Rainbow was left alone yet again with only her thoughts and the silence of the night keeping her company. For a long moment, she simply sat there in utter silence, her mind a battleground of conflicting thoughts and emotions.

Luna was right. Now that Rainbow had ample time to calm her nerves, the thought of telling her friends about that ‘nightmare’ of hers didn’t seem nearly as stressful. In fact, it was probably the most sensible thing to do. She certainly wasn’t going to make sense of it by herself, let alone sleep until she got it off of her chest.

Much against her tired body’s protests, Rainbow took to the sky once again and made a beeline for Ponyville. If she was going to tell her friends about it, there was one in particular who she had to tell right away.

Twilight’s library was in shambles. Crumpled bits of paper and broken quills littered the floor, with more being added to the mess every few minutes. Twilight sat at her desk, furiously scribbling into her notebook. Her eyes, red from both exhaustion and strain, constantly switched between her own notebook and the experimenter’s, making sure that she correctly translated everything down to a T. The storm had long since stopped, thankfully, leaving Twilight in blissful silence as she continued her work.

However, as time ticked away into the wee hours of the morning, she grew sleepier, and as a result, she also grew sloppier. Whether it was a missing sentence, a misworded phrase, or even a small typo, every single time Twilight made a mistake, she groaned in exasperation before tearing the offending page out of her notebook and tossing it to the floor.

Even if she was only doing it for herself, such mistakes would’ve been inexcusable; the fact that she was doing this for Rainbow as well only made Twilight even more determined. The more she understood what these experiments were, as well as the purpose of those candles, the better chance she had of understanding what exactly happened to Rainbow.

Unfortunately, her mind wasn’t in the best place. Fatigue was taking its inevitable toll. Keeping her eyes open became an increasingly challenging task. The archaic language before her slowly merged into a jumbled, illiterate mess. She was making far too many mistakes for her own good. As much as she wanted to push on, it would all be for naught if her hard work yielded incorrect information due to her exhaustion. She had to call it a night, or a morning, according to her clock.

Although a pang of disappointment shot through Twilight’s chest as she closed the notebook, she knew that it would all be worth it in the grand scheme of things. She’d wake up fresh, energized, and ready to tackle the journal yet again, which was, admittedly, rather enjoyable when she wasn’t making mistakes. Besides, Twilight more than likely had plenty of time to translate the rest of the journal before she ran into Rainbow again.

As Twilight placed all of her supplies back in their respective drawers, she heard a rapid knocking at her door. With it being as late as it was, Twilight was almost certain that her sleep-deprived mind was simply hearing things, but another knock quickly dismissed that notion.

That’s odd. Who could that be? she thought. “Er, coming!” Twilight trotted over to the door and pushed it open, revealing a sight she certainly didn’t expect. “Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow, tired and out of breath, still tried to maintain her cool as she shot Twilight a friendly smile. “Uh, hey, Twi. Not interrupting anything, am I?”

“Not really, no. I was just about to go to bed. What about you? What are you doing up so late?

“I kinda have something I wanna get off my chest. Besides, I don’t think I’d be able to sleep until I did anyway.”

It took her a moment, but Twilight soon realized exactly what Rainbow was talking about. “Oh. You mean about what happened with… you know.”

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah. I’ve finally calmed down, so don’t worry. I just need to talk about this. That okay with you?”

“Oh, of course!” Twilight signaled for Rainbow to step inside. “Come on in. You must be freezing out there.”

“Heh, yeah. Thanks.” Rainbow stepped inside the library, taking a much needed rest on a nearby cushion. Twilight followed shortly after, sitting on the one next to her friend.

Once they were settled down, Rainbow scratched the back of her head as the awkwardness returned in full force. During the flight there, Rainbow had put together what she wanted to say, and even rehearsed a few times. Now that she was actually there, however, the words she went over dozens of times kept getting caught in her throat. As a result, the two simply sat in dead silence.

Twilight was tempted to press Rainbow, but pressing her didn’t seem like the best of ideas. Rainbow came to her using her own volition; the least Twilight could do was give her time to form her own thoughts, jumbled as they must’ve been.

Another minute or so ticked by before Rainbow finally found her words. “Okay, I don’t really know what exactly it did to me, but I think that candle of yours gave me some kinda weird dream or something.”

Twilight slowly nodded as her eyes drifted back over to the journal on her desk, a sense of déjá vu niggling at the back of her mind. “A dream.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow said, continuing her story. “But here’s the thing: it wasn’t just a dream. I mean, yeah, it was, but it still felt different.”

“Different?”

“Yeah. It felt… real. Like, really real. Like, ‘I was actually there’ real. Heck, it took me a couple seconds to realize that I woke up. That never happened to me before.”

Twilight listened as intently as her tired mind would allow, but still absorbed every word like a sponge, simultaneously running through the notes she spent over half of the day slaving over. Needless to say, from the candle, to the dream, to the frightening realness of said dream, she was able to draw a few connections.

“Rainbow, I think I may know what that was.”

Rainbow, just as she started to sink into her cushion, shot straight back up. “What? A dream? Yeah, I know that, Twi,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

“No, not just a dream,” Twilight clarified, unfazed by Rainbow. “It was a memory.”

Rainbow, very slowly, cocked her head off to the side as the seconds ticked by. Finally, she mustered up enough senses to utter one word. “What?”

“If I’m correct, when that candle merged with your mind, it activated certain memories that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to. So, it wasn’t so much a dream as it was you ‘remembering’ those memories, hence the realism.”

Rainbow barely noticed as she shot up from her cushion. Whether or not it was Twilight saying it, there was no way in the wide, wide land of Equestria that that was any ‘memory’ or hers. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down, Twi. That can’t be right. I’ve never even been to whatever that place was. It was all grey, and crowded, and op… oppa… oppers…"

“Oppressive?”

“Lame!” Rainbow shouted. “Way too uncool for me.”

“Well, that’s just it. It wasn’t your memory.”

As Rainbow tried to wrap her head around that, she remembered who she was talking to. Her understanding Twilight was about as likely as her giving up her wings. “Okay, you lost me again.”

Twilight calmly sighed to herself. “As I said, the purpose of these strange candles is to access otherwise inaccessible memories. But these memories aren’t yours. They’re the memories of your ancestors.” If Twilight didn’t notice Rainbow’s discomfort before, she certainly noticed now.

Her face said it all; it wasn’t scrunched up in confusion, nor was an eyebrow raised in skepticism. Instead, she stared off into nothing, eyes wide and pupils nothing but pinpricks. Steady breathing became next to impossible. Her mouth moved, and save for the occasional croak, no words came out.

“Rainbow?”

Rainbow managed to snap out of her trance long enough to look up at Twilight. “Y-you said… ancestor? As in, the kind that you’re related to?” She almost didn’t want to believe it, but once Twilight nodded, it left little room for misinterpretation.

Twilight could tell that something was eating away at Rainbow with each passing second. She constantly shifted in her seat, her eyes looking back down to the floor. It was clear to see, and Twilight had an idea on what it was. “Rainbow, what was it a memory about?”

Rainbow felt her breath catch in her throat. It was the question she feared, but also one she anticipated. She flew all the way over there, fighting every pained and tired protest of her body, just to tell Twilight; if she turned back now, all of that would’ve been for nothing.

Just get it over with, I guess. Rainbow took a deep breath. It wouldn’t be easy, but that wasn’t an excuse. “Uh, listen. About that memory thing I saw.” She drew out every single word, trying in vain to postpone the inevitable for as long as possible. “I, er, my ancestor… I saw her killing ponies.” Rainbow clamped her eyes shut, expecting a shocked gasp or disgusted scoff, any type of reaction. However, it never came. There was only more silence.

Rainbow slowly looked up at Twilight. There was no shock, disgust, or even surprise on the unicorn’s face. Instead, there was sincere concern in her eyes, the kind that only a friend could truly express. Strangely enough, seeing that made Rainbow feel worse than shock or disgust could ever hope to achieve. “Oh, Rainbow. That’s terrible.”

Rainbow forced out a quiet chuckle. “Yeah, it was… it was pretty rough.” She kept shifting in her seat, chuckling, and clearing her throat; she was doing anything to try and hide the fact that she was just as scared as before. She wasn’t doing a very good job, not with Twilight looking over every, subtle movement. She was an open book to the unicorn, and like with any other book, Twilight read her in seconds.

“Rainbow, I know what you’re thinking,” she said, placing a comforting hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “I know that it must’ve looked real. I know that it must’ve felt real. But remember, it wasn’t you. You weren’t the one doing those things.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just… It’s really hard to get over it, ya know?”

Twilight nodded in understanding. “It’s only been an hour since it happened. I wouldn’t have gotten over it by now, either.”

Rainbow took a deep breath before looking up at Twilight for the first time in the past five minutes. “I mean, who would’ve figured that one of my ancestors would’ve been like that? Not the captain of the Wonderbolts, or even a member of the Wonderbolts. No, I get stuck with Ms. Stabs-a-Lot.”

Despite her friend’s agitation, Twilight couldn’t help but shrug. “It’s not as unlikely as you think. Equestria did have its times of conflict from time to time. We all probably have ancestors like that, if it makes you feel any better.”

The corners of Rainbow’s mouth curved up into a small grin. For the first time since she arrived, Rainbow felt calm and comfortable knowing that Twilight’s reaction was the exact opposite of what she expected. “Heh. Yeah, I feel better. Way better. I really, really needed to talk about this. Thanks, Twi.”

Twilight wrapped a foreleg around Rainbow’s shoulder and pulled her in for a hug, one that the pegasus gladly returned. “It’s what friends are for, right?” The two broke away as they both let out a long yawn. “Well, looks like we could both use some sleep after tonight.”

Rainbow stood back up, stretching out her legs and wings. “Yeah, some sleep sounds pretty good right about now.” She started towards the front door, only to stop right at the threshold. “Oh, yeah. One more thing,” she said, turning back towards Twilight. “Should I be worried about anything?”

Twilight cocked her head to the side. “Hmm? What do you mean?”

“About that weird candle thing. I don’t have to worry about side effects or something, do I?”

“Oh, uh…” Twilight’s eyes drifted back over to the journal on her desk, lying open under the dim candlelight. “I did find a journal that goes over experiments with it, but I have to translate it first. So far, I haven’t gotten far enough to read anything on side effects, so I don’t know. Sorry.”

Rainbow slumped down ever so slightly, but didn’t allow her spirits to plummet back down to where they were before. “Oh.”

“But I know I’ll have an answer tomorrow!” Twilight quickly added. “So, maybe stop by in the afternoon if you want to know?”

Rainbow shot Twilight another grin. “Sounds like a plan.” She turned back towards the door and pushed it open. “Alright, Twi. See ya tomorrow!” With a single flap of her wings, Rainbow shot off into the night sky, leaving Twilight in the silence of night yet again.

As Twilight approached the stairs, ready to go to bed herself, she couldn’t help but take another glance at that curious journal. The things she read in there were incredibly peculiar. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she couldn’t deny the possibility that whatever happened tonight was only the beginning of whatever that candle could do. However, she’d have time to think more on that tomorrow with renewed vigor.

With that in mind, Twilight blew out the candle and trotted up the stairs for some much needed sleep.

So, she finally knows. Hmm. Now things are bound to get very interesting.

Watching as the rainbow-maned pegasus flew away from the library, the mare stepped back into her humble abode.

Focus. That was the only thing that Rainbow Dash needed. It was the only thing that was necessary. Maybe that, and a little bit of luck, but when would she ever need luck when she had skill? Put simply, she never did. However, a bit of luck wouldn’t hurt on this particular day. It was, after all, the most important day of her flying career.

She stood before a pair of large, imposing, cloud doors. These doors led to a stadium large enough to hold thousands of ponies. However, there weren’t thousands of ponies awaiting her on the other side, but rather, a small group of ponies. Not just any group, of course not, but a group that Rainbow looked up to with an admiration that most would call obsessive. She preferred ‘highly devoted’. After all, the Wonderbolts deserved nothing less.

Rainbow approached the doors and placed a hoof on its cloudy surface. Even though though it was just cloud, her entire body shivered as if she touched freezing cold metal. Her entire life had been leading up to this moment. Every day of her training—every hour, every minute, every second—was preparing her for this one moment. But despite spending years training, a single question still itched at the back of her head.

Am I ready for this?

With Rainbow’s undying love for flying, anypony with a sane mind would say that she was, but in all honesty, Rainbow wasn’t too sure of herself. Then again, she wouldn’t be standing where she was if she wasn’t.

With shaky legs and sweat trickling down her face, Rainbow took one final breath before pushing the doors open. This was it. It was now or never. All or nothing. If Rainbow nailed this, then it was official. She’d be on the team. Oh, she could hear the crowd chanting her name already.

“Rainbow! Rainbow! Rainbow!”

"Rainbow! Rainbow Dash, wake up!" Cloud Kicker flew up to the cyan pegasus, who was sound asleep on a small cloud. When she didn't show any signs of waking up, the tan pegasus gave the cloud a sharp buck as an impromptu wake-up call. It proved effective, as Rainbow Dash not only woke up, but leapt off the cloud with a yelp, mane, tail, and legs stiff due to a small, shock-induced paralysis.

When she finally calmed down and saw who it was, she just rubbed her tired eyes, letting out an annoyed groan. "What do you want, Cloud Kicker?"

The tan pegasus looked as though she had just been insulted by the question. "What do I want? You were supposed to clear the rainclouds over Ponyville fifteen minutes ago! Now it’s almost noon, and there’s still a huge cloud right above City Hall!"

Rainbow simply rolled her eyes. She rarely shared her co-worker's sense of urgency, and actually found it more annoying than anything else. On this day in particular, she really didn't feel like being bothered, let alone berated. "Oh, no," she said in a mocking tone, feigning distress. "The mayor will get some extra shade. What'll we do?"

Cloud Kicker narrowed her eyes as her frustration slowly reached its peak. "Rainbow Dash…"

Rainbow cut her off by raising a hoof. "Relax, C.K. I'll take care of it." Rainbow Dash landed back on her cloud and flared her wings as she stroke a pose. "It's me, remember?"

Rainbow's confidence did little to calm her frustrated colleague. "Yes, it's you. It's always you." Finally, she just let out an exasperated sigh. "Just… get it done." With that, she flew away, leaving Rainbow by herself.

Once Cloud Kicker was just a speck in the distance, Rainbow slouched back down, letting her wings droop onto the cloud. She was utterly exhausted, and had last night’s events to thank. Even after her comforting talk with Twilight, she just couldn't stop thinking about what she saw. Even with her mind foggy with fatigue, everything from that ‘memory’ kept playing out in her head, clear as day.

She had seen her ancestor kill three ponies without hesitation. That fact alone was enough to mentally scar her, but the worst part, by far, was that it felt as though Rainbow was the one there, killing them herself. She knew that wasn’t the case, but it didn’t change the fact that it all just felt way too real. But she could never be related to somepony like that, no matter how long ago it was. It just couldn’t be possible. Using what strength she had left, Rainbow flew towards City Hall, her mind still dwelling on the situation.

As far as Rainbow Dash could remember, nearly her entire family, her mother, father, grandparents, aunts, and uncles were athletes at some point. Her parents were even the star members of their flight team, while her grandfather was a former Wonderbolt. Her family practically breathed athleticism, and Rainbow Dash was no exception.

She had a lot riding on her shoulders, mainly being the first female in her family to become a Wonderbolt. Her mother probably would've taken that title, but couldn't due to an unfortunate hip injury, so it all came down to Rainbow. But even if there was already a long line of female Wonderbolts in her family, she still would've wanted to become one, because that was her dream, one that she worked towards ever since she was a filly.

Even before she was in flight school, she spent every morning and every night training to become the best flyer she could be. Her parents made sure of that. Every day, they'd work her to the breaking point. Doing hundreds of wing push-ups, flying for miles with weights attached to her hooves, and spending hours flying through obstacle courses were all daily occurrences in her foalhood. Some days were so rough that she wondered if she'd have been better off running away and escaping it all.

However, whenever she wanted to give up, her parents were there to remind her that they had to go through the same thing when they were her age, and it was for the same reason: to become the best flyer they could be.

Even though it was tempting, Rainbow knew that she couldn't just give up; she had to push on and endure the pain, even if the pain became unbearable. She went through it all for one simple reason: flying was her passion, and the same could be said for the rest of her family. Whoever this other pony was only served to complicate things. It’d be easier to just push it all out of her mind, but things were always easier said than done.

Rainbow’s train of thought was interrupted when she realized that she'd been hovering in the same place for several minutes. Throwing her hooves in the air, she moaned in frustration. "What's up with all the self-therapy? What am I getting so worked up about?”

The entire situation was already becoming more frustrating than confusing, and Rainbow was fed up from day one. She flew, full speed, to City Hall, hoping that the work would take her mind off of everything for at least a few minutes.

When she finally reached the building, she couldn't help but bring a hoof to her face when she saw what she had to deal with. In the middle of the massive sea of deep blue sky was a tiny nimbostratus that didn't seem to be any more than fifty meters in diameter, a size that even the newest of weather ponies could deal with. She knew that Cloud Kicker had a habit of exaggerating, but that was ridiculous, even for her.

One buck later, and the cloud was no more. With her work day as clear as the sky, Rainbow got to thinking on what to do with the rest of her free time. She considered dropping by Twilight’s place to see how she was doing on the journal, but it was still relatively early in the day, just past noon. She’d wait a few more hours, then pay her visit. Now she just needed to figure out what she was going to do for the next few hours.

There really was only one thing that she had in mind, something that became even harder to ignore when she laid eyes on a nearby tree. The subsequent yawn that quickly followed sealed the deal. “Yeah, a nap sounds pretty good right about now.”

Twilight did it. She finally did it. Yes, it took her a day and a half. Yes, it cost her fifty-two of her favorite three hundred seventy-four quills. Yes, it interfered with her original plans for the day more than she preferred, but in the end, it was worth it.

One page. One last page was all that stood between her and a completely translated journal. Granted, translation by that point wasn’t anywhere near as crucial as it was before; she had already received the fruits of her labor. With clear and concise descriptions of the experiments, the possible side effects, and most importantly, the treatment of said side effects, Twilight had more than enough information to hopefully calm Rainbow’s nerves.

On the other end, however, Twilight was never one to simply leave a challenge unfinished. After all, it was only one page. Twilight, with bated breath, flipped to the last page of the journal.

There were no words. Literally. There wasn’t the slightest hint of a single word or letter on the yellow-tinged page. However, that didn’t mean that it was completely barren. There were no words, but there was a single symbol stamped on the lower-right corner. Despite being faded, it didn’t take long before Twilight realized what it was. When she did, her eyes shot wide open. The symbol, a full moon eclipsing the radiant sun, was one that she saw before.

The Eclipse, a remarkably prestigious seal given to proposals that Celestia herself felt would greatly benefit Equestria for the millennia to come. There were only a scant few things in the past that were worthy of the seal, things that were still very much present in Equestria, such as the peace treaty between ponies and griffons and the reconstruction of Equestrian law that made Equestria the place it came to be.

Twilight couldn’t even begin to describe the overwhelming mixture of elation and panic that she felt as she looked over the journal in an entirely new light. This wasn’t just the journal of some random mad scientist hoping to become the newest pioneer. No, this was a journal that, long ago, Celestia held in her own magic, read over with her own eyes, and stamped with her own seal of approval. It wasn’t just a journal; it was something far more valuable.

And Twilight had treated it so poorly!

How many times did she leave it out in the open, completely defenseless? How close had she kept it to lit candles? One errant spark, a sudden cave-in, or flash flood, and she would’ve lost this amazing breakthrough in history.

She didn’t even think twice about covering the journal with a protective ward, nor did she think twice about covering that ward with a protective ward, followed by a third for good measure. With the precious artifact triple-protected, Twilight released a relieved breath that she didn’t even know she was holding.

Even though she averted a potential crisis, she still couldn’t begin to imagine how a simple candle enchantment, impressive as it was, could receive such a seal. Yes, it could’ve proven useful in interrogations, but that was hardly enough to consider it worthy of the Eclipse. There must’ve been something else to it. What that something was, Twilight was yet to find out. Fortunately, she had a decent idea on where to start.

At that moment, Spike came walking down the stairs, fresh from his nap. “You’re still working on that book?” he asked through a yawn, rubbing his tired eyes.

Twilight not only ignored the annoyed tone in his voice, but ignored the question entirely, bringing a quill and parchment right up to the tired dragon’s face. “Spike, I need you to take a letter,” she said.

For a moment, Spike only stared at the writing materials floating in front of him before switching his focus to Twilight. “Uh… why?”

“I’ll explain later. Just do it, please.” She punctuated herself by slightly pushing the materials closer to her assistant.

Spike could only roll his eyes before taking the quill and parchment in his grip. After making sure the quill had ink, he readied himself to write. “Okay. Go ahead.”

Twilight cleared her throat, half of the letter already prepared in her head. “Dear Princess—” She didn’t get very far, however, before she heard somepony rapping against her front door. Letting out something of an annoyed grunt, she turned back towards Spike. “Give me a moment,” she said, begrudged.

Spike, never being one to turn down an order that kept him from work, simply shrugged and stood by as Twilight trotted towards the front door.

Though she didn’t like it, Twilight couldn’t deny that she felt a bit peeved, if the scowl on her face was any indication. Not that she didn’t like having visitors, but of all the times for somepony to stop by, it had to be right before she was about to relay an important discovery—or rediscovery, depending on the perspective—to Princess Celestia. Still, despite the inconvenience, she could at least hope that wouldn’t come across as too snappy.

Unfortunately, her sudden visitor didn’t make that an easy feat, constantly banging on the wooden door as if the world was ending outside. Needless to say, the never-ending noise in Twilight’s eardrums did nothing to help the unicorn calm down.

“I’m coming!” Twilight shouted. So much for not being snappy. Still, it at least made the knocking stop. The pony on the either side must’ve finally gotten enough senses to stop knocking and wait patiently, or they ran away from the beast that was an agitated, OCD-stricken librarian.

When Twilight opened the door, she found it to be the former: Rainbow Dash stood on the other side, casually leaning against the doorframe.

“Oh, hello, Rainbow,” Twilight greeted.

Rainbow only returned the greeting with a raised eyebrow. Clearly, she had heard Twilight’s little outburst. “Uh, hey, Twi,” she cautiously said. She tried peering into the library past Twilight, making note of the mess of papers and quills inside. “Is something bugging you?”

Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but instead opted to simply scratch the back of her head. Lying never was a strong suit of hers. “Sorry about that,” she said, following it with an awkward chuckle. “Just had a pretty intense morning. I’m still a little excited, is all.”

“A little?” Rainbow could only roll her eyes at that. “Yeah, I noticed.” She managed to get a glare out of Twilight, but the unicorn decided to let it pass.

“So, how have you been?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow responded with a little yawn. “Tired, pretty much. A lot better than last night, though, I can tell you that.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I can imagine.”

“But yeah,” Rainbow continued, “I’m guessing you already know why I dropped by.”

Twilight’s mouth curled up into a small grin. “I could probably make an educated guess.” She rubbed her chin in faux contemplation. “Hmm. You’re here for the latest issue of Daring Do?”

Rainbow couldn’t have stood straight up any faster if she tried. “Wait, that’s out already?” she breathlessly asked, a huge, toothy smile on her face.

Twilight placed a hoof in front of her mouth in a vain attempt to stifle a chuckle. “I’m just pulling your leg, Rainbow.” Now it was the pegasus’ turn to give her friend a seething glare, something that only made Twilight chuckle even more. “Come on in. I just finished translating that journal.”

Rainbow’s glare didn’t disappear entirely as the two stepped inside Twilight’s house. “Now I want the latest issue,” she muttered. She stopped right before the minefield before her. The floor before her was littered with various quills and discarded sheets of parchment. Even though they didn’t look very useful anymore, she knew all too well how Twilight could get when her things were damaged, and would rather not take the risk.

Twilight, trotting around her discarded materials, glanced back and saw Rainbow observing the mess. “Like I said, it was an intense morning. Just watch your step.”

Rainbow looked back up at her, her brow furrowed ever so slightly. “Uh, hello?” She stood tall and proud, flaring her wings. “Wings, remember?” With a single flap, Rainbow took to the air, gliding clear over the mess.

“Or that. That works, too,” Twilight said.

As Rainbow hovered above the mess, her eyes scanned over the rest of the library before resting on Spike. Even though she wasn’t even focusing on anything in particular, she couldn’t help but notice the quill and parchment in his hands. Somehow, she even managed to notice the unfinished header to a letter. Thinking back to Twilight’s little outburst, she just put two and two together.

“Hey, were you writing a letter to the Princess or something when I showed up?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight turned back towards her just as she picked up her own journal. “Hmm? Oh, yes, I was. How’d you know?”

Rainbow motioned towards Spike. “I just saw Spike with that writing stuff and just… guessed, I guess.”

Twilight’s eyes widened slightly, legitimately surprised. “Really? And since when did you notice little things like that?”

Rainbow could only shrug. “I dunno. I just noticed.”

Despite the answer, Twilight still gave Rainbow ‘that’ look. That ‘Twilight’ look that Rainbow seldom liked to see. A slightly furrowed brow, a frown of concentration, and a hoof that stroked her chin in contemplation was a combination that may as well have been a giant red flag. Whatever was on her mind, she was going to bring it up again very soon.

“Well,” Twilight began, “I can only imagine that you want to know what I found out.” When Rainbow nodded, Twilight flipped open the journal with a flash of lavender. She rapidly flipped through numerous pages before coming to a stop on one in particular. The top of the page, written in Twilight’s lovely cursive, was ‘Side Effects and Treatments’. “From the looks of it, you won’t have anything to worry about.”

Rainbow touched down next to Twilight’s desk, looking down at the journal herself. “Really?”

Twilight nodded. “Look here.” She pointed at a specific paragraph on the page. “According to this, the major side effects, such as hallucinations, don’t even begin to kick in until after prolonged or frequent use. You’ve only used it once, and for a short amount of time at that, so the least you should get is a bit of a headache.”

A relieved sigh left Rainbow’s muzzle. In fact, if she grew any more relaxed, she could’ve melted through the floor. “Whew, that’s a relief. For a second there, I actually thought—” But just as quickly as it came, her relief was replaced with a sharp pang of worry. “Wait, the least I should get is a headache? What’s the most, then?”

Twilight tapped a hoof on her chin as she put together what she wanted to say. “Well, it wasn’t covered in much detail, but from what I was able to gather, certain things have a tendency to ‘carry over’ from the memories into the real world.”

And just like that, all of Rainbow’s initial relief disappeared under a wave of anxiety, and Twilight’s vagueness wasn’t helping much in that matter. “Hold on, hold on. What do you mean, ‘carry over’?”

“Um, how do I explain this?” Twilight mumbled, tapping her forehead. Her mouth curled into a small frown as she tried to figure out how to word it. “You see, with the way that these candles function, your mind essentially becomes one with the mind of your ancestor. For as long as the spell lasts, you two are basically the same pony, for lack of better terms. Are you still with me?”

It wasn’t every day when Rainbow was interested in one of Twilight’s lectures, and even less so when she was enthralled by one. All she did—all she could do—was slowly nod, prompting Twilight to continue.

“Well, because of that ‘melding of the minds’, so to speak, even when the subject comes out of the spell, certain characteristics from the ancestor still linger in their subconscious as though they’ve always been there. These characteristics can range from likes and dislikes, to overall personality, and even to certain skills.”

That last one made Rainbow’s ears involuntarily twitch out of interest. “Certain skills?” she repeated.

Twilight nodded. “Say, for example, your ancestor was a carpenter. You may come out of the spell knowing how to properly make a table or something.”

As interested as Rainbow was, she still couldn’t keep herself from rolling her eyes. It was almost instinctual, that reaction. “Gee, Twi. Use a more boring example, why don’t ya?”

She hardly seemed bothered by the glare she received from Twilight. But instead of scolding the pegasus, Twilight calmed down with a quick sigh. “Do you still get my point?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Rainbow answered, shrugging. “But I don’t feel all that different.”

“In all fairness, we don’t know for sure. Aside from fighting and killing, we don’t really know anything about your ancestor as far as personality goes. We could probably draw a few logical conclusions based on her skill, but that won’t yield much without another session and—”

“Well, if you think I’m going back in there, you’re just as crazy as she was,” Rainbow chided.

Twilight snapped out of her little bookworm stupor and tried to play it off with a small chuckle. “Sorry, sorry! I was just thinking out loud.”

“Again,” Rainbow muttered with another roll of the eyes.

“But did I answer your questions?” Twilight asked.

“I think. Maybe. I guess.”

“Maybe Celestia can give us some deeper details,” Twilight suggested. “I was writing a letter to her, after all.”

Rainbow nonchalantly waved a hoof. “Yeah, yeah. I guess that’s not such a bad idea.”

Looking back at her young assistant, Twilight cleared her throat. “Spike,” she called.

Spike was already positioned to write. “Go ahead.”

If there was ever a visual representation of serenity, it would be the scene playing out before Celestia’s eyes. She and her sister sat on Celestia’s balcony, overlooking the glorious, green expanse below.

The two alicorns relaxed in blissful silence, occasionally munching on their breakfast. It wasn’t some overblown, fancy feast prepared by a small village’s worth of chef’s. It wasn’t even something more common such as hash browns and a simple salad. No, it was simply a bowl of oats cooked by Luna, seasoned by Luna, and served by Luna. And it was delicious.

It only went to serve a point that Celestia always believed: a large, festive buffet fit for royalty always paled in comparison to the simplicity of enjoying a quiet breakfast with a loved one. She could hardly even recall the last time she enjoyed a quiet meal with Luna; it had to have been upwards to a few years ago, in a situation very similar to this one. Where did the time go?

“Simply divine, is it not?” Luna asked, finally breaking the silence.

Celestia swallowed another mouthful of oats, a warm, content smile on her face. “Yes, Equestria does look breath-taking at this time of day.” Though Celestia always enjoyed hearing her sister laugh, she couldn’t help but curl her mouth into a confused frown as she heard a teasing giggle from Luna.

“No, dear sister. I was referring to my oats,” Luna clarified.

It was Celestia’s turn to giggle. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised by her sister’s little remark. “Yes, Luna. This breakfast is amazing as well. The seasoning, I especially like. There’s something… nostalgic about it.”

“I am glad that you feel that way. I based the recipe off of one from our foalhood.”

Celestia took in another spoonful of oats, letting the food rest on her tongue for a moment, noting each individual flavor. Finally, she swallowed it down. “Hmm. Now that you mention it, I do recognize some of the ingredients; even a bit of spice. Is that… Is that dragon root?”

Luna nodded. “Indeed it is. Plucked fresh from the draconic valleys themselves.”

Celestia raised a playful eyebrow. “I suppose that explains the scorch marks a few weeks back?” Luna’s sheepish chuckle and grin was more than enough of an answer. “Regardless, it is an exquisite dish for something as simple as oats.”

“See? Your dear sister still knows how to cook.”

“And without burning the kitchen down,” Celestia added, a teasing smirk on her face. “Very impressive.”

Luna shot up to her hooves, her azure cheeks flushing a faint crimson. “That only happened once!”

“For a very silly reason.”

“It was not my fault! The logic was infallible,” Luna argued. “If it takes thirty minutes to bake a cake at three-hundred fifty degrees, then it should only take five minutes to cook it at twenty-one hundred degrees!”

Celestia could do little more than sigh at her sister’s ‘infallible’ logic. “And this is why mother never let us in the kitchen,” she muttered.

Before Luna could offer any further examples of her cooking prowess, a sheet of parchment appeared before Celestia in a flash of green fire. The princess raised an interested eyebrow as she caught the scroll in her magic.

Luna’s mouth curled into a small smirk as Celestia unfurled the letter. “Interesting. I wonder what ‘Tia’s young student has to say this time.”

“I’m rather interested myself. It is rather early, even for Twilight,” Celestia said, reading through the letter. “Perhaps it’s another friendship report.”

“Or,” Luna spoke up, “if it is anything like before, she is likely panicking over some errant apostrophe.” She placed a hoof over her mouth, stifling a small chuckle.

Celestia, however, had nothing to say in return; she just sat there, reading over the letter, her face completely blank.

“Well?” Luna asked. “Am I, as they say, on the money?”

Celestia didn’t respond. She scarcely even moved. Her eyes were the only things that moved as they read over the letter again and again.

As she stared at her sister, Luna’s soft smile gave way to a concerned frown. Something was clearly wrong; Celestia’s face said it all. Luna could only hazard a guess that it had something to do with that letter. "Is something bothering you?” she asked.

Again, no response. Celestia’s brow furrowed ever so slightly as she scanned over the letter yet again.

Luna, growing more worried by the second, stood up. “Sister, what is it?” Finally, Celestia rolled the letter back up before getting up onto her hooves. Judging from her face, though, Luna could tell that something was still wrong.

Without so much as a goodbye, Celestia turned and walked back into her bedroom. “Celestia!” Luna called. The white alicorn didn’t slow for an instance as she walked up to her bookshelf.

“Luna, I appreciate the breakfast,” she said, “but I must leave. Now.” She took down a single white book and placed it underneath the folds of her wings.

Luna came inside as well, looking more confused than ever. “But I do not understand. What is happening?”

Celestia turned back towards her sister. “I promise that I will explain later, but time is of the essence.” Before Luna could say anything else, Celestia disappeared in a magnificent flash of blinding light. When it cleared, Luna was alone once again.

Though Spike had not been alive for a particularly long amount of time, he had seen enough to know when it was best to simply sit back and let nature run its course. That way of thinking became invaluable during his time under Twilight’s roof.

After living with her for such a long time, certain patterns and signs became apparent. The occasional eye twitch, a few errant strands of mane, and that crazy look in the eye were all signs that Twilight had crossed the fine line between manageable and completely off her rocker. Funnily enough, it almost always happened whenever Celestia was involved, specifically letters to Celestia.

Heavens forbid that the princess took more than a minute to respond to one of Twilight’s letters, or else the unicorn would think that the world was being torn asunder. Granted, Twilight did make a notable effort to distract herself as she waited, absent-mindedly looking over her various books, or arranging and rearranging her quills. She still managed to keep her cool as the first minute ticked by. By the tenth minute, however, Twilight was practically bathing in nervous sweat.

“Oh, I hope everything goes well,” she muttered, pacing back and forth across the library. “What if Celestia hid the candles on purpose? What’ll she do now that I’ve found them? What if she banishes me? Oh, I should’ve thought this through more.”

As Twilight systematically destroyed any composure that she had, Rainbow and Spike just stood on the sidelines, faces flat and unamused. “And now she’s talking to herself,” Rainbow said.

Spike simply nodded his head. “Mhmm.”

“What if she didn’t even get it?” Twilight asked. “Spike! You didn’t send the letter to the wrong princess, did you?”

Spike slowly shut his eyes and pinched his nose. It was a question that he heard more times than he’d like to admit. “No. No, I didn’t. Just relax. She’ll write back eventually. And stop pacing! You’re making a rut in the floor.”

“What?” Twilight looked at her floor, and sure enough, her frantic pacing had eaten up at least a few centimeters of the hardwood. Spike was right. She wasn’t going to do anypony any favors if she couldn’t even keep her head on straight. She released all of her stress, all of her anxiety, in a single, calming sigh. She even chuckled a bit, awkward as it was. “I guess I am overreacting a bit, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, that’s not an understatement,” Rainbow muttered, rolling her eyes.

If Twilight had heard her, she didn’t show it. She was too busy scanning the wasteland of broken quills and crumpled parchment that used to be her library floor. “Ugh, look at this mess. Spike, can you get me the broom?”

“Gotcha.” Without another word, Spike walked off to the kitchen. “At least I’m not the one cleaning it up.”

That left only Rainbow as she watched Twilight tidy the place up in a much calmer manner than before, placing any and all discarded trash in a neat, little pile.

Rainbow let out a small cough just to break the quiet monotony. “So… you calm now?” she asked.

Twilight picked up her journal before trotting back to her desk. “Yes.”

“Not gonna freak out or anything?”

Twilight couldn’t keep from rolling her eyes as she placed her journal within the safety of her desk’s drawers. “No.”

Rainbow slowly glided towards the desk herself. She didn’t really need to say that she didn’t believe the unicorn; the suspecting look she gave Twilight did a fine job at that. “You sure?”

Whether or not Twilight meant to slam the drawer shut as hard as she did, she didn’t really know herself. What she did know was that Rainbow’s stream of questions was doing nothing to help her anxiety. “Yes, Rainbow, I’m sure.” She took a quick, deep breath to compose herself before putting on a friendly smile. “Don’t worry. I’m calm, and it’s going to stay that way once Celestia writes back.”

A less-than-pleasant belch rang from the kitchen. That meant one of two things. Either Spike got into the sparkling cider again, or—

“Celestia wrote back!” Spike called, coming out of the kitchen, scroll in hand. He didn’t take two steps into the room before a lavender aura wrapped around the scroll. Before Spike knew it, the scroll went flying towards Twilight… with him still holding on to it.

For the longest time, he dangled in front of Twilight, the annoyance in his face doing more justice than any number of words could. Rainbow’s failed attempts to stifle her chuckles didn’t help matters, either. As for Twilight, all do could do was awkwardly chuckle out a quick, “Sorry,” before Spike dropped back to the ground.

As he stomped back off to the kitchen for that broom, Twilight quickly unfurled the letter and tore her eyes across the parchment.

My Most Faithful Student,
You have my utmost appreciation for bringing this to my attention. Having such things remain accessible to the public could’ve proven disastrous for Equestria. However, I can’t help but feel that this all goes far deeper than any of us would initially think, and I doubt that mere letter exchanges will allow us to fully uncover this. Therefore, I shall be visiting you momentarily. I apologize for doing this at such short notice, but this is not something that I would like to take risks with. I will be seeing you shortly.

Your Mentor,
Celestia

Rainbow Dash stood idly by as Twilight read through the letter, distracting herself with a few floating specks of dust. She probably could’ve read something, but the dust was doing a perfectly fine job at the moment. It was enough to get her past the first few seconds, but then thirty seconds passed. Then a minute. Then five more. Needless to say, dust wasn’t going to keep Rainbow distracted for six minutes.

As the seconds continued to tick by, Twilight didn’t make the slightest movement, not even the slightest sound. Rainbow, always the patient pony, walked over to her and prodded Twilight’s side. “Hey, Twi. You awake?” No response. In all fairness, Rainbow wasn’t even surprised. She waved a hoof in front of the unicorn’s face. “Hey! Wakey-wakey!” Still nothing.

“Just give her a minute,” Spike said, leaning against the wall, broom and dustpan next to him.

Rainbow snapped her attention towards the casual dragon. “She had, like, six!” she snapped.

Spike could only shrug. “Eh, what can ya do?”

And with an aggravated sigh from Rainbow, their little back-and-forth came to an end. But just as she started back towards the desk, she heard teeny tiny squeak leave Twilight’s muzzle. If Rainbow hadn’t practiced picking up Fluttershy’s inaudible whispers, she might’ve missed it. Regardless, she snapped right back to Twilight’s side.

“What was that?” Rainbow asked, straining her ears to pick up any more mumbles.

“Momentarily,” Twilight croaked.

Rainbow wasn’t entirely sure if she had missed something else or if that was all that Twilight said. “You’re losing me, Twi. Momentarily… what?” she asked, trying to coax something out.

“Celestia’s going to be here momentarily.” The terrified tone in Twilight’s voice betrayed the very forced smile on her face, as well as the small chuckle that quickly followed. “Sh-she’s going to be here… any minute.” Twilight’s right eye twitched ever so slightly.

Spike could do little more than pinch his nose. Nothing good ever came from an eye twitch, especially from Twilight. “She’s getting that look again.”

“So much for staying calm,” Rainbow said.

For the first time in seven minutes, Twilight looked up from the letter. “Any minute,” she said again. Her eyes scanned over the mess in her library, agonizing over every, little detail. Each and every puddle of ink, discarded sheet of parchment, and errant pile of dust was just another arrow that pierced fear right into her heart.

“And this place is still a mess.” Another twitch. In all honesty, Rainbow had no idea what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t the laughter that left Twilight’s mouth. Laughter that was nothing short of maniacal. “We’ll just have to fix that.”

Rainbow took a single step back from the giggling unicorn. “Uh, Twi? You’re starting to creep me out.” She didn’t get much more out of Twilight aside from the continuing stream of laughter that slowly turned into more of a cackle. “Uh, Spike? Do you know what’s happening?”

“Yep. That’s why I wear this.” When Rainbow looked back at the young dragon, he was fully protected by a metal bucket on his head and two large pillows tied to his chest and back. It didn’t help ease Rainbow’s nerves. “You might wanna hide behind something,” he suggested.

It was a suggestion that Rainbow didn’t have time to take.

Hmm. Perhaps I should’ve announced that I was coming here first. Though Celestia was a paragon of planning ahead, in her haste to reach Twilight’s house as quickly as possible, she forgot how ponies tended to react to her visits. It was something that she was quickly reminded of when the usually bustling town of Ponyville went dead still at the very sight of her carriage as it landed in town square. And that was saying nothing of the reaction as she stepped out.

The moment that a square inch of her right foreleg left the carriage, every pony in the area, regardless of what they were doing, bowed down. A few waiters at nearby restaurants even spilled trays of food as they bowed. It was either dedicated devotion or blind obedience. Regardless, it was a sight that wasn’t going to end unless she did something about it.

“Rise, my subjects!” All of the surrounding ponies did so in absolute sync. “I understand that my presence here is unexpected, but know that my being here bears no bad news. There are no incidents involving Discord, changelings, or parasprites.” Despite that announcement, her subjects kept their eyes glued on her. In fact, most were leaning their heads in, as if they were expecting something else. Whether or not it was necessarily a good thing, Celestia knew exactly what they were expecting. With a begrudging sigh, she just came out with it. “Or cake.”

A collective sigh of relief washed through the entire crowd before they went about their usual business. Celestia could only roll her eyes. Accursed tabloids.

She turned back towards her carriage. “You may return to Canterlot. I believe I can handle things from here.” Her guards didn’t hesitate for a moment before taking to the sky again. That only left the relatively simple task of tracking down Twilight, a task that was made even simpler by the large amounts of noise coming from the library.

Celestia chuckled to herself as she approached the library. She must be doing some last-minute cleaning again.

She knocked on the front door once the noise seemed to have died down.

“She’s here!” a muffled voice cried, undeniably Twilight’s.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Watch where you throw that!”

One more loud crash emanated from the library before the sound of hoofbeats grew closer to the door. “Coming!” Twilight cried.

The front door swung open, showing a rather exhausted Twilight and a genuinely terrified Rainbow Dash. “Hello, Princess Celestia,” Twilight greeted.

Celestia smiled down at the two. “Hello, you two. Did I miss anything?”

“Oh, no. Just some… cleaning, is all.”

“Never again,” Rainbow muttered.

“Come now, Twilight. You know that I wouldn’t have minded a small mess.”

Twilight stepped out of the way, allowing the princess to enter her home. “I know,” she admitted, “but things feel different somehow.” Twilight grabbed the box of candles in her magic and brought it over to her. “I mean, this isn’t something that ponies find every day. These artifacts are hundreds of years old, and were created under your order. I just have so many questions! This is so exciting!”

A gracious laugh left Celestia’s muzzle as she sat down next to Twilight. Seeing her young student so excited was always an enjoyable sight to see. “Yes, I can’t blame you. I myself wasn’t expecting such a… sudden development such as this. I always believed that these items were either destroyed or lost forever.”

“Well, these were hidden in the basement walls,” Twilight said. “Whoever had them before didn’t want anypony else finding them, but why?”

Celestia took the box from Twilight, wrapping it in her own golden glow.

“So, what’s the big deal with those things anyway?” Rainbow asked, hovering next to the two. “Sounds like a lot of trouble just to hide a few magic candles.”

Celestia analyzed the box with scrutinizing focus, looking over every little detail as though she was deciding if it was the real thing or not. Her expression didn’t falter. She didn’t show a hint of emotion, not even for an instant. No interest. No worry. Nothing.

Neither Twilight nor Rainbow were even sure if the princess heard them, but they weren’t about to say anything. After an agonizingly long few seconds, Celestia slowly, almost nervously, opened the box. And there they were. The items that she herself had nearly forgotten about. The items that filled her heart with both hope and fear. The items that could very well determine the fate of Equestria. They were right there in her grasp. After so many years of waiting, her search could finally continue.

“Princess Celestia?”

Celestia snapped out of her small stupor long enough to look down at her young student. “Yes, Twilight?”

“Are you okay? It looked like we lost you for a moment there.”

Celestia took one more glance at the candles before shutting the box and setting it aside. “My apologies. I just… I never imagined that I would actually see the day when I lay eyes on such things yet again.”

Twilight and Rainbow shared a quick glance with each other. “Speaking of which,” Twilight began, “Rainbow did ask a pretty good question. Why did you have these candles made, and why would somepony want to hide them?”

Celestia softly sighed to herself. “As I’ve stated in my letter, these are no ordinary candles. You see, they have a very special function. They allow—"

“Allow access to the memories of the subject’s ancestors via their DNA,” Twilight finished, sounding no different than a filly answering a teacher’s question.

The sudden, and correct, answer left Celestia momentarily speechless. “Well… yes,” she finally said. “But how did you know?”

Twilight brought over both the experiment notes and her own journal over to them. “I found this in there with the candles.” She gave Celestia the old, dusty journal, placing her own back on the desk. “I had trouble reading the language that it was written in, so I translated it myself. I just sort of figured things out as I went along.”

Celestia flipped through the journal, not so much reading it, but rather glancing over the pages. “I see.”

“It probably helped that I saw the candles in action up close, too,” Twilight added. Now, against her better judgment, she had a bit of a habit of predicting the reactions of others. Perhaps it was a part of her analytical nature, or maybe she simply enjoyed always being one step ahead. Either way, she simply couldn’t help herself, not even with the princess.

At that particular moment, Twilight expected something along the lines of a small nod or even an encouraging comment. What she did not expect was for Celestia to stop reading mid-page and slowly bring her eyes up to meet Twilight’s. The gaze alone made the unicorn shrink into her pillow, but the undeniable, unnerving, and downright terrifying seriousness behind that gaze had her shaking in her seat. It was an expression that she rarely saw, and when she did, it was never under good circumstances.

Slowly, Celestia placed the journal down before standing back up, towering over Twilight, staring down at her with those same, intimidating eyes. “You saw the candle’s effects with your very eyes?” she asked, voice low and somber.

It took Twilight a moment, but she was eventually able to determine the niggling feeling brewing in her stomach. It was regret. Through the crippling anxiety, she finally managed to find her voice, weak and shaky as it was. “Y-yes,” she answered.

“And who did it affect?”

Rainbow Dash quickly touched down next to Twilight. “That’d be where I come in.”

Celestia’s gaze immediately shifted over to the pegasus, eyebrow slightly raised. “It was you?”

Either Rainbow didn’t look Celestia directly in the eye or she had nerves of steel, but she didn’t shrink back in the slightest. “Uh-huh. And let me tell ya, it was all kinds of freaky.” She shivered a bit just from remembering it all. “Yeah, not fun.”

In another instance of Twilight mispredicting a pony’s reaction, Celestia took a single step towards Rainbow. Twilight could hardly believe it herself, but there was a strange glint in Celestia’s eyes. One of pleading.

“What did you see?” Celestia asked. “Can you remember?”

Twilight was speechless. There was desperation behind the princess’ voice, as though she was grasping at straws, worried that something was about to be lost to her forever.

Rainbow, on the other end, wasn’t as perceptive. She was more concerned with having to explain the things that she saw to the princess of all ponies. It shouldn’t have been that difficult, seeing as how Celestia was probably alive during that time, but something about explaining it all just didn’t bode well with the pegasus. She wanted to just get it all out and over with, but the words kept catching in her throat, as though they simply refused to be spoken.

Unfortunately, time to compose herself wasn’t a luxury that she had. Celestia took another step forward, growing strangely restless. “Rainbow, please. I understand what you saw may not have been pleasant, but you must tell me.”

Even with Celestia’s insistence, Rainbow still had difficulty finding the will to speak. It was something that she had put a lot of time and effort into forgetting about, and now she had to recount it all again. Granted, it wouldn’t have been the first time she had to muscle through something that she really didn’t want to do, but this all felt different. It wasn’t eat-your-dandelions levels. It wasn’t even pose-in-Rarity’s-dresses levels. It was on another tier entirely. But it was still something that she had to do.

She took a deep breath, finally finding her voice. “Well, I didn’t really see much. I don’t even know what city I—er, she—was in. I did see a bunch of guards, though. A lot more than I ever see today, even in Canterlot. But here’s the weird thing. I couldn’t recognize their armor. They didn’t look like your guards, or even Luna’s guards.”

Celestia became noticeably calmer in her posture. “I see. Did anything else happen?”

Rainbow’s head drooped down as the memories she tried so hard to forget came rushing back into her mind. She kept her eyes on the floor. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the princess, not with what she was about to say. “Yeah. Then I—I mean, she—killed them.” Rainbow had no idea what to expect after that. The unnerving silence that followed certainly didn’t help in the slightest.

After several, agonizing seconds, Rainbow, against her better judgment, snuck a glance up at the princess. Celestia showed nothing. No disgust. No concern. No worry. Completely emotionless. Rainbow didn’t know if that was better or worse.

“I see,” she finally said. It wasn’t anything that Rainbow or Twilight thought she’d say, but they weren’t about to complain. But just as the tension in the air began to lessen, Celestia added something else. “Is that all?”

What?! I just told you that my ancestor killed ponies, and that’s what you have to say? That was what Rainbow wanted to say. Unfortunately, it instead came out as a serious of unintelligible spurts and babbling. A shame, too. It sounded pretty intimidating in her head.

Fortunately, Twilight took control of the conversation. “Um, Princess Celestia?” she called, recapturing the princess’ attention. “Is something bothering you?” It wasn’t necessarily what Rainbow would’ve said, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

After a moment’s pause, Celestia nodded. “I would be lying if I said no.”

“What is it?” Twilight asked. “Can we help at all?”

“Perhaps.”

“It’s got something to do with those candles, right?” Rainbow asked.

Celestia nodded once again. “Yes, and I will explain their significance in due time. But…” Celestia approached a nearby window. Gently easing back the curtains, she peered outside.

At first glance, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary, simply ponies walking by, going about their daily lives. But there was a niggling sense of paranoia itching in Celestia’s mind. If what she suspected of happening was actually true, then she needed to ensure that they weren’t there as well. After a scant few seconds, she found them.

Gathered only a few dozen meters from the library was a small group of ponies. To any unsuspecting passerby, they didn’t seem like much; some chatted with each other, other simply relaxed and took in the peace around them. Celestia, however, knew better.

One of those ponies, a young, blue stallion rested on a bench near the library. His eyes scanned over a book floating in his red aura, hardly concerned with anything else around him.

Celestia’s scrutinizing gaze threatened to bore a hole through the stallion’s very being. It may have just been a hunch, but it was a very strong one, and Celestia was very rarely wrong when it came to her judgments.

Sure enough, after a few seconds, the stallion snuck the quickest of glances towards the library. Towards Celestia. It was practically invisible to the untrained eye, but it wasn’t enough to escape Celestia’s gaze. It was all that she needed to see.

Slowly, she shut the curtains and turned back towards Twilight and Rainbow. “We cannot discuss it here,” she said. “It isn’t safe.”

Twilight, always the curious one, took a tentative step forward. “What do you mean?

“I’ll explain later.” Celestia quickly wrapped her horn in a golden yellow aura. “For now, get close to me, both of you.”

Twilight and Rainbow shared another nervous glance before stepping towards the princess. As they did, they felt a familiar tingling sensation as Celestia’s magic enveloped their bodies. In an instant, the three disappeared in a flash of light. Outside, nopony seemed to have noticed the flash, save for one.

From his book, the blue stallion ever so slightly directed his attention towards the library. There was no more talking. No more movement. The place was empty. They were gone, and Celestia was responsible. All of this time that passed, and she was still no less wary of them. That was bound to prove troublesome. Regardless, they couldn’t allow that to stop them, not while they had other matters to attend to.

He switched his focus towards a pair of chatting pegasi in front of him. The moment he did, they ceased their little talk. He nodded his head, a signal that prompted the two to fly off into the sky.

As for the stallion, he gently placed his book back in his saddlebags before getting off of the bench. After one quick glance around his environment, he made a beeline for the library.

Little did he know, he failed to notice one other pony watching him from afar. A pink mare with a dull white mane observed the stallion as he entered the library.

Hmph. So they’re finally making their move,she thought. Excellent. Just when I thought things were about to get boring.

Now, she just needed to wait.

Celestia, Rainbow, and Twilight reappeared in the safe confines of Celestia’s bedroom. While Twilight and Rainbow took a moment to regain their bearings, Celestia simply used her moment of peace to breathe a relieved sigh. “Good. It should be safe here,” she said.

Twilight was quick to regain her senses. She looked over at Celestia as the princess walked over to one of her bookshelves. “What do you mean ‘safe’?” she asked. “What’s happening here?”

As Celestia made her way to the bookshelf, something on her desk caught her eye. Her unfinished bowl of oats sat atop it, accompanied by a note leaning against the porcelain.

It would be a shame to let these go to waste. And, ‘Tia, if something is bothering you, please let me know. Perhaps I can be of assistance.

-Luna

A tiny smile graced Celestia’s face for a second before returning to its stalwart expression. “All of this goes far deeper than either of you could imagine,” she said, stopping in front of the bookshelf. “Especially for you, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow, naturally, raised a confused eyebrow. “Yeah, you lost me.”

A calm sigh left Celestia’s muzzle as she took down a blank, white, leather-bound book. “While it is true that these candles allow access to otherwise inaccessible memories, they don’t work on just anypony.” Celestia shifted attention over to the ancient, wooden box lying next to Twilight. “They target ponies with one, specific set of genes. Or, to put in simpler terms, these candles only work on the blood relatives of one family.”

Twilight felt a small chill run down her spine, and she wasn’t even the one Celestia was necessarily talking to. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what must’ve been running through Rainbow mind at that moment. The pegasus had already gone through something that she wouldn’t wish on her worst of enemies, and now she just learned that it was designed to target her. Her family.

Twilight slowly took a sideways glance at her friend. Rainbow’s face wasn’t too overtly shocked or terrified. A slightly opened mouth and slightly widened eyes; the look of a pony trying to process what they had just heard. As the words sunk in, her eyes and mouth only grew wider until, finally, realization struck.

“So, you’re saying that those freaky candles only work on my family?” Her tone was surprisingly calm, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing in Twilight’s eyes.

Celestia slowly shut her eyes as she nodded. Twilight caught Rainbow sneak a glance at the box beside her, her eyes filled with caution. However, instead of sweating or gulping down a lump of fear or anxiety, Rainbow only nodded. More to herself than anything else.

“So… why?” was all that Rainbow asked.

Celestia snapped back up at the pegasus, caught off guard by the sudden, and rather vague question. “Hmm? Why what?”

Rainbow stared the princess dead in the eye with a seriousness that Twilight rarely ever saw in her. “Why me? Why my family? Why even have those stupid candles made in the first place? There’s a question you didn’t answer yet!”

Both Twilight and Celestia only stood there, shocked by Rainbow’s passionate questioning of the princess’ admittedly questionable actions. It was something that Celestia seemed to be expecting, however. She walked back over to the two, the white book floating by her side.

“Your ancestors are more important to the future of Equestria than you may believe, Rainbow Dash.” She took a seat on one of her lush cushions, inviting Rainbow and Twilight to do the same. As they settled down, she continued. “It is no coincidence that you saw the memories that you did. The candles not only target ponies of a specific bloodline, but activate specific memories as well. As for why I had them created? Well, I need to know things that only your ancestors did in order to… find something.”

Twilight gulped down her growing anxiety as that ominous tone crawled into Celestia’s voice. “Find what?”

Celestia breath a tired, solemn sigh. “Tell me,” she began, “have either of you heard of the Pieces of Equestria?”

If Rainbow cocked her head any harder to the side, it would’ve popped right off of her shoulder. “The piece-a-what?”

“I suppose that’s a no.” Celestia turned her focus towards her young student. “What about you, Twilight?”

Twilight went through every mental textbook in her head. All of her history lessons, all of her history studies and experiments, yet nothing came back that was even remotely related to these ‘Pieces of Equestria’. Dejected, she could only shake her head. “Sorry, princess, but I haven’t heard of them, either.”

Despite her student’s disappointment, Celestia still put on a smile. “It is quite alright. It’s nothing to feel ashamed of, young Twilight. These items are virtually unknown to all save my sister and I. We have ensured that they were forgotten from history, and for very good reason.” Celestia could tell just from Twilight and Rainbow’s faces that they wanted to know more. “These items are second in power only to the Elements of Harmony. If anypony ever came in possession of one, it could spell absolute disaster for all of Equestria.”

The tension in the room weighed Twilight and Rainbow down like bricks. Thankfully, Celestia was quick to alleviate it.

“Thankfully, I have them in my custody and ensured that no one will be able to find them.” No sooner did Twilight and Rainbow heave a relieved sigh did Celestia drop another bomb. “Unfortunately, there is still one that continues to elude me.” And just like that, the bricks of tension came crashing back down.

Celestia to the white book from under her wings and held it before the two mares. She quickly flipped to a specific page. “This is that item.” She lowered it for the two of them to see. It was simply a multitude of pictures of a very peculiar object simply referred to as ‘The Apple’.

It was a perfectly spherical ball crafted from the finest gold that Twilight had ever seen. The strange engravings wrapping around its surface only further piqued her interest. Simply looking at it filled her with some type of hypnotic wonder.

Rainbow, however, couldn’t say that she was filled with the same odd wonder. As she stared at the pictures, a sense of nostalgia washed over her, like she was observing pictures of an old relative. That nostalgia was quickly washed away when a splitting headache tore right through her skull. The pegasus cried out, clutching at her head as she grew dazed, the world spinning around her.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight cried, helping the pegasus stay on her hooves. Rainbow clutched at her head with both front hooves, holding back cries of pain as red-arrows pierced into her skull. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was some of the longest that she ever had to endure. “Are you okay?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow took a moment to rub her still aching head. “Ow. Yeah, I think so. What the hay was that all about?”

“Side effects of the candle, perhaps?” Celestia suggested.

Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin as she thought on that. “Oh, right. The journal did mention headaches as one of the more common ones. But I think it said the stronger ones don’t occur without some kind of stimulation. Rainbow, did something just happen?”

Rainbow shook the lingering pain out of her head before looking back down at the book. “Yeah. That ‘Apple’ thing. It looks… familiar, but I never saw the thing before.”

“But perhaps your ancestor did,” Celestia interjected.

“Right. And I’m just gonna go out on a limb here and say that’s why you need me.”

Celestia nodded. “Only your ancestors know of this piece’s whereabouts. Only through them, through you, will I be able to find it before anyone else does. You are a crucial part of this, Rainbow Dash. I understand that you may not want to, and I will not force you to, but know that it will be for the betterment of Equestria.”

Despite her claims, Rainbow couldn’t help but narrow her eyes. “You’re saying that you won’t force me, but you want me to do it anyway, don’t you?”

“I dislike forcing anyone to do anything. Growing up, I’ve learned that choice is what shapes a pony’s identity. If you wish to learn what a pony is truly like, then give them the freedom of choice. So, I give you this choice, Rainbow Dash.” With a burst of magic, Celestia flung open the door to her balcony. “You can choose to leave now and continue your life in blissful ignorance, or you can help me ensure Equestria’s safety for the millennia to come.”

At face value, the choice seemed obvious, but the more Rainbow thought on it, the more hesitant she became. Her mind not only drifted back to the horrors she saw, but also to the things Twilight told her. The ‘side effects’. She already got a healthy dose of one, she didn’t want to think of anything else that could happen. The very thought of becoming anything like that murderer she had to call an ancestor made her want to leave right there.

At the same time, she couldn’t just pretend that none of this ever happened. If what Celestia said was true, then anything that came afterwards would be on her hooves. She wasn’t going to like it, but she knew what she had to do. “Fine,” she muttered.

Celestia’s ears perked up at the announcement. “You’ll do it?” she asked, genuine surprise in her voice.

“Rainbow, are you sure?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow nodded, albeit begrudgingly. “Yeah, I’m sure. If all of this Piece-of-whatever thing is true, then I can’t just turn my back on Equestria, can I? That’d be totally uncool of me.”

It didn’t take a lot to see that Rainbow was worried, but that didn’t stop Twilight from cracking a reassuring smile. Celestia got up from her seat and approached the pegasus. “Mere words cannot describe the gratitude that I feel.”

Rainbow simply shrugged, trying her best to keep it nice and cool. “Yeah, well, it’s not like I could’ve said no. Like I said, uncool.” Rainbow’s confident smile gave way to a nervous frown as she glanced down at the candles. “So, I guess we start now?” she asked, her voice laden with worry.

Celestia seemed a tad nervous herself. “It would be best, yes, though I understand your hesitation.”

An awkward chuckle left Rainbow’s muzzle. “Hesitation,” she muttered. “There’s a nice way of putting it.” She looked over at Twilight. “You gonna stay here?”

Twilight looked down at the white book. “I was actually thinking about reading up on these ‘Pieces’. I may be able to find something that might help us.”

“Well, the castle library is always available to you, Twilight,” Celestia said, much to her student’s beaming delight.

Rainbow, however, simple rolled her eyes. “Figures. I get mind probed by a lousy candle, and you get to play in your books.” She received a light nudge from Twilight before the unicorn picked up the white book.

“Princess Celestia. She’ll be okay, right?”

“Rest assured, I will ensure that no harm comes to her.”

Twilight gave the two one last smile before trotting out of the bedroom. Before Rainbow could even look back at Celestia, the princess was already preparing the next candle, placing it firmly in a candle holder on her desk.

“So, how is this gonna work?” Rainbow asked.

“From past experiences, I’ve learned that I can’t simply jump to certain memories. The mind needs time to properly construct the later memories as we travel through the earlier ones. As a result, we may have to go through multiple sessions before we find something useful.”

“Oh.” So it was going to take a while. Needless to say, that wasn’t what Rainbow wanted to hear. “And the sessions? How long are those gonna be?”

“The candles themselves can burn for hours. However, due to the rather severe side effects from prolonged exposure, sessions only lasted for thirty minutes, an hour at the very most.”

If second thoughts were only creeping into Rainbow’s mind before, then they were kicking down her mental door at this point.

Celestia was quick to catch on to that and gave her a calm, reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. With this being your first time, this session will be shorter. Say, five minutes? During that time, I will make sure that nothing happens to you.”

Rainbow gulped down the lump of anxiety building in her throat. “Right. Thanks.”

With the candle firmly in place, Celestia stood aside. “Are you ready?”

Rainbow sat down in front of the candle, much to the protest of every instinct in her body. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Celestia only nodded before channeling magic into her horn. As the candle’s wick sizzled and burned, every fiber of Rainbow’s being was telling—demanding—her to turn tail. The memories from last night came rushing back into her mind, every scarring detail still crystal clear. The oppression, the violence, the death, was it something that she wanted to experience again? No. Did she wish that things were different? Absolutely. Was she going to run away to save her own skin? Not a snowball’s chance on the sun.

As the green, serpentine flame dug into Rainbow’s mind, sifting its way through very DNA, Celestia could only stand by and mutter a single sentence.

“Thank you, Rainbow Dash.”

3: Reliving the Past

The overwhelming aroma of burning incense filled the mare’s nostrils as she entered the building acting as her informant's bureau. The building itself was disguised as a humble antique's shop, a way to avert any wary eyes, and it certainly had the feel of one.

Smooth, polished wood covered every square inch of the building’s interior. Overhead lanterns kept the room lit with a dull, orange glow. Tables and shelves full of various knickknacks such as books and statuettes, all coated with a fine layer of dust, lined the walls. And to complete the look, a haze of smoke lingered all throughout the shop, thanks to the abundance of incense sitting atop every single shelf in the store.

Thankfully, activity in the store was virtually nonexistent. After that stunt that she pulled at the execution, most ponies were probably cooped up inside the safety of their homes. Well, the ones who had homes were, at least. Given the state that Manehattan was in, most ponies were probably hiding in their favorite, obscure alley somewhere. Regardless, it gave Shadow some quiet time, and even though all of the incense smoke was giving her a headache, it was better than dealing with a shop full of talky ponies.

Ahead of her was a counter lined with more of the same novelties that littered the store shelves. There was also more incense, much to her annoyance. Because there obviously wasn't enough. Honestly, there needed to be some sort of law limiting how many of the accursed things a single building could hold. With all of the wood in the place, it was a miracle it hadn't burned down yet, but she was just getting distracted.

Behind the counter was a stallion, the same one who gave her that task in the first place. He didn't look up, or greet her, or anything of the sort. He was far too busy reading a ridiculously large tome to notice anything else.

The mare could've simply waited for him to finish whatever he was reading, but that would've implied that she was patient.

"Ahem."

The stallion’s head snapped up from his book as he slammed it shut, sending up a rather thick cloud of dust. "Shadow Streak! I… I didn't hear you come in," he said, putting on one of the most forced smiles that Shadow had ever seen.

Even then, she could hardly hear him over her own coughs as she batted away the cloud of dust in her face. "Perhaps if you weren't so engrossed in that book, you would be more aware of your surroundings. What in Equestria are you even reading?”

She tried to get a look at the book in question, but the stallion placed a more-than-suspicious hoof over the cover. "It is nothing important, Shadow. Honestly."

Despite his pleas, Shadow kept her eyes on the book. "No, you’ve piqued my curiosity." She tried to get an even closer look, but the shy stallion hid the book behind his counter.

Unfortunately for him, that didn't stop her from catching a glimpse of what seemed to be the outline of a heart. When it finally clicked, Shadow couldn't hold back an amused smile. "Were you reading a romance novel?"

The stallion's eyes darted all about the room, a noticeable sweat trickling down his forehead. "O-of course not! To make such a ridiculous claim!" If he weren't already a deep crimson, Shadow was positive that she'd see him blush in embarrassment. "It was a… a manual on how to manipulate through seduction, yes."

Shadow's smirk only grew. "Of course it was." As much fun as she was having, she came here for a reason other than to torment one of her colleagues, entertaining as it was. "Very well, then. Enough games." The smirk on her face vanished in an instant. "I've done as you asked. The target is dead. Now, it is time for you to fulfill our agreement.”

The sudden change in tone reached the stallion as well. "Of course. Just give me a moment." He reached down and took out another large tome, not that 'romance guide'. He dropped it on his counter with a hefty thud. "You are here for Buckeye, the buffalo merchant, yes?"

Shadow nodded. “What do you know of him?"

"Let me see what I can find." He flipped the tome open and scanned his eyes over the pages. "As his name implies, he is the one responsible for the capture and selling of buffalo throughout Equestria, forcing them to work under whoever pays the most."

Shadow could only shake her head, a faint grimace on her face. “And the public is okay with this?"

"Not at all. Far from it. There has been resistance. Ponies and buffalo alike have rebelled, but unfortunately, it was all for naught. They only added to the number casualties this land faces every day. If this continues, war will certainly break out. We obviously cannot allow that to happen."

"Then it ends today. Where can I begin my search for Buckeye?"

The stallion sat back as he pondered for a moment. "Hmm. The ponies in the poor district have a tendency to hear very interesting things. It would be best if you began there. I'm positive that more than a few will have something to say about him."

Shadow nodded. "Thank you. I will return once I am aware of Buckeye's whereabouts."

The stallion eased back into his seat. "I shall wait here, then."

After another nod, Shadow turned and started for the door. But before she reached it, the stallion felt the need to speak up again.

"And Shadow." Shadow stopping at the door prompted him to continue. "Please, for Equestria's sake, be careful."

Shadow turned her head back towards the stallion. "You simply relax and read your romance story. I shall return soon." She didn't stay long enough to see his reaction, but as she left, she just knew that the stallion shrunk back in embarrassment.

Even though the castle's halls were like a maze, Twilight knew her way to the library like the back of her hoof. After just a few minutes, she found herself standing outside the door leading into what was essentially her playground. Stepping inside, Twilight felt a wave of nostalgia wash right over her.

Before her stood countless shelves filled to the brim with books of all kinds. Spell tomes, historical records, non-fiction, these were all things that made her heart leap with excitement. Just standing in this room brought back so many memories of sleepless nights, where she would absorb vast amounts of knowledge from the countless number of books here. She would’ve loved to do it again, but she needed to get a hold of her emotions; she wasn’t here for herself, she was here for Rainbow Dash. Now she just needed to find the appropriate books.

Though, as much as she hated to admit it, she had little to go on. The most she had was a single, obscure symbol that Celestia herself seemed unfamiliar with. For all Twilight knew, there wouldn’t be a single book in there that could help her. Still, that wasn’t enough reason for her not to try.

Beginning her search, the unicorn levitated several books towards herself, skimming over their titles. Any that weren't relevant to her search were simply placed back on their respective shelves before Twilight grabbed a new one. Any books on things such as Equestrian history or various historical organizations were placed in a neat pile next to her. She went through the process for longer than she cared to admit, looking over book after book.

"No, no, no. Oh, goodness, no. Hmm, you could be interesting."

Twilight was already through the first shelf, and only gathered three books that may not have even discussed what she was looking. For a moment, she paused, breathing a long sigh.

As she continued sifting through the shelf, one book in particular caught her attention. It was a worn, white book. Its cover and pages were tainted a light yellow due to age. The front was faded, but Twilight could make out what seemed to be some type of symbol. When she finally realized what it was, her heart practically leapt up to her throat.

It was the same symbol as the one on the candle box.

She may have finally been onto something. But that wasn't all. Beneath that logo were words. They were faded as well, but Twilight was still able to read them.

“Assassins of the Eclipse.” Yes. She was definitely onto something.

As far as Shadow was concerned, there were only two types of cities in Equestria. The ones that thrived, and the ones that didn't. Cities like Canterlot, with their pristine aesthetics and high-class citizens were obviously in the former. Places like Manehattan, not so much, and although the city as a whole could’ve been considered average at best, its poor district was the quintessential example of a dying city.

Manehattan was a city suffering from a plague, one that went beyond a simple illness. It was plagued by fear, poverty, and death. To those with power, Manehattan was just a training ground, the perfect place for the powerful to vent their frustrations out on the powerless. To them, it was just a city full of noponies that nopony would miss.

Buckeye was among those who treated the weak and poor like playthings, buying entire families, bringing them up as slaves only to sell them to the highest bidders. Any who fought back were killed, and those who didn't were simply sold away to be killed later. With his death, a message would be sent. A message that these ponies have long since been pushed past their limits. They were ready to explode, they just needed a spark. Buckeye's death would more than enough to be that spark.

Shadow just needed to find him.

Luckily for her, traversing the streets was easier than she expected. The ponies either just didn't care, or had the attention span of brain-dead goldfish, because they seemed to have forgotten about what happened just over an hour ago. Even the guards seemed to have turned a blind eye to her. Not that it mattered. That just made things easier for her.

The ponies themselves were no better for wear. Disease ran rampant, and it showed through those who were unable to find the proper treatment. Numerous ponies stumbled through the streets, most suffering from malnutrition, and others already at death's door. Each step they took seemed to drain them of what little energy they had left. There were even a few lying on the cold ground, either already dead, or waiting for its sweet embrace to take them away.

As Shadow walked amongst them in her clean robes and healthy stature, she couldn’t ignore the pang of guilt niggling in her mind. But she couldn't let her emotions cloud her vision. Somewhere amongst these ponies were a select few who knew what she needed to know. It all just came down to finding them.

As she continued down the street, an old stallion slumped on the side of the street, shivering, starving, and missing patches of his brown coat, used what little energy he had left to get up and staggered towards black mare. "Miss! Miss!" he cried.

Shadow stopped in her tracks and looked towards the stallion as he stumbled towards her. "Yes? What is it?"

As soon as the stallion reached her, he practically collapsed onto his knees, staring up at her with tearful, pleading eyes. "Please, miss, I am but a poor soul trying to survive in this cruel world of ours, but fate has taken everything from me and left me in the street to starve. Could you please find it in your heart to spare a mere bundle of bits? Just enough to find myself a room for the day? Or a bit of food, perhaps?"

A small smile graced her face. It wasn't the first time that a pony asked Shadow for a donation, and it certainly wasn't going to be the last. Shadow was rarely ever even bothered by it. After all, it wasn't as though she was giving them her bits, but rather, the bits of snooty nobles who made the mistake of leaving their coin purses unattended.

Digging into her robes, Shadow took out small bag of bits and dropped it at the stallion's hooves. The stallion's eyes lit up like the sun itself as he stared at the small, leather pouch. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, you divine soul!" Tears were welling in his eyes as he threw himself down at Shadow's hooves.

As much as Shadow enjoyed helping those in need—it was essentially her job to do so—even she had to admit that this was a bit embarrassing. It certainly didn't help that the few ponies passing by shot angry, envious stares at both her and the stallion. Gently, she tapped the stallion on his shoulder. "Please, sir, could you possibly pull yourself together?"

The stallion quickly complied, picking himself out of the dirt and wiping the tears still running down his eyes. "My apologies. I didn't mean to break down like that. But you must understand how rare it is to meet a pony who doesn't look down on others simply because of they look. Anypony else would've looked at me and assumed I'd use these bits to buy alcohol or time in a box with a disease-ridden mare."

With that pleasant imagery branded in her mind, Shadow narrowed her eyes. "That is not your intention, yes?”

The stallion quickly shook his head. "Oh, no, of course not! I am not that kind of stallion. In fact, I used to be a revered artist in these parts."

"Really? I believe that I failed to learn your name.”

Apparently, asking for his name was very much like asking him to present himself to the king himself, because the stallion immediately took up a much taller, prouder posture despite his less than proud appearance. "I am—well, was—Paintbrush, one of fifty royal painters for King Neptune himself." His posture quickly drooped as a frown formed on his face. "Now, I am merely Paintbrush, the struggling artist left to starve in the gutters."

Shadow took a moment to let the name sink in. It did have a sense of nostalgia about it. "Paintbrush. Yes, I do remember that name. I loved your work as a filly. In fact, you were one of the only painters whose work I truly appreciated."

Paintbrush chuckled at her sentimentality. "Well, it is always nice to meet a fan, I suppose. But as you can see, I doubt that I will create another masterpiece in the upcoming years."

"But I still fail to understand. How could an artist such as yourself end up in such a pitiful position? Your work was worth of envy."

Paintbrush nodded in agreement. "And that was what the higher powers despised. You see, painting is a form of self-expression, and that can, at times, lead to rebellion. In order to prevent such a thing, the cowards ordered mass burnings of any and all paintings."

"Unacceptable!"

"And it did not stop at paintings. Books and even clothing have been burned as well. Rumor has it that some have been saved, but if I can be honest with you, I believe that would sooner discover an alicorn before another painting. But that is as much as I know, and that is why I am where I am." He sorrowfully looked back at his flank, specifically the path of missing fur where his cutie mark was supposed to be. "I no longer even have the one thing that gave my life purpose."

Shadow placed a comforting hoof on Paintbrush's shoulder. "Worry not, my friend. I intend to change this place for the better. Not just Manehattan, but all of Equestria."

Another chuckle left his muzzle. "As much as I admire that fire of yours, I must ask how you intend to do that."

"The changes will come slowly, perhaps long after our own lives have ended, but I do intend to play my part."

"And what is it exactly that you intend to do?"

Shadow took on a more serious tone, glancing left and right before leaning in closer to the stallion. "I need to find the one known as Buckeye the Swift. Do you know of him?"

As soon as he heard Buckeye's name, Paintbrush's eyes widened with a sense of unbridled fear that Shadow rarely ever saw. His already pale face seemed to have grown even paler as he backed away from her. "The Buffalo Merchant," he muttered, his voice dripping with shock and disbelief. "W-why do you want to find him? You… Ar-are you—"

Shadow was quick to cut him off. "I am no acquaintance of his, I assure you. In fact, I may very well find him just as disgusting as you do."

That did little to calm the artist. "Then why do you wish to find him?"

Again, Shadow took another quick glance around to ensure that there were no eavesdroppers. "I seek to end his life."

There was a long silence between the two, the only noise being the blowing wind and the beating of hooves against the cobblestone paths. Finally, Paintbrush responded, though not in the way Shadow expected. He held a hoof up to his mouth, trying and failing to stifle his laughter. It didn't take very long before he couldn't handle it, and simply broke down in laughter, drawing more than a few eyes from the passing crowd.

Shadow, in the meanwhile, simply glared at him, her glare growing angrier as the seconds ticked by. "Do you see this as a joke?" she asked, her voice barely holding back the anger.

Paintbrush was far too busy laughing to immediately respond. Much to Shadow relief, he finally stopped and picked himself back up. "I apologize for that, I truly do."

Shadow simply snorted. "I was unaware that death was such a joke in this city."

"No, it is not, but are you aware of the number of times I have heard ponies plotting to kill that waste of breath? If I had a bit for every occurrence, I would not be sitting in this gutter."

"And have they tried?"

"Oh, countless have tried, and countless have failed. Many have even died in their attempts."

"Hmm." Shadow took a moment to ponder on that. "Did their plans ever go beyond 'rush him with the sharpest stick they could find'?"

"Well… no."

"And there, you have your problem."

Paintbrush couldn't help but chuckle once again. "And you think that you can do better?"

Shadow took up her own proud pose. "I know I can. Just simply point me in his direction and watch."

"Ah, unfortunately, I know not of his exact location. However, I do know that the city square is an area brewing with talk of him. Perhaps going there would produce more helpful results."

Now that was idea Shadow could get behind. She graciously bowed to the artist. "Thank you. You will not regret this, I assure you."

"You need not assure me anything, Just be a mare of your word and kill the bastard."

Shadow couldn't agree with that anymore if she tried. With a final nod, she turned and trotted off towards the city square. She already had an obligation to kill Buckeye due to it simply being her mission, but now she had even more reason not to fail. She had a promise to keep. Granted, she didn't know Paintbrush personally, but if Buckeye was part of the reason why he and others were in such dismal conditions, then that was more than enough for her. After all, a promise was a promise.

Manehattan was a city with quite the interesting history behind it. For Shadow, the details were murky at best, but she knew that the king commissioned its construction so that it could serve as a haven for travel between Canterlot and Buffalo Bay. Due to his already busy schedules, the king left Buckeye in charge of managing trade between the cities. Relations between the two cities were healthy for all of a year before Buckeye decided to implement his own corrupt business into it.

At least twice every month, he, along with a band of soldiers, went to Buffalo Bay. Invaded it, more like. The raids were sudden and brutal. Numerous buffalo were captured and caged; any who put up resistance were usually killed without question. There always seemed to be an odd preference for the stronger buffalo despite the added challenge of overpowering them. Nopony ever knew where Buckeye took the buffalo, only that he always paraded his haul through Manehattan before holding an auction where he'd sell them all to whoever offered the most. How the king was ignorant of such a thing was a mystery to ponies as well.

Regardless, the history mattered little. It was set in stone, and there was nothing Shadow could do to change what had already happened. The most she could do now was prevent other buffalo from falling victim to Buckeye's greed. As soon as she could track him down, she'd be able to do just that.

Finding the city square was nothing difficult. She stopped at the edge of a large plaza that served as the border between the poor district and the rest of Manehattan. Thick crowds of ponies trotted all across it, most in tatters while others were properly groomed and prepped for the day ahead of them, neither paying attention to the other. The sight only served to show just how divided the city really was; ponies were either poor, sick, and dying, or rich and dandy, turning a blind eye to all the suffering as if that'd make it all go away.

There was little Shadow could do for them, at least not without an endless supply of bits, medicine, and housing. She didn't like the thought of it, but she'd have to leave them to their own devices for the time being. If what Paintbrush said was true, then somepony in that crowd knew something about Buckeye, maybe even what he was doing that very moment. She wasn't going to find out just standing there, so Shadow stepped further into the plaza, entering the depths of the crowd.

'Sensory overload' best described the feeling she felt as she slowly walked amongst the others. Ignoring the fact that she had to go out of her way to avoid walking into anypony, it was nearly impossible to focus on any one thing.

Amongst the loud, never-ending clopping of hooves on stone, Shadow could barely make out any of the dozens of droning conversations happening around her. The impenetrable sea of colors threw her perspective completely out of whack; she didn't know if she took five steps or six, nor what direction she was even facing.

And then there was the smell.

Shadow had to deal with some rather disgusting smells in her lifetime. On more than one occasion, she had to hide in a pile of hay that was sprinkled with pellets, the kind that went out rather than in. But those experiences were like slow walks through a field of flowers compared to the smell in that crowd. The combination of musk, dirt, sweat, and expensive cologne was enough to make her gag. Needless to say, the experience certainly wasn't what she expected. If she was going to find an inkling of useful information, she was going to have to change her strategy.

Shadow slowed to a stop, still amidst the crowd. Taking in a slow, deep breath, she closed her eyes. Slowly and meticulously, she cleared her mind of all thoughts and distractions. She focused on the slightest of sounds and smells, her senses becoming crisper as her mind became clearer.

Everything, from the slightest gusts of wind, to the quietest of murmurs from a passerby, were crystal clear. Granted, the horrendous smell, was worse than ever, but that was a small price to pay. Even those multiple conversations, the very same that Shadow had difficulty making out just seconds ago, were easily distinguishable. In fact, one in particular caught her attention.

"Do you have a death wish?" a mare hissed at somepony. "What if one of Buckeye's guards saw you? What if Buckeye himself saw you?"

Immediately upon hearing Buckeye's name, Shadow opened her eyes and turned towards the conversation's source. Through the thick of the crowd, she spotted a pair of ponies, an older mare and a younger stallion. The mare glared at the stallion, her face fierce and seething. The stallion either didn't care, or was simply too tired to muster up a shocked response. It looked as though he just finished galloping for his life, if his quick, shallow breathing was any indicator.

Once the younger stallion regained enough of his breath, he gave his answer. "I was curious. I wanted to know if all these rumors about Buckeye were true."

The mare hardly seemed satisfied by this answer. "And? Did you find out?"

The stallion smiled as he used his magic to take a piece of paper out of his saddlebag. "I know not if the rumors are true, but I did find this." He unfurled it and held it in front of the mare. "It seems to be a schedule for Buckeye's trips to Buffalo Bay."

Upon observing the paper, the mare's eyes widened in pure fear. "Where did you find this?" she quietly asked.

The stallion simply shrugged. "It was lying in the street. One of the guards must have dropped it."

"Get rid of this right now!" she hissed. "If the guards find you with this, it will be your head!"

The stallion backed away from his friend's sudden outburst. "Fine, fine. If you insist. I will throw it away somewhere." He rolled up the paper and placed it back in his saddlebag.

"Please, do it quickly, and meet me back home." The stallion nodded, and the two parted ways.

Shadow kept her eyes fixated on the stallion, both out of interest and disbelief. Nothing short of him giving Buckeye's exact location would've been any better. This was as good of a chance as she was going to get. She needed to get a hold of that schedule, but had to do so without causing a scene. That was simple enough.

As the stallion walked away, Shadow followed behind, making sure to keep her distance. Thanks to that mare's talk of guards, he remained a bit more aware of his surroundings, looking behind his back every so often. If he caught Shadow sneaking up on him, she'd have a much more difficult time getting her hooves on that schedule. Thankfully, as time went by, the stallion seemed to grow more comfortable, not looking around nearly as often. It was the perfect chance for Shadow to close in.

She picked up the pace, closing the ground between her and the stallion in considerable time. As she neared, she brought her pace back down, eyeing his saddlebag. A single rolled up piece of paper was sticking out of it, making for easy access.

Slowly, she reached out with her muzzle, opening her mouth just enough to bite down on the paper. With it in her grasp, she carefully and smoothly slid the paper right out, the stallion remaining none the wiser. Shadow immediately turned tail and walked in the opposite direction, her pickpocket a success.

Once she was a safe distance away from her victim, she veered off to the side of the street, where she placed the paper on the ground. Unrolling it, she began to read. As her eyes scanned across the words, a smile crawled onto her face. It was perfect. It had everything she expected. Explicitly listed dates and times when Buckeye would go to Buffalo Bay for another raid. As far as Shadow knew, the best way to Buffalo Bay from Manehattan was through the east gate, so that'd be where she'd wait for him.

That simple piece of paper made planning her strike all too easy. Buckeye's death was imminent, and a new dawn would finally shine over this dying city. Shadow rolled up the paper and placed it in her robes. With her planning done, she trotted back to her informant.

Returning to the bureau, Shadow made a beeline for her stallion ally. He was busy reading another book, and was actually surprised to see her again. "Shadow? Returning so soon?”

A sly smirk was plastered on her face. "Some targets make this far too simple for me. Buckeye is one of them."

The stallion promptly put his book away, placing his full attention on the mare. "So, I take it you have enough information on your target?" Shadow nodded. "Very well. Tell me what you know."

Before speaking, Shadow took out the schedule and placed it on the stallion's counter. "Buckeye and his guards all possess a schedule detailing their visits to Buffalo Bay, where they no doubt capture more buffalo to sell. Not only are there dates and times listed, but routes as well as the number of guards present. It seems that he will be leaving through Manehattan's east gate tomorrow at high noon with a unit of twenty guards. This is when I will strike."

Her stallion friend took a moment to look over the schedule, going over it and everything Shadow just said. Soon, he nodded as he came to a decision. "Very well. You seem to know what to do. Not surprising, I suppose." He reached under the counter and took out a white pegasus feather. He gave it to Shadow, and she placed it inside her robes. "Just be careful. He did not earn the name 'Buckeye the Swift' without reason. If he sees you approaching and decides to retreat, you may find catching him very difficult."

Shadow hardly seemed phased by the warning. "He will never have the opportunity to flee." Her confidence made the stallion chuckle.

"I can only imagine." He motioned towards the smaller room. "You can stay here until the time comes to strike. Until then, I suggest that you rest. You will need the energy."

Shadow nodded. "Thank you." She followed her friend's advice and entered the small room. She approached one of the small beds, where she lied down for a much needed nap.

As Rainbow sat there, limp and still as the memories played out in her mind, Celestia patiently waited, counting the seconds as they ticked by. It wasn’t that she needed to, but it was the only thing keeping her mind off of other things, and it was still doing a poor job at that.

Celestia simply couldn’t believe that this day had finally come; a day that she had only dreamed of. For countless years, her nights had been plagued by the thoughts of what could happen were the Apple to fall in possession of those meaning ill intent. As unlikely as the scenario seemed, the fact remained that it was still a possibility.

The fact remained that Celestia simply didn’t know. She didn’t know if it was still lost to all. She didn’t know if it wasn’t already found. She didn’t know if someone was already on their way to it that very second. She just didn’t know, and that was what kept eating away at her.

But there was still hope. After all of these years of blindly searching, she finally found a path to follow, long as it was. The pegasus before her was the key to finally ensuring Equestria’s safety for the millennia to come. Through her, she would finally find the object she’d been searching for. Finally, it would all come to an end.

Celestia looked back up at the clock. Five minutes had past. Rainbow’s first session was over.

With a soft sigh, the alicorn reached out with her magic, wrapping it around the slithering, green flame. There was a slight burn in her horn as her magic made contact, but it was nothing that she couldn’t handle. In a single flash, the flame dissipated into nothing more than a few green wisps floating in the faint breeze.

As soon as the connection between her and the flame broke, Rainbow came back to her senses, though left somewhat drowsy. She nearly collapsed as all of her senses rushed back into her head at once. She rubbed her head with a hoof, shaking the remaining dizziness out of her system. “Whoa,” she muttered. “That was crazy.”

Celestia walked up to the pegasus. “How do you feel?”

“A lot better than the first time,” Rainbow admitted, still rubbing her head. “Still got a bit of a headache, though, but that’s about it.”

Celestia nodded. No ill effects. That was good. Still, there was one other question she wanted to ask, though she saw little point. It had only been five minutes. Even with the memory’s accelerated time, that wouldn’t serve as much time to yield interesting information. She couldn’t help but to ask, though, if only to see where their progress was.

“What did you see?”

Rainbow scratched her head as she recalled what she’d just been through. She had to admit, it was shocking how clear those memories were, considering they didn’t even belong to her. Thankfully, there was no killing in that one, but it still felt unnerving. That experience—reliving the past—served to put things into perspective.

That city, that pit of misery, despair, and disarray, full of poverty, disease, and the dying, was Manehattan. The sprawling, thriving, industrial giant that she’d been in just a week ago used to be a corpse of a city, its citizens barely clinging on to life. Just how long ago were those memories? How far back in time did Celestia need to go to find… that ‘Apple’ thing?

More than anything, however, Rainbow focused on her ancestor, the one that she couldn’t help but hate. The one that had to possess a heart of ice. So cold, so calculating. She didn’t just kill on random whims, she planned her attacks, carefully calculated down to the detail, and executed without hesitation.

But that wasn’t what bothered Rainbow. What bothered her was the fact that her ancestor actually believed that she was helping everypony as a whole with her killings. By killing that buffalo merchant, What’s-His-Face, she actually thought that she’d be doing Equestria a favor. That just couldn’t be right. Nopony could think that something like murder could do anything to help. Yet here Rainbow was, related to that very kind of maniac. And she finally learned that maniac’s name.

“Shadow Streak,” she muttered.

Celestia’s ears perked up. “What was that?”

“My ancestor,” Rainbow spoke up. “Her name’s Shadow Streak.” If she didn’t know better, Rainbow would’ve sworn that she saw Celestia—the Princess Celestia—swallow down a nervous lump built up in her throat, as though she was growing uneasy.

“I… I see,” was all that Celestia finally said after an awkward pause.

Rainbow couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the princess’ odd behavior. “Is something up?”

Celestia shook her head. “No, no. I merely had my suspicions, is all. It’s both relieving and a bit unnerving that I was right.”

Unfortunately for the princess, Rainbow wasn’t one to drop a subject cold turkey. “Why’s that? Did you know her or something?” Rainbow was no stranger to Celestia’s personal familiarity with famous historical figures. She had been around for a very long time, after all. It wouldn’t have been much of a stretch for her to have some kind of connection with this Shadow pony.

As if to confirm her suspicions, Celestia visibly tensed up, even though her face didn’t betray her mask of composure. “She was somepony that I knew, yes. As far as I know, she was the last one in possession of the Apple. That likely means that she was the last one to see its final location.”

Rainbow felt a pang of fear shoot through her chest. A pony like her holding something so powerful? “A nutjob like her with that Apple? That doesn’t sound good.” Rainbow’s face scrunched in confusion when she saw Celestia try and fail to conceal a pained look on her face, not a reaction she expected to garner from the princess. She didn’t need to do much deducing to figure out that something was off. “You’re not telling me something, are you? About this Shadow pony.”

Celestia opened her eyes, staring straight into Rainbow’s. “I suppose that you want answers, yes?” Rainbow silently nodded her head. “And I’ll be willing to give them to you. However, you must remember that this is a day that I never imagined would come, so it is quite a lot for me to take in as well. I… I simply need time to put together my thoughts. You understand, yes?”

Rainbow had to admit, even with things as unpredictable as they were, she didn’t expect a turn like that. She already had reasons to believe that her ancestor and Celestia had some kind of connection, but it wasn’t hard to see that things went far deeper than that. What that something was, Rainbow wanted to know before she dove headfirst into another ancestral mind probe. Still, she was bound to find out herself eventually. Somehow, she suspected that she wouldn’t like what she found.

After a brief pause, Celestia sighed, getting her mind back on track. “This will end our session for today, Rainbow. I don’t think I’ll be able to properly thank you enough once this is all over.”

A few choice thoughts niggled at the back of Rainbow’s mind, but she decided that it was best if she allowed Celestia to answer Rainbow’s questions at her own pace. “Yeah, don’t mention it. I guess I’ll get used to it as long as things don’t get too crazy.”

As Celestia nodded, her mind drifted over to other matters. “I assume Twilight is still perusing the library. I suppose I can send you on your way now and simply send her back once she finishes.”

“Sounds good to me,” Rainbow said, already approaching the nearby balcony. However, Celestia was quick to cut her off.

“That won’t be necessary. I can send you home,” Celestia offered.

Rainbow shook her head, politely denying the offer. “Nah, it’s no big deal. I can get back myself.”

“You need your rest,” Celestia insisted. “Physical exertion is no good for a tired mind, magically-induced or not.”

Rainbow only rolled her eyes. She knew when she was fighting a losing battle, and this was one of them. “Alright, alright. Whatever you say.” Rainbow couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed as she felt Celestia’s magic wrap around her body. As handy as teleportation could be, it just didn’t have the same thrill as flying.

In a single flash of light, Rainbow disappeared from the princess’ bedroom.

“Yeah, you clean up all of the trash, then throw it all over the floor again. Thanks, Twilight. Thanks a lot.” Spike really didn’t like thinking negatively about Twilight in the slightest, but sometimes he just couldn’t help it, especially when the unicorn pulled things like that.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that she completely creamed him with the trash ball she gathered, the trash had the sense of mind to scatter all over the floor, practically ending up back in the same exact spots they were in before. He had spent the better end of ten minutes cleaning it all up, mumbling a few child-unfriendly words under his breath. Again, he couldn’t help it sometimes.

As he was approaching the trashcan with another bundle of trash, a loud, bright flash of light startled him. He wasn’t too scared, though; he just ended up on top of a nearby bookshelf in the blink of an eye, shivering in his scales. For him, that wasn’t too bad.

However, he was quick to calm back down when he recognized the pegasus regaining her bearings in the middle of the library.

“Man, still not used to that,” Rainbow muttered. After shaking the daze out of her head, she looked up at the dragon perched atop the bookshelf. “Doing some dusting up there, Spike?” Rainbow teasingly asked.

“Ha ha. Good one,” Spike flatly replied. He hopped down from the shelf, landing back in the mess he still had to clean up. “Where did you guys go? You went off somewhere before I could find out.”

Rainbow scratched her head as she considered the question. Now that she thought about it, it probably wasn’t the kind of thing for her to go blabbing off about to anyone who’d bother to listen. “Celestia wanted us for something pretty important. I think that’s about all I can say about it.”

Spike only rolled his eyes. “Figures,” he muttered. “Anyway, I’m kinda glad you showed up.”

Rainbow couldn’t help but raise a confused eyebrow. “You are? Why?”

Spike walked over to Twilight’s desk. “Somepony was just here looking for you. Said that he had a letter for you.”

Rainbow’s curiosity only increased as Spike picked up an unmarked scroll. “A letter? From who?”

Spike handed the parchment off to Rainbow. “He said it’s from your parents.”

Rainbow’s body froze in place right then and there. Her eyes went wide as her pupils shrunk to pinpricks, the color draining from her face.

Spike took the sudden change about as well as anyone else would: with confusion and worry… but mostly confusion. “Uh, Rainbow? Are you okay?”

Spike’s words never reached Rainbow’s ears. The pegasus just stood there on shaky legs, her breathing anything but okay. She couldn’t have heard him properly. Her parents… She hadn’t heard from them ever since she arrived in Ponyville years ago. She wrote letters to them, but they never responded. She never even knew if they were still alive, so to suddenly receive a letter from them, their first form of contact in years, hit Rainbow with the grace of a raging train.

With a shaky hoof, she took the letter out of Spike’s grasp. Gulping down the fear she unfurled the scroll. With reluctant eyes, she read the letter.

Dearest Rainbow Dash,

I cannot express in mere words how truly sorry your father and I are for not contacting you sooner. We’ve both been going through rather difficult times and we just didn’t want to get you wrapped up in it all. We just wanted you to enjoy your life without having to worry about us. I know that isn’t the best of excuses; you must be worried sick. I don’t know if you feel the same, but we feel as though we need to make up for all of the years we missed. For all of the achievements, both personal and public, that you’ve made and that we weren’t there for. I know that there can’t be much for us to do to properly make up for all of that, but we hope that this letter can be the first step in at least mending the wounds. Just know that even though we weren’t there to show it or there to say it, we still love just as much as we did from the day you were born.

We’ll be arriving in Ponyville on Friday. Maybe we can get together and have a nice dinner together, like old times. And while I can’t force you to, maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to forgive us.

With undying love,
Your Mother, Ocean Breeze

Rainbow slowly lowered the letter as tears dotted the parchment. It had been so long since she’d heard from them, and they sounded so sincere, so regretful. They felt terrible for what they did, and wanted to make amends. Rainbow wanted to as well, but if that was the case, then why didn’t she feel like that. Why wasn’t she… happy that they finally contacted her?

Rainbow barely noticed, but she gritted her teeth together. Something bubbled up inside of her, boiled in the pit of her stomach. It took her a moment to realize what that something was, but as she tore the letter in two, she knew exactly what it was. Absolute anger.

“Who the hay do they think they are?!” Rainbow shouted, ripping apart the letter. Every rip and tear did nothing to satisfy the complete rage raging inside of her. After so many years, they thought that they could just reappear out of the blue as though nothing happened? They thought that mere apologies would be enough to make Rainbow forgive them? They thought that feeling bad was going to earn Rainbow’s sympathy? They were supposed to feel bad. They practically abandoned their own daughter for Celestia’s sake!

And now… Now, they just come back, hoping to have a nice dinner with their precious, little flyer. Yes, she was going to see them. She wasn’t going to hesitate for one second about seeing them. However, if they honestly thought that Rainbow was going to take them in with open arms and that things would be like ‘old times’, then they were in for a rude awakening.

Without another word, Rainbow darted out of the library, the wind from her takeoff scattering the torn pieces of parchment all across the library, adding to the mess that Spike had to clean up. It wasn’t as though the young dragon notice, though. He was far too busy cowering in a corner, still hesitant to move even after the raging pegasus left the building.

“Uh, s-see ya later, Rainbow.”

4: The Pink Mare

Twilight was completely engrossed in the book before her. She was in the middle of an in-depth description of the Assassins' history. Going as far back as the early 12th century, they’ve worked behind the scenes of some of Equestria’s most significant historical events, from the Dragon Wars to the liberation of Cloudsdale from the griffons.

Through deceptively subtle tactics and carefully planned attacks, they practically determined how history would play out, all without making themselves known to the public. It left Twilight wondering what Equestria would've been like if the Assassins hadn't become involved. She shuddered at the mere thought.

But despite being cold-blooded killers, it sounded like they had a strong belief that they killed for the greater good, assassinating one target in order to save thousands of lives. It still seemed like a sick motive, but Twilight had to admit that it had some merit. The organization eventually died out a few centuries after Celestia became ruler, which made sense. Considering the way that she led things, there really wasn't a need for them anymore.

However, as detailed as their history was, Twilight was unable to find anything on its specific members. Instead, she found a section in the book describing the various abilities that the Assassins possessed. After years of intense training, the Assassins would not only develop increased reflexes and strength, but they would also gain control over all five of their senses, being able to heighten or lower them as they pleased. This allowed them to track a target through thick crowds, hear a conversation among other loud noises, or catch the faintest of scents in the air. They struck like lightning, yet disappeared like ghosts. They were the ultimate predators.

A chill went up Twilight’s spine as she thought back to Rainbow, and the candle’s effects on her. Certain abilities carried over from the memory and lingered in the subject. If that was actually true, then was Rainbow subconsciously ‘learning’ their methods? However, the candle was created to only respond to Rainbow’s family bloodline, and was only meant to activate the memories of those ‘Assassins’. Wouldn’t that mean that anypony put through its effects would walk away with the abilities of their ancestors? Something like that, couldn’t it be used as some type of… training program? There must’ve been more to it than Twilight was seeing.

Unfortunately, she didn’t get much more time to ponder on that before her ears picked up the tell-tale noise of the library door opening.

“Twilight?” the newcomer called, one that the unicorn knew all too well.

Twilight hopped back up to her hooves, whipping around to face Celestia. “Princess Celestia! Shouldn’t you still be with Rainbow?”

The alicorn walked further into the library, taking a seat next to Twilight. “Rainbow’s session is over. It was short, allowing her mind to grow used to the sensation. She’s back in Ponyville now, safe and sound.”

Twilight breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “That’s good. So she’s starting to take this better than before.”

Celestia nodded. “Yes. I feel that at this rate, we should be able to make considerable progress soon without any serious consequences.” She looked around Twilight’s workspace, taking note of the books piled up next to the mare, as well as the one floating in her magic. “How goes your progress here?”

“It went off to a pretty slow start at first,” Twilight sheepishly admitted. “However, I did manage to find something that I think will help us understand what Rainbow’s seeing.” Twilight showed the book to Celestia. She failed to notice her mentor’s eyes widen ever so slightly. Twilight simply continued with her questions. “This book talks about some kind of organization called the Assassins of the Eclipse. I don’t think I’d have thought much of it at first, but this insignia on the cover… It’s the same one that I found on the box containing the candles. Do you know who they are, these Assassins?”

When Twilight looked up at Celestia, she would’ve been hard-pressed not to notice the somber expression the princess’ face wore. Her eyes were shut, and her mouth curled into a soft frown. Something about her almost seemed disappointed in a way. In what, Twilight didn’t have a clue, though a small pang of worry did shoot through her chest when she thought that she was the cause.

“Is something wrong?” the unicorn asked.

Celestia opened her eyes, staring into Twilight’s own. The unicorn couldn’t help but feel a chill in her spine as those eyes stared into her hers. “Twilight, you know that I would never hide anything from you without a good reason, yes?”

Twilight found her breath caught in her throat at the sudden question. “Well, I don’t… I-I mean… o-of course I do. But… why would you need to hide something from me?” Celestia didn’t immediately answer. After looking from the princess back to the strange book floating before her, it didn’t take long before Twilight connected the dots. “You do know who they are,” she finally said. “You just don’t want me to.”

A strained, almost pained expression became clear on Celestia’s face. “I cannot lie to you, my faithful student. However, there are just certain things that are better left unknown.”

“But I don’t understand. I’ve done studies on things considered taboo in Equestria, and not only did you allow me to do that, you pointed me in the right directions. What’s so different about this, especially when it could help me help Rainbow Dash?”

Celestia breathed a tired sigh. Her student’s dedication was something to admire, but it would be the death of her if she wasn’t careful. “I’ve allowed those studies because I knew that you would never use that knowledge for nefarious purposes, nor would you allow them to affect you in any way. However, with this, it isn’t what you’ll do that has me worried. It’s what others will do to you should you learn too much.”

Twilight felt her heart skip a beat as that chill down her spine scattered throughout the rest of her body. With that one sentence, the tone of the entire room seemed to take a much darker turn. “What do you mean? Who would care about how much I know about this?” After a few seconds of contemplation, a startling, chilling possibility made itself clear in Twilight’s mind. “Wait. These ‘Assassins’ aren’t still around, are they?”

Celestia breathed another sigh. Trying to convince Twilight to drop her study of something was a fruitless effort. The most that she could do was ensure that she didn’t get herself into any danger. “Twilight, please just promise me this,” Celestia said. “If you do choose to continue your studies of this, tread carefully and hide your discoveries from public attention. Can you do that?”

“Oh, yes. Yes, of course.”

A small smile graced Celestia’s face. “Good, good. Thank you, Twilight. I’ll… I’ll leave you to your studies. Good luck.”

As Celestia walked back out of the library, Twilight couldn’t ignore the sense of foreboding rumbling in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t often that the princess seemed so bothered. Twilight could hardly believe it herself, but Celestia seemed afraid of something. What that was, she couldn’t say for sure, but she knew that it had something to do with those Pieces and, perhaps, the book floating in Twilight’s grip.

She debated whether or not if she should continue her studies. Celestia’s warning still rang in her mind, and it still just didn’t make sense. She just couldn’t think of anypony caring enough about what she learned from this to hurt her. Still, even if delving in that book carried a risk, if Rainbow was willing to put her sanity on the line, then Twilight could read a few words if it meant better understanding whatever they found themselves in.

Slowly and carefully, Twilight reopened the book. She was going to need every scrap of information that she could find.

Back at the library, Spike still busied himself with tidying up the library in Twilight’s absence. It was all he could do to keep himself distracted. He could’ve just taken a nap like he always would during times of boredom, but he was simply too worried about what Twilight could’ve been doing to fall asleep. Besides, she left him more than enough a mess to keep him busy for a nice stretch of time, a mess that Rainbow’s temper tantrum only added to.

As Spike swept up the remnants of the pegasus’ letter, he couldn’t help but worry for her as well. It wasn’t every day when he saw any of his friends just explode like that. He couldn’t even begin to wonder what that letter even said to get such a reaction out of her. He even considered talking to her about it if he ever got the chance.

As Spike dumped the shredded remains of Rainbow’s letter in the trash, he was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the front door open once again. He whipped around, hoping that it’d be a friend, only to droop over when he saw that it was just another random customer. A bright pink mare with a dull white mane slowly stepped into the library, scanning her eyes across the many books that the place had to offer.

Spike set his broom aside and approached the newcomer. As was custom, whenever Twilight was out of the library, it was Spike’s job to greet and help customers with whatever they needed. “Hey, there!” he greeted. “What can I—”

“That won’t be necessary,” the mare quickly cut in, not even looking down at the dragon.

Spike stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide with confusion. “Uh, what won’t be necessary?”

“Help, assistance, or aid of any kind,” the mare answered, her eyes still scanning the books around her. “I know exactly what I’m looking for.”

Spike could only stand by as the mare walked right past him. He didn’t know about Twilight, but he never had to deal with anything like that before. Every other pony that came in under his watch was more than happy for help. First time for everything, he supposed. That didn’t meant that he was about to give up, however. “Um, what are you looking for? Maybe I can point you to it.”

The mare still didn’t even glance at the young dragon, but still breathed a sigh. If Spike didn’t know better, he’d think that she was getting annoyed. “As appreciated as your… eagerness to help is, I’ve already stated that I don’t…” The mare trailed off as her eyes slowed to a stop on Twilight’s desk. Specifically, an open journal on Twilight’s desk. “Aha! There you are!”

The mare’s sudden enthusiasm only added to Spike’s confusion. It almost reminded him of another pink mare that he knew, only less fun. “Uh, hang on. Found what?” Spike didn’t even get the question out before the mare darted towards the desk, her eyes glued to the object of her search.

“I could recognize these insane ramblings from a mile away,” she muttered, eyes tearing across the pages. A huge, dumb grin cracked onto her face as she continued. “Oh, and it’s translated! Dear me, Hearths’ Warming has come early.”

Spike didn’t know what to make of the mare as she read that journal with a foal-like glee that rivaled Twilight’s but her blatant disregard for personal space definitely didn’t bode well with him. “Hey, hey!” He rushed up to the desk and snatched the journal right from under the mare’s muzzle.

Just like that, the mare’s smile disappeared in an instant. For the first time since she arrived, she not only looked at Spike, but stared him right in the eyes.

As the dragon stood there, staring back into that mare’s cold, unmoving eyes, he couldn’t help but feel that things weren’t going well. Still, he wasn’t just going to stand by and let some random pony do what they wished with Twilight’s things. Aside from just being plain rude, Twilight would kill him if she found out that he just let that happen.

“Y-you just can’t come in her and go through another pony’s stuff!” Spike snapped, holding the journal behind his back.

The mare’s expression didn’t falter for a second. She just let out a single, bored snort. “As proud as I’m sure your friend will be that you stood up for her, I really don’t have time for such games, so I’ll ask you flatout. Are you going to give me the journal?”

Spike tentatively took a step back, practically shaking in his scales. “N-no.”

The mare’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Finally, she just sighed before stepping away from the dragon. “I don’t believe you, but very well. As I’ve said, I found what I’m looking for.”

Spike would be lying if he said that he wasn’t scared of the mare before him; her unpredictability was just too… unpredictable. She’d only been in the library for a few minutes, and he felt that that was more than enough. “So… are you gonna leave now?” he slowly asked, hoping that he hadn’t made things worse.

The mare tapped a hoof to her chin, pondering on it as though she didn’t even know the answer herself. “I don’t know,” she said. “Is there anything else here that I want to find?”

Spike raised a cautious eyebrow. “How am I supposed to know?”

The mare quickly shook her head. “Ah, ah, ah. The correct answer is ‘yes’.” Before Spike could voice his immense confusion, the mare pointed him towards a nearby photo with a jerk of her head. It was a group photo of himself along with Twilight and the others. “Do you know Rainbow Dash?”

Spike just blinked as the sudden question took him off guard. He may not have been the greatest judge of character, but he had the niggling suspicion that the mare couldn’t be trusted. As such, he didn’t feel that he should let her in on such personal information. Unfortunately, lying wasn’t exactly his strong suit. “Um, er… Well…”

“Since you’re in other photos with her, I’m going to assume yes,” the mare said, leaving Spike slack-jawed. He wasn’t able to even try and lie about that, he was so dumbstruck. As he picked his jaw up off of the floor, the strange mare looked around the library again, searching for something else. “Now, did she get a letter recently? Any at all?”

“Well… I-I don’t think I should tell you,” Spike sputtered out, hoping that would get the mare to back off.

“So she did, then?” she assumed.

“Okay, how do you do that?!” Spike blurted out.

The mare just chuckled at his little outburst. She was getting more enjoyment out of him than she probably had any right to. “Do what? Read you like an open book?” she teasingly asked. “It isn’t very difficult once you know what to look out for. Certain phrases and body language can make a lie stand out like a dirty shirt. Now, back to business. Where is this letter of hers?”

Spike scratched his head as his eyes drifted over to the nearby trashcan. The mare followed his gaze, laying her eyes on the trashcan as well. Her face curled into an annoyed frown as she deduced what that meant.

“Oh, brilliant.” She trotted over to the trashcan, her horn glowing in its blue aura.

Spike may have already correctly assumed that mare was a few apples short of a bushel, but he still didn’t think that she was rummage-through-trash crazy. As she lifted all of the garbage out of the trashcan, however, she quickly refuted that assumption. “H-hey! What’re you doing?”

With the bundle of trash wrapped in her magical grip, she quickly sifted through it for the errant letter. Unfortunately for her, bad news only devolved into worse news. “She ripped it up as well? Oh, for goodness’ sake!”

One by one, the mare separated the ripped bits of letter from the rest of the trash, suspending them in two separate bubbles. “Yes, so we want you, and you, and you,” she muttered. “Goodness, Rainbow, did you run this through a shredder?” Once she finished, she dropped the useless garbage back into the trashcan, the pieces of Rainbow’s letter still floating in her telekinetic grasp.

Finally, after ten long minutes of dealing with his craziest visitor yet, the pink mare turned towards the exit. “Thank you for your cooperation, young one,” she called back.

“Wait!” Spike called. “I never even learned your name!”

The odd mare stopped right at the door, already holding it open. “I see little reason in telling you my name since we will likely never see each other again. But in the off-chance that we do… Star Light.” With that, the mare stepped out of library, shutting the door behind her.

Spike just stood there, both relieved and dumbfounded by what just happened. He likely would’ve kept standing there if he hadn’t slapped some sense back into himself. Once he was sure that he had his composure back in place, he put Twilight’s journal back on its desk before picking up his broom again and getting back to work.

“Geez, why do I always get the weird ones?”

Back and forth. To and fro. Here and there. Rainbow paced all about her cloud house, still fuming, still venting, and still hopelessly confused. She didn’t want to be angry. She wanted to enjoy spending time with her parents for the first time in years. She wanted to, but the rage simply refused to subside. There were still too many questions racing throughout her head for her to even consider thinking straight.

Where were they all of this time? What were they doing? The letter mentioned that they didn’t want to get Rainbow wrapped up in whatever it was that they were dealing with. What in Equestria could that had possibly been and why did it take so long to get it resolved?

With an angry shout, Rainbow threw herself onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow.

She had less than a day to make up her mind about what she wanted to do when she saw, if she decided to see them at all. Part of her wanted to just suck it up and try to have a good time, but the other wanted to unleash the half decade’s worth of confusion and worry that had built up. The war raging in her head didn’t give in either direction, and that was to say nothing of the stress already built up from recent events.

It was just typical. It wasn’t enough to get a huge weight thrown onto her shoulders by Celestia. No, now she had old family issues to deal with. The lingering headache from those ‘side effects’ weren’t making concentration any easier, either.

“Great. Just great!” Rainbow shouted into the pillow. She flipped over onto her back, staring up into her white, fluffy ceiling.

It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t. And Rainbow didn’t care about all of that ‘life isn’t fair’ nonsense ponies were always so quick to feed her. None of them had to deal with anything that she was going through now. She just wanted to become a member of the most prestigious stunt-flying group in Equestria. Was that really so much to ask?

She didn’t ask to be related to some ancient, robe-wearing, stab-happy nutjob, nor did she ask to get thrown into the middle of some ancient treasure hunt for a piece of metallic fruit. She didn’t even ask for her parents to get in touch with her after so long. It had been so long that Rainbow just stopped caring about that. But that left one question ringing in her head.

Why didn’t she just ignore all of that? She could’ve just declined Celestia’s request to rummage around her head like a toy box. She could’ve just ignored her parents’ letter. She could’ve just ignored all of that and focus on the here and now. Her one life goal. So why didn’t she?

Because she was… loyal, Rainbow had to assume, and not just because that was her Element. Rainbow had always been loyal throughout her life, and that hadn’t changed even after having that fancy necklace put around her neck. She didn’t decline Celestia’s offer because she just couldn’t turn her back on all of Equestria because she was a bit afraid, and she couldn’t just ignore her parents because her family was the most important to her, the only thing more important to her than her friends. After all, she drew her loyalty from the lessons and morals that her family had taught her throughout her foalhood.

Perhaps that was why it hurt her so much to have her parents leave her high and dry. One would think that the ponies that taught them the life morals that they followed to a T would also be the prime upholders of such morals. Perhaps they really did have a good reason, one that would flip Rainbow’s perspective on its head. Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t. Rainbow wouldn’t know until she heard it out of their mouths.

The pegasus sat up in her bed. She didn’t even notice the tears trailing down her cheeks until she felt a faint breeze through her window. She was quick to wipe the tears from her eyes, grumbling to herself. She was way too cool to cry over stuff like that, and she wasn’t about to change that. Regardless, she had made up her mind. She was going to see her parents and, in spite of herself, was going to try very hard to have a good time with them.

Rainbow was torn from her thoughts when she heard somepony land outside of her door. Her face scrunched up in confusion as that thought sank in. Clouds were soft. Like, really soft. The noise from walking on them was practically nonexistent. A pegasus would really have to try in order to make an audible hoofbeat while walking on one. Rainbow didn’t let it bother her much, though. It might’ve just been a really big pegasus.

Rainbow found herself already walking towards the door, taking note of how quiet her hoofbeats were. Again, weird. She swung her front door open, much to the surprise of the considerably scrawny mailpony on the other side, whose hoof was still in the air, poised to knock.

“Yeah?” Rainbow asked.

The mailpony quickly regained his composure, clearing his throat. He reached inside his mailbag and took out a single envelope. “For you,” he said, handing it to Rainbow.

Rainbow just rolled her eyes, letting an annoyed sigh pass through her muzzle. The last thing she needed was another letter. Still, she took it from the stallion. “Thanks,” was the last thing that he heard before finding the door slammed in his face.

As Rainbow glided back to her bed, she didn’t even bother with the theatrics this time. She just ripped the envelope open and dumped the awaiting letter out onto her free hoof. Unfolding it, she tore her eyes across the page.

It was from Rarity. The unicorn was asking her—her of all ponies—if she could stop by and try on some dresses for her. Apparently, the others were unavailable for various reasons. Rainbow, in all honesty, wanted to just toss the letter in the trash. Rarity knew how much she hated posing in her fancy-pantsy dresses. The way they always restricted her wings was just annoying, and that was to say nothing of the glitter that always found its way into the worst possible places.

Still, maybe it wasn’t all bad. Rainbow was going to see her parents for the first time in a long time. She knew that that was a big deal because, as much as she wanted to gag at the prospect, she actually felt the compulsion to dress nice for the occasion, and Rarity was just the pony to see for such a thing. Besides, it could at least put her mind at ease for a few hours. After what she’d just been through, anything sounded like an improvement to her.

After releasing her lingering stress in a final sigh, Rainbow took off from her house, making a beeline for the Carousel Boutique.

There are three essential elements that one must have in order to be an efficient gatherer of information: know where to look, know who to ask, and above all, know how to blend in to one’s surroundings. Of course, the first two were a must, but the third was of questionable reliance. Admittedly, there were times when it was of use, but as far as Star Light was concerned, it only wasted time if it wasn’t a necessity.

Yes, she may have scared a young dragon out of his wits, but her take made it all worth it. Her efforts yielded the journal’s general location as well as a pile of shredded paper that used to be an important letter. To most, said pile of paper would seem virtually useless. In fact, it would be virtually useless, and they’d think that they were right. Then again, most ponies were idiots. The shredded bits of paper before the pink mare were no different than the many pieces of a jigsaw puzzle; she just needed to put them back together in order to reveal the clear picture.

In the safety and silence of her personal chambers, she kept the pieces floating aloft in an aura of blue magic. She studied each individual scrap with immense scrutiny, noting the torn ends, already figuring out which piece went to what. It was a careful, time-consuming process, one that had next to no room for mistakes. She needed complete concentration, and as such, complete silence.

“Starly! Come eat your supper before it gets cold!”

The pink mare cringed at the harsh, hoarse voice. To some, it may have sounded like their inner demons finally finding a voice, but to ‘Starly’, it was something a tad worse than that. If silence was something that she wanted, then perhaps she should’ve reconsidered using her grandmother’s basement as her base of operations.

“Gran-Gran, I’ve already eaten,” Star Light said, excessive pleasantness behind her voice. “You were there with me. It was ten minutes ago.”

“Then why is there still a plate on the table?”

The pink mare could only roll her eyes. “That would be your plate, Gran-Gran. You never finished your food, remember?”

“Oh. Never mind then, dearie. Carry on.”

A quiet sigh passed through Star Light’s lips. Some ponies possessed enough initiative to know when their friends and family didn’t want to be bothered. Gran-Gran was not one of those ponies. She was such a nice mare with nothing but good intentions, and Star Light loved her to death, but she could be such a chore to deal with at times. It certainly didn’t help that she was a senile, old bat with the attention span of a brick. Only Star’s steadfast patience allowed her to tolerate it for so long.

With that particular disturbance temporarily laid to rest, Star switched her attention back to what mattered. As she tinkered with the bits of paper, other thoughts made their way into her head. She didn’t know why, but she felt that things were just looking far too easy.

“Why make this your first move, hmm?” she muttered. “If this is honestly the extent of your plan, then you may as well have left a trail of breadcrumbs for me to follow.” As the first of the letter’s pieces slid into place, Star’s face curled into a small frown. She placed the rest of pieces back onto her desk. Something wasn’t right. “No, no. This is too easy. Far too simple of a plan, even for idiots like them. Unless…” As she considered the possibilities, her worried frown quickly turned into an eager smile. “Unless—”

“Starly! You have a visitor!”

Star Light turned towards the stairway leading out of the basement, a smile still plastered on her face. Perfect timing. “Send him down!” she shouted, giddy with excitement. She couldn’t even stand still for the few short seconds it’d take for her surprise guest to come down those steps and opted to pace all about the basement.

Soon enough, her ears perked up as she heard hoofbeats slowly descend the basement stairs.

“Clever, clever, clever,” Star muttered to herself, not even noticing the red stallion as he reached the bottom of the steps.

The stallion simply stood by, observing the mare with amused interest, but still impatient as he tapped a hoof on the ground. He knew how Star Light loved to get at times, and he learned that it was best to just let her wear herself out. However, time wasn’t something that he had much of. “Perhaps I should come back at another time.”

Star Light immediately turned her gaze towards the stallion. “Oh, no, no, no! Please, by all means, stay. Pull up a seat. Make yourself at home. Do you like tea?”

“Not—”

“Excellent! I dislike it myself, to be honest.”

The stallion could only sigh, rubbing his head as the beginnings of a headache threatened to rear its ugly head. He was more familiar with his young student’s… interesting behavior than anypony else and it still gave him trouble. “Have you made any considerable observations within the last month?” he asked. Monthly status reports, while a nice idea at first, seemed rather tedious in the long run. Despite having eyes in several parts of Equestria, nothing of any real interest had popped up in nearly a year. For a while, it seemed that even Star Light was growing tired of figuring out new ways to say that nothing had happened.

However, the pink unicorn seemed particularly giddy today. Unusual behavior, even for her. “Oh, absolutely!” she beamed. “I’ve made a considerable observation within the last twenty-four hours!” Before her master could voice his concern, Star leaned in closer. “They’ve finally made their move.”

That managed to get a reaction out of the stallion. He arched a single, interested eyebrow. “Is that so?”

Star nodded, still shaking with excitement. She practically skipped back to her desk, bringing the stallion’s attention down to the scraps of paper on top of it. “Do you know what this is?”

A suspicious glance found its way up to the mare. “The shredded remains of a letter?”

Star’s smile disappeared for all of a few seconds at her master’s obvious answer. “Well… yes. But! But, but, but… it isn’t just the shredded remains of a letter. It’s the shredded remains of a letter from Rainbow Dash’s parents.”

Silence overtook the room as a slight chill went through the air. The stallion took in a deep breath, allowing the new information to sink in. “And you think that it’s fake?”

Star shook her head. “I don’t think that it’s fake. I know that it is. They wouldn’t be able to send a letter without us knowing. No, this is meant to lure Rainbow into a trap.”

The stallion nodded in understanding. “So, we simply locate this trap and eliminate it. The letter tells us exactly where to go, yes?”

Another wide smile broke out onto Star’s face as she clapped her hooves together. “Ah, but that’s the clever part! This is far too amateurish of a blunder, even for them. No, they were hoping that we would find this particular letter. It’s meant to deceive us. We’d be walking right into our own trap. There’s another letter, one that I’ve yet to find. That one will point Rainbow in a different direction, towards her true destination, and that is where her trap lies. If we find the other letter, then we will know where that truly is.” Star couldn’t keep an amused cackle from leaving her lips. “Oh, goodness. This is pre-school levels of planning!”

As confident as his apprentice seemed, the stallion still couldn’t help but have his suspicions. “And what makes you so certain that this is their real plan?”

“As I’ve said, Master, they are idiots,” Star calmly answered. “This time, though, they just happen to be clever idiots.”

The stallion sighed once again. It was an admittedly ling stretch, but Star Light had scarcely been wrong before, even in her more outrageous assumptions. Something about her intuition just seemed unmatched, though it did seem to have an impact on her mentally. Still, it was their best lead, one that he wasn’t about to ignore. “Very well. Where is this other letter?”

That question gave Star Light pause as she tapped a hoof to her chin. “Let’s see. It would be in a place where she would no doubt see it at one point in the day. Somewhere where she couldn’t miss it.” As she pondered, a light bulb went off in her head. “Excuse me, Master,” she said, walking past the stallion and towards the stairs.

“And where are you going?”

“To Rainbow’s home. It must be somewhere in there.”

As smart as Star Light could be at times, there were occasions where she said things that just made the stallion smack himself with his own hoof. This was no exception. “Oh, for goodness’ sake. Star Light! Just how do you plan on getting inside of Rainbow’s house?”

The unicorn merely rolled her eyes at the question. “By walking through the front door.”

“And where is her house located?”

“Somewhere in the sky above Ponyvi—” Star stopped dead in her tracks as the realization finally hit her. She could do nothing else except bring a hoof up to her face. “Oh, stupid! Stupid! Stupid!”

Another tired sigh passed through the stallion’s lips. Sometimes, he could wonder about that mare. “Shall I send one of our pegasi?”

Star shook her head. “No. No, I can still handle this by myself.”

Her persistence was something that could be considered admirable, but it was also one of her greatest flaws. She’d break down a brick wall with the sturdier parts of her face if she had to. “For Equestria’s sake, Star Light! We’ve been over this. Learn when to accept help.”

At that moment, all of the pink unicorn’s energy seemed to drain out of her as she slumped over. “The last time that I accepted somepony’s help was just that. The last time.”

“Star Light, that was ten years ago.”

She turned towards her master, the hints of a glare glinting in her eyes. “Then why stop now?”

The stallion could only sigh as he shook his head. “Fine. Do this on your own and deal with the consequences if you wish. However, you still won’t be able to even get into Rainbow’s home without assistance. At least let us fly you up there.”

A hint of a smile appeared her face. “That, I would like.”

“Alright, and you go right… here. Whew! Done.”

Spike couldn’t help but beam with pride as he shelved the last of the many books Twilight left lying around after her sudden departure. From atop his ladder, he observed the hard-earned fruits of his labor below.

The library was swept, dusted, and mopped to a near sheen. All of Twilight’s writing supplies were neatly placed and organized in their respective drawers, and her books were properly shelved. He may have had his lazy moments every so often, but he could really buckle down and work when he wanted to. After all, he wasn’t Twilight’s number one assistant for nothing.

With his work done for the day, Spike glanced up at the nearby clock. As he observed the time, a worried frown found its way onto his face. He had been busy cleaning the library for two hours, but Twilight wasn’t back yet. Rainbow had shown up just a few minutes after he had begun cleaning, but he didn’t see Twilight return with her. Although he couldn’t help but worry, he didn’t fear the worst. More than likely, the unicorn was just discussing something important with Celestia. He knew more than anyone that once Twilight got going, she was in it for the long haul.

Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what exactly she could’ve been talking about. With her, it could’ve been any number of things, and once the princess got involved, that number only got larger. During his cleaning, he noticed that those weird candles from the basement were gone, as was that dusty journal. Maybe it had something to do with that. It was good guess, he supposed, but he wouldn’t know for sure until she heard it from Twilight herself.

As though to answer his wishes, as he stood there, lost in his thoughts, Twilight reappeared in a blinding flash of light. Thankfully, Spike’s reaction wasn’t as… jump as it was with Rainbow, but that still didn’t change the fact that the sudden appearance startled him out of wits. Unfortunately for the young dragon, being startled while balanced precariously on a ladder rarely ended well. This was no exception.

“This isn’t looking good,” Twilight muttered. “Why is Celestia acting so—” Whatever tirade of questions Twilight was about to assault herself with was promptly interrupted by a loud thud. Whipping around, she darted her head about for the source of the noise, only bring her sights down to the dazed dragon lying at her hooves. “Spike! Are you okay? What happened?”

Clutching his aching head, Spike got back on his feet before looking back up at his oblivious friend. “You happened.”

At first, Twilight scrunched her face in confusion at the odd answer. “Huh? What do you—” Her eyes shot up in realization as she stared up at the ladder right in front of her. It didn’t take long for her to make the connection. When she looked back down at her young assistant, her face cracked into a sheepish grin. “Oh, uh… sorry.”

Spike waved a dismissive hand. “It’s no big deal. Anyway, where were you? You’ve been gone for, like, two hours.”

Twilight heaved a tired sigh as she went through her talk with Celestia once again. “I know. Sorry. I didn’t think I’d be gone for so long. I was just… discussing something with Celestia. Something important.”

It was virtually impossible for Spike to keep a proud smile from cracking onto his face. “Ha! Knew it!”

Twilight jerked her head back up at the sudden outburst. “What?”

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, Spike jammed his hands into his mouth, as though that would somehow take the words back with them. As Twilight raised an eyebrow, Spike quickly calmed himself down. “Nothing, nothing,” he casually answered, trying to play it off. “So, uh, what were you and the princess talking about?”

A small frown appeared on Twilight’s face. She didn’t like lying to anyone, Spike, least of all. However, for someone as young and as innocent as him, it wouldn’t do any good to tell him about something so… dark. “I don’t think it’d be a good idea to tell you about it.”

Unsurprisingly, Spike drooped down, dejected. There were few things he hated more than being kept in the dark, especially when it involved Twilight. “But it’s got something to do with those candles, right?”

Twilight nodded.

“And what about Rainbow?”

A jolt of shock rushed through Twilight’s body as her body tensed up. “What do you mean?”

“She came back way earlier than you did. What was she doing over there in the first place?”

“Celestia had a few questions that she wanted to ask her,” Twilight quickly answered. It wasn’t entirely a lie, but it wasn’t entirely the truth, either.

Unfortunately, for her, Spike had grown to recognize when Twilight was dancing around a question and this was no different, if his furrowed brow and annoyed frown were any indicator. “You really don’t wanna let me in on this, do you?”

Twilight shook her head as she let out another sigh. “I’m sorry, Spike, but this is for your own good. Really.”

The look in Spike’s eyes said it all. He was suspicious, and had good reason to be. He knew that Twilight was on edge about something, and whenever that happened, it rarely ever ended well. Still, he knew when to give Twilight her space; she may have attracted trouble like a walking disaster magnet, but he knew that she’d be able to handle whatever came of it. “Alright,” he finally said with a shrug. “If you say so.”

Twilight gave him a graceful nod before walking back over to her desk. She couldn’t help but wince a bit when she saw her journal still lying on it, left wide open. She had departed with Celestia so quickly that she didn’t even have time to put it somewhere safe. Though the actual chances of anything catastrophic happening to that journal were practically insignificant, as far as Twilight was concerned, she got lucky. She could still find some use out of it, if only to try and better understand Rainbow’s plight.

She sat down in front of her desk, looking down at her journal, ready to go through it one more time. However, before she got started, she noticed something off about her journal. She remembered that she left the journal on a specific page, one discussing certain experiments. It wasn’t on that page anymore.

“Spike,” Twilight called. “Were you going through my things again?”

Spike was busy sliding the ladder back into the corner of the library when he heard his name. “What? No. Why?”

“It looks like somepony’s been looking through this. It’s not on the same page that I left it on.” Twilight glanced at the library’s front door. “Did we get any visitors while I was gone?”

Spike tapped a claw to his chin as he tried to remember all that had happened within the last few hours. Besides a bunch of cleaning, not much came to mind, save for one thing. That one very, very annoying thing. “Oh, right! There was one weird pony here. Pink coat, white mane. She was way too nosy, if you ask me.”

An annoyed grunt left Twilight’s muzzle as she shut the journal. “Ugh, I need to stop leaving my things out if ponies can’t keep their hooves to themselves.” She stood back up and trotted towards the basement.

As she did, Spike suddenly perked up as he remembered something. “Oh, yeah! Twilight, hold up!”

Twilight stopped at the door and turned back towards the dragon. “What is it?”

“There was another pony that showed up, he said that she was looking for Rainbow. He had a letter for her. I already gave it to her, but… she didn’t seem to like it.”

In a few short seconds, Twilight’s curiosity overrode her desire to hide her journal. She backed away from the basement door and faced Spike. “That doesn’t sound good. Do you know who the letter was from?”

“The pony that delivered it said it was from her parents.”

Twilight brought a hoof up to her mouth to stifle a small gasp. She knew that Rainbow didn’t like talking about her parents; they were a very sensitive topic for her. Judging by her less-than-positive reaction, there was a very good reason for that. As though she already didn’t have enough to worry about. Why did things like this always seem to happen at the worst possible times?

Twilight rubbed her temple as she tried to figure out how to deal with the new developments. If Rainbow’s parents were the only problem, then Twilight might’ve let the pegasus handle it herself. While she didn’t like leaving friends to deal with things on their own, it was a very sensitive subject, one that Twilight didn’t want to stick her nose in.

However, after being tossed into the middle of this whole ‘Pieces of Equestria’ business, Rainbow must’ve already been under an immense amount of stress. With her parents added into the equation, it only served to create a plethora of problems, and Twilight couldn’t just sit by and let that happen.

Sighing, Twilight set her journal back down on her desk. “Spike, do you know where Rainbow went?”

Spike just shrugged. “No idea. She just tore outta here. Maybe you could check out her house.”

Twilight rubbed her chin as she considered the idea. Rainbow was rarely ever at her house during the day; if she wasn’t busy training in some unmarked area of the sky, she usually opted for one of Ponyville’s numerous trees. Still, Twilight wasn’t the sort to ignore the possibility as long as it existed. Besides, if she wasn’t there, one of her friends had to have seen her at least. She really wasn’t a hard pony to spot.

“Okay, I’m going to go find her,” Twilight said. “Watch the library while I’m gone.”

Spike gave the unicorn a quick salute. “Can do.”

“Oh, and one more thing.” Twilight brought her journal over to the dragon. “Put this somewhere safe where nopony will find it. I really can’t afford to lose this.”

Spike took the journal out of Twilight’s telekinetic grip, tucking it under his arm. “You got it.”

As Spike headed over to the basement, Twilight channeled magic into her horn. She may not have been in as large of a rush as the last time when she needed to get to Rainbow’s home, but when one of her friends needed help, she didn’t want to waste any time if she didn’t have to.

In a magnificent flash of light, Twilight disappeared from the library.

Sometimes, Rarity wondered if any of her clients truly appreciated the time and effort that she put into each and every one of her orders. No matter how large the order, the fashionista never went through with the intention to ‘get it over with’. Every snip, every stitch, every thread, was careful, calculated, and deliberate. Yes, it sometimes took time, especially with the larger orders, but the end result was always worth it.

However, some of her customers seemed to misunderstand the time that Rarity needs to turn their wardrobes into works of art. Time and time again, she’d receive requests for weddings, birthdays, and other such special occasions with as little as a day to complete the order. The inconvenience was, admittedly, rather annoying, but the life of an entrepreneur was rarely one full of glamour.

Thankfully, the dress before her was not part of such an order. It was a wedding dress, a very common request, but it was for a space-themed wedding, which was a nice change of pace. The mare in question was a fan of Neighptune in particular, so that was the theme of her dress.

While Rarity may not have been as much of an astronomy buff as Twilight, she knew that many admired the planet for its beautiful shade of blue. It was certainly one of Luna’s greatest strokes of creative genius. That being the case, that gorgeous blue was the dress’ dominant color. As an added touch, she arranged the fabric in a way that mimicked the planet’s swirling surface. Such ideas may have seemed ingenious to most other ponies, but for Rarity, it was a simple matter of going the extra distance.

Now, she was only a few more stitches away from a complete order. In all honesty, Rarity didn’t know why she wasn’t done with the dress sooner. It was nothing too complicated, and even if she took her time, she’d still have a few days of freedom to spare. What was it that kept distracting her?

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Base Jumpers! Yay!”

Oh, dear. Not again. Yes, Rarity remembered what kept distracting her. With a sigh more out of fatigue than annoyance, Rarity put down her sewing materials and headed outside. Being the owner of a fairly popular business may not have been easy, but that responsibility paled in comparison to the one she held as an elder sister, and that paled in comparison to the responsibility she held as a foal sitter for three fillies bubblier than Pinkie Pie on a good day.

Stepping outside, it took Rarity all of two seconds to find the three ecstatic fillies. Normally, the sight of three young fillies atop a building would be cause for panic in any pony’s heart. However, Sweetie Belle and her friends have proven to be anything but normal. These were the same fillies who, at one point, had plans to earn their cutie marks in manticore taming. As such, their being on the roof of her boutique was not the most dangerous thing they’ve ever done. Unfortunately for them, that didn’t mean that Rarity was any more tolerant of their antics.

“Sweetie Belle!” she shouted, putting on her sternest face. “You and your friends get down here this instant!”

Groans of disappointment left the muzzles of all three fillies. “Aww, but Rarity…” Sweetie whined.

Rarity wasn’t having any of it. “No buts, young lady. I will not stand by and allow you three to take part in something so— Wait a moment. Is… is that my fabric you’re using?”

Sweetie looked down at the red fabric wrapped around her waist. Granted, she expected Rarity to be a teensy bit angry at her for using her fabric as a bungee cord. Still, at least she was taking safety precautions. Rarity couldn’t possibly fault her for that.

The young unicorn looked up at the yellow filly gripping the end of the fabric in her teeth, eyes pleading for some form of assistance. All she got was a casual shrug. After shooting Apple Bloom a quick glare, Sweetie switched her attention over to the orange pegasus standing by.

“Hey, don’t look at me. She’s your sister,” Scootaloo said. Just like Apple Bloom, her less-than-helpful answer earned her a quick glare from Sweetie.

“Sweetie Belle, I’m waiting,” Rarity called again, tapping her hoof on the ground.

Sweetie winced at the tone behind Rarity’s voice. It was the same tone their parents used when they were annoyed. Things weren’t going well, and her friends weren’t going to be of much help. She didn’t have much other choice than to face the music. “Um, yes?” she finally answered. “But I was going to put it back once we were finished!” she quickly added.

Rarity’s hoof found its way to its owner’s forehead as the mare heaved a heavy sigh, this one out of annoyance. “I don’t care about the fabric, Sweetie. Just get down here before you hurt yourself. Please?”

As much as Sweetie wanted to comply with her sister’s wishes, there was an itty-bitty problem with that. “Um, we… don’t really know how to get back down.”

Before, Rarity only rubbed a hoof down her face. This time, her hoof made full-frontal impact with the middle of her forehead. Honestly, where would Sweetie be without her? Rarity honestly didn’t want to think about that too much. “Oh, for goodness’ sake. Don’t move. I’ll go fetch a ladder.” As Rarity approached her boutique’s door, the tell-tale sign of an approaching multi-colored visitor caught her ears.

“Hey, Rarity!”

The unicorn turned around to find Rainbow Dash speeding straight towards her. While Rarity couldn’t say that she was expecting such a visit, it certainly could save her a bit of trouble. “Hello, Rainbow,” she greeted as the pegasus fluttered to a landing in front of her. “I’m actually rather happy that you’re here.”

Rainbow brushed some dust off of her shoulder. “Yeah, I’d imagine. So, where are they?” She didn’t do a very good job of concealing the irritation behind her voice, something that Rarity didn’t fail to notice.

At first, Rarity was only confused by Rainbow’s standoffish behavior, but her confusion only increased as it seemed Rainbow already knew about the fillies’ plight. “Er, well, since you asked, they’re up there. Don’t ask me how they managed it, because I scarcely know myself.”

Rainbow only raised a single eyebrow as Rarity pointed up towards the roof of her boutique. Why in Equestria would anypony put dresses on the roof? “What? But what would they be doing—” When Rainbow actually looked up at the roof, she discovered very quickly that the things in question weren’t dresses.

She only saw three fillies staring right back down at her, one of them feverishly waving a hoof at her. “Hey, Rainbow!” Scootaloo cried. “How ya doin’?”

“As I said, I’ve not the slightest clue how they managed it in the first place,” Rarity said, looking back down at the perplexed pegasus. “But now they can’t get down. Could you be a dear and retrieve them, please?”

Rainbow’s gaze switched between Rarity and the fillies, her face confusion incarnate. “I… but you… I-I thought…” As much as Rainbow wanted to clear the air, she had to admit, the girls’ safety did come first. “Never mind. I’ll get on it.” With a single flap of her wings, Rainbow flew up to the boutique’s roof.

“Thank you, dearie,” Rarity said as Rainbow came back down with Sweetie Belle in tow.

Once all three were safely back on the ground, Rarity sent them back inside, where they awaited a stern talking to. Meanwhile, she felt it only appropriate to thank Rainbow again. However, when she faced the pegasus to do just that, she was met with a rather seething glare.

The unicorn raised a single eyebrow, taken aback by the brash behavior. Considering it was Rainbow of all ponies, it was certainly something that Rarity didn’t expect. “Is there something wrong, Rainbow?”

The pegasus snorted in response, her glare not letting up. “You tell me. You know that I hate wearing dresses.”

If Rarity was only slightly taken aback before, then she was hopelessly confused now. “I don’t what you could possibly be referring to, Rainbow, but I know that it certainly isn’t me. After all of the trouble it took to keep you still the last time, I think we all agreed that you weren’t fit for the modeling business.”

Now it was Rainbow’s turn to feel confused. “What? But you… you sent me a letter asking me to pose in your dresses.”

Rarity could only shake her head. “No, I didn’t.”

At first, Rainbow could only sputter incoherent nonsense as her eyes darted back and forth between her house high up in the sky and the unicorn standing in front of her. She wasn’t crazy; she knew what she saw. “No, I saw your name on the letter. Who else could’ve sent it?”

After a few seconds of contemplation, Rarity merely shrugged. “Perhaps it was somepony’s idea of a prank. It’s no secret that we’re friends, nor is it a secret how much you dislike the… fancier things in life.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, kicking a bit of dirt up off of the ground. “Well, great. Like I don’t already have enough to deal with.”

That little comment of Rainbow’s didn’t manage to slip by Rarity unnoticed. “Hmm? Is something else bothering you?”

Rainbow’s relatively short attention span was something to be admired. She went to Rarity’s to discuss this very thing with the unicorn, yet was still surprised when she found herself having to explain it to her. “Oh, yeah. See… about that,” Rainbow began, scratching the back of her head. “Earlier today, I kinda, maybe, sorta got a letter from… from my parents.”

Rarity brought a hoof up to her mouth just in time to stifle a gasp. She knew how sensitive that topic was for her. The last time that she brought them up, the poor dear was in tears by the end of it all. This was a major development, and to have it happen so suddenly had to be an incredible shock for the pegasus. “Oh, goodness. What did it say?”

Rainbow heaved a heavy sigh to calm her nerves. Her mind thought back to what it said. To the anger that she felt as she read it. Some of that anger still lingered inside, but she kept it suppressed. She had to. “They wanna see me again. In fact, they’re showing up tomorrow for dinner.”

As much as Rarity wanted to interject her own advice, she wanted to know what Rainbow’s plans were first. It was only common courtesy. “Are you going to go?”

Rainbow nodded. “That’s why I’m here.” Her face twisted into a slight grimace as the question she needed to ask was practically forcing its way up her throat as her dignity tried to force it back down. “Could… could you… make me something… nice… to wear?” Each word had to be strained out through gritted teeth and shut eyes. When she cracked one open to look at her friend, she immediately wished that she could take those words back.

Rarity’s eyes were absolutely gleaming with excitement like a filly on her birthday. Her entire body was quivering with anticipation. It was as though she was waiting for this day for a long, long time. “Oh, you didn’t even have to ask, Rainbow! Anything for a friend in need.”

Rainbow slowly backed away before she could get roped into things any further. “Uh, yeah, whatever you say. Like I said, something nice. Doesn’t matter what. Go crazy! I’ll be seeing ya—” Unfortunately, Rainbow didn’t get very far before she found Rarity pushing her into her boutique.

“Oh, no, no, no. For such a special occasion, this needs to be what you want, and I can’t accomplish that without your input on every, single detail.”

A nervous chuckle passed through Rainbow’s muzzle as she entered the building. “Uh, no, seriously, I trust you. I know that whatever you make will be perfect for me!” she said, trying and failing to convince the excited unicorn.

As Rarity sat Rainbow down in the middle of the store, she looked the pegasus dead in the eye with a creepily pleasant gaze. “Rainbow, darling, you aren’t talking your way out of this.”

Rainbow’s nervous eyes darted all about the store, spotting everything from fancy frills, to exotic perfumes. There were even a few bundles of feathers arranged about the place. Just imagining all of that crud adorning her body made her skin crawl, and that was to say nothing of Rarity’s ideas when she wanted to be ‘creative’.

Somehow, she didn’t think that she was going to enjoy her time there.

5: Time of Desperation

Twilight was a pony that had been through a fair share of danger. She’d probably seen more in the past year than most others see in their entire life. Still, even though she’d been through plenty of physical turmoil, she found that dealing with the emotional variety was far, far worse. That was mainly because, unlike physical danger, emotional danger affected ponies in a variety of ways. Twilight could make an educated guess as to what a fifty-foot drop would do to anypony, but something as simple as a bit of stress could affect different ponies in an unpredictable number of ways. As such, it made it a much more difficult thing to resolve.

Case in point, Twilight didn’t have the slightest clue what she could say to Rainbow Dash to calm her down. Normally, she’d have about half a speech prepared and take things from there, but as things stood, she had nothing. Still, perhaps she should’ve been more concerned with locating the pegasus first. She may not have been a difficult pony to spot, but she certainly was a difficult one to track down.

Twilight appeared in front of Rainbow’s front door in another flash of light. The cloud-walking spell still held as strongly as before as she walked across the surprisingly firm, cloudy porch.

A small sigh passed through Twilight’s lips. It wasn’t likely that Rainbow would be home, but she supposed that she may as well have made sure first before crossing it off of her list. Raising a hoof, Twilight knocked on the door…

…only to have it gently ease open.

Twilight, clearly confused, took a single step back. “That’s… odd.” Odd, indeed. Rainbow may have been a bit of a reckless pony, but she certainly wasn’t so forgetful as to forget to lock her door. Of course, that was assuming Rainbow even used the door; Twilight had known her long enough to know that Rainbow had some unspoken grudge against using doors. If she didn’t have to, she simply would not enter a place through a door, instead opting for some nearby open window. If Rainbow rarely used the door at Twilight’s library, then the chances of her using the one at her own home were certainly low, to say the least.

That meant one of two things. Either Rainbow was in such a state of shock that she wasn’t even acting like herself anymore, or it was the other, much more chilling possibility. Somepony was there who shouldn’t have been.

It likely would’ve been the smarter choice to just go and retrieve the proper authorities if the latter was, indeed, the case. However, Twilight always had a bad habit of jumping to the worst-case scenario at the slightest sign of trouble. For all she knew, Rainbow could’ve just simply forgotten to lock her door. Whether or not the mare was still home, Twilight had yet to find out.

Slowly, the curious unicorn pushed the door open, poking her head into the cloud home. “Hello? Rainbow? Are you in here?”

Seconds ticked by as Twilight waited for an answer that never came, just as she expected. She breathed something of a dejected sigh. “I guess she isn’t here.” She shut the door, already considering where to go next. Not even a few seconds passed before her ears picked up the distinct noise of a pile of items crashing to the floor.

Somepony was in there!

“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight called.

Twilight didn’t even think twice about bursting back into Rainbow’s home.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake,” Star Light hissed as she rummaged through another one of Rainbow’s drawers. “Where is the blasted letter?” Needless to say, her search wasn’t going accordingly, and time was something that she didn’t have much of. She had convinced her master to give her ten minutes to search the pegasus’ home. So far, she’d spent the past five searching through all of Rainbow’s things in a desperate search to find it, only to find everyday house supplies.

Time was ticking away by the second and her options were running lower just as quickly, but it had to be in there somewhere. It was the only place that made sense. Where hadn’t she looked yet? She checked under the bed, she checked in the bathroom, she even checked in the cookie jar like a silly filly. It was in none of those places, though Star had to admit, it not being in the cookie jar didn’t come as a surprise.

The mare released an agitated grunt as she checked another of the few places left where she hadn’t looked. “Where else could it be?” As she tapped a hoof against her head, her eyes drifted towards what must’ve been her last viable option. “The closet,” she muttered.

In a flash, Star Light was in front of the door, swinging it open. She felt both hope and worry seep into her heart as she stared into the mess of cardboard boxes that the closet held. If that letter was somewhere in there, then she was going to find it, even if she had to empty the entire closet to do so.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t take so much as a single step into the closet before she was startled by the sudden zap of a noise that she knew all too well. Somepony just teleported themselves to Rainbow’s front door. It wasn’t the pegasus herself, thank goodness; last time Star Light checked, pegasi couldn’t teleport.

She swore under her breath, standing stock still, hoping that the unwelcome visitor would just walk away. She didn’t seem to consider the fact that she was an unwelcome visitor herself; she was more concerned with remaining unseen. When she heard the same pony knock on the front door, a less-than-classy swear left her muzzle. All of her training, and she still forgot to lock the door behind her.

With literally only seconds to react, Star darted into the one hiding spot that she could reach in time. She managed to shut the door just as she caught glimpse of a mare poking her head into the house. Unfortunately, for the pink unicorn, even hiding couldn’t be a simple process.

In her haste, she didn’t even consider how she would actually fit into the closet with the towers of boxes already inside. That being the case, as soon as she shut the door, the cardboard mountains behind her threatened to collapse at the slightest hint of agitation. Some even leant against her, the unicorn’s back serving as the only thing keeping them from collapsing. The slightest movement, and those boxes were bound to come tumbling down. There really was no need explain why that would be a very, very bad thing.

“Hello? Rainbow? Are you in here?”

For several seconds, Star remained completely still, listening out for any signs that she was alone again. She was so caught up in her search for that accursed letter that she didn’t even plan on what to do if somepony were to arrive. Well, hiding still would’ve been the gist of it, but it would’ve been at a much better location. Those boxes leaning against her certainly didn’t make the wait any easier. She felt her legs burn as they struggled to hold up the added weight on her weight.

What in Equestria is even inside these blasted things?

“I guess she isn’t here.”

Just as Star felt her legs begin to tremble from the effort, she finally heard the sweet, sweet sound of the front door closing as the unknown mare left. A relieved sigh left Star’s muzzle as she reached for the closet door knob. However, in her relief, she failed to remember the stacks of boxes that she was unwillingly supporting. Then again, nopony had ever said that Star Light was without her slow moments.

The instance that she opened the closet, the boxes promptly spilled out in a small avalanche of junk, taking a shocked unicorn with them. Old textbooks, dusty trophies, and other miscellaneous items fell out of the boxes as they tumbled onto the floor. As far as exits went, it could’ve been better.

Star Light quickly dug herself out of the junk pile, mentally swearing at herself for being so careless. However, her self-berating was brought to an immediate halt when she realized that her little spill had cause a lot—a lot—of noise. If she was lucky, then her mystery guest hadn’t heard anything.

“Rainbow Dash?”

Of course, Star Light was never one to be considered ‘lucky’. Case in point, not only did she regain the attention of a pony whose attention she’d have preferred avoiding, but her hiding spot was rendered all but useless. As dim as things seemed, though, she could still salvage things. Darting her head for another hiding spot, she laid eyes on one. It could’ve been reasonably considered a stupid move, but Star Light preferred the term ‘resourceful’.

The unicorn, in an act of desperation, leapt out of a nearby window. Not out-out of it, of course not, but in a way that allowed her to still cling to the outer windowsill, effectively out of sight. It seemed like her move wasn’t made a second too soon, either. The front door was promptly bucked open as the mystery mare barged back inside. Seconds ticked by without her spotting the pink unicorn. It seemed that all Star Light needed to do was wait. As she stayed there, dangling a generous few hundred feet above the ground, she could only hope that her visitor wouldn’t take her sweet time.

The entire house seemed silent. The only noise Twilight heard was the wind outside and the racing heart in her chest. It didn’t take her much time for her to spot the source of the noise. Rainbow’s closet was wide open, all of its contents left in a messy pile on the floor. Twilight wanted to believe that it had opened purely out of coincidence, but she doubted that that was the case. No, somepony had broken into Rainbow’s home and rummaged through her things. A thief? More than likely, but what had they stolen?

Slowly, Twilight took a step further into the pegasus’ home, followed by another, and another. Her venture into the house was painstakingly slow; if there was an intruder, Twilight had no idea if they were still there, or how many there were. She didn’t want things to spiral out of control, but her luck in that regard typically wasn’t in her favor.

Twilight’s eyes scanned the interior trying to spot anything else odd or misplaced. As far as she could tell, aside from the ransacked closet, she couldn’t spot anything unusual. Her searches brought her through Rainbow’s bedroom, living room, and kitchen, all ending in the same results. Nothing.

Another sigh left Twilight’s lips. There didn’t seem to be anything else of interest, and if anything was stolen, she had no way of knowing. No doubt, her best bet at that moment was to just alert authorities to the break-in and let them handle it. First the candles, then her parents, and now a break-in. It seemed that something had it in for Rainbow. Still, Twilight had no idea where the pegasus could’ve been. There were just so many choices; it’d likely be simpler to wait until the two cross paths again.

As she turned to leave, something odd caught her eye. There was a slip of paper sticking out of the trashcan near the front door. Inching closer towards it, she could make out the words of another letter. A frown formed on Twilight’s face as she realized that it was another letter from Rainbow’s parents.

Meanwhile, Star Light, still dangling from the window, pulled herself up to take a quick peek inside. Much to her relief, it seemed like the purple unicorn was finally getting ready to leave. However, she seemed to have stopped, instead choosing to peer at the nearby trash bin with a strange amount of interest. Star Light, always the curious one, followed the unicorn’s gaze towards whatever it was that held her attention.

It didn’t take long for her to spot the slip of paper sticking out of the trash. At first, she could only scrunch up her face in confusion as she tried to figure out what could be so interesting about a simple bit of paper. Then it finally hit her. That was it. She found it!

“The other letter!” Star shouted. Unfortunately, in her elation, she threw her legs up in the air. The same ones that she was using to hold onto the window to use. She didn’t even acknowledge her grievous error until she was already plummeting down to the earth below.

Her sudden cry of joy, however, did not go unnoticed by the purple unicorn. In fact, the sudden outburst nearly made her jump out of her skin. “What in the world?” From the sound of it, the shout came from the nearby window. Rushing up to it, she peered outside. She felt a sense of confusion and shock when she saw a pink unicorn falling away from Rainbow’s home. “Oh, my goodness!” Without a second’s hesitation, her horn went aglow with its lavender aura as she reached out with her magic.

She breathed a relieved sigh when she felt her magic wrap around the falling pony’s body, slowing her to a stop before bringing her back up. In a few short seconds, the pink unicorn found herself being brought back through the cloud home’s window, enveloped in a purple aura. Twilight gently set the mare down on the floor, though she was no less wary of her intentions. It seemed like she called it right. There was an intruder in Rainbow’s home.

Star Light took the moment to recompose herself after her unexpected brush with danger. She really needed to get a better hold of herself at times. Slowly, she took another peek out of the window. It seemed like the house was drifting over a large lake, something that Star kept in mind. However, she had a particularly larger problem to deal with. Looking back at her supposed savior, she was met with a fierce glare from the purple unicorn.

The pink unicorn awkwardly cleared her throat, her eyes occasionally drifting towards the trash bin containing her prize. “Well, that was certainly something of a close call,” she said, glancing back at the window. “I suppose that thanks are in order, Ms. Sparkle.”

Twilight arched an eyebrow, a bit surprised when the complete stranger referred to her by name. “You know me?”

A small smirk appeared on Star’s face. “I assumed that most everypony knew who you were. Princess Celestia’s bright, young student. The Element of Magic. You are quite the celebrity, you know.”

Twilight only huffed at the kind words. “Trying to flatter me?”

“Is it working?” Star asked, playing coy.

Twilight’s glare never left as she laughed a short chuckle. “You’re not talking your way out of this, you know that?”

Star shrugged. “I had my doubts, yes. That doesn’t mean that I can’t make small talk.”

Twilight was hardly amused by the unicorn’s smart-talking. “If you want to talk, then you can start by telling me why you broke into my friend’s house.”

Just as the glare never left Twilight’s face, Star Light’s smirk never left hers. She was terrible at playing serious when she needed to. “Well, if I just up and told you, where would the fun in that be?”

Twilight just about had it with the mare’s sly talk. Her horn glowed with magic again as she took a step forward. “This isn’t a game. I will call the authorities. Now tell me, why did you break into this home? Who are you?”

Star Light’s eyes lit up at the last question. “Ah, and there is the question that everypony wants to know. I suppose that I could tell you, but I do enjoy keeping an air of mystery about me. For you, though, you can simply call me ‘the one that got away’.” In an instant, Star’s horn glowed with a blue light as she prepared a spell.

Twilight stepped back, almost expecting an attack. “What? What are you—”

Without warning, a blinding flash of white light exploded from the pink unicorn’s horn. Twilight cried out in pain and shock as closed her eyes, shielding them from the stinging light. As she was recovering from the flash, Star Light reached out towards the letter.

A blue aura wrapped around the trashed paper, bringing it over to Star Light in no time at all. With her prize in tow, Star dove back out the window. Out-out, this time.

By the time that Twilight’s vision returned, the pink unicorn was long gone. “No. No! Get back here!” she shouted, rushing up to the window. She peered outside just in time to see a tiny splash in the lake far, far below. She got away.

Twilight stamped a hoof on the ground, anger and confusion battling for dominance in her mind. It didn’t make sense. That mare had gone through the trouble of breaking into Rainbow’s home high up in the clouds, a feat that wasn’t exactly a simple thing to accomplish, just to steal a letter? It only served to further agitate Twilight as unanswered questions raced through her mind, with one remaining the most prominent. Just who was that mare? With everything that was already happening, Twilight felt that the answer went far deeper than a mere name.

She needed to bring this up with Celestia.

What is it with Rainbow and throwing important things in the blasted garbage? Star Light thought to herself as she swam towards land. Yes, the operation as a whole could’ve gone much more smoothly, though she had to admit, had Twilight not shown up, she may have never found the letter. She never thought that the trash bin were actually liable to contain so many important things. Perhaps she should’ve done it more often.

Upon reaching dry land, Star promptly hoisted herself up, the letter floating next to her in its, thankfully, waterproof aura.

“And so our favorite sociopath finally returns,” a voice said.

Still dripping wet, Star Light looked up at her dear, sweet ‘friend’. A yellow mare with a black mane lackadaisically relaxed underneath the shade of a nearby tree. “I’ve already told you this before, Marigold. I am not a sociopath.” Star walked up to the yellow mare and promptly shook herself dry, spattering her friend with water. “I simply don’t care about what others think of me.”

Marigold, left a little wetter than she’d have liked, glared at the unicorn, much to Star’s amusement. “Yes, I noticed. I think we’ve all noticed by now.”

Star Light merely shrugged. “Then I fail to see why you continue to get irritated. As long as we’ve known each other, you should’ve gotten used to it by now.”

The yellow mare’s glare only sharpened. “It doesn’t matter how long you deal with it, obnoxious is still obnoxious.” After eliciting an eye roll from Star Light, Marigold only sighed in irritation. It was best that she stopped before she earned herself another headache. Besides, they still had business to attend to. “So, I’m guessing that you’ve found the letter?”

Star nodded, showing the letter to her impatient friend.

Marigold quickly scanned her eyes across the letter. “And you say that this is where Rainbow Dash is really going.”

“Yes, that’s right. We’ll need to hurry if we want eliminate the enemy before Rainbow arrives. If all goes well, she won’t notice anything amiss.”

“Yeah, except that her parents won’t be there.”

Star opened her mouth to say something else, but only a sigh came out. “Yes. Yes, I know. There’s nothing that we can do about that.”

Marigold looked up from the letter, at Star. Hints of worry made their way onto her face as she took note of the frown on Star’s face. Whether or not the unicorn knew herself, Marigold couldn’t tell. “Hey.” She nudged the unicorn’s shoulder, capturing her attention. “She’s gonna be alright, okay?”

Star tried to replace her frown with a smile, but she could only keep it up for a mere few seconds. “Yes, I know. Still, I wish that she just didn’t have to go through all of this.”

The yellow mare placed a reassuring hoof on Star’s shoulder. “Nopony should. That’s why we’re here. Now, let’s get going. Chariot’s waiting. If we’re gonna do this, we need to be quick, like you said.”

Star Light nodded, a genuine small creeping onto her face. “Right. Please, lead the way.”

All was peaceful at Canterlot Castle. Luna was resting until her nightly duty to raise the moon, while Celestia enjoyed some tea in the silence of her bedroom. Savoring her moment of peace, she merely sat and listened to the ambient sounds around her. The chirping birds, the rustling trees, the babbling brooks, it all came together to form one, calming melody.

Celestia breathed a calm sigh as she sat amongst her plush pillows, staring out the window overlooking Equestria. It had been far too long since she’s enjoyed some time to herself. Ever since Rainbow Dash agreed to help her track down the Apple, she found herself in a surprising amount of peace, as though a massive weight was lifted off of her shoulders. For once, she didn’t spend every waking hour of her time buried in that accursed book, and it felt lovely.

However, even amidst the peace and calm, she couldn’t escape all of her worries.

As she took another sip of her tea, she heard rapidly approaching hoofbeats, as if somepony were running towards her. Her suspicions proved correct when a captain of her royal guard burst into her room. The look of panic on his face was enough to make Celestia feel rather uneasy herself. What could be bothering him so much?

“What is it, Captain?” she asked, not rising from her pillows.

“I apologize for the sudden intrusion, Your Highness, but this is a situation of upmost importance!”

The sudden news made Celestia stand, tea still in her magical grip. She arched a single, interested eyebrow. “Go on.”

The captain hesitated in his answer, as though he didn’t want to explain any further. “My scouts have just reported back from the Everfree Forest and… well…”

Disbelief slowly crept its way onto Celestia’s face. No. It can’t be…

“…someone has penetrated your defenses. The Staff is missing.”

The magical grip around her tea cup dissipated. It shattered into tiny white pieces upon impact with marble floor. Celestia was left speechless. How could anyone have found the location of a Piece, let alone break through her defenses? The only species that could even begin to try and dispel her ward was a unicorn. Even then, the only thing capable of giving enough power to do so was the...

A quiet gasp passed through Celestia’s lips, eye widening as she made a fearful realization. "Oh, no."

The captain noticed Celestia’s shocked, almost scared, expression. “Your Highness?”

Celestia’s gaze snapped to the awaiting guard. The stern look in her eyes sent a small chill up his spine. She didn’t hesitate, she didn’t stutter, she didn’t falter. Her order was very clear. “Bring me Rainbow Dash. Now.”

The captain didn’t dare question the princess’ motives. He had seen her more than most of the other guards, and as such, had grown familiar with that tone. Something big was coming, and Celestia was preparing for it. Wordlessly, he bowed before hurrying out of the room.

Once the captain left, Celestia slowly, solemnly, walked back to her window. Staring out, she saw the beautiful land before her. How long had she been ruling over Equestria? How many years had it been since she took her place on the throne? Equestria’s green fields, clear skies, thriving forests, and kind inhabitants nearly made her forget what she had to do in order to become the ruler of it all.

Looking at one of her walls, she saw it. Displayed prominently above her fireplace was the sword that decided it all. It was a simple blade forged from simple steel. The black leather sheath was worn due to age and neglect. It served as a constant reminder of what Celestia had to do to secure her place as ruler.

Approaching the mounted sword, Celestia took it down and brought it over to herself. Unsheathing part of the sword, she saw that the blade was nicked in a few places, but still usable. Hopefully, she wouldn’t need to use it. She needed to maintain her composure. It wouldn’t be the first time she found herself in a time of desperation, nor would it be the last. Mistakes were something that she couldn’t afford, but she needed to find a solution quickly. She needed to prevent things from getting worse.

She needed Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, come now, Rainbow!” Rarity shouted. “It isn’t that bad!”

It really must’ve said something about Ponyville when its inhabitants could just walk by the Carousel Boutique without batting an eyelash as noises of all kinds emanated from the building. Granted, they couldn’t help but wonder what was going on inside as what must’ve been pounds and pounds of equipment went flying about the building’s interior.

Finally, Rainbow sped out of the fancy pit of despair, Rarity not far behind. Parts of the pegasus’ mane were tied together with bright ribbons. If the look of absolute anger on her face was any indication, she did not take kindly to the look. “What’d I say, Rarity? Nothing too girly!” She promptly tore the ribbons out of her mane, throwing it all to the ground.

A sheepish laugh left the fashionista’s muzzle as she threw the numerous hair products around her back inside the boutique. “Honestly, dear, if you’d just let me finish, you would fall in love with it. You said it yourself, this is a very important meeting that you’re making. Don’t you want to look your best?”

“I just came here for a dress!” Rainbow snapped. “You know how much I hate wearing them, too! Why isn’t that enough?”

“Oh, but the mane would complement it so well if you’d just let me style it up.”

If Rainbow shook her head any harder, her head would’ve fallen off of her shoulders. “Look, I’m already dealing with enough as is. Can you just work with me here for once?”

It took her a moment of contemplation, but Rarity finally yielded with a sigh. “You’re right, Rainbow. This is what you want, and I won’t force anything onto you. Well, not anymore, at least.”

Rainbow sighed in relief, a small smile on her face. “Thanks. Listen, think you can get the dress down by tomorrow night?”

Rarity’s mouth curled up into a smug grin as she puffed her chest out. “Oh, of course. It’d be foal’s play.”

“Alright, that’s good. See you later, Rarity. Thanks again.”

“Don’t mention it, Rainbow. What are friends for?”

Rainbow gave the white unicorn a final nod before speeding off into the distance. That smile she wore only grew wider as she realized that her day was more or left clear. There was only one thing that she wanted to do in order to pass the time now. And it’d help her get her mind off of her parents.

Rainbow tore off into a direction away from Ponyville. After all, she didn’t want to cause another ruckus like she did last time. The poor ponies that there was an earthquake after she flew by. It was funny at first, but then she saw how many bits she had to pay for damages. She shuddered at the mere thought of it, definitely something that she didn’t want to do again.

It wasn’t long before she was a safe distance away from the city, but still close enough to give any onlookers a good show. Now, she just needed to pick a good spotting location. Looking at the ground below her, she spotted a nice, clear field. Plenty of room, and it’d still give Ponyville a good view.

After touching down on the grassy plain, Rainbow quickly ran through the routine in her head one last time. She may have been a bit shaky with her execution before, but she knew that she was going to nail it this time.

Alright, here we go. Showtime.

The pegasus took off in a flash, leaving a rainbow streak in her wake. She flew dangerously close to the ground, only a mere foot between her and it, as she sped directly towards a nice, convenient pile of rocks at an alarming rate. It was perfect. After all, what was a stunt with a bit of danger? At the very last second, she immediately changed her direction, flying straight up into the blue sky.

Entering the next phase of her routine, she began a complex sequence of loops, twists, dives, and turns, leaving a lingering rainbow streak wherever she went. When she was finished, she struck a pose in front of her initials, written beautifully in the sky with nothing but her distinctive streak. Her mouth-writing may have been terrible, but her sky writing couldn't be beat.

With her performance looking good so far, Rainbow went into her final phase. She took off again, her initials dispersing in the process. She flew even higher into the sky, miles high, in fact. Her eyes burned and watered from the rushing winds as she became little more than a blue speck to others on the ground.

Once she reached a reasonably high altitude, Rainbow flew back towards the ground, going as fast as she could. Seconds later, a cone of air began to form around her. As she went faster, the cone grew sharper, giving the pegasus more resistance. It wasn’t enough to stop her, however. It was only a matter of time before…

BOOM!!

…she broke the sound barrier in a dazzling display of color, flying faster than ever before, leaving a massive swath of colors in the sky for all to see.

As Rainbow came closer to the ground, she slowed down ever so slightly in order to wrap up the stunt. As soon as she was mere feet away from the ground, she made another sharp turn, flying parallel to it. As she sped across the wide field, preparing herself to stop, a sudden, sharp wave of a pain shot right through her head. Rainbow yelped in pain, her flight path wobbling ever so slightly. She shook her head, closing her eyes to try and block out the feeling. That proved to be a bad idea.

When Rainbow opened her eyes, she saw something—no, somepony—standing right in front of her! Rainbow was going too fast; she had no time to steer away. All she could do was put her hooves up, hoping to soften the impact. A second later, she felt an impact, but it wasn’t the one she was expecting. Rainbow collided with the ground, rolling and skidding across the dirt until finally coming to a stop.

For the longest time, Rainbow just laid there, her head spinning. It wasn’t the worst tumble that she ever took, but that didn’t mean that it still didn’t hurt, nor did it keep her from feeling the shameful sting of embarrassment. It didn’t make any sense; she had that stunt in the bag, but then that… thing showed up out of nowhere.

Still dazed, Rainbow got back onto her hooves. She felt a small sting in her side, but it was nothing severe. Again, she’d had worse falls than that, but none have left her so confused. That image of the pony refused to leave her mind. Despite only seeing it for a split-second, Rainbow could remember virtually every detail from the mare’s black coat, to her odd, white robes, ones that were so tattered and dirty, just laying eyes on them would give Rarity a heart attack. But that wasn’t the strangest of it. Rainbow couldn’t put her hoof on it, but that mare seemed familiar somehow, but where had she seen her before?

A sense of shock pierced Rainbow’s heart as her eyes widened in realization. No. No, no, that couldn’t be right. She couldn’t have been seeing things. No way. It was just all of the worry getting to her head. Maybe training wasn’t what she needed. Another nap sounded better, in fact.

“Halt!”

Rainbow immediately froze in her tracks at the booming voice. Looking around, she saw that it came from a group of Celestia’s royal guards. But what were they doing way out here?

One of the guards flew up to the pegasus. “Ms. Rainbow Dash?”

“Uh, yeah. How did you guys find me out here?”

“Between the rainbow-colored initials in the sky and the rainbow-colored explosion that soon followed, you didn’t necessarily make it hard.”

“Oh. Heh, right. So, what do you want again?”

“We have direct orders from Princess Celestia to bring you to her immediately. It’s a matter of great urgency.”

A confused frown formed on Rainbow’s face at the news. The Princess wanted to see her again already? But they had their supposed daily session not even a few hours ago. Still, ‘great urgency’ sounded pretty important. Maybe something came up while she was gone. She wouldn’t know until she went, and who was she to decline? “Alright, let’s go.”

“If you’ll follow me.”

Rainbow followed the guards into the sky, flying towards Canterlot Castle. As she flew away, she snuck a glance behind her shoulder, down at the field. She had almost expected to see… her staring right back up at her, but thankfully, saw nothing but the green grass, and the lovely imprint that she left in the ground. She shook the paranoid thoughts from her mind. It was just all of the stress getting to her, that was all. In fact, Celestia may have even been able to take her mind off of her parents, if only for a while. She could only hope, she supposed.

Celestia paced back and forth in her bedroom, her impatience only growing more apparent as the seconds ticked by. She already had the candle standing by, waiting for its subject; she just needed Rainbow Dash to arrive. Why weren’t her guards back yet? It had been thirty minutes since she sent them to retrieve the pegasus, and yet they hadn’t returned. Thirty minutes lost because of their incompetence. That was unacceptable! When they finally did return, she was going to…

Celestia stopped for a moment, taking in a deep breath. She couldn’t—no, wouldn’t—allow herself to lose her composure over this. Things may not have been going perfectly, but the situation was still in her favor. She had simply been careless before. Leaving something as powerful as a Piece of Equestria completely unguarded, albeit hidden? What was she thinking? That was different now. Now, she had her elite guards, the greatest soldiers in all of Equestria, keeping constant watch over the others. Whoever managed to slip by her defenses before was not going to do it twice.

The princess soon heard a knock at her door. She opened it, and nearly let out a sigh of relief when she saw Rainbow Dash step inside. “There you are, Rainbow. Now we can finally begin.”

Rainbow stopped in front of the candle, hints of worry creeping onto her face. It looked like it was the same one from earlier; melted wax, since then hardened, ran down the length of the candlestick, pooling on the table. Just looking at the thing filled Rainbow with a sense of unease. She still couldn’t get over what that thing did to her. Still, she managed a smile as she looked at the princess. “Yeah, I guess so. So, what’s up with this whole ‘great urgency’ thing? Did something come up?”

Celestia stared out her window again. “Yes, it will all be over soon.”

Rainbow raised a single curious eyebrow. “That’s not really what I…forget it. Let’s just get this over with,” she said, sitting in front of the candle.

“I couldn’t agree more.” Celestia began to channel magic through her horn, filling the room with her magnificent glow.

However, right before she fully completed it, Rainbow suddenly cried out. “Wait!”

Celestia brought her stoic gaze down to the pegasus, her horn still aglow. “Is something wrong?”

Rainbow scratched the back of her head. “I think so, yeah. Right before your guards came to grab me, I coulda swore that I…” She tried to find the best way to say it, finally realizing just how silly it sounded. “Well, I think that I saw that Shadow pony.” She didn’t know what to expect next, but the silence that followed certainly didn’t help to calm her nerves. Looking back up at the princess, she saw that Celestia was still staring at her with that unnerving gaze. Actually, it didn’t seem to be aimed directly at her, but rather into space. “Er, Princess Celestia?” Rainbow called.

The princess snapped out of her trance, looking back down at the pegasus. “It is likely nothing. Whatever it is, it will pass with time. Now, please, may we begin?” She took Rainbow’s silence as a sign to continue. As she prepared to light the candle, Celestia couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt for what she was about to do. “Rainbow, I’m sorry.”

It took the pegasus a moment to register what she had just heard. “…Wait, what?”

Celestia lit the candle. The green flame wasted no time in finding its way into its target’s skull. The pegasus had no time to react, immediately going limp as the fiery tendril snaked its way into Rainbow’s mind, sifting through her memories, through her very DNA. Celestia only stood by, something of a pained frown on her face. “It pains me to do this,” she said, “but time is a luxury we no longer have.”

With Rainbow Dash captivated, Celestia left her bedroom, locking the door behind her. She had other matters to attend to.

6: Arrogance Begets Failure

Shadow Streak’s eyes creaked open as the morning sun beamed into the bureau. It was the day of Buckeye’s assassination, but the time of the event was still some time away. Judging by the position of the sun, noon wasn’t for another two hours, leaving her plenty of time to prepare, both physically and mentally.

Shadow stepped back out into the main room, finding her stallion colleague still behind the store counter. A small smile found its way onto his face as he saw the black mare. “Slept well, I assume?”

Shadow stretched her limbs as she breathed a heavy yawn. “It seems that way. It was hardly luxurious, though I suppose that you take what you can get.”

The stallion only let out a playful snort. “Goodness, it is true. Everypony is becoming a critic.” A short chuckle left his muzzle. “You can find your things in that trunk,” he said, pointing Shadow over to the nearby box off in the far corner of the store.

“Excellent.” Shadow wasted no time in approaching the trunk. Upon popping it open, a small smile of her own cracked onto her face as she looked over the things that essentially made up the other half of her being. Her robes lay neatly folded at the bottom, with her weapons, bits, and other items stacked nicely on top.

“As I recall, this Buckeye’s final day in this life, yes?” the stallion asked as Shadow took her robes out of the trunk.

Slipping it on was practically second nature to the mare. It had to be one of the few things that she was more familiar with than handling a weapon. It was only a simple matter slipping it over her head and fastening the occasional buckle here and there to hold the folds. She didn’t even register the stallion’s words until she was fully in what was essentially her second layer of skin. “Hmm? Oh, yes, of course. In a mere two hours, Equestria will no longer have to worry about that scourge.”

The stallion only nodded. “I see. Well, I suppose your confidence is warranted.”

“And why would it be otherwise?” Shadow asked, placing her bits within the depths of her robes.

Hesitation was clear on the stallion’s face as he breathed a sigh. “All I will say is this: You are an excellent warrior, Shadow Streak, but please, be mindful of your arrogance. It carries the risk of being your downfall.” Looking back up at the mare, he wasn’t surprised to see a scowl on her face.

“I appreciate the concern,” she said, disdain behind her voice, “but it is unnecessary. Now, if you will excuse me, I must prepare myself.”

“Shadow, underestimating the enemy has led to many untimely deaths within our Brotherhood, all of them just as skilled as you were, including your—”

“That is enough!” Shadow snapped. “If you wish for our relationship to remain a healthy one, you will mind your tongue.”

The stallion wisely chose not to press the matter further. “Very well. If you insist. I will leave you to yourself.” With that, the stallion walked off, disappearing into the back room.

Finally left alone, Shadow took the time to check her gear. The majority of her time was counting and recounting her throwing knives, sharpening her dagger, and making sure her hidden blade was in working order.

When she felt all of her equipment was up to par, she still had around an hour left. With that in mind, she sat in the corner and meditated. It was important that she was both physically and mentally prepared for the task, lest she hesitated and allowed her target to escape.

As the minutes passed by, her mind slowly became less like the wild maelstrom that it usually was and more like a tranquil pond. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing else around her. She was completely, and utterly alone. And she loved it. Everything was crystal clear to her, from feeling the incense smoke brushing past her coat, to hearing the light chatter of ponies outside. But most importantly, her mind was completely clear. She envisioned her plan, playing it out in her head in painstaking detail:

She remained out of sight on Manehattan's roofs, staying as low as possible on the cold stone. She was right next to the east gate. She was in position, all she needed to do was wait. And wait she did. Whether it was for minutes or for hours didn't matter. Patience was always key, and it always paid off. This time was no different.

Soon enough, she could hear the rhythmic marching of an approaching battalion. Eventually, she saw them: guards clad in gleaming armor marching down the narrow street towards the gate. Shadow's eyes lit up once she saw the stallion leading the pack. Buckeye. This was her chance. She couldn't afford any mistakes now.

As the guards grew closer, oblivious to Shadow's presence, the mare readied her hidden blade. She just needed to wait for the precise moment. Buckeye was still a few hundred meters away. Then he was only a few meters away. Then a few yards. A few feet. Soon enough, he was right underneath her. This was it!

Shadow leapt from the roof, going in for the kill. The guards cried out in shock as they saw her descend from the sky like an angel of death, but it was far too late. Buckeye never even saw her coming. By the time he knew of her existence, Shadow had already tackled him, pinning him to the ground. She wasted no more time. Raising her blade, she aimed it right towards his exposed neck. She brought it down fast and hard, driving it deeply into--

"Help!"

Shadow's eyes snapped open as she was torn away from her thoughts. Were her ears playing tricks on her or did she hear a mare calling for help? She looked towards the bureau's entrance, straining her ears as she tried to hear anything else.

"Somepony, please help me!"

The mare shot up to her hooves. There was another pony crying for help. Shadow made her way towards the entrance, but stopped in her tracks. What of the mission? She couldn't just go off on a tangent, not when she had a mission to do. She couldn’t allow herself to be so easily distracted.

At the same time, though, she couldn’t just ignore this. She joined the Assassins in order to help ponies live better lives in whatever way she could. The sick and poor were one thing; they required attention that Shadow didn’t have time to provide, but things like this—the little things— could be prevented. Not only that, but the east gate wasn't even that far away; she could afford a quick detour to save another pony's life. With that in mind, Shadow sped out of the bureau.

Back out in the Manehattan streets again, Shadow darted through the crowds, dodging and weaving by passerby after passerby. Just as she had expected, the east gate was very close, no more than two minutes from her position. As for the mare's cries, Shadow traced them down to an alley not very far away. She didn't waste any time, and galloped towards it.

Shadow ran into the alley where the screams originated. There, she saw a pegasus resting against the wall, trembling like a leaf. Even though she was wearing a ragged shirt, Shadow could see her pink coat and yellow mane, as well as the butterflies adorning her flank. Despite the pegasus’ clear fear, she didn’t seem to be in any imminent danger. “What is it? Is something wrong?” Shadow asked, approaching the pegasus.

As she grew closer, the pegasus trembled even more. She seemed to be on the verge of tears. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m so sorry.”

Shadow backed away in confusion. “What do you mean by that?” It finally hit her. A victim crying for help, luring any would-be heroes to an isolated location, only to be found alone? Why didn’t she suspect it sooner? How could she have fallen for such a simple trap?

As expected, Shadow soon heard hoofbeats rapidly approaching from behind her. She didn’t even bother turning around; she leapt off to the side, barely avoiding the wild swipe of an earth pony’s knife. As soon as Shadow landed back on the ground, she darted towards her attacker, hidden blade at the ready. The thief barely had time to react before Shadow dug the blade deep into his chest. A sharp cry left the pegasus’ muzzle as she watched her comrade fall to the ground, blood seeping from the hole.

Two more thieves, both unicorns, came out of one of the alley’s various nooks, daggers levitated in front of them. Shadow was hardly daunted by her new challengers. She drew her dagger, holding it tightly in her mouth. Just by looking at them, she could tell that they were nervous. She could see the sweat dripping down their faces. She could see their weapons tremble in their magical grip. They knew that they didn’t stand a chance, not after what they saw happen to their friend. But were they smart enough to retreat?

The answer quickly proved to be no, as they both rushed Shadow, weapons ready to swing. The mare deftly avoided their mindless swipes before darting in, bringing her dagger across the throat of one unicorn, and burying it into the chest of the other. Just as quickly as it began, Shadow’s assailants lay dead before her.

That only left one.

The pegasus simply stared at the scene in pure shock as Shadow sheathed her dagger. When the mare turned to face her, she backed up against the wall, fearing for her life.

“You have ten seconds to explain why you deserve my mercy,” Shadow warned as she approached the pegasus. She was so struck with fear that it was a miracle that she didn’t faint. She just cowered against the wall, covering her head with her hooves as she mumbled more illegible apologies. That wasn't enough for Shadow, who was soon standing directly above her. The sobbing pegasus didn't dare look up. She expected her life to end any second now.

As Shadow raised her hoof, blade ready to strike her down, she stopped for a moment. Was this thief really worth the effort? Staring down at her, Shadow saw nothing but a blubbering pile of tears and snot. It was pitiful. Besides, she had larger matters at hand.

When the pegasus didn’t feel anything, she peeked up to see what was happening. To her shock and relief, Shadow had already left the alley.

“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” Shadow continued to berate herself for the rest of her trip to the east gate. How could she have allowed herself to fall for such a simple trick? On a mission, no less! She let her emotions get the best of her, and it wasted what little time she already had. That was unacceptable. Grey Mane would have her hide if he found out about such a mistake. Just as she was about to play out that pleasant scenario in her head, she heard a noise that made her heart skip a beat: the sound of a gate opening—no, closing!

“No, no, no!” Shadow kicked it into high gear and sprinted towards the gate, sticking to the rooftops. When she arrived, just as she feared, it was already closed. She could hear the convoy beyond the city walls, growing further away from the town. She missed her chance! Shadow quickly calmed herself down. This was simply an inconvenience. She hadn't failed the mission yet. She could still find another opportunity. She wasn't going to give up that easily.

She climbed the city walls before dropping down to the other side. There, she could see Buckeye’s convoy a few hundred meters ahead. Buffalo Bay was only a mile away. She needed to kill Buckeye before they reached it. But how would she get close without giving away her position? She followed closely behind while she formulated a plan.

The high grass of the surrounding fields made it easy for Shadow to close in on the convoy. Staying close to the ground, she was able to observe it without fear of being seen. Just as the schedule said, there were a total of twenty guards, each hauling a caged wagon, no doubt for the buffalo. However, she was unable to find Buckeye; all of the guards she saw were either unicorns or earth ponies. Perhaps he was at front, leading the guards to their destination. Shadow quickened her pace, being careful not to make too much noise.

Soon, she reached the front of the group. There, she found who she was looking for. He was a pegasus with a gleaming, white coat; a stark contrast from Shadow’s own pitch black fur. His mane was covered by a golden helmet, which went with the golden chest plate he was wearing. It certainly made him stand out from the other guards, who were wearing dull, grey armor. Shadow could also see a pair of wings adorning the pegasus’ flank. Without a shadow of a doubt, she knew that he was Buckeye.

Buckeye glanced back at his men. “Maintain your pace!” he ordered with a booming voice. “Buffalo Bay is only half a mile away. Keep on the look-out for any ambushers.” This wasn’t good. Shadow was running out of time. She needed to do something right now.

Retreating to the back of the group, she set her sights on the very last guard. In one, fluid motion, she sent one of her throwing knives flying right towards him. He never saw it coming. He only had a split-second to scream before the knife lodged itself his neck. That was enough to attract the attention of the entire convoy, including Buckeye. They all turned to face the dying guard as he fell to the ground, blood spurting from his neck. “It’s an ambush!” one guard shouted.

“Do not lose your focus!” Buckeye ordered. However, amidst the chaos, all eyes were off him, giving Shadow the perfect chance to strike. She darted out of the grass, sprinting towards her target.

However, before she could reach him, one of the guards caught a glimpse of her. “Captain, look out!”

Buckeye quickly turned around, only to find Shadow leaping towards him, her hidden blade out and ready to dig into his neck. He had no time to react; the hesitation from the shock alone gave Shadow enough time to finish him off. He couldn’t do a thing as Shadow closed in.

Just as she brought her blade down towards the pegasus, he dove off to the side, dodging it by mere inches. Shadow, her momentum going into nothing but air, crashed into the ground with a hard thud. As she got back on her feet, Buckeye took to the sky, hovering above her.

“So, the king finally decided to make the first move,” he declared. “Very well, then it’s time to begin.”

“Begin? Begin what?” Shadow demanded, eliciting a cackle from the pegasus.

“As if I’d tell the likes of you.” He motioned to his guards. “Kill this wretch!” With that, he sped back towards Manehattan.

Shadow swore under her breath as her target escaped. She was more concerned about how she was going to explain this to Grey Mane than she was about the fact that she was surrounded by nineteen armed guards. That was because she already knew how one of those scenarios was going to end.

Sparks flew as metal clashed with metal. Blood flew across the fields, staining the lush, green grass a deep red. Each swing of Shadow's dagger brought about another swift death.

Much like before, despite being a spectator, Rainbow Dash felt everything that Shadow felt. She knew everything that she knew. As Shadow dodged and deflected the various attacks from the guards, countering with fatal attacks of her own, Rainbow felt the speed, finesse, and skill required to pull it all off. She felt as though she were there, performing all of these intricate and fatal maneuvers herself.

But along with the adrenaline, there was something else there. Some sort of twisted pleasure that she derived from this hectic fight. She didn't like, but at the same time, loved it. She loved the thrill she felt, and that was something she couldn't deny. She only felt this sort of sensation whenever she was flying, but this practically took that same thrill and amplified it. But despite that, Rainbow still hated it. How could she enjoy something like this? It may have been a result of Shadow's own feelings affecting her way of thinking, but how much of it was simply that, and how much were Rainbow's own feelings? That was the question that itched in the back of her mind.

The battle raged on with a clear winner in mind. What had been nineteen guards soon turned to eighteen. Then seventeen. Then sixteen. Fifteen. Fourteen. Soon enough, only one guard remained.

The lone guard stood there, looking at his fallen comrades with wide, terrified eyes. All of his fellow troops lay before him, blood still seeping from slit throats or stab wounds. Twenty men, and he was the only one left. His eyes snapped back up to the one responsible. The mare before him, clad in white robes like some twisted harbinger of death, stood before him. She was calm, relaxed. Not a sign of fatigue. She simply stood there, unmoving, like a statue. She was waiting. Waiting for him to attack. No, he wasn't that stupid, that'd be suicide. He had a better chance running away. But what of his duty as a guard? What was more important? His life or his pride?

Shadow felt a smirk crawl onto her face when she saw the guard turn and gallop away. She could've killed him if she wanted to, but that wasn't the point. She looked around, seeing nothing but corpses and blood-stained fields. She let out a tired sigh. So much death and violence on this mission, and it all could've been avoided if she had just stayed on task. It was embarrassing how horribly things went.

Worse than that, her target escaped, an inexcusable mistake on her part. But despite her anger, she couldn't help but wonder what Buckeye meant by what he said. What was he planning, and what did the king have to do with it? Even though she really didn't want to, she needed to report this to Grey Mane. Something told her that this whole thing went deeper than she thought. Far deeper.

Come nightfall, Shadow found herself walking through the depths of the Everfree Forest. Its tall, thick trees blocked any and all forms of light from getting through, creating a darkness that was impossible to see through. All around her, she could hear the various growls and scurryings of the forest's various forms of wildlife, some harmless, most dangerous. Anypony in their right mind would go out of their way to avoid even getting near the forest, let alone going inside. The darkness combined with the forest's sheer size made getting lost incredibly easy, while also making getting out incredibly hard.

However, Shadow knew where she was going. As far as she could tell, there was a single path that led through the forest's thick groups of trees. This path in particular was one that Shadow knew as well as her own name. She knew where to go, and she knew how to get there, whether or not she was able to see.

Soon enough, she broke through the dark and foreboding trees and into a large, moonlit clearing. This was one of the few places in the Everfree where ponies were actually able to see. The moon stood high and proud in the sky, covering everything below in its embracing light. At the center of the clearing was what Shadow was looking for: a large, stone structure that she came to call the Everfree Palace. Her home.

At first glance, it seemed like an old, abandoned palace, while in reality, it served as the base of operations for her and her colleagues. There wasn't much activity, probably due to the time of night, but Shadow still suspected that there was one pony still awake, waiting for her. The thought made her feel uneasy, but she it was something that she needed to face.

After making her climb up its many stairs, Shadow found herself back inside the place she knew all too well. It always felt like she was returning home after a long vacation away, but everything always looked and felt the same when she returned. The stone still felt cold underneath her hooves. There was still a chilly, almost foreboding draft in the air. There were still piles of dust in the corners of the room that nopony bothered to clean up. The place simply felt the same. It was virtually void of all life as well, something else that Shadow grew used to. Higher ranked Assassins such as herself were most likely out on missions, while the younger ones were asleep in the upper levels.

There wasn’t much in terms of decorations to speak of, either. A few bookshelves containing historical records lined the walls. Red banners depicting the Assassins’ insignia hung from the walls. A rug with the same insignia lay in the very middle of the room. Beyond that, another set of stairs that led to the small study upstairs, where Grey Mane was waiting for her. Swallowing down her fear, Shadow made her way up the stairs.

As she neared the top, Grey Mane slowly came into view. Despite his name, his ruffled mane was not the only thing grey on him. His wrinkled coat had a lighter shade of grey as well, showing his age. Even his eyes and horn seemed to have greyed out, having a glossy sheen to them. His robes were longer and more designed than Shadow’s. They were also black, signifying his position as Grand Master of the Assassins. He may have seemed old and decrepit, but he had more skill and experience than all of his disciples put together.

Behind him was his desk, topped with multiple scrolls, quills, and ink pots, where he would write various messages to his acquaintances. Next to that were several coops that held the owls who would deliver these messages.

When Shadow reached the top, neither of them said a word. The mare looked at the ground, not daring to look in her master’s eyes, not after such a despicable failure. The most she could do was try to explain herself. “Master, I…”

“No,” Grey Mane interrupted. “I have already received a report detailing your mission. Or should I say your failure?” Shadow flinched at the last word. “What in all of Equestria were you thinking?” He may not have been yelling, but his voice slowly grew louder with every word he spoke.

“I’m sorry,” Shadow answered, keeping her eyes on the floor. “What happened was regrettable, but…”

“Not regrettable. Sloppy.” Shadow flinched again. “You let one measly pegasus get in the way of the mission.”

Shadow finally brought her head up, meeting her master’s eyes. “I thought she was in need of help.”

“And what did you find instead? Not a victim, but a thief. You put your emotions before the mission, and as a result, allowed Buckeye to escape.” He turned and approached the window overlooking the training grounds behind the castle. There, he saw several young Assassins, pegasus, unicorn, and earth pony alike, sparring with each other. “What disappoints me further is that your inability to control your emotions was the only reason why you failed. I expect such mistakes from the young bloods, but not you, Shadow. From you, I expect nothing but perfection. If your parents saw you now—”

“Do not bring them into this!” Shadow snapped.

The sudden outburst made Grey Mane magically unsheathe his dagger. In the blink of an eye, he had it up against Shadow’s unflinching neck. “Watch your tongue or I’ll have it cut from your mouth.”

Feeling the cold steel against her neck caused Shadow to calm down, but not by much. “My apologies, Master, but my parents have nothing to do with this. I would appreciate if we kept them out of this.” The dagger lingered at her neck for several more seconds before Grey Mane drew it back.

“You will leave this place, and you will not return until Buckeye is dead,” he instructed. That actually reminded Shadow of something else.

“Speaking of Buckeye, Master, right before he escaped, he said something about the king ‘making the first move’. I believe he thinks the king sent me to assassinate him. I fear he may be in danger as a result.”

Grey Mane, intrigued by the news, reconsidered what Shadow’s priorities should be. “Is that so?” He began pacing in front of Shadow again as he formed a plan in his head. Finally, he faced the mare “Shadow, you have a new assignment.”

“What needs to be done?”

Grey Mane sat at his desk and began to write a letter. “You will be going to Canterlot. If there truly is someone planning to attack King Neptune, then the entire Solar family may be in danger as well. We must prevent any harm from befalling them.” When he finished writing his letter, he tied it to the foot of one of his owls before letting it fly out of the window. “I want you to gather any information on this supposed plot and prevent it from happening. Another Assassin stationed there will be waiting for you.”

“And what of Buckeye?” Shadow asked, hoping she’d be able to redeem herself in that regard.

“If he is behind this, then you will inevitably run into him. When you do, do not let him escape, understood?" Shadow nodded. "Dismissed.” With that, Grey Mane bowed. Shadow bowed as well before leaving the palace.

Already, her mind was filling with questions. If there really was a plot to attack the Solar family, who could be behind it? It would have to be more complex than someone just barging in through the front door. There would have to be someone on the inside, someone feeding information to the outside. Shadow just had to find out who that ‘someone’ was. In the meantime, she needed to get to Canterlot as quickly as possible. It was one of those rare moments when she wished that she was a pegasus.

“That’s a ‘B’.”

“No, that is an ‘F’.”

“For goodness’ sake, Star Light! Take your mind out of the gutter. It’s very clearly a ‘B’!”

“Girls!”

Marigold and Star Light snapped their eyes up to their master as the stallion rubbed his temples, trying and failing to stave off a headache. Why wasn’t he surprised? Two of his best students, and they were arguing over a letter in a letter.

With time being a rather precious resource, they had all decided to gather in Star Light’s basement, it being the closest place available to them. Thankfully, Gran-Gran was always more than willing to welcome new guests into the house, even if she did have a problem getting their names right. “Fairydust! Would you like some more tea?”

A hoof found its way firmly on Marigold’s face as she let out a long, tired sigh. “N-no, Ms. Moonlight, I’m fine for now. And it’s ‘Marigold’, by the way.”

“Oh! Well, why didn’t you say so, Merrybloom? All of this time, I’ve been calling you by the wrong name.”

The yellow mare opened her mouth to correct the nearly deaf bat, but Star Light placed a hoof on her shoulder. “She’ll never get it right, you know?”

“She really won’t,” their master added in. “She’s been calling me ‘Piston’ for the past three years. Now, can we please focus on the letter? The note, not the one you two are arguing over?”

With a sigh, Star nodded. “Yes, of course.” Still, she couldn’t keep herself from shooting a sly glance at her yellow friend. “Can you do that as well, Fairydust?”

The mare threatened to burn a hole right into Star’s skull with the seething glare that she gave her.

Whether she didn’t notice or simply didn’t care, Star Light put her attention back on the letter. “Let’s see… ‘If it wouldn’t be of much inconvenience to you, dearest Rainbow, we found a lovely restaurant in Hoofignton called ‘The Bucking Palace’—okay, so it is a ‘b’—‘I think that would be a lovely place for us to enjoy ourselves. Perhaps we can meet there at around seven tomorrow night? Oh, we can’t wait to see you.’”

“So, The Bucking Palace is where they’ll be,” the stallion said.

“It seems that way.”

Star Light placed the letter on her desk. “Then I suppose it’s time we formulated a plan.”

The stallion nodded in agreement. “Yes. Now, if I’m still familiar with their tactics, then they will no doubt—”

“Starly! Have you seen my medication?”

The trio of ponies groaned in unison, Star Light most of all. “Gran-Gran, it’s in the top drawer where it has always been!”

“But I already looked in the bottom drawer!”

“No, you forgetful, old mare! The top! It’s in th-the top…” The pink unicorn finally yielded with a sigh. “Oh, for goodness’ sake.” She glanced back at her two friends. “Could you give me a moment?”

“Take your time,” her master replied.

As the unicorn trotted up the stairs, mumbling her grievances away, Marigold walked up to the stallion’s side. “Do you think that we should keep her involved with this? I mean, you know how she gets when it comes to Rainbow.”

The stallion sighed, taking the time to contemplate his answer. “It would be wise, but you also know how she can be when she’s left out of a mission such as this. She would just find another way to involve herself, no matter how reckless her methods may be.”

Marigold’s mouth curled into a frown. Star would never openly admit it, of course not, but she was growing more and more worried with each passing moment. Her changes in behavior, while not outrageously obvious, were still there. They were subtle things. Changes in tone, less energetic movement, an even more delicate temper than usual. She didn’t like to think about it, but Marigold just couldn’t help but worry for the unicorn. “I just don’t want her to get herself killed over this.”

The stallion, noticing the young mare’s worry, placed a hoof on her shoulder. “No, she’s too smart and stubborn to allow something like that to happen, though your worries are warranted. We’ll simply have to keep an eye on her for now.”

The two quickly hushed themselves as they heard Star trot back down the stairs, relief clear on her face. “Thank goodness that her medicine instantly puts her to sleep. She shouldn’t bother us again for another few hours.” She shot a wide smile at her two companions. “So, what shall we do now?”

Marigold and her master shared a quick, nervous side glance, one that Star Light didn’t miss.

“What?”

Shadow Streak’s journey to Canterlot wasn’t one that she particularly enjoyed. Not because of the distance; she could walk the several miles without taking a break. No, the problem was that the walk was painfully uneventful. It’s been such a long time since she’s been to Canterlot that she forgot how long and empty the walk actually was. She could see the city’s castle off in the distance, yes, but still had miles to go before she reached it. Bandits rarely ever came this far up the road, not wanting to attract the attention of the royal guard, so there weren't going to be any ambushes to liven things up. For the moment, Shadow only had the surrounding nature to help break the monotony.

Thankfully, the day’s weather was far different than it was during her stay in Manehattan. The clouds have long since cleared up, allowing the sun to shine down on the land underneath. Shadow felt the warm rays against her exposed coat; a breath of fresh air compared to chilly weather she usually had to walk through. To add to the beauty, she was walking through a brilliant field of colorful flowers. Every so often, she would stop and sniff some of them, taking in their various aromas. It was so calming, so gentle, and so…boring!

She knew that she shouldn't hope to be attacked, but she just wanted something to do besides walk and gawk at the environment like some little filly.

Suddenly, Shadow’s ears perked up as she heard something rustle through the field next to her. She let out a relieved sigh. “Finally.” She immediately drew her dagger and faced the source of the noise. As it grew closer, she became ready to strike. However, once her alleged assailant revealed itself to her, she just hung her head in disappointment. It was a bunny. Shadow just got worked up over a bunny.

She put her dagger back in its sheathe before snorting in frustration. She needed to take this more seriously. The king’s life was at stake, and she was busy starting fights with the local fauna. It may have been a boring journey, but that was hardly an excuse. Besides, it was pretty obvious that all the action would be at Canterlot, so that was even more reason to get there as soon as possible. Shadow got back on track, going into a trot to make up for lost time.

Hours later, Shadow finally saw the city’s gate off in the distance. It was a long journey, one that lasted well into the night, but she finally made it. The large, marble archway leading into the city was flanked on both sides by guards. As she approached the entrance, they immediately placed their spears in her path.

“State your business.”

With a roll of her eyes, Shadow dug into her robes, taking out a hefty bag of bits that she ‘liberated’ from a noble some time ago. She had a feeling that they’d come in handy one day, and she was right. She dropped the bag right at the guards’ hooves. Without any further provocation, they stepped aside, allowing Shadow into the city.

“Don’t cause any trouble.”

Shadow couldn’t help but smirk at that warning as she entered the city. Her cause trouble? What a ridiculous notion.

As Shadow walked through the city streets, she had to admit, it looked absolutely amazing. Manehattan looked even more like a slum when compared to Canterlot. Its diverse array of buildings, ranging from small to tall, from simple to extravagant, was overwhelming. She even saw a few inns that she would’ve loved to rest at. Even the few ponies she saw on the street at this hour were adorned in extravagant attire. Compared to Manehattan, she definitely seemed to blend in more, white robes and all.

Getting over her amazement of the place, she focused on the task at hand. Now that she was finally here, she needed to get her investigation underway. She soon came to a stop in an empty plaza as she put a plan together in her head.

Shadow already knew that Canterlot was a large place, with a large amount of ponies. Tracking down Buckeye and his conspirators could prove to be difficult. Thinking back to what Grey Mane told her, she remembered that there was supposed to be a contact somewhere in the city. Perhaps he would have a place for her to start. She just needed to find him.

Her planning was cut short when she heard hoofsteps coming her way. There was only one pony, but Shadow’s instincts still told her to hide. As the unknown pony grew closer, Shadow ducked into a nearby alley. From there, she'd be able to observe the plaza without fear of being spotted.

However, by the time she got into position, the hoofsteps stopped. Nopony entered the plaza. Strange. She could’ve sworn that she heard somepony approaching. It wasn't like they turned in a different direction; she'd have still been able to hear them. Perhaps that long walk to Canterlot was finally taking its toll on her senses. Well, since that was the case, she was just going to…

“Howdy.”

Shadow whipped around, spotting a pegasus behind her. She would’ve immediately gone on the offensive if it weren’t for one thing: he was dressed in Assassin robes. As opposed to her plain white, his were a dark red, but still similar in design. The most significant differences were the slits in his robes for his wings.

“Ah didn’t startle ya, did Ah?” he asked with a smirk.

Knowing that he was an ally, Shadow regained her composure. “Of course not.”

“Really? ‘Cause that ain’t what Ah saw.” Shadow’s stinging glare promptly made him change the subject. “Anyway, Ah was just flyin' around the city when Ah saw you show up. Since not many Assassins show up here, Ah figured you were the one Grey Mane wrote me about.”

Shadow just rolled her eyes with an irritated sigh. “Oh. So you’re my contact.”

“Yep. So let’s get straight to the formalities.” He stuck out a hoof. “Name’s Goat.”

Shadow simply cocked her head in confusion. “Goat?”

“Weird name, Ah know, but my folks sorta insisted on it. Said it was 'cause Ah came into the world crying like a baby goat.”

“That…makes sense, I suppose.” No, it didn’t. “Well, er, Goat, I’m Shadow Streak.” She shook Goat’s hoof.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Shadow. Now, what’s this ‘urgent business’ that Grey Mane was talkin' about?”

Shadow took a moment to look around her environment, just to ensure that no one was eavesdropping. “I have reason to believe that someone intends to attack the king and his family. Tell me, do you know anything that could relate to this?”

Goat took up a confident stance. “Way ahead o’ ya. Ah was trailing a few shady characters just before you got here, and ya know what Ah saw? Ah saw 'em go through a secret entrance hidden in an alley. Ah'd have followed 'em there and then, but still had t' what for you. If there was any secret plotting going on, Ah’d bet my right hooves that you’d find it in there.”

Shadow was inclined to agree. If there was ever a lead worth following, this was it. “Can you take me to it?”

“Of course Ah can." He turned around, ready to go further into the alley. He looked back at Shadow with another smirk. "Assumin’ you can keep up.” With that, Goat darted down the alley. Shadow just smiled. She loved the occasional challenge, and Goat certainly didn’t look like he’d disappoint. She chased after him down the alley.

She had to give Goat credit. For a pegasus, he was pretty fast on his legs, being able to keep a decent distance between her and him. Their little chase brought them through several of Canterlot’s plazas and wide, open streets. It was certainly a good thing that there was no one out on the streets at the time, otherwise they would’ve attracted far more attention than Shadow would’ve wanted.

Soon, Goat made a sharp turn into another alley, with Shadow following suit. After a few more twists and turns, they finally came to a stop at a dead-end.

“Well, this is the place.”

Looking around, Shadow didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. “Well, this entrance is certainly secret. Do you know how they opened it?”

Goat began rubbing his hoof along the various stone walls. “Ah didn’t get a clear view, but Ah’m sure they pressed down a bit o’ stone on one o’ these walls. We just gotta find the right one.”

“Right.” Shadow began scanning the walls as well. Every bit of every wall around them seemed perfectly normal, if not a bit cracked. It quickly became obvious that she wasn’t going to get anywhere like this. This called for a bit more effort on her part. She stopped for a moment, focusing her eyes on the wall before her.

“What in the hay are you doin' back there?” Goat asked, still searching the walls.

Shadow quickly shushed him as she kept her eyes on the wall. She slowly brought her eyes across it, noting every crack and chip in the stonework. Soon, she found something. One of the stones was slightly ajar from the rest. The difference was miniscule, but Shadow knew that it had to mean something.

“I think I finally found it,” she announced. Goat turned and saw her approaching the wall. She stopped in front of the loose bit of stone. Placing a hoof on it, she applied pressure. A smile appeared on her face when the stone slid further into the wall. The smile grew bigger when a piece of the ground next to them slid open, revealing their secret entrance.

Goat simply whistled in amazement. Not at the entrance, but at Shadow’s amazing observational skills. “Well, Ah’ll be. How’d you find it so fast?”

Shadow gave Goat a smirk of her own. “All you need is a good eye, and a bit of luck.”

“Ah’ll keep that in mind.” Goat and Shadow placed their attention back on the entrance. It revealed a dark set of stairs leading deep underground. If it weren’t for the torches mounted on the walls, it would be impossible to see. In all of Shadow’s years as an Assassin, she had never seen anything like it before. Where did it even lead? Shadow had expected a treacherous plot to be discussed in a secluded location, but this was just ridiculous.

“Well...I guess I’m going down there,” Shadow said, beginning her descent.

“Now, hold on just a second. Ah’m coming with ya.”

The sudden announcement made Shadow stop on the stairs. “I appreciate the help, Goat, but Grey Mane gave this mission to me.”

Goat just sighed. “Look, Shadow. Ah don’t know what Grey’s been teaching ya, but Ah grew up learning that Assassins stuck together. Even though he didn’t give me the mission directly, Ah feel obligated to make sure that you complete it.”

“You helped me find their secret entrance. I think that’s enough. I can handle this myself.” Shadow continued further down the stairs.

Goat just frowned. “You’re a recluse little pony, aren’t ya?”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Shadow muttered. Soon, she disappeared into the darkness.

As Shadow went further down the stairs, the air around her grew cold and musty. The stone beneath her hooves became damper and mossier with every step she took. By the time she reached the bottom, the smell of decay twisted her stomach in a knot. It didn't take long for Shadow to find out where the smell was coming from. She found herself in what looked like catacombs.

On both sides of her, dozens of mummified bodies stuck out of recesses in the walls. The flames from the torches covered everything in a flickering orange glow, only adding to the creepiness. Shadow almost expected some of these ponies to get up, but that would've be ridiculous. Right?

From the looks of it, the place hadn’t been used in quite some time. In fact, most ponies probably didn’t even know that it existed. It was the perfect place to hold a secret meeting. The various lit torches only further confirmed Shadow’s suspicions that someone was here. It may or may not have been Buckeye, but it was still worth investigating.

Continuing forward, Shadow kept her eyes and ears peeled for anything else that she could follow as a lead. It didn’t take very long for her to find one. On the loose dirt before her were several hoofprints, no doubt from whoever was down here. However, Shadow noticed something else. Amongst the various hoofprints were prints of a different kind. As opposed to the circular prints of a pony, these were more bird-like, having the feet split into three talons.

“A griffon?” Shadow muttered. Now she was really curious. As far as she knew, ponies and griffons rarely ever got along. Unless this griffon was a prisoner, what was it doing with a pony?

Shadow followed the trail all throughout the catacombs. They must’ve known where they were going; these catacombs split into multiple paths, most leading to dead-ends, but this trail was very concise, with no signs of anyone straying from the group. It didn’t really matter; it just made it easier for Shadow to follow it.

However, a complication soon came up when Shadow reached an iron gate. The trail went past it and down another set of stairs, but Shadow had no way of following it. They must've raised the gate behind them to keep from being followed. Shadow tried yanking on the bars, hoping that its old age had weakened it, but it wasn’t working. Those things were built to last. She eventually gave up with an aggravated swear. She needed to find another way around, if there even was another way.

Retracing her steps, Shadow kept an eye out for any alternative paths. At first, there didn't appear to be one, but she soon found one that led out into a dark, moonlit chamber. She crept towards the chamber, ready in case it was an ambush, but stopped when she reached the end of the corridor. When she looked down, her jaw dropped. It wasn’t a chamber, but a very large chasm.

Peering across the massive gap, Shadow could see another passage on the opposite side. But she had absolutely no chance of making such a jump. It looked like she'd have to find another way across. However, as she turned around, something caught her eye. Glinting in the torchlight was a handle embedded in the wall. It seemed to be in working condition, though Shadow questioned the thought of putting her mouth around it. She could see the dust and rust covering it. It was probably as old as these catacombs.

"Well, I have to do what I have to do." She let out a submissive sigh. "Even if I won't like it." Much to her disgust, she bit down on the handle’s leather grip, grimacing as she felt the dirt and taste of rust on her tongue. She strained as she slowly pulled it out of the wall until it stopped with a loud click.

Seconds later, something within the catacombs began rumbling. Shadow could even feel the vibrations as she searched around for the source of the noise. What exactly had she just done? She eventually got her answer when she looked back into the chasm. To her utter amazement, she saw several stone platforms sliding out of the walls, stopping at the center of the chasm. They were stepping stones to the other side.

The average pony may not have been able to make the jumps required to reach each platform, but Shadow should’ve possessed the strength needed. After she took a few steps back from the edge, she darted forward, leaping over to the first platform. She landed square in the center, managing to stop herself before she went over the edge. One down. Four to go.

Shadow leapt to the next platform. Two down. She leapt again. Three down. Then again. Four down, one to go.

"Okay. This isn't too bad."

The last jump was longer than the others, but Shadow felt that she could make it. Gathering up all of her strength, she leapt for it. Immediately, she realized that she was coming up short. She wasn't going to make it!

Her chest slammed into the cliff's edge, knocking all of the wind out of her. She frantically tried to dig her hooves into the stone as she slid over the edge. She managed to slow herself to a crawl, leaving her rear hooves dangling above the abyss below her. She tried to pull herself up, but couldn't get a good enough grip to do so. All the time, she was slowly sliding further and further over the edge. She had no way to save herself. This was it.

"Hold on!" Wait. That voice...

Goat suddenly landed in front of the dangling pony. He immediately bit down on Shadow's hood just as she lost her grip. Once he had a good grip, he slowly pulled Shadow back onto solid ground. "Whew! That was a close one, huh?"

Shadow stayed on the ground, trying to get over what had just happened. "You...you followed me?"

"Well, yeah! Ah stayed pretty far behind at first, but when Ah saw ya slippin' on that cliff, Ah kicked it into overdrive." He held out a hoof to help Shadow back up, one that she declined at first.

"But why? I told you not to follow me."

"And Ah said that Assassins stick together, and when Ah say something, you best believe that Ah mean it."

Shadow glared at the pegasus' stubbornness, but soon calmed down. She would've died had it not been for him. Perhaps Grey Mane was right; she really did let her emotions get in the way of missions. In this case, her own stubborn pride nearly got her killed.

She took Goat's hoof and got back on her feet. "Well, thanks. I guess."

"Don't mention it. Now, let's get--"

Goat was cut off when another rumbling sound filled the chasm. Turning around, the two saw that the platforms they used to cross the chasm were receding back into the walls, cutting off their way back.

"Well, looks like we can't go back now."

Goat was right. There was no handle that they could use to bring the platforms back, so they had no choice but to move forward. Shadow didn't even know if they were going to find their targets this way, but after what she had just been through, there was bound to be something worth finding. With a quick nod to Goat, she went further into the caverns, her companion following behind.

The two spent the next few minutes wandering through a network of dark, moist caves. It quickly became apparent that they were no longer in the catacombs, but Shadow couldn't help but feel that they were getting close to their destination. She just needed to keep walking. In the meantime, Goat decided to strike up a conversation to help pass the time.

"No, Goat. I don't know what Grey Mane does in his free time." Needless to say, Shadow wasn't in the mood for small talk.

"C'mon. He can't just spend all day standin' around all scary-like, can he?"

"Have you ever heard of meditation?"

"Pfft. That's just a fancy word for doin' a whole bunch o' nothin'."

Shadow's tolerance for her friend was reaching its peak. As grateful as she was that he saved her life, she just wanted to knock his teeth out whenever he opened his mouth. "Perhaps we should change the subject."

"Oh, okay...So, you said you're tailin' this Buckeye fella, right?"

"Yes?"

"You into 'im or somethin'?"

Shadow stopped dead in her tracks. "Okay, I have had enough of your--"

"Hey, Ah see somethin' up ahead!" Goat pointed directly in front of the two. When Shadow looked at where he was pointing, she saw that the path ahead opened up into another large chamber. However, there was firelight coming from this one. They may have finally gotten back on track.

Slowing down their pace, the two quietly approached the chamber, only to stop when they realized that there was a pretty long drop to the ground below. However, they were definitely onto something. A fire kept the chamber lit as two guards patrolled the area. Their armor looked strangely familiar to Shadow.

“Wait, those are Buckeye’s men,” she whispered.

“Buckeye, huh? Then we know he’s here.”

“From this point on, we’ll need to stay quiet. We don't know how close he could be.”

Goat gave the area before him one last lookover. “Ah don’t really see how we’re gonna get down there without alertin’ the guards.”

He had a point. If they leapt down, they’d make enough noise to attract the guards’ attention. That wouldn’t be a good thing. Shadow quickly scanned the area around her. Something right next to her caught her eye.

“Alright, Ah say we…What in the hay are ya doin’?” Goat saw Shadow pick up a rock. She shushed him before dropping it into the chamber below. It landed with a nice, loud thud, attracting the attention of the guards, just as she expected.

“Who goes there?” Swords drawn, the two ponies approached the source of the noise, stopping right beneath the two Assassins.

“What are you doing wandering around here, rock?” one of the guards asked. He even gave the rock a hard poke with his sword.

His companion rolled his eyes. “Enough fooling around.”

“Come on. We’ve been standing in the same spot for hours and found nothing but dust and a few rocks.”

“Buckeye will have us doing worse if he catches us like this.”

As the two bickered below, Shadow silently signaled Goat to take one of them out. Once he nodded in understanding, Shadow leapt down, landing on one of the guards before digging her blade into his neck.

“What the…?” That was all the other guard had time to say before Goat landed on him, following Shadow’s example. With the two guards dead, the Assassins stood back up, hidden blades retracting back into their bracers.

“Well, now. That wasn’t that bad. Nice thinkin’.”

Shadow shot him a smile. “Thanks. Now, let’s start…”

“Assassins!”

“Oh, horseapples.” The two looked back ahead of them. Another guard, this one having less armor than the others, walked into the chamber to investigate the small racket. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the two, the pure dread clear on his pale face. Without another word, he darted in the other direction, going deeper into the caverns.

“Get ‘im!”

Shadow didn’t even need the order, and bolted after the guard. If he got away, then the entire mission would be compromised. She wasn’t going to let that happen.

As Shadow chased after the guard, the environment went through another drastic change. After going through a destroyed portion of a wall, the two found themselves running through what appeared to be some giant, abandoned storage cellar. Dusty, rotting boxes of all kinds littered the room, forming a sort of obstacle course. The guard jumped over various boxes, cut to the side, did all sorts of different maneuvers, but Shadow was still able to maintain the distance between them.

That was what bothered the mare. She was maintaining distance, not closing it. This guard was just as fast and agile as she was, if not more so, and that irritated her to no end. For ever second that she wasted chasing him, he only grew closer to Buckeye.

Eventually, the guard abandoned the maze of boxes and darted into another corridor, Shadow following behind. However, just as he entered it, Shadow saw him buck a lever next to the corridor’s entrance. In an instant, a gate slammed down right in front of her face, blocking her path.

“You worthless featherbrain!” Shadow shouted at the escaping guard.

However, Shadow’s luck hadn’t run out just yet. Just as she was about to mercilessly berate herself, she saw a convenient stack of boxes leading up to a hole in the wall. Shadow didn’t question her luck for a second and darted up those boxes, leaping through the hole and to the other side.

She dropped into another corridor, coming to a soft landing right in front of her target. The two locked eyes for only a second. “Surprise.”

“Stay away from me!” He immediately took off in the other direction with Shadow right on his tail. They soon turned into a straightaway, and if Shadow thought the guard was fast before, she hadn’t seen anything yet.

As soon as that guard rounded the corner, he poured on the speed, galloping as fast as he could. He was actually gaining distance, and Shadow was going as fast as she could. In only a few seconds, he doubled the distance between them. He was going to get away at this rate.

“Enough of this!” Shadow, fed up with this chase, threw a throwing knife directly at the guard. He may have been able to outrun her, but he couldn’t outrun that. He screamed in blinding pain as the knife dug itself into one of his hind legs. With pain indescribable pain shooting through his leg, he collapsed onto the ground, allowing Shadow to close in and finish the job.

With the guard finally dead, Shadow took a much-needed rest. As she sat caught her breath, Goat arrived a few moments later.

“Alright, ya got ‘im!”

Shadow just sat there, taking in deep, heavy breaths. She barely had enough breath to stay conscious let alone speak.

“Uh, you alright?”

“I’m fine. Just… give me a moment.” Shadow soon regained enough of her breath to continue onward. “If this idiot really was trying to reach Buckeye, then he shouldn’t be much further ahead. Let’s go.”

The two continued down the corridor. After a chase like that, Shadow knew that she was getting close. She could feel it.

Whatever hopes Shadow had about finding Buckeye were quickly washed away when the two came to another dead-end. There were literally no other doors on the way to that point, so it wasn’t like they missed some hidden path. It looked like the only other way to go was in the opposite direction; perhaps they’d find something there instead, but that'd waste too much time.

“But I don’t understand. Why have this part of the corridor at all?” She brought her eyes across the walls, only to find nothing. “Maybe we’re missing something.”

“Like this thingy?”

Shadow looked over at Goat. He was pointing at an area of the wall near the dead-end. When she went over to investigate, she saw an interesting sight. Latched onto the wall was a tiny, circular mechanism of some sort. Despite the surrounding dirty, stone walls, its silver still shone as if it were brand new. However, what really caught Shadow’s eye was the logo engraved on it. It was the Assassins’ insignia.

“Uh, Shadow?”

“Yes?”

“Whadya think the Assassins were doin’ way down here?”

“I don’t know.” Upon further inspection, Shadow noticed something else. “Wait a minute.”

In the middle of the insignia was a small slit in the metal. It was extremely thin, barely visible to Shadow’s eyes, but seemed to be wide enough to fit her hidden blade. She did just that. When her blade was fully inserted into the slot, she found herself able to turn the entire device, much like a key. She turned it until it stopped with a loud click. Seconds later, the wall that originally acted as a dead-end slid down, revealing a secret passageway behind it.

Goat could only gape in amazement at the sight before him. “Well, Ah’ll be.”

“Another secret entrance? I doubt that Buckeye could’ve gone down this way, but will we find him through here?”

“Shoot, only one way to find out, ain’t there?” Goat was the first to enter the secret passage. Shadow, while interested, didn’t want to be sidetracked. Then again, this was the best lead they had. After all, she could always leave if this place didn’t lead to something of interest, but what were the odds of that?

As she followed Goat further down the passage, she stopped when she heard a familiar sound behind her. Turning around, she was shocked to see that the wall was rising back up, blocking her in. So much for going back.

“Ah, don’t sweat it much,” Goat reassured. “Ah’m sure there’s another way out up ahead.”

“And if there isn’t?”

Goat just rolled his eyes. “You really need to lighten up. Quit bein’ such an optimist all the time.”

“I think you mean ‘pessimist’,” Shadow flatly replied.

“Pfft. Same thing.”

“N-no, they’re the complete… never mind. Just…just lead the way.”

“My pleasure.” Goat continued down the passage, either completely ignoring or completely oblivious of Shadow’s growing irritation. If she heard one more comment like that, she would have an aneurysm out of sheer stupidity. How he became an Assassin, she'd never know.

Thankfully, she eventually saw something that took her mind off of her companion’s questionable I.Q. Along the bottom of one of the walls was a small, barred window. Light was pouring in through it. There was definitely something through there. Shadow and Goat crouched down on either side of the window, peering through to the other side.

Below them was a small, dimly lit room filled with a group of shadowy ponies. While Shadow couldn’t make out his face through the darkness, she could see one pony’s wings. Since he was the only pegasus in the entire group, Shadow assumed that it was Buckeye. He was accompanied by a unicorn and an earth pony. They weren’t speaking, but rather waiting for something.

Soon, a door leading into the room opened. Two other figures entered; a griffon and another pony. The new pony in particular definitely stood out. He was adorned in what appeared to be in an elegant red velvet robe that only left his chest and front hooves exposed. The rest just dragged along the ground behind him. A hood concealed his face, hiding his identity, but Shadow assumed that he was royalty of some kind.

Everyone in the group bowed to the hooded pony once he arrived.

“Is everything in place?” he asked, tone low and secretive.

“Yes, my lord,” Buckeye answered. “I have my men in place of the king’s. I assume that Tinker supplied them with concealable weaponry?”

“Of course,” the unicorn huffed. “But what of the guards inside the castle?”

“I’ve ensured that their morning meal will have an added dose of sleeping powder.” the earth pony informed.

A sinister chuckle escape the hooded pony’s muzzle. “Excellent. It’s all coming together. I expect everything to be taken care of when I return from Hoofington. Just know this: I am far too close to my goal to tolerate mistakes. Do not fail, understand?”

“Yes, my lord,” the group replied.

“A new day is dawning, my friends. May the light of guidance shine through.”

The group bowed to the hooded pony yet again. “May the light of guidance shine through.” With that, everyone left the room.

With the meeting over, Shadow glanced back at Goat. He had the same worried expression as she did. It didn’t sound like they had much time left. They needed to form a plan, and form one quickly.

“Let’s get out of here.” Goat couldn’t agree more. The two continued down the passageway, hoping to find an exit at the end.

As they reached the end of the passage, they saw it open up into another room. But this one seemed different. Upon entering it, the two saw a white, stone coffin in the center of the room. Behind that coffin was the statue of an Assassin, standing tall and proud. Lining the edges of the room were several piles of bits and other various jewelries. They were inside a tomb.

Shadow was completely stunned by the sight. "Amazing."

Goat just whistled at the sight. “Looks like this guy was pretty special if he got a place like this.”

Shadow focused her eyes on the statue. She didn’t know his name, but had a clue about who he was. While she was still working her way up through the ranks, Grey Mane constantly referred to a group of Assassins known as the Great Five. They were the most skilled and important members of the Brotherhood, their actions literally changing how history would play out. She had heard rumors that tombs dedicated to each individual were spread all throughout Equestria. She didn’t believe it before, but she definitely believed it now.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a loud click, followed by the grating sound of stone scraping against stone. Looking down at the coffin, she saw that Goat opened it. “What are you doing?” she demanded, appalled by his willingness to defile his superior’s tomb.

Goat was still straining to push the coffin’s heavy lid off. “Ah saw another one o’ them blade doohickeys on this thing.” The lid finally slid off the coffin, slamming into the ground with a loud thud. “So Ah figured, why not?”

“That’s disrespectful!” she hissed.

Goat just rolled his eyes and ignored her. Looking into the coffin, he saw the mummified remains of the Assassin, a sight that made his stomach turn. However, there was something placed next to him. It seemed to be a piece of parchment, tainted yellow due to age.

“Hey, there’s something in here,” he announced, looking up at Shadow. “Uh, wanna get it?”

She met his eyes with a berating glare. “You decided to open the coffin. You get it.”

Looking back down at the corpse, Goat swallowed down his nervousness. Best to get it over and done with, he supposed. He held his breath before slowly lowering his head into the coffin, mouth open. As soon as he could, he bit down on the parchment. There thankfully wasn’t much taste to it, just dust, something he was already used to. With a gentle tug, he managed to get the parchment out of the coffin completely unscathed.

“What is that?” Shadow asked as he brought it over to her. He placed it at her hooves, where she observed it. Goat looked down at it as well. Soon, a confused frown crept onto both of their faces as they glanced up at each other.

“It…it’s…”

“Yeah.”

Blank. On both sides, the parchment was completely blank. Perhaps whatever was written on it had washed away over the countless years spent in that coffin, but there was no real way of telling. They--or rather, Goat--had just defiled one of their Brothers' tombs for a blank, yellow piece of parchment.

“Happy now?” Shadow flatly asked.

Before Goat could say anything, the two heard the distinctive sound of stone scraping against stone. When they looked at the source, they were shocked to find another portion of wall sliding down, revealing a set of stairs leading back to the surface.

“Ha! You bet Ah am!” Goat exclaimed. “C’mon, let’s get outta here.”

Goat flew up the stairs. Shadow lingered behind, still fixated on the blank piece of parchment. It had to hold some sort of importance for it to be placed in such a secretive location. Even if it didn’t it wouldn’t hurt to hold onto it. Carefully rolling it up, Shadow placed the parchment inside of her robes. Afterwards, she followed Goat up the stairs and back to the surface.

It was still the dead of night when the two reached the surface. After climbing through a hatch at the top of the stairs, they found themselves standing atop a roof overlooking most of Canterlot.

“Well, now what?” Goat asked. That was actually a very important question. They needed a plan this very moment if they wanted any hope of saving the king.

Shadow brought a hoof to her chin. “Do you know when they may make their move? Are there any major public events soon?”

Goat scratched the back of his head as he tried to remember anything like that. “Um. Uh, oh, right! Ah heard talk o’ the king holdin' some huge crowd gatherin' tomorrow at the castle. That’ll probably be when they attack. What about that hooded fella? It don’t sound like he’s gonna stay for the action.”

“You should follow him. Keep track of what he does while he's away.”

“What about the others?”

“You can leave them to me. If they're involved in this, they'll fall along with Buckeye.”

Goat nodded in approval. “Alright. Sounds like a plan. Ah’ll wait around the city entrance. Ain't nopony gonna sneak past me there. As for you…” Goat took a bag of bits out of his robes and dropped it at Shadow’s hooves. “You should get some rest up at one o’ the inns around here. You’re gonna need all the energy you can get for tomorrow.”

Shadow picked up the bag and placed it inside her robes. “Thank you. Now get going. We don’t have any time to waste.”

Goat took to the sky. “And Shadow? For Equestria’s sake, be careful.”

Shadow nodded. “The same to you.” Goat took off towards the city gates while Shadow dropped down to the streets below. After hours of scouring the city's underground, she finally had the information she needed. Come tomorrow, there would be absolutely no room for error. Her actions could determine the very fate of Equestria.

She absolutely could not—and would not—fail.

7: The Solar Family

Twilight hummed to herself as she trotted away from Ponyville's local postal office. Her saddlebags bulged with books of varying sizes, ranging from small journals to entire textbooks. After everything that happened with Rainbow last night, she took it upon herself to delve a bit deeper into the subject matter. In order to help her, she looked to the Canterlot archives. If there was ever a book written, no matter how obscure, then the archives in Canterlot certainly had at least one copy of it. They certainly didn't disappoint this time, that was for sure.

Including the one she found in the castle library, Twilight managed to get a hold of five books. Three of them were part of an extended look into the history of Equestria's most vile criminals and tyrants. If what she read about the Assassins was true, then perhaps they had some involvement in the more 'sudden' deaths of certain criminals throughout history. A bit of cross-referencing would do the trick.

As for the last book, it was a published version of a very old and long journal of an alleged Assassin, complete with theories, opinions, and other such notes. It would certainly prove to be extra food for thought once Twilight began making her own notes. Maybe she'd even discover a few things in this journal that she wouldn't in a regular textbook. All the more reason for her to get started as soon as possible.

However, as she continued down the road back to Ponyville, she came across a peculiar sight. Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie were all huddled underneath Rainbow's house while Fluttershy slowly floated down towards them. None of them looked at ease. In fact, all of them wore worried frowns, even Pinkie.

"Well, what'd ya find?" Applejack asked.

Fluttershy came to a soft landing in front of her friends. "I looked all around, but I don't think she's here either."

The farm pony stamped an angry hoof on the ground. "Well, shoot! If she ain't here, and she ain't at none o' her other usual spots, then where the hay could she be?"

Pinkie shot a foreleg up into the air like a giddy schoolfilly. "Oh, oh, oh! Maybe she's in the tree next to Sugarcube Corner!"

"We already checked that tree," Rarity said.

"Oh. Maybe she's in the tree next to the Carousel Boutique?"

"Already checked."

"Maybe it's the one—"

"Checked."

"What about the—"

"For cryin' out loud, Pinkie! We've already looked all over Ponyville. Ah don' even think she's here at all."

"Who isn't here?"

The four mares turned around to see Twilight walking up to them. "Rainbow Dash," Applejack answered. "We haven't seen her blue behind all day."

"Not that I'm complaining about the added peace, but not at least hearing Rainbow's loud mouth for hours is a bit odd. Do you know where she might be, Twilight?"

A frown came to Twilight’s face. So, it seemed like none of them knew where she was, either. All things considered, her concern for the pegasus wasn’t waning. Still, she had a few theories in mind. "Maybe she's just out of town and just forgot to tell us.”

Applejack just barely refrained herself from bringing a hoof up to her face. "Twi, this is the same Rainbow who'll get us all together to watch a new stunt she came up with. Ah know she can get her priorities more twisted than a tied up sidewinder, but Ah don't think she'd just up an' forget somethin' like that."

That was another good point, Twilight had to admit that much. "Maybe she's with the princess." What she thought was a low mutter was more than loud enough for her friends to hear her.

Her friends shot up as if they'd been electrocuted. "What?"

Twilight immediately shoved a hoof into her mouth. Too little, too late, unfortunately.

The questions came pouring in. "Why in Equestria would Princess Celestia see Rainbow and not the rest of us?"

"She ain't in any kinda trouble is she?"

"What did she do?"

"Girls, girls, please. Rainbow isn't in any sort of trouble. I hope."

"Wait, and how do you know that? Twi, are you hidin' somethin' from us?"

Twilight took a nervous step back. "Um, w-well, I—"

"Twilight, please. We're your friends. You don't have to hide anything from us."

This was far from the ideal situation Twilight had envisioned. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. For a split-second, she considered lying to her friends, but she just couldn't. But at the same time, she didn't know how they'd react if she told them anything. But still…

Rainbow was going to hate her so much for this.

The day of the king's assassination had finally arrived. There were certain missions where Shadow had absolutely no room for error. This was one of them. If anything, anything, went wrong, it could affect Equestria on a scale that she didn't even want to imagine. The thought alone kept her up at night during her stay at the inn. It was also that same thought that forced her out of bed the next morning.

The castle was about an hour's walk away from the inn she stayed at. Forty-five minutes is she went at a trot. Thirty if she galloped. Well, she'd have a better advantage if she arrived as early as possible, so it became clear how she was going to get there. She hit the streets of Canterlot at a full gallop, rushing past any bystanders in her way. Her tired body wanted to refuse going any further, but she wouldn't let it. She couldn't let fatigue get in her way, not today. She needed to keep going.

Soon, she finally saw the castle's gates come into view. Much to her body's relief, she slowed to a walk as she approached it. Surprisingly enough, there was already a small group of ponies gathered in the courtyard, eager to hear the king's speech. There weren't too many, so Shadow was able to easily make her way to the front. Now in position, all she needed to do was wait. The sun was still rising over the horizon. Shadow must've had a few more hours before the speech actually started. Perhaps she would meditate in the meantime. That was exactly what she did.

Before she knew it, hours had gone by. The city bells rang, breaking her from her concentration, and signaling the king’s entrance. The castle’s front entrance slowly slid open, revealing a group of four regal ponies. One of them, a dark blue unicorn, was clearly King Neptune. A golden, jewel-encrusted crown adorned his head, leaving room for his horn, while extravagant, blue robes covered his body.

However, what really caught Shadow's eye was the shining, golden staff strapped to his back. She didn't know what it was, but something about it kept her eyes glue to it, as if it put her in some kind of trance. It was...hypnotic. Wait, what was she doing? She needed to stay focused! Shadow violently shook her head, and even slapped herself a few times to get the feeling out. Once she was back in her right of mind, she focused on the family, keeping her eyes away from that staff.

The mare next to the king, an amber pegasus dressed in similarly royal attire, must’ve been the queen.

On either side of them were two teenage fillies. One was a white unicorn with a flowing blue-green mane. The other was a dark purple pegasus with a blue mane. Their cutie marks, much like their parents’, were concealed by their frilly dresses.

The four ponies left the castle, flanked on both sides by the royal guard, ponies adorned in white and gold armor. Amongst them was Buckeye.

Shadow wanted to rush in and finish him off right there, but she would've had trouble getting on the king's good side after needlessly murdering one of his guards. No, she needed to wait for one of the guards to attack first. It was a risk, but one that she had to take.

As the family continued towards the crowd, Shadow finally spotted something suspicious. One of the guards lagged behind until he was behind them. There, he slowly unsheathed a small dagger hidden in his armor. This was Shadow's chance. She needed to act now! Setting his sights on the king, the guard charged.

As soon as he did, Shadow darted forward as well. "Look out, Your Highness!"

Neptune barely had time to turn around as the guard lunged for his neck. At the very same moment, Shadow leapt towards the guard, pouncing onto him at the last second. The four ponies, along with the on-looking crowd, watched in stunned silence as Shadow dug her hidden blade into the attacking guard’s throat.

“What is the meaning of this?” Neptune demanded.

Shadow immediately stood back up, staying on her guard. “You and your family aren’t safe here. You need to leave right--”

A beam of energy suddenly hit Shadow square in her side. A stinging pain shot throughout her entire body as she flew across the floor, skidding to a stop. The attack left her vision blurry and her body in incredible pain. Every time she tried to move, another sting shot throughout her body, putting her right back on the ground. All she could do was watch as Neptune defended himself from multiple guards with the only thing he had: his golden staff.

As for the other three, they were quickly surrounded by the other guards as the king defended himself. Unlike him, none of them had anything to defend themselves with, save for one. Just as the guards began to close in on the trio, the white unicorn cast a protective barrier over the three.

The guards slashed at the barrier several times, only to have their daggers bounce off. However, with each slash, the unicorn found it harder and harder to maintain her shield. It was only a matter of time before she couldn’t hold it any longer. Just as she was about to lose it, she released all the magic she could muster into one, powerful shockwave, sending the guards flying back.

Meanwhile, Neptune was still defending himself against the group of attacking guards. There were simply too many for him to handle by himself. One guard landed a swipe across his flank. The pain forced Neptune to drop his staff, leaving him completely defenseless. Another guard stabbed him in the gut, forcing him to the ground.

As he lay there, bleeding onto the floor, the guards backed away, allowing Buckeye to approach him.

“What are you doing?” Neptune demanded between coughs.

“Something I should’ve done a long time ago. Now die, you worthless dog!” He took out a dagger, preparing to finish the king off.

Shadow had no other choice. She needed to do something, and couldn’t allow something as simple as pain stop her. Going against every screaming protest in her body, Shadow lurched forward, fighting through the unbearable agony as she galloped past the guards and towards Buckeye.

Just as the pegasus brought his dagger down, Shadow interrupted him with a hard tackle. The impact sent him to the ground, dropping his dagger in the process.

Shadow quickly looked behind her. “Your Highness, are you alright?

It took some effort, but Neptune managed to get back up. “I’ll live.” He looked back at his wife and daughter, who were all staring back with distraught eyes. “I need to protect my family.”

Shadow nodded. “Of course. You go. I can handle this.” Neptune took up his staff again before darting back to his family, bringing some of Buckeye’s guards with him.

Buckeye eventually got back on his feet, meeting Shadow’s glare with angry, crazed eyes. “You? You’re still alive?”

Shadow didn’t waste any words on him. She simply drew her dagger, intent on finishing what she started back in Manehattan.

Buckeye soon calmed down, replacing his snarl with a smirk. “No matter. You won’t be able to stop the inevitable. The Solar family dies today!” More of his guards surrounded Shadow. “Kill her! Kill all of them!”

Shadow darted towards the guards as soon as they made a move. In a blur of blood and steel, she took down all of them in an instant. However, she wasn’t finished yet. The king and his family were still under attack.

Neptune had a protective barrier over himself and his family, maintaining it far better than his daughter did. But this meant that they had no way of actually getting rid of the guards. Shadow could easily remedy that.

She quickly darted in to intervene, finishing off the guards before they could bring any harm to the family. That only left Buckeye.

The pegasus stared at the scene before him in seething anger. “You will not get in the way of our plan!” He flared his wings as he prepared to fly away. Shadow wasn’t going to let him get away again, not after this. In the blink of an eye, she sent a throwing knife flying right towards one of his wings.

A blood-curdling scream left Buckeye’s muzzle as the knife tore clean through his left wing, rendering it virtually useless. No longer able to fly away, he was left vulnerable to Shadow. She darted towards him, prepared to finish him off.

However, she was forced to stop when an arrow embedded itself in the ground directly in front of her. Looking up, she saw several archers posted at various points along the castle. They must’ve belonged to Buckeye as well, because they also shot arrows at the family, who was barely able to dodge them.

Shadow couldn’t afford to waste time on Buckeye; she needed to put the family’s safety before anything else. If that meant letting Buckeye live a little longer, than that was going to be the case.

“We need to leave this place.” Shadow ordered.

“But what’s--?”

“Now!”

“We should do what she says.” Neptune announced. That was all the others needed in order to fall in tow.

Shadow led the four ponies through the scattering crowd, arrows still raining down on them. If it weren’t for the shield Neptune cast over the group, they may never have made it. Once they were outside the castle walls, they all galloped further into the city, finally out of danger’s reach. For the moment, at least.

“…so because Shadow Streak is Rainbow’s ancestor, Celestia wants to use these special candles to search her memories to find the location of the Apple before someone else does. So, uh, any questions?”

None of her friends asked any questions after Twilight’s half-hour long onslaught of information, but that didn’t mean they weren’t overwhelmingly confused. The baffled looks on their faces said that much. All this talk of Assassins and memories and Pieces of Equestria was a tad too much for the four mares to take. Twilight hardly understood things herself, so she could only imagine how lost her friends were.

Applejack, her brain apparently done fizzing, finally gained enough senses to at least try and make sense of what her bookworm friend just said. “Well, Ah can’t rightly say that Ah like these Assassin fellas, but Ah ain’t that surprised by ‘em either.”

“Wait. What do you mean?”

“Ah might not look it, but Ah did go to school for a while. Didn’t finish, though; farm got in the way, but Ah did learn a thing or two. Wasn’t too keen on them fancy mathematics, but Ah did take a likin’ to history.”

Rarity tried and failed to stifle a small chuckle, one that Applejack was quick to catch.

In a flash, Applejack was right up in Rarity’s face. “And what’s so funny, Miss Fancy?”

Even with the farm pony staring daggers into Rarity’s eyes, Rarity struggled to maintain a straight face. “Oh, nothing, dearie. I’m just picturing you in one of those little graduation gowns, and you look absolutely ridic—I mean, adorable.” That little fumble in her sentence earned her a harrowing glare from the farm pony. Whether it was out of fear, common sense, or both, Rarity promptly dropped the subject. “But please, do continue.”

“Gladly.” Applejack cleared her throat as she looked back at Twilight. “Anyway, Ah learned all about the kinda place Equestria was back then. Ya had Buffalo Bill, Griffis Khan, Billy the Goat, an’ a bunch o’ other fellas that made it a bad place to live, even after the princesses started rulin’ over it. These Assassins o’ yours don’t sound any different than them.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie chimed in, suddenly appearing right next to Applejack. “These meanies sound like a bunch of party-poopers.”

“But that’s where you’re wrong,” Twilight said, getting even more confused looks from her friends.

“How? These guys killed other ponies, didn’t they? What makes ‘em so special?”

“Because unlike the ones you just named, Applejack, the Assassins weren’t killing others for power. They were killing others in order to maintain peace.” More clueless looks from her friends just made the unicorn sigh. “Here, let me show you something.” With a quick flick of magic, she opened her saddlebags and brought out all of her books.

“You an’ them books, Twi, Ah swear,” Applejack said with a playful little smile.

“You’re still surprised?” Twilight asked, returning that playful smirk. Ignoring the roll of Applejack’s eyes at that particular point, Twilight opened all of her books to specific pages before laying them out in front of her friends.

“Um, what should we be looking at, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, trying to draw some sort of connection between the pages before her. Each history book was on a section that described the final years and subsequent deaths of some of Equestria’s worst.

“Allow me to explain.” Twilight brought all of their attention to the specific parts within history books’ pages. “You see, with all of the havoc and despair some of these criminals were causing, it was only a matter of time before someone—or somepony—did something to stop them.”

“You mean the Assassins?” Rarity asked. Twilight quietly nodded her head. “But, Twilight, what makes you think they had anything to do with it?”

“Well, I don’t have much to go on, but there is an interesting connection between them all. You see, all them were in relatively good health, so no one ever expected their deaths to be so sudden. But here’s the interesting part. Not only were their deaths sudden and unexpected, but each and every one of them seemed to have died from a single, clean stab to a vital area, such as the neck, brain, or heart.”

The thought of another living being dying that way—the thought of a living being dying at all—made Fluttershy shudder. Rarity placed a reassuring hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, something the timid pegasus was quick to accept.

“Now, just take a look at this.” Twilight brought their attention towards the book on the Assassins. “The Assassins are described of having the same methods of attack. Single, clean stabs to vital areas of the body.”

Her four friends kept their eyes glued to the book before them. They looked back up at Twilight, then back at the book. Then up at Twilight again. Then back down at the book again. “So, uh, you’re sayin’ that these Assassins are responsible for takin’ these guys out?”

“I know it’s not a lot to go on,” Twilight sheepishly admitted, scratching the back of her head, “but it does make sense when you think about it, doesn’t it?”

“About as much sense as ponies killing others can make, I suppose,” Rarity answered. “But that still leaves one thing. What about these ‘Pieces of Equestria’ you mentioned?”

“Oh, right. Heh, heh. Well, I don’t really know much about them myself, actually. All I know is that they’re incredibly powerful items, and that Rainbow is needed to find the Apple, but this is all just going off of what Celestia told me.”

Applejack just huffed in response. “Ah can’t say that I’m comfortable with Rainbow bein’ used like this, but if it’s Celestia, Ah guess Ah can’t worry too much about. Still, Ah don't know about this whole 'memory searchin'' thing. Just makes her sound like a tool."

“I have to agree with Applejack. Even if she is doing this willingly, it just seems like she’s being used.”

“Yeah! And that’s not fun at all!”

“Um. I agree.”

“Girls, girls, please. I know things aren’t looking very good right now, but remember, Equestria is on the line, and Rainbow’s doing all she can to help. Besides, if it’s Princess Celestia, what’s the worst that could happen? Rainbow will be back soon, and I promise that she’ll be just fine.”

All of her friends awkwardly shuffled their hooves on the ground. Twilight, admittedly, had a good point. But even with Rainbow in Celestia’s care, that didn’t help lighten their worry and concern for the pegasus. In fact, Twilight would be lying if she said that she wasn’t worried herself. But like she said, if Celestia was watching over Rainbow, nothing bad could happen, right? As all of her friends dispersed to continue about their day in the hopes that Rainbow would return soon, Twilight could only hope so.

Shadow led the family back to the inn. Thankfully, she still had the room for another day, making it the most viable place to lie low, even if for only a few hours. Once everypony was inside, Shadow close and locked the doors behind them. By this point, the pain in her side had become more irritating than painful. She was able to move more freely again.

The queen, along with her daughters rested on the bed as they tried to regain their nerves. Neptune simply stood next to them. His robes were dirty and red with blood where he was cut. The fatigue on his face was clearly visible. It was a miracle that he was able to run as fast as he did.

Shadow walked up to the four. “Okay, we should be safe for now.”

As the queen comforted her children, Neptune had his mind on other matters. “Buckeye, that traitor.” he spat. “I’ll have his head for this!”

Shadow’s ears perked up. “Wait, you know Buckeye?”

“He was the captain of my royal guard, and one of my closest associates.” That would explain how he was able to replace the king’s guards with his own. “Now, it seems like keeping him so close was a mistake.” Shadow nodded in agreement.

“But I don’t understand. Why would Buckeye, or anyone, want us killed?” the queen asked, still comforting the two fillies.

“Perhaps they don’t agree with the way things are operated.” Shadow offered.

“Well, there are certainly better ways to ask for a change.” Neptune huffed. “A well-written letter, perhaps? Jumping straight to assassination just seems desperate.” Shadow had to admit, she respected the king’s seemingly light-hearted nature to the situation. But she couldn’t allow him to ignore the gravity of the situation.

“Desperate perhaps, but still lethal nonetheless. Until I’ve dealt with this threat, none of you are safe, especially here. In fact, I think it’d be best if we left the city until this is resolved.”

Neptune looked at her with suspicious eyes. “You seem to have quite the plan laid out. You certainly aren’t some random stranger. In fact, I’d say you aren’t even from this city. Just who are you?” The king’s deductive skills were certainly something to praise.

No point in trying to lie to him. “I’ve been assigned to protect you from whatever dangers may arise from this scheme. If all goes right, you may even meet the one who gave me the assignment.”

Neptune shot a quick smile at her. “Well, then. I suppose we’re in your debt. However, if you’re our guardian, then surely we should know your name.”

"With all due respect, Your Highness, I think that proper introductions will have to wait. For every second we spend chatting, Buckeye grows further and further out of our reach. I need to take him out now."

The queen nodded in agreement. “Yes. He must pay for what he’s done. But how will you find him? Canterlot is a very large city.”

"I have my ways." Shadow turned towards the door to leave, but was stopped when she was assaulted by unbearable pain. With the adrenaline gone from her veins, the pain that she ignored back at the courtyard came crashing back in full force. It was so overwhelming that it forced her onto her knees as she held back pained screams. It felt as if a jagged sword was rammed into her abdomen and twisted around in the wound. She couldn't move like this.

"What's wrong?" Neptune asked. He walked up to the fallen mare as his family stayed behind.

Shadow, as stubborn as ever, tried to get back up. "I'm...fine." she strained out. She didn't get very far off the ground before another sting of pain sent her back to down.

The white unicorn couldn't watch Shadow suffer anymore. She hopped down from the bed and walked up to her. "Let me try and help."

"Now, now. I know you're eager to try healing magic, but this is a little out of your league. Who knows what could happen if you make a mistake."

The white filly stamped a hoof in frustration. "But I've been practicing a lot. I'm really good at it. Let me show you."

"I honestly don't think that's--."

"Just let her." Shadow cut in,long through with trying to get back up. "If it will help me catch Buckeye, I'm willing to try it."

Neptune was reluctant, but taking one look at his daughter's pleading eyes eventually proved too much for him. With a nod of his head, he backed away from Shadow, allowing the unicorn to work her magic.

First, she took a close look to see where the source of pain came from. Upon finding it, she gasped in shock. There was a large, bloody scorch mark right where the energy bolt struck Shadow's body. It left a circular, scorched hole in her robes, as well as bloody, burnt skin. From the look of it, it probably did some internal damage as well. It looked bad, but the unicorn felt that she could handle it.

As she closed her eyes to concentrate, a warm, orange glow enveloped her horn. Slowly, she brought her horn down to Shadow's wound. The injured mare tensed up, expecting some searing pain as the magic mended her wound. However, as the spell had its effect, Shadow didn't feel pain. In fact, it felt soothing, like a gentle massage. She felt her skin morph back into its original state. Her damaged organs and bones were healed as well. This was actually working!

Soon, the unicorn stopped the spell, sensing that all of Shadow's injuries were gone. "How do you feel?"

Shadow managed to get back on her feet. The pain wasn't gone entirely, but was far more bearable than it was before. That little filly was impressive. "I feel...better. Thank you."

The filly beamed at her father with a look of pure pride. "See? I told you I could do it."

Neptune grinned at her enthusiasm. "That you did. Truly impressive, I must say." He put his attention back on Shadow. "So, you feel ready now?"

She nodded. "Yes. Once I return, we can focus on leaving the city. Until then, you all stay here." Once the family showed their understanding, Shadow left the room. Buckeye's end was finally coming near.

Shadow kept a low profile as she returned to the castle. Staying hidden amongst the various ponies walking past it, she was able to observe it from a distance. The castle was relatively clear of any guards, though archers, most likely Buckeye’s, still patrolled the perimeter. Not that it mattered; she didn’t need to get very close to the castle to find what she was looking for.

She brought her eyes down to the courtyard entrance. More specifically, the ground near the courtyard entrance. She slowly scanned her eyes across the ground. If Buckeye was as wounded as she remembered, then there should’ve been…

“Found it.”

Shadow spotted a blood trail leading away from the castle and into the city. She knew that it wasn’t Neptune’s as it didn’t follow the same path as he did. No, this was definitely Buckeye’s blood. Since Shadow rendered one of his wings useless, he had to leave the castle on foot, dripping blood from his injured wing wherever he went. Now all Shadow needed to do was follow the trail to whatever hole he crawled into.

It didn't take very long for Shadow to find what she was looking for. After following the blood trail for only a few minutes, she eventually found herself in another plaza. Even though it was crammed with ponies, Shadow had no issues finding her target.

The blood trail led directly to a doctor's stand. And lo and behold, Buckeye was there, getting his injured wing stitched up.

He repeatedly tapped an impatient hoof as the doctor used his magic to slowly close the wound. "Can we hurry this along?"

"Patience, sir." the doctor calmly responded. "And...there." With a final snip of his scissors, he completely stitched Buckeye's wing. As the pegasus gave it a few test flaps, he winced at a small sting of pain. "I recommend giving that wing a few days to recover. You wouldn't want to undo those stitches."

Buckeye just rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. If you insist." Just as he turned to walk away, he stopped dead in his tracks. Standing not even fifty meters away from him was his white-hooded assailant. He felt his blood go cold as the two just stood there, staring at each other. Without warning, Buckeye bolted in the other direction with Shadow chasing right behind,

The two galloped through the city, shoving aside any civilians in their way. Buckeye cut through alleys, barreled through large crowds, but nothing helped him lose Shadow. Several times during the chase, he even knocked over stacks of crates and boxes in an attempt to slow her down. She just leapt over all of them, not missing a beat.

Soon, he shouted "Assassin!" as the two ran through another plaza, attracting the attention of the city guards. Soon enough, Shadow was being tailed by a small battalion of guards. If Buckeye thought that she was going to stop and fight them, he was sorely mistaken. Her eyes were set on him and only him.

Just as she was starting to catch up to Buckeye, he made a sudden turn into one of Canterlot's larger inns. Upon entering the main lounge, she saw her target darting up the stairs to the upper floor. Ignoring the shocked faces of the ponies around her, Shadow followed Buckeye upstairs, the city guards not far behind.

They ran up to the very top floor, where Buckeye charged through a door and into the adjacent hallway. As Shadow hurried towards the door, the pegasus bucked it shut. A sharp pain shot through her muzzle as the door slammed into her face. She didn't have much time to cope with the pain; the guards were charging up the stairs. With little time to spare, she turned around and bucked the door open, knocking off its hinges.

When she looked down the hall, she caught a glimpse of Buckeye leaping through a window all the way on the opposite side. Shadow galloped down the hall, wasting no time in leaping out the window after the pegasus.

She practically flew over the ground below before landing on the flat rooftop of another building. Buckeye was right in her sights. She wasn't going to let him get away this time. The two galloped across the roof as they approached another gap. Buckeye leapt to the next rooftop, using his wings to help him glide across despite the stinging pain. Shadow leapt right after him, effortlessly making the jump.

As she continued to chase the pegasus, it became obvious that he wasn't used to exerting himself this much. No matter how hard he tried, he began to slow down, as Shadow began to speed up. She soon grew so close that she could feel his flailing tail brush against her chest. She was right on top of him. This was her chance!

Shadow leapt at the fleeing pegasus, hidden blade ready to strike. She dug it into his abdomen, forcing him to the ground. Buckeye cried in pain as he skidded across the ground with Shadow right on top of him. The two came to a stop right at the rooftop's edge. The chase was over. Shadow finally got him.

She slowly removed her blade from Buckeye's body. "You knew you couldn't run forever."

Buckeye coughed as he clung to what life he had left. "Damned Assassin. You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?"

"You honestly expected me to stand idly by while you murdered the king and his family? If anything, you should've expected resistance."

Buckeye let out a weak, wheezing chuckle. "Resistance or not, you won't be able to stop this. All of your effort will prove pointless in the end. The king will die, and a new light shall dawn over all of Equestria."

"What makes you so eager to kill the king? What is your reason?"

"Neptune is weak and foolish. He will run Equestria into the ground, undoing all of the work those before him did to make it great." Buckeye coughed again, this time more violently as specks of blood flew from his mouth. His end was nearing. "He possesses the tool required to prevent that, but what does he do with it instead? He uses it to bash his enemies across the head."

"Wait. You mean the staff. Why? What can the staff do?"

Buckeye simply chuckled yet again. "Now where would the fun be in telling you everything? Not like it matters. I have friends in high places. They will ensure this work is done."

"Then they will fall as well. No one can escape death's embrace. As long as I breath, so shall the king and his family. As for you, it's time you rest." Shadow plunged her blade deep into Buckeye's neck. His entire body went stiff as he tried in vain to cling to whatever life he had left. His eyes, wide with shock, rolled to the back of his head before his entire body went limp. He was finally dead. However, Shadow wasn't finished just yet.

Reaching into her robes, she took out the feather she received in Manehattan. With one, smooth swipe, she brought the white feather across the seeping wound on Buckeye's neck, staining it a deep crimson. She then placed the red feather neatly back in her robes. However, even though Buckeye was dead, the king still wasn't safe, She still had those other ponies to worry about, and had little to go on. Except for one thing.

"Halt!"

Shadow slowly turned away from Buckeye's corpse. A group of guards had made their way up to the rooftop, forming a wall in front of the mare. As they closed in, she backed towards the roof's edge, stopping when one of her back legs nearly slipped off. She couldn't just leap off the building, not without breaking a leg or three. However, when she took a quick glance at the ground regardless, she got an idea.

She looked back at the guards, a smirk plastered on her face. As they continued to close in, she took one, final step back, sending her right off the rooftop. The guards, absolutely shocked, ran up to the ledge, peering down to the ground below. Shadow was nowhere in sight.

All they saw were several ponies pulling heavy carts full of hay.

Hours later, Shadow finally returned to the inn, large saddlebags in tow. Neptune and his family were resting soundly on the bed. Out of all of them, Neptune was the only one who woke up. He stood out of bed as Shadow approached him.

"It's done. Buckeye is dead."

Neptune sighed. "It's such a shame that it had to come to this. So, it's safe to return to the castle then?"

Shadow shook her head. "No. Buckeye isn't the only one involved in this. There are others who wish to do you harm. Until they are eliminated as well, your lives will still be in danger."

"I see." Neptune glanced back at his sleeping family. They seemed so peaceful. So calm. Just a scant few hours ago, they were fighting for their lives against rogue guards. If he was the intended target, then why were they victims as well? What had they done to deserve such rampant animosity? Even worse, what was he supposed to do if anything happened to them? He dreaded to even consider such a thought.

"King Neptune?" Neptune looked back at the black mare. "We should leave Canterlot as quickly as possible, preferably tonight. I can take you all to a place that's far safer than here."

Neptune took a moment to weigh his options. Shadow couldn't blame him; if she were in his horseshoes, she'd be just as wary. On one end, he was attacked and nearly killed by his most trusted soldiers in some diabolical plot, and on the other, was a random, shady stranger who came right out of the blue to save him. He was skeptical of her at first, but after everything that has happened in the past few hours, it became rather clear who he was safest with.

"Very well. I suppose our lives are in your hooves then. You at least seem to know what you're doing." He noticed the saddlebags hanging at Shadow's sides. "What are in those?"

Shadow glanced back at her bags, a bit surprised. She actually forgot about them. "Oh, yes." She placed them on the ground and opened them up. One bag was full of clothes. The other held four daggers.

Neptune raised a curious eyebrow. "What are those for?"

"The clothes may not be as fanciful as the ones you're wearing now, but that's the intention. They'll help draw less attention to ourselves as we leave the city."

"And the daggers?"

"We have a long walk ahead of us, Your Highness. Anything could happen. So, we have to be prepared for anything."

Neptune let out a small chuckle. "I admire your meticulousness, but I believe there is one thing that you're forgetting."

Shadow perked up at the claim. She didn't forget anything, did she? She killed Buckeye, bought enough clothes and weapons for the four ponies, mapped out the shortest possible route out of the city, and even had few snacks packed for the long walk. Like the king just said, she was very meticulous with this. What could she have possibly forgotten?

"You never told me your name."

"Oh." Shadow did promise to go through the basic formalities after she dealt with Buckeye. No point in denying the king that much, at least. "Of course." She stuck out a hoof. "I'm Shadow Streak."

Neptune shook her hoof. As expected, he had a nice, firm grip. "It's a pleasure, Shadow Streak. As you probably know, I am King Neptune, ruler of Equestria." He motioned towards the three sleeping ponies behind him. "This, of course, is my family." He introduced them one by one. The amber pegasus was his wife, Queen Saturn. As for the two fillies, their names were easy enough to remember.

The white unicorn's name was Celestia. The purple pegasus' name was Luna.

8: Escape from Manehattan

Hours have passed since Shadow brought the Solar family back to the inn. It took a while, especially since they were a bit apprehensive about sleeping on a rug, but the four ponies eventually fell asleep, leaving Shadow to stay on guard. She probably should've gotten some extra sleep as well, but thought better against it. Things were far too fragile at this point for her to lose focus over something like sleep. She needed to stay aware at all times. If that meant losing some sleep, then that was how it was going to be.

Sitting near the door gave her an ideal view of the room. The window opposite of her was closed and locked. There were no other entrances into the room; anypony trying to get inside without her knowing wouldn't make it very far. Her position also kept the family within her sights. The king and queen slept soundly enough, though Celestia and Luna were visibly disturbed in their slumber. They constantly shifted and kicked in their sleep, all while muttering to themselves. Things must've finally started to sink in for them, though Shadow couldn't help but wonder what they were dreaming about.

Her attention switched over to Neptune. He was laying right in front of his squirming daughters, but remained as still as a statue. Shadow had never been a mother herself, not even a sister, but she still wondered when he was going to do anything to calm his daughters.

It took far longer than it should've, but Neptune finally started to move. Shadow felt a small smile form on her face when she saw him reach his forelegs out. That smile quickly went away when the king turned his back on his daughters, leaving them in whatever fearful dreams they were having. Not even their mother did anything to comfort them. Royalty in all of its pristine glamour.

Shadow knew better than to leave her post, but she couldn't just stand there and watch. Against her better judgement, she left her place near the door and approached the princesses. Picking up a nearby blanket, she draped it over the two fillies. The added warmth and comfort seemed to work. As soon the blanket touched their fur, their restless fidgeting finally ceased. They finally seemed to be at peace. Hopefully, it'd help them get more sleep. They would need to get moving in only a few hours.

With the fillies calm, Shadow returned to her spot near the door. Despite that, she still couldn't take her eyes off of them. Maybe it was the blanket, or the way that they slept, but something about the pair reminded her of herself at their age, back when her own parents would comfort her whenever she had the occasional night terror.

A warm smile appeared on Shadow's face as her mind drifted off to her parents. It felt like only yesterday when she woke up to their smiling faces or to the smell of freshly cooked oats in some kind of sweet sauce. Whenever she was down, they'd pick her back up. If she was already up, they'd only make her day even better. They were always there to protect her; the very least that Shadow could've done was return that care and protection in equal measure.

Her smile quickly turned into a frown. She should've been able to do that, but couldn't. And she'd never get the chance to do it again.

Maybe taking a nap wasn't such a bad idea. The lack of sleep was making Shadow depressed again.

Once the five ponies woke from their sleep, Neptune and his family dressed into the clothes Shadow provided. They still had that Canterlot flair to them, but were still much more discreet than their royal attire. Afterwards, they armed themselves with the daggers. Neptune and Saturn seemed comfortable enough with them, but Celestia and Luna appeared apprehensive as they picked theirs up.

"Do you two know how to use those?" Shadow asked.

Celestia sheathed her dagger. "We've sparred with the guards using wooden ones, but nothing more than that."

"Yes, we’ve never had to kill another pony before." Just the mere thought of ending a life made Luna sick to her stomach.

“Do not worry, I will take care of whatever dangers we face. You need only to defend yourselves. That goes for all of you." Despite Shadow's reassurance, the fillies were still nervous, and understandably so. They had already seen enough death to scar them for life; Shadow didn't want anything like that to happen again, especially if it could be avoided.

Once she made sure that her own equipment was in check, she faced the family. "Are you all ready?" The four nodded. "Good. Now, those clothes will help keep attention away from us, though your faces are still recognizable, so avoid getting too close to anypony, guard and citizen alike. Just stay close to me, and we'll all be out of the city soon enough. Understand?" Again, they nodded.

Despite the plan, something still had Neptune worried. "Erm, Shadow? I don't mean to be difficult, but how are we supposed to get this out of the city?" He held up his very shiny golden staff. Even in the dimly lit room, it shone like the sun. That thing would give away their position in less than a minute of leaving the inn.

Shadow considered just leaving it behind, but knew she'd never convince the king. She needed to improvise. As her eyes rested on the bed, an idea hit her. "Yes, that will work." She pointed towards the bed. "Wrap it in that blanket. It will make it far less conspicuous."

The king complied and tightly wrapped the staff in the bed's blanket before placing it on his back. Not a single inch of it could be seen afterwards, though some of its glow still seeped through. Despite that, it was bound to make things far easier.

Shadow nodded in approval. "Good. Now is everyone ready?"

The four ponies nodded again. With them in tow, Shadow led them out of the inn and into the city.

Using the cover of night, the five ponies slowly made their way through Canterlot. Thankfully, the streets were relatively empty, though they did have to cut through alleys in order to avoid guards or the occasional citizen. None of them dared to speak. The night was dead quiet, and the slightest peep would surely give away their position.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, the ponies found themselves in an alley right in front of the city gates. Shadow signaled the family to stay behind while she scouted ahead. She poked her head around the corner. As expected, she saw the gate in clear view, as well as the group of guards blocking it.

"Damn." Shadow immediately ducked back into the alley when she saw one of the guards look her way. She really needed to control her temper.

"What is it?" Neptune asked. He already knew from Shadow's frustrated expression that something was wrong.

"There is something of a complication. A small battalion of guards is blocking our only way out of the city."

Neptune recoiled in confusion. "What? I don't recall ever placing that many guards at the gate."

"They witnessed me kill Buckeye. They must have increased the security to ensure that I do not leave the city.”

"And they did this of their own initiative? Huh. I had my doubts they were smart enough for such a thing."

"Underestimating your enemy will surely get you killed. That is something to keep in mind, Your Highness." Neptune didn't seem to take kindly to that bit of advice. His stern glare prompted Shadow to refocus on the task at hand. She looked back towards the guards. "We need to find a way past those guards.”

Celestia walked up to the black mare. "Can you not fight them?"

She shook her head at the suggestion. Admittedly, it was the first thing that Shadow considered the moment she saw them, but thought against it. It wasn't the most tactical way of dealing with the situation. "No, that would draw too much attention. We need something else. A distraction, maybe."

Luna suddenly perked up as an idea came to her. "What if we start a fire?"

All eyes immediately focused on the young pegasus. While her parents were completely shocked, Shadow raised a single, intrigued eyebrow. "That was the first thing that came to mind?"

The sudden attention made Luna shrink a bit, but she still nodded, eager to help. "Yes. Celestia and I would do it whenever we wanted to sneak out of the castle.” She must've forgotten that her parents were literally right next to her because as soon as she met their stinging gaze, she immediately gave them a sheepish smile. "It was never a big one."

Neptune shot Celestia a glare as well. "We will discuss this later. As for this 'plan', I am not letting my daughters anywhere near—"

"A fire would make for a good distraction." Shadow interrupted, earning another glare from the parents. "My apologies, but these are desperate times, and this seems to be the best approach at the moment." Neptune's intense glare didn't let up. "Rest assured, I will not have them do something like this again." She held up her front right hoof. "I promise."

Neptune was still clearly reluctant, but, given the circumstances, needed to make an exception. He simply waved a hoof, signaling Shadow to continue with Luna's plan.

Shadow gave him a small bow. "Thank you." She turned her attention towards the two sisters. "Now, how do you usually start this fire?"

"If I can find a pile of wood or tinder, I can light it with my magic," Celestia answered.

Neptune looked at his daughter in shock. "When did you learn to do that?"

Celestia simply shrugged. "I practiced in my free time?"

Shadow chuckled at her answer. "You have certainly raised interesting children, Your Highness."

Neptune just let out a tired sigh. "We try."

Shadow got right back to business. "Celestia, I know not what you are used to, but I need you to start a big fire."

The unicorn's eyes lit up like the world's largest bonfire. "Really big?"

"Really big. Something that the guards will no doubt see."

Luna peered up into the sky. "Like that one?" she asked, pointing up at something

When Shadow looked up, she couldn't believe what she saw. "What in Equestria..." A large plume of smoke rose from behind the building right across from them. Someone had already started a fire, but who?

Shadow immediately got her answer when a pink pegasus ran up to the guards. "Help! Help! Assassins! They've started a fire!" Despite her urgent tone, her voice barely reached above a whisper. Regardless, she still got the guards' attention, as they ran towards the source of the fire.

That was Shadow realized something. That pony looked far too familiar. Pink pegasus, yellow mane, butterflies for a cutie mark? It couldn't be.

The pegasus looked towards the five ponies. "Hurry! We don't have much time."

Shadow was still stunned by what was happening, but couldn't ignore the fact that this was her chance to leave the city. "This wasn't what I had in mind, but it will have to do. Come on." Shadow and the family quickly followed the pegasus out of the city. As soon as they were outside the gates, they broke into a gallop, finally leaving Canterlot behind them.

Once they were a safe distance away from the city, the six ponies slowed to a walk. From the looks of it, no guards had followed them. They were safe for the time being.

As they continued down the road, Shadow couldn't help but keep her eyes on the pink pegasus. Why did she save them? Was she leading them into another ambush like last time? She knew that she should've been grateful for the help, but her instincts told her to remain suspicious.

Nopony else shared the mare's suspicions, though. In fact, they looked at the pegasus with appreciative smiles. "I doubt that we can thank you enough for what you did, young lady. That was a fine display of cunning."

The pegasus blushed at Neptune's compliment. "It was the least I could do. I just wanted to help."

"And help you did. Shadow, is this a friend of yours?"

"'Friend' is a subjective term." She focused her attention back on the pegasus. "If I recall correctly, we were not on friendly terms when we first met, so why help now?"

The pegasus acted as though she was caught off guard by the question. "Oh, well, um, I thought that I owed you for sparing my life. You showed mercy."

Shadow just snorted. "It was more out of pity ."

"Well, mercy is still mercy, right?"

Shadow just shrugged. "If you insist, then fine."

Neptune couldn't help but be intrigued by the little back-and-forth the two were having. "Is there something you want to tell us, Shadow? You know this young mare?"

"We had a... minor confrontation in the past." She glanced back at the pegasus, who gave her a sheepish smile in return. "But I suppose we have put it behind us."

Neptune nodded. "As you should. We do not need tension amongst our group. Besides, this pegasus friend of yours seems trustworthy enough."

"Oh, please. Call me Butterfly. It is a pleasure to meet all of you." Butterfly and the family went through the usual introductions. Celestia and Luna definitely took a liking to her, most likely due to her impressive display of pyromania.

Neptune even introduced Shadow, who still kept suspicious eyes on the pink pegasus. "What were you doing in Canterlot to begin with? You did not follow me, did you?" Again, it was another question that Butterfly didn't expect.

She quickly shook her head. "No, no. Not at all. I was sent to retrieve some things for Madame Resona."

"Madame Resona?"

"Yes. She is my boss."

Shadow's suspicions were only rising further. Butterfly was being rather vague with her answers. "What exactly is it that you do?"

"Oh, I am simply a courier. Madame Resona sends me to deliver and retrieve packages for her."

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Really? Just a courier?"

Butterfly just shrugged. "It may not be the most exciting job, but I am happy with it."

Shadow just slowly nodded, fighting the urge to interrogate the pegasus right then and there. "I suppose you have a point."

She gave Shadow a warm smile. "It is nice that you agree." She looked off into the night sky. "Well, I suppose that I should take my leave. I doubt the Madame would appreciate me making her wait."

"Of course. Do not let us keep you." Saturn modestly stated.

After a small bow, Butterfly took to the sky. She certainly wasn't the fastest pegasus Shadow had ever seen, but she was still faster than they were on the ground.

Despite the kind words and actions, Shadow still couldn't get rid of her suspicions. As innocent as Butterfly appeared, she was still deceptive to an extent. She already proved that by luring the guards to a fire that she started, and Shadow was almost certain that she was hiding something. If she was capable, what else could she do?

She was broken away from her thoughts when she felt a light prod on her side. Looking down, she saw Luna looking back up at her. "Shadow, are you okay?”

Shadow hadn't realized that she'd been standing there for nearly a minute. "Yes. I am fine.” She really needed to keep her head together. At least with Butterfly gone, she could focus on getting the family back to safety. "Come. We still have a ways to travel before we reach our destination." Shadow promptly led the four ponies further down the moonlit road.

The journey was far longer than Shadow had anticipated. While she could've made the distance in one, long walk, Neptune and his family needed to take a break every few hours or so. They enjoyed some flowers in the fields to fill up their stomachs, though bringing snacks may have been a good idea. It all only reminded Shadow just how much distance there was between the Everfree and Canterlot.

Though it may not have been as simple as she had expected, Shadow finally managed to bring them to the edge of the Everfree. Its countless trees surrounded the only path into the forest like eternal sentries. Dark, gnarled branches and vines littered the area inside. Even more, the group could hear the faint growls and scurrying of the various creatures inside.

While Shadow had long since grown immune to the forest's daunting appearance, the four ponies behind her, especially the fillies, were trembling like leaves.

"Th-the Everfree Forest? We have to do in there?" Saturn questioned, fearing the answer. She’d have rather gone in the opposite direction, preferably at a gallop.

Much to their dismay, Shadow nodded. "Is something wrong? Have you never been here before?"

"What? Of course not!" Neptune shouted. He quickly put a hoof in his mouth when a chorus of growls met his shout. "What pony would be insane enough to go in there?" he asked, lowering his voice to a whisper. When Shadow shot him a small smirk, he sighed in submission. "Of course. Please tell me you at least know where you're going."

"Of course I do. Stay close to me, and you will not come across any of the Everfree's more...erratic fauna." Even though the king and queen seemed a bit more willing to enter, the two children were still petrified of the mere thought. "Are you two alright?"

Celestia backed away from the forest entrance. "I-I would rather we not go in there."

Luna followed her sister's lead. "I have to agree. I heard that this place is full of scary monsters that snatch you away."

Shadow simply shook her head. Children and their fairy tales; they'd be the death of her. She crouched down until she was looking directly into their fearful eyes. This called for some careful handling. "How is this for an alternative?" she offered, speaking in the most motherly tone she could find. "You can ride on your parents' backs and keep your eyes closed for the entire walk. Surely they can protect you from anything, right?"

The two fillies stared up at their parents, who looked back down with reassuring smiles. That alone seemed to dispel whatever fear that they felt. Luna flew up onto Saturn's back while Neptune used his magic to place Celestia on his. They practically melted into their parents as they latched onto their necks and shut their eyes tight.

With the four back under control, Shadow faced the forest's entrance. "Are your eyes shut, girls?" A quick nod from the fillies was all she needed before leading the family into the forest.

Just like Shadow promised, the walk through the forest was thankfully uneventful. Though the various growls and other ambient noises kept the family on edge, they weren't attacked by anything. In fact, the one thing that really kept them worried was the forest itself.

As they went deeper inside, it became increasingly difficult for them to see. Even if it were day, it'd be very difficult to see even a few feet ahead, but the night made it nigh impossible to see anything. It was so dark that Neptune had to cast an illumination spell. The spell casted a bright pocket of blue light around the group, allowing them to see far more easily, though it did little to soften the forest's threatening feel.

Even with the spell, they were still surrounded by an almost suffocating darkness. If it weren't for the crunching of leaves beneath their hooves or the ambient sounds of the forest, it would've felt like walking through an empty, pitch-black void.

"Shadow, how can you come through here by yourself?" Neptune asked. “It is virtually impossible to see in here."

"Years of memorization, Your Highness. I know this forest like the back of my hoof."

Even though they weren't even in their royal attire, Neptune and Saturn acted as though they were trudging through sewage.

"Then perhaps you can use that memorization of yours to take us through a less disgusting path," Saturn said, shaking some mud off of her hooves. "I feel as though I may contract something just from standing here."

Shadow just rolled her eyes at the queen's prissy attitude. "This is the least disgusting path. Please, just bear with me. We are almost at the palace."

Saturn immediately perked up at the mention of a palace. "Palace, you say? In the middle of the Everfree?"

"Yes. We wanted its location to remain unknown. What better place to put it than in the Everfree?"

"Well, it is certainly effective at keeping intruders away," Neptune noted. Another loud growl made him flinch. He couldn't take much more of this.

Much to their relief, the five ponies finally came out of the dense group of trees and into a moonlit clearing. Standing tall in the middle of that clearing was the palace; Shadow's home.

Despite its impressive size and architecture, Neptune and Saturn didn't seem that taken aback. "This is the palace?" Saturn asked, a pang of disappointment in her voice.

"Yes, this is the palace," Shadow answered, trying hard to hide the irritation slowly building up inside. By this point, she began to wonder if the queen's specialty was whining. That certainly seemed to be the case. Taking her mind off of that, she looked back at the two fillies resting on their parents' backs. "You can open your eyes now, girls."

Celestia and Luna, who have been quiet for the entire walk, slowly opened their eyes, hoping to see something other than the dark, scary forest. Needless to say, they received their wish. Their eyes shot open as they gazed upon the stone structure. All they could muster up was a collective "Wow." At least they were a bit more appreciative than their parents.

Shadow beckoned the group to follow her. "Let us continue. Grey Mane is waiting inside."

"Who?"

"My master. He is the one who assigned me to protect you. He will no doubt be thrilled to see that you all are safe."

Neptune shared a nervous glance with his wife. "If you insist. Lead on, then."

Shadow nodded and led the four ponies into the palace. It was a long and difficult endeavor, but she had finally gotten them to safety.

Celestia and Luna, in all of their glee, darted into the palace as they played an impromptu game of tag. Their parents, along with Shadow, followed in after them. It was nice to see that their spirits, even in times of danger, weren't dimmed.

Before Shadow could even approach the stairs leading up to Grey Mane's study, the master came down to them. All of them, even Shadow, froze in their tracks as the black-hooded unicorn approached them.

"I am pleased to see you all well," he said with a soft smile, one that Shadow rarely saw. He bowed to the king and his family. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, King Neptune."

Neptune bowed as well. "The pleasure's mine. And I can assure you, we would not be standing here right now without the aid of your young student." He glanced back at Shadow, but the mare remained silent.

Grey Mane stared at her with a blank expression. Several years after he took her under his wing, and Shadow still couldn't stand that expression. It showed no signs of approval, disappointment, or any emotion. It made his face impossible to read, and it annoyed her to end.

She nearly let out a sigh of relief when Grey Mane gave her an approving smile. "Excellent work, Shadow Streak. I am impressed."

Shadow perked up at the compliment. Had she heard him right? She impressed him? Earning such praise from Grey Mane was just as rare as seeing him smile. It was something that Shadow simply wasn't used to hearing, let alone receiving.

"Please, do not look so surprised," he said as he approached his student. "You have managed to do what many of your Brothers and Sisters could not. You managed to ensure the safety of the entire Solar family, and none of them have so much as a scratch." Technically, the king had two, but Shadow decided against bringing up that little fact. "Now, what of Buckeye?"

Shadow had anticipated that particular question. She reached into her robes and took out the blood-stained feather. Upon seeing it, Grey Mane took it with his magic. He needed no words after that, and simply placed the feather inside his own robes.

"Excellent. That only leaves the rest of his conspirators." Despite the supposed good news, Grey Mane noticed a hint of unease on Shadow's face. "Is something wrong, Shadow?"

The mare nodded. "Yes. I believe that this entire conspiracy may go deeper than we originally thought."

Her master frowned in confusion. "What makes you say this?"

Shadow glanced over to Neptune. Specifically, the blanket-wrapped staff on his back. "Your Highness, may I see your staff for a moment?"

"What for?" Neptune asked, tilting his head.

"Please. It is important."

After a moment's consideration, Neptune yielded. In a blue light, the staff lifted from his back and lowered to the floor. He unfurled the blanket, revealing the golden staff, shining in the torchlight.

Shadow pointed at the staff without actually looking at it this time. "Buckeye seemed very interested in this staff. He mentioned things about it that I feel warrant further investigation."

Upon seeing it, Grey Mane immediately took interest. Not because the staff was golden or elegant in design, but because it seemed strangely familiar to him. Disturbingly familiar.

"Master?" Grey Mane tore his eyes away from the staff and looked up at Shadow. "Are you okay? You seem bothered."

After glancing down at the staff again, Grey Mane slowly went back up the stairs. Shadow and the others only looked on as he entered his study.

"Where is he going?" Saturn asked to no one in particular.

"Back to his study," Shadow answered. "For what, I am unsure." She had never seen Grey Mane act in such a way before. What about the staff bothered him so much? It was true that it had some strange influence on her when she first laid eyes on it, but her master's willpower was far stronger than hers, and simply couldn't be affected as easily. It had to have been something else.

Shadow was torn from her thoughts when Neptune prodded her side. "What does my staff have to do with any of this?"

"I’ve yet to find out for myself. However, Buckeye seemed to show an interest in it. What exactly is the history of this staff?"

Neptune scratched his chin as he came up with an answer. "Well, it is an ancient artifact that had been passed down from king to king for generations. It is a symbol of our power."

"Do you know where it came from? Who forged it?"

"I... do not know. The royal blacksmith, perhaps?" Shadow's expression went flat at the less-than-stellar answer. "What do you want me to say? My father never told me, and I assume his father never told him. It was knowledge that just seemed to fade away into obscurity."

Shadow made sure to keep the king's words in mind. He didn't seem to be aware of whatever 'power' that the staff possessed, according to Buckeye. She could've just dismissed it all as the ramblings of a dead pony, but that'd be extremely foolish. No, there was more to this, she just needed to dig deeper in order to find it.

"Shadow." She looked back towards the stairs to see Grey Mane descending them yet again. This time, he had a book floating next to him in a dull, grey light. It was mainly composed of white leather with a red spine, and was relatively well-kept compared to the usual dusty tomes in the palace. Grey Mane continued towards the group, stopping in front of his student. "I'd like to speak with you." He glanced over to the family. "In private." he added.

Before Shadow could even nod in response, Grey Mane continued past her and towards the entrance. After sharing one more glance with the family, she followed her master out of the palace.

Grey Mane was certainly a strange pony. For as cold and unforgiving as he may have been for the most part, there were times when he was warm and praising. In fact, he was the closest thing to a father figure that Shadow had. When she had nothing left to look up to, he practically appeared out of nowhere and saved her from a life of continuous misery. He took her under his wing and took her back to the palace. That was when her training as an Assassin officially began.

She could still remember every minute of every day that she spent going through the most grueling training that she could think of. Grey Mane was merciless, never allowing her to stop, always pushing her body and mind to new limits. Whether it was intensive combat training, or the deceptively simple act of meditation, her mind was always left fried, and her body weak. But despite all of that, Grey Mane never let up. Even if Shadow was mentally exhausted from meditation, even if she stood on shaky legs with a dagger clenched between her bleeding teeth, her master would always give one, simple order.

Again.

And Shadow would do it again. She would do it all again without question. Perhaps it was the rage of her parents' untimely fate that left her blind to reason, or maybe she was left so emotionally distraught that she clung on to the closest thing to a parent in her life, but something made her listen to Grey Mane no matter what he said, even if it had a chance of killing her. Her devotion was powerful, bordering on the obsessive. Looking back, that was probably what made her the mare she was now.

"What is it you wish to talk about?" she asked as the pair reached the bottom of the stairs.

"I fear you may be right. This may not be as simple as we had thought." He sat down at the bottom of the stairs, placing the book on the ground between Shadow and him. He opened the book, quickly flipping to a particular page. He pointed a hoof down at the paper. "Does that seem familiar to you?"

Shadow looked down at the book and nearly let out a shocked gasp. The page that Grey mane pointed out held a picture of a staff. The very same staff that Neptune possessed. But it wasn't that fact alone that surprised Shadow. The book referred to it as the Staff of Equestria, and continued to describe the 'powers' that Buckeye spoke of. The staff was capable of bending the will of any and all living things. In fact, just looking at it put all but the most mentally fortified creatures into a hypnotic trance.

"Unbelievable," Shadow muttered.

"That is not all. There are others like this." Grey Mane showed Shadow three other pages, each showing a different object with another terrifying power. A sword that granted immense strength. A shroud that healed any wound or disease. A strange 'Apple' that possessed a range of functions. Shadow couldn't believe what she was seeing. Any one of these could make its user nigh indestructible, but if someone possessed all four... Shadow didn't even want to think about it.

"Who in Equestria could make such items?" she asked, still staring in disbelief at the book before her.

Grey Mane shook his head. "I do not know, sadly. What I do know is that we cannot let these objects fall into the wrong hooves. If Buckeye held interest in these items, then surely, his cohorts are as well."

Shadow stood back up. "The Staff will be safe as long as it stays here, correct?"

"Of course, but if these conspirators truly are after these artifacts, then we need to kill them before they get their hooves on any of them." He closed the book and stood back up as well. "Do you know where you can go next?"

Shadow took a moment to remember if she had anything else to go on. Suddenly, something clicked. The secret meeting from the night before! That hooded pony mentioned that he'd be going to Hoofington, though Shadow didn't know for what. It wasn't much to go on, but it was still something. "I think I will pay a visit to Hoofington next."

Grey Mane raised an eyebrow. "Hoofington? Are you sure?" Shadow nodded. After a moment's consideration, he nodded as well. "Very well. We should inform the others of this."

Shadow couldn't agree more. The two traveled back up the palace's steps. The sooner they conveyed this news to the family, the better.

Before they even reached the palace entrance, the two ponies could tell that things have gone awry. From outside, they could hear Celestia and Luna laughing as they ran around the stone floor while their parents tried—and failed—to calm them down. While Grey Mane maintained a straight face, Shadow couldn't help but smile as she heard the commotion.

Upon entering the palace, the two saw exactly what they had expected: small-scale pandemonium in the form of two fillies engaged in an impromptu game of tag. Even more interesting was the fact that the two sisters got their hooves on some filly-sized Assassin robes. They essentially looked exactly like Shadow's only smaller and lacking the red sash that signified the black mare's high rank.

Their parents already gave up trying to catch the two and just laid on ground. As soon as they saw Shadow and Grey Mane right behind them, they immediately hopped back onto their hooves, practically drenched with nervous sweat.

"We are truly, truly sorry," Saturn apologized. "We tried to get them to take off the robes, but our old bodies simply cannot keep up with them."

Grey Mane just chuckled. "It is quite alright. Let them have their fun. It will help to keep their minds off of the current situation."

The four adults simply watched as the sisters had their fun. Celestia was chasing Luna as the two darted all across the floor, even traveling up the stairs a few times. It seemed as if Celestia was going to catch her sister as she closed the gap between the two, but the tables were quickly turned when Luna took to the sky.

Celestia looked daggers at her sister. "Hey, that's not fair!" she cried, stomping a hoof on the ground. Luna simply responded by teasingly sticking out her tongue.

Whatever pride Luna felt quickly diminished when she felt her body become enveloped by a bright, yellow glow. Slowly, she floated down to Celestia against her will. Her sister was using her magic to cheat! "Hey, knock it off! That's cheating!" Her demands were completely ignored, and she was soon well within tagging distance of her sister.

An innocent smile appeared on Celestia's face as she poked her sister. "You are it, dear sister." With that, she dropped the frustrated pegasus on the floor. Luna immediately got back up, and the game continued.

Shadow just smiled at the sight. "Those two are certainly something."

Grey Mane nodded in agreement. "Indeed. But we shouldn't deviate from the matter at hoof."

"What matter?' Neptune asked.

"I'll be headed to Hoofington to hunt the rest of Buckeye's allies. You all will stay here until it's safe again." Both she and Grey Mane felt it was best to avoid mentioning the items that they discussed outside. It would only raise more questions than answers.

"Hoofington?" Saturn repeated. Suddenly, a shocked gasp escaped her muzzle. "Oh, no. Solaris!"

Shadow tilted her head. "Solaris?"

The distress on Saturn's face was clear as day. "My brother-in-law! Oh, how could I have forgotten about him?"

Neptune seemed to remember something as well. "Of course. He said that he would be in Hoofington for a few days. Buckeye's men could be after him as well."

"Then it seems I must leave immediately."

Grey Mane looked at his confident student with concern. "Are you sure, Shadow? Do you have the energy for it?"

"I have already taken a rest, Master. Worry not, I can make the journey. After all, we have no time to waste." Shadow looked back at the fillies, who were still engaged in their game. "Girls." The two brought their game to a stop as they looked at the mare. "I must leave now, and may be gone for a while. Both of you behave for your parents and Master Grey Mane, understood?"

The two frowned. "You're leaving?" Celestia asked.

"Are you going to kill more ponies?"

Shadow was a bit taken aback by that last question. She leaned in towards Grey Mane. "Very blunt, these children." she whispered.

"Indeed."

Shadow went back to the two fillies. "Hopefully, it will not come to that. But enough of that. Will you behave?" They nodded. "Good." She faced the parents. "Don't worry. If Solaris is still in Hoofington, I'll bring him back here."

"We truly cannot thank you enough for this," Saturn said. Neptune nodded in agreement.

Grey Mane gave his student a small bow. "Good luck, Shadow Streak."

Shadow returned his bow. "Thank you, Master." With that, Shadow left the palace to continue this ever-growing mission of hers. Now she had not one, not two, but three objectives to complete. Find and eliminate the rest of the conspirators, find and protect Solaris, and keep an eye out for any of those dangerous items.

But out of all the things Shadow had to worry about, there was one that bothered her the most: her next location. It just had to be Hoofington, didn't it? She truly did not want to enter that city again, but her mission demanded it. She had no choice. She couldn't let her emotions get in the way of the mission, not again. Since that was the case, she was in for an interesting, bittersweet trip down memory lane. She just couldn't wait.

9: Bittersweet Nostalgia

Hoofington. This was where it all began. Shadow couldn't believe that she had to go back to that city again. She had done a rather good job of suppressing most memories of that place, both good and bad, but the mere mention of it brought every single one of those memories crashing back into her.

Everything around her, no matter how small or vague, brought back a memory of some kind. The dirt road beneath her hooves reminded her of the walks she took with her mother on warm afternoons. The quiet, peaceful night reminded her of the bedtime stories her father would tell her. The scent of rain reminded her of the days when she would stay inside during downpours, cooped up with her parents in front of a warm fire. Nearly all of her enjoyment and comfort in Hoofington came from moments like those. Moments that she'd never be able to relieve. The thought only made her journey feel all the more lonely.

Her trek lasted into the early morning as the sun crept over the horizon. Her heart sank as she finally saw the city come into view. The mere sight of its silhouette against the rising sun made her stop in her tracks. Did she have to go in there? Yes. Did she want to? Absolutely not. But no matter how she felt, she couldn't turn away, not after coming so far. Besides, if she faced the source of her demons, they'd be easier to cope with, right? Wishful thinking on her part.

As reluctant as she was, it didn't really matter how she felt. She couldn't let anything stop her, especially not herself. She needed to press on. It was just a simple matter of placing one hoof in front of the other. What was so hard about that? Gulping down her fear, Shadow forced herself to continue towards Hoofington.

After what felt like hours, Shadow finally found herself right outside the city gates. The red brick archway certainly hasn't changed much since the last time she saw it. In fact, it looked worse than it had before. The ten years that have passed certainly took its toll. The walls were chipped, grimy, and just generally unappealing to look at. It must've gone for years without any proper maintenance.

Shadow just stood at the entrance for a few more moments, taking a moment to let the situation sink in. She was really here again, wasn't she? Maybe she really didn't have to go inside. She could linger around for a while until she ran into Goat again. After all, he was the one with all the information. Sure, she'd have to lie to Grey Mane about a few things, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt her, right?

What in Equestria was she thinking? She violently shook her head to get rid of those thoughts. She needed to keep her head together. It was pitiful how was reacting to all of this. She had a mission to complete, and here she was, petrified by mere memories. Unacceptable. Shadow took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Finally, she entered the city.

While the entrance may have been in subpar condition, the city itself went through quite the change while she was gone. The dirt roads that she grew up with were paved with cobblestone. The familiar buildings surrounding her, once old and decrepit, had been renovated, sporting fresh paint, repaired walls, and tiled roofs as if they were brand new. It was all almost unfamiliar to the shocked mare. However, there was one thing that stood out among all of that.

Off in the distance, towering over the city like a titan, was a stone castle of some sort. It wasn't as large as the royal palace, but it was easily still the tallest structure in the entire city.

Shadow felt a pang of nostalgia hit her as she stared at it. She remembered when that castle was still just an assortment of stone and pulleys sitting in an open space right in the middle of the city. Everyone called it a construction zone, but Shadow called it her playground. Almost every night during its construction, she and her father would sneak in to play an impromptu game of hide-and-seek. Over the years, as the castle came closer to completion, it only offered more complex interiors and fun to be had. She would leap between in complete walkways, balance on teetering beams, and all sorts of other fun, stupid things. It was her own personal plaything.

Shadow grinned as she reminisced about all the fun she had there. Maybe all of her memories weren't as bad as she thought. Besides, if the castle was that fun in the past, just how much better did it get now that it was complete? Shadow tried to resist the urge, but she just couldn't get the thought out of her mind. She couldn't even take her eyes off of the structure as she considered the possibilities. The temptation was just too much. It would just be a quick peek inside. What harm would that do?

Just as she started towards her old playground, she remembered something. Wasn't Goat in Hoofington as well? He was her best source of information in this town, so it'd be for the best if she found him soon. But where would she find him? Hoofington was a rather large city. Not as large as Canterlot, but large enough to make searching for one pony a tedious task. Shadow looked back over at the castle. It was still a ways away; maybe she'd run into him on the way there.

"Heh. That idiot is likely passed out in a puddle of cider somewhere." Shadow chuckled at the mere thought of it. She could be so immature when she was nostalgic.

Though Shadow had made plans to visit the castle, it didn't take very long for her to become sidetracked by other familiar sights. Even though everything looked fresh and new, she still recognized them as the foalhood landmarks that they were. A well that used to serve as her favorite hiding spot from the city guards was now in use and fully functional. A small thicket of trees in a clearing she passed through had been cut down and replaced by a fountain. Several buildings that she recalled being abandoned shells of cobwebs and dust were rebuilt and served as extra housing.

As she went deeper into the city, the buildings became taller and more elaborate, sporting things such as stain-glass windows, domed roofs, and a variety of other things. They certainly weren't there when Shadow was growing up, and helped give the city a bit of class as opposed to a place like Manehattan. It was simply amazing what ten years could do to a place.

As Shadow continued on her self-guided tour, she came across a building that she knew all too well. It was a humble, one-story store, not like the more elaborate ones. To others, it just blended in with the surrounding buildings around it, but to Shadow, it stuck out like a sore thumb. The sign above the door said it all: Sweet Tooth's Candy Shop.

A childlike grin appeared on Shadow's face. This place was her foalhood paradise. Yes, she had quite the sweet tooth as a filly, and this place never failed to meet her needs. Every day, she would come to this place, and would never leave until her bag of bits was replaced by a bag of candy. She even became friendly with the store owner, she was that common.

Despite how early it was, the store was open for business. Just the thought of all the various, sugary sweets inside made Shadow's mouth water. She quickly checked the contents of her robes. She still had a good number of bits to spend. She could afford one more visit, right? She just had to. She could even catch up with her old friend. Perhaps he even knew a thing or two that could help her in the city. With that plan in mind, and with a craving itching to be satisfied, Shadow entered the shop.

The interior certainly went through a drastic redesign as well. Much like the exterior, the simple, brown wood that Shadow remembered had been painted over with a yellow and orange color scheme in mind. It definitely made the place look brighter, if not a bit tacky. It didn't look like the store's layout changed, though, so that was still familiar.

A line of shelves blocked her view of the counter up front, where the shop's owner was likely to be. Everything was nice and organized. All the hard candy was separated from the chewy, and the individual bits were separated from entire bags. It wasn't like Shadow had difficulty finding what she wanted; she simply wanted to browse and soak in every sweet, tooth-rotting memory.

She explored the aisles, observing everything in stock. Lollipops, pieces of caramel, cherry-flavored jawbreakers, the choices were virtually endless. It would've been easier to buy out the whole stock, and she probably would've, but she didn't have the bits for it. Now, what was Shadow going to buy?

"Need help with something?" Shadow looked down the aisle to find a disgruntled, old unicorn staring back at her, a bored expression on her face. Her messy, black mane was certainly a stark contrast to her white coat, and the glasses only added to the 'I hate my job' look. She was definitely a new owner, much to Shadow's disappointment.

"Oh, no. I am merely browsing. Pay me no mind." She peered at the clerk, as if she was trying to find any recognizable features. Not surprisingly, she didn't find any. "My apologies, I believe that we have not met yet. You are new, yes?”

"Hmph. If by 'new', you mean 'running this place for five years', then yeah, I am 'new'."

Shadow definitely didn't take kindly to her tone, but it wasn't anything worth getting worked up over. "Oh. Well, how did you get management over this place? Were you related to the previous owner?"

"I wish. No, the old stallion went and left this place up for grabs. I was just the first one to buy it. Now, if you're just here to talk, then you can get out of my store right now. I don't like loiterers, especially ones in silly, white hoods."

Shadow shot daggers at the owner. She had always pledged to never harm the innocent, but it was always the annoying ones, especially the ignorant ones, who made it difficult to uphold such a pledge. As a multitude of violent thoughts flashed through her mind, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

Finally calm, she looked through the assortment of sweets as she decided on what to pick. Even that process didn't feel the same. As opposed to happily chatting away with Sweet Tooth, the store's previous owner, she was silently browsing while being stared at by a hawk-eyed store clerk with an annoying mouth.

"Can we hurry this up, please?" Shadow shot the clerk another glare. This kind of tension just didn't match the cheerful color scheme. She eventually picked out three bags of candy; one for herself and two more for the girls. They were bound to like it. Even if they didn't, it only meant more for her.

Shadow begrudgingly followed the old mare up to the front counter. There, she placed the bags on the counter before digging thirty bits out of her robes. She threw them onto the counter. This wasn't the happy exchange that she was hoping for. "There. Happy now?" She was about to take her bags and leave, but the old unicorn placed a hoof down on all of them.

"Hold on a second, sunshine. Where are the other fifteen bits?"

Another scowl made its way onto Shadow’s face. "What do you mean? Each bag is ten bits." Shadow reached for the bags, but the unicorn slid them out of her reach.

"No. Bags are fifteen bits now. Can't you read?" She pointed to a sign right behind her. Sure enough, it said that bags of candy were worth fifteen bits. Well, it used to say that they were worth ten, but the ten was crudely scratched out with black paint while a fifteen sat right above it.

Shadow could only raise a confused eyebrow a she stared at the sign. "What? Why in Equestria would you raise the price?"

"It's my store, I can do what I want. If you won't pay the extra, then you only get two bags."

Shadow quickly reached in and slid the three bags back towards her. "That's outrageous. I'm taking all three."

The clerk snatched one of them back. "No, you get two bags."

Shadow snatched the bag back. "Three bags."

"Two bags."

"Three bags."

The unicorn slammed her hooves on the counter. "Two bags!"

Shadow did the same. "Three bags!"

"Two bags!"

Shadow quickly pushed her candy bag back to the clerk. "Two bags!"

The clerk pushed the bag back to Shadow. "Three bags!"

"I only want two bags!"

"You're taking all three bags and that's final!"

Shadow immediately placed all three bags into her robes. "Thank you for your business." she said with an innocent smile.

"Likewise." As Shadow trotted towards the door, a realization hit the clerk like a sack of bricks. "Hey, wait a minute!"

Shadow couldn't help but giggle to herself. It may not have been the same experience, but it was just as fun. She just loved being mischievous.

With three well-earned bags of candy in her robes, Shadow continued her way down the streets of Hoofington, taking in all the familiar sights, and stopping to observe the unfamiliar ones. By now, ponies were starting to come out of their houses, ready to begin a new day under Equestria's sun. Even they seemed different than she remembered. They appeared cleaner, taller, more confident.

When Shadow was growing up, Hoofington was a rather dangerous place. It was a dirty slum full of thieves and bandits just itching to mug somepony of their belongings. None of the citizens really felt safe as anything could've happened at any given moment. Shadow would be lying if she said that she didn't partake in a bit of her own thievery, but never got physical. It was usually something as small as snatching an unattended lunch or taking a few bits out of somepony's pockets when they weren't looking. But now, Hoofington was entirely different. It was brighter, happier, better. She was almost a bit jealous that she could't have been born when the city was like this.

She soon came to a stop at a particular building. She didn't know what it was, but something about it just caught her attention. Even with the renovations, it looked like it's been through tough times. Windows and bits of wall were cracked. The tiled rooftop was damaged, portions of it broken or gone entirely, as if several ponies had been running across it. Who'd be crazy enough to do that? Thieves, perhaps, but Shadow was yet to see hide or tail of any.

As for the building's actual purpose, Shadow could tell immediately that it was a tavern. Just standing outside, she was able to smell the distinct smell of hard cider pouring from the door. That alone made her a bit sick, so she didn't even want to imagine what it was like inside. As if she needed further confirmation, a large sign with a cartoonish image of a stallion chugging down a mug of cider had the words 'The Drunken Pony' in large, bold letters.

"Classy," Shadow sarcastically noted. It was nice to know that these renovated buildings were being put to good use. Somehow, she felt that she’d make more than a few stops by such an establishment.

She was preparing to leave when she noticed a few passing ponies give her worried glances. Looking around, she saw several other ponies giving her similar looks. A few even pointed at her as they whispered to their friends. It was as if she was some sort of museum exhibit. She didn't know what about her was drawing so much attention and she wasn't going to stay to find out. She quickly walked away from the tavern, still receiving weird looks from the surrounding ponies. She made a quick glance back only to find ponies alerting a nearby group of guards to her presence. By the time she rounded a corner, they were already looking for her.

This hardly made any sense. What did she do to attract this much suspicion so quickly? Haggle a store clerk out of fifteen bits? No, that couldn't have been it. Something else was going on, as if they knew she was coming. But how? That was a question she'd have to answer later. For now, she just needed to get off of the streets. Her eyes fell on a nearby alleyway. That seemed promising enough.

She darted into the alley, keeping her pace at a trot just in case a few witnesses pointed the guards in after her. In just over an hour, her stay in Hoofington became excessively complicated. For some reason, she couldn't stay out in the open for too long without attracting the attention of the city guard. That meant she needed to play smart and stay hidden, which would only make finding Goat or Solaris that much more difficult.

Until she found either of them, her best bet was to search that giant castle. She wanted to get in there for nostalgic purposes at first, but now it felt like her best bet to get some direction. There just had to be something of interest in there. There was only one way to find out.

Once she was sure that there were no guards following her, Shadow slowed back down to a walk. The alley soon opened up into a giant plaza, one that was jam-packed with ponies and merchant stands. The place was abuzz with chatter as ponies talked with their friends while merchant tried to attract customers, shouting that their wares and prices were the best in the city. It was perfect. Shadow could easily blend in to the crowd as she made her way across. Nopony would be able to point her out, not with so much activity going on.

However, as she approached the plaza, she suddenly stopped. She couldn't put a hoof on it, but something about the place seemed eerily familiar to her. Compared to the rest of the city, this place seemed untouched. As she was busy thinking, the answer suddenly rammed into her like a raging buffalo. This was where it happened. The Grand Plaza. Yes, it all seemed so familiar. The old, grey stone under her hooves, the strange sense of foreboding in the air, and the one thing that she did not want to see: the old gallows sitting at the dead center.

Shadow's legs trembled beneath her. Her breaths became shallow and erratic. A cold sweat trickled down her forehead. Her mind lurched as all of the horrible memories of her past here came crashing back. As hard as she tried not to, she could remember every, single, painstaking detail.

The judgement that caused it all.

"...I hereby sentence you and your collaborator to death!"

Limp bodies hanging from the gallows.

"Mother! Father!"

The blinding anger that nearly consumed her.

"I'll kill you for this, I swear!"

It had all began there.

All thoughts, all feelings, everything around her became lost to the mare as she focused on one, solitary thing: the cocktail of emotions swelling up inside her. It was almost too much to bear. Her trembling legs could no longer support her and buckled underneath her body. She clenched her teeth until they hurt. She shut her eyes tight as tears threatened to roll down her cheeks. She was teetering between utter rage and pure sorrow. One side wanted to destroy everything in sight, while the other wanted to break down in tears. It was tearing her apart.

She needed to get back up. She couldn't simply lie there and allow these memories get the better of her. Her parents raised her to be stronger than that. Grey Mane raised her to be stronger than that. She couldn't stop, not now. Slowly, Shadow forced herself back onto her hooves. She wiped the tears away from her eyes. Her breathing slowly became controlled again. She finally regained her composure.

She spent the past ten years running away from this. Ten years trying to forget. Ten years trying to hide from the reality. This was the moment when that all stopped. She needed to face this. She owed her parents that much. With determination plastered onto her face, Shadow stepped into the plaza.

Every step into the plaza felt like a test of endurance to the mare. Her hoofbeats felt heavy and forced, like she was trekking through mud. The various merchant stands and thick crowds practically formed a maze in the plaza, only serving to prolong her stay. The tight spaces and vast amounts of ponies did little to help her troubled breathing.

The further she went into the plaza, the more she despised the happy looks on everypony's faces as they passed by, chatting with their giggly friends. Oh, how she'd love to wipe the smiles off of every single one of their faces. This was nothing but a normal day to them. Walking through this plaza was about as natural as breathing to them all. They had no idea what she was going through. They were completely oblivious of what the mere act of standing in this damnable plaza was doing to her.

Her walk slowly increased to a trot. She turned around corner after corner, nudging her way past numerous ponies. The space around her grew smaller and smaller. Her breaths were short and raspy. She was going to suffocate at this rate. She needed to get out of there. She needed to get out now!

Just as it felt like she was about to pass out, Shadow finally broke out of that hideous maze. She was still in the plaza, but she just felt so much better now that she had more than a foot of breathing room. She let out a relieved sigh, only for it to be followed by a shocked gasp. As if things weren't difficult enough, some malevolent force of nature decided to toy with her by sending her right to the gallows.

She was too shocked to scream. She was too shocked to run. She just sat there, her body growing heavy and numb. All she could do was shut her eyes as she tried to block out the images creeping into her head. No, she couldn't go through this again. She couldn't handle it. No matter how hard she tried, it all came back yet again, and just like last time, her emotions became a swirling vortex of anger and misery.

None of it should have ever happened. She should've been able to save them. Why couldn't she? What hope did she have of protecting anyone else if she couldn't even save her own parents?

Despite her reluctance, Shadow cracked open her eyes and looked at the gallows one last time. Her blood went cold at what she saw. For a brief second, she saw her parents' limp bodies hanging from the gallows, their cold, dead eyes staring right into hers. That was all that Shadow could take.

She screamed. She screamed louder than she ever thought that she would. Before any surrounding citizens could investigate the sudden noise, Shadow bolted back into the maze of merchant stands, galloping as fast as her trembling legs would carry her. She didn't care who or what she knocked down. She just wanted to get out. She needed to get out. She needed to get out now!

Shadow finally found another way out of the plaza and wasted no time in sprinting down that road, leaving a mess of angry ponies in her wake. She didn't care. She just had to get away. If her parents saw her like this, as this emotional wreck of a mare, they would've been so disappointed.

Despite finally getting out of the Grand Plaza, Shadow didn't stop. She didn't want to. She wanted to get as far away from that place as possible, as quickly as possible. However, her frantic sprint was brought to an end when she reached another clearing. She didn't come to a sudden stop because there was nowhere to go. She came to a sudden stop because of what she found.

By some miracle, she finally made it to the castle that towered over Hoofington. Her jaw nearly dropped as she gazed upon it, memories of her recent ordeal slowly leaving her mind. It was definitely larger up close. Its width nearly spanned the entire clearing, leaving little room to walk around. As for the height? Its spires seemed to pierce the sky.

Its stone architecture was definitely darker than that of the royal palace. A pair of stone griffons sat on perches above the castle doors. A long line of the largest guards Shadow had ever seen blocked the front entrance. Unlike the usual fodder she's grown used to, these were massive ponies covered from head to hoof in thick, heavy, golden armor. Other, lightly armored guards sat on balconies, rifles at the ready. These guards possessed guns as well? Interesting.

Shadow continued to gaze up at the castle. She had originally wanted to get inside just for the nostalgic fun of it, but if there was something of interest in there, then that only gave her even more reason to get inside. However, this wasn't some random pony's home. This castle was well-guarded, as Shadow had already seen, but that didn't mean it was impenetrable. She needed to plan this out carefully.

Keeping her distance, Shadow slowly made her way around the castle's perimeter. With the main entrance out, she needed to find another way inside. She saw side entrances, but they were guarded as well. There were no nearby buildings that could be used to sneak in from above, and as far as Shadow could tell, there weren't any nearby distractions either. Just as it seemed like this castle was impenetrable, Shadow spotted something that sparked a small glimmer of hope. High above the ground was one of several windows lining the castle walls. This one in particular, however, was open.

Just as Shadow began to formulate a plan, she slouched over with a disappointed sigh as a realization hit her. Yes, there was a window. Yes, it was open. Yes, it was possible to sneak inside unnoticed, but there was one problem. She had no way to reach it. If she were a pegasus, or even a unicorn, it would've been no problem, but as an earth pony, it was nigh impossible. She needed another plan.

However, taking a look around, Shadow noticed that she was getting more wary looks from passing ponies. Even one of the guards protecting the castle's entrance was eyeing her. She spent too much time out in the open. Ponies were starting to recognize her again.

As she turned to walk away from the castle, she saw another worrisome sight. One of the citizens was directing another group of guards toward her, and they immediately took interest.

She was running out of time. She needed to find a way out of there before half of the city was on her tail.

She slowly scanned the area, trying to find an escape route, only to perform a double-take when she saw something very interesting on a nearby wall. Posted on the front of a nearby building for all the world to see was a wanted poster with a near perfect drawing of her face, hood and everything. Shadow couldn't believe it. She was only in the city for two hours. How could there be such a poster up already? How long had it been up? If there were more like it out there, then the entire city could know what she looked like.

Shadow looked back over to the guards. They were already approaching her. "You! Come here for a moment." One of the guards ran towards her. This wasn't good. Shadow had hoped that she'd be able to get through at least one day without any trouble, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen.

The guard reached her and roughly placed a hoof on her shoulder. "By order of Lord Solaris, you are under--" Shadow cut him off with a hard punch to the snout. As he reared back in pain, she bolted in the other direction. Before she could get very far, one of the guards on the castle balconies fired his gun with deadly accuracy. The bullet scraped Shadow's abdomen, sending a sharp pain throughout her entire body. Despite that, she didn't stop. She couldn't stop.

"Stop her!" The onlooking guards gave chase as Shadow galloped away from the castle. As she frantically sped down the city streets, more and more guards got involved in the fracas. Before she knew it, a small battalion of guards was nipping at her heels.

To make matters worse, she had to deal with another one of those fast guards, much like the one she had to chase back at Canterlot. The normal guards, with their heavy armor weighing them down, were easy to outrun. It was this one guard that gave her trouble. To add on to it, he was a pegasus, so he was easily able to keep up with the grounded mare. No matter how fast she ran, he was right on top of her. Just running through the streets like a maniac wasn't going to be enough. She needed to cut off his line of sight, then continue from there. And Shadow had and idea that would do just that.

She made a sharp turn into an alley, her pegasus pursuer staying right above her. The alley walls were full of various beams, balconies, and clotheslines that seemed more than capable of blocking the pegasus' view of Shadow. She had intended to use these objects as a way to break the line of sight long enough to find a hiding spot, but a quick glance behind her made things much more difficult than that.

The pegasus, instead of remaining high above the buildings like she had expected, he came down into the alley with her. The alley, while narrow, wasn't narrow enough to make flying in them impossible, and despite the vast number of objects in his way, he was able to maneuver past all of them without losing an inch of ground. Shadow was amazed, annoyed, shocked, and jealous of his ability. Her conflicting emotions didn't deter her from the situation, though.

The pegasus took out a blow dart and aimed it at the fleeing mare. She had no way of outrunning him, and with the alley too narrow to maneuver, her options were quickly running out.

The pegasus fired a dart.

It missed. He fired again.

Miss. He fired a third time.

Shadow felt a sharp sting in her backside. A few seconds later, a massive wave of drowsiness washed over her. She became less coordinated, staggering along as she tried to run away from the smirking pegasus. Not long after that, her legs buckled beneath her, and she fell to the ground. She tried to get back up, but all of her energy just vanished like the wind. She simply couldn't run anymore.

The stallion chuckled as he came to a soft landing next to the fallen mare. "What's wrong? Can't run anymore?" He pushed aside a portion of Shadow's robes, revealing her flank. A lecherous sneer crawled onto his face. "Don't worry. You and I are going to have a lot of fun before I bring you to Solaris."

Shadow barely had enough energy to register the words, let alone muster up a reaction. The contents of that dart left her weak and disoriented. She could barely see straight, and all noise around her just sounded like one, long, droning buzz to her. The only thing she was able to make out was the pegasus' mocking laughter, followed by a pained grunt. Not long after that, the pegasus collapsed to the ground next to her, a knife sticking out of his head.

Just as Shadow was about to black out, she saw another set of hooves enter her vision. Using the sliver of energy that she had left, she looked up at her savior. The figure was too blackened for her to make out a face, but Shadow did notice the pegasus wings.

In a calm, soothing tone barely above a whisper, the figure said, "Don't worry, Shadow. You're safe now."

With that relaxing assurance, Shadow succumbed to sleep's sweet embrace.

10: Strange Places; Stranger Allies

Princess Celestia relaxed in the quiet confines of Luna's bedroom, a book floating nicely before her. Luna's bedroom was quite the stark contrast from hers, and with good reason. The dark blue and purple color scheme did very well to match her sister's love of the night. It also, somehow, simply felt more peaceful in there as opposed to her own bedroom. Whether it was the darker colors or the fact that the guards didn't come around here as often, Celestia found this place to be so relaxing. That was part of the reason why she chose this to be the location of Luna's study sessions.

The purple alicorn sat across from her sister, tiredly reading through the third of five books on Equestrian history and politics. Since she's been gone for a thousand years, her dear sister insisted that she catch up on how things operated in modern Equestria. Why she couldn't just skip to how things operated in modern Equestria, she would never know. Instead, she had to go through the painstaking process of reading over all one thousand years of the land's development. Fun. It wasn't that bad, she supposed. Getting through today's five books would cover about... fifty years. Maybe if she was lucky, she'd be done with this sometime within the next one thousand years.

"How are you coming along, Luna?" Celestia asked, not looking away from her own book.

Luna rolled her eyes. "Oh, this is simply exhilarating, ‘Tia. Truly, the most fun I have ever had."

Celestia just chuckled. "It isn't the most exciting thing, I know. But just imagine how good you'll feel knowing how to run this land yourself."

Luna looked up from her book. "No offense is intended, but why can't I simply watch and learn from you. It’s what I’ve always used to do.”

Celestia suddenly stopped reading. She slowly closed her book, a frown forming her face. "Because, Luna, life can be unpredictable. I think we've both learned that in the past. There may come a time when I am no longer around, and you'll be left to handle things on your own. That's why you must learn these things. You may be the younger one, but life seldom cares for such facts. You must be prepared for the worst."

Luna felt herself shrink down, fear and worry visible in her eyes. "What do you mean? When wouldn't you be around? You'll always be around, yes?"

"I'm afraid that I don't know. That is what I fear." Despite the hints of sorrow behind her voice, Celestia still managed to muster up a small smile. "But enough of that, what are you reading right now?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Hmm? Oh! Yes, um, it's uh…" Luna peered back into the book, racing to find where she left off, "…the founding of the… ambassadors! Yes! The founding of Equestria's ambassadors of peace." Luna punctuated her answer with a large, goofy smile.

Celestia raised a curious eyebrow, a knowing smirk on her face. "Is that so? Interesting. Even more so considering that the book you're reading only covers years 1150 to 1165, and the ambassadors weren't formed until the early thirteenth century."

Luna gave her sister a sheepish grin. "They are in a side note?"

Celestia grinned at her sister before grabbing Luna's book in a magical grip. Luna quickly grabbed it with her own magic, causing the two sisters to engage in a short tug-of-war. As hard as Luna tried, she couldn't overpower Celestia's superior magical strength, and eventually lost her grip on the book.

Celestia brought the book up to her face, only to sigh when she saw what her sister was really reading. "Luna, I am very happy that you're enjoying some form of reading, but I would appreciate it if you used this study time for educational purposes. Not this." She floated an issue of Daring Doo out from the pages of the history book.

Luna immediately shot up to her hooves. "What do you mean? That comic's very educational."

"Really? And what has it taught you?"

"Several things. Like that, uh... that hiding in a well-built stable can protect you from a nuclear explosion."

Celestia sighed again as a smile appeared on her face. "Oh, Luna. You'll be the death of me someday." She shut both the comic and textbook before standing up. "I suppose that will be enough for now. We can always finish later." She gave the comic back to Luna, who practically pounced on it before reading from where she left off. After letting out one more chuckle, Celestia left her sister's bedroom.

It was quite a long morning for the white alicorn. Spending four straight hours looking over various bills, approving various bills, and contemplating new ideas for various bills was an excruciatingly slow process. The knowledge that Rainbow Dash was sitting her bedroom, her unattended mind a chasm of information, only made the time go by even slower. Several times throughout the day, she just wanted to drop everything she was doing just to check on the pegasus, but by some miracle was able to fight off such urges. However, her patience finally paid off; with her schedule finally free, Celestia had time to breathe and, more importantly, to check on her little subject.

She sauntered up to her closed bedroom door. Pushing it open, she stepped inside. Not surprisingly, the room was still aglow with the bright light emitting from the candle’s green flame. Rainbow had been with her ancestor for over four hours now. There must've been an entire treasure trove of information just waiting for her. It took an embarrassing amount of willpower to keep herself from prancing like a filly as she approached the pegasus.

Closing her eyes, she channeled a stream of magic from her horn. It danced in the air like a spider web caught in the wind as it approached the fiery tendril. As soon as it attached itself to the swirling mass of fire, Celestia's mind was wiped clean of any and all thought. All noise around her became nothing but a distant whisper. It was as if she stepped into a deep, dark void of nothing. At first, there was nothing, then Celestia's mind regained certain thoughts, but these weren't her own. They were Rainbow's.

The pegasus' memories flashed through Celestia's mind, some more interesting than others. While there was the usual drivel, such as personal achievements, lifelong dreams, and other trivial things, more interesting things rested in Rainbow's foalhood. From the looks of it, the pegasus had a rather rough one. Having to spend every morning going through grueling training? Parents who would push her to her body's absolute limits? It was something that Celestia could certainly relate to, but that was beside the point. She had no time to pine over somepony else's past. Time was of the essence.

Celestia went deeper into the recesses of Rainbow's mind, going far, far back until she could finally make out Shadow's memories. As Celestia went through them, eager to check on the progress, a frown formed on her face. Only a few days had passed, nowhere near enough to find any useful information. At such a rate, it would take weeks of continuous sessions to find the location of the Apple. If that was the case, then there was little she could do except wait. Then again, keeping this up for weeks on end would no doubt turn Rainbow's mind into mush. Though she was admittedly reluctant, she'd have to give the pegasus a break soon. A few more hours at the most. Yes, that seemed about right.

Celestia detached herself from the candle’s flame, her mind refilling with her own memories again. The thin wisp of magic retreated back into her horn. She stared at that candle with cold eyes. Angry eyes, almost. What was she doing? With every passing minute, her enemies grew one step closer to powers that no one could possibly comprehend. Powers that could decimate Equestria. Time was the only thing she had none of, and just waiting for this accursed item to sift through Shadow's memories wasn't fast enough. She needed to do something else about it. Something a bit more... involving on her part, but what?

With another sigh and one last glance back at the still pegasus, Celestia left her bedroom. As soon as she was back out in the hallway, she could make out the frantic hoofbeats of running pony. Sure enough, a few seconds later, one of her royal guards came galloping towards her. He stopped right in front of her, clearly out of breath, before bowing to the princess.

Celestia just sighed again. Seeing her guards act in such a panicked fashion only meant bad news. "What is it?" she asked, as if she didn't already know.

The guard stood back up, still out of breath. "Your Highness, we've captured a thief. He was caught attempting to steal the Shroud."

Celestia suddenly perked up. She did not expect that kind of news. In fact, that was relatively good news. "Really? And where is this thief?"

"In the dungeon, prepped and primed for interrogation."

A small smile crawled onto the princess' face. Things were finally looking up. "Excellent. I'll speak with him immediately. You are dismissed."

The guard bowed again. "Thank you, Your Highness." Without another word, he trotted away, leaving Celestia to her thoughts. Even though Rainbow Dash produced less than pleasing results, this supposed thief could be just what she needed to put the situation back in her favor. She still had some time left before more of her daily duties came crawling back to bother her, and she wasn't going to waste another second. She had a thief to interrogate.

Shadow shot up in her bed with a sharp cry. She frantically looked around, trying to take in her surroundings. She was in a room. A nice, cozy, candle-lit room. How in Equestria did she wind up here? She tried to remember, but it only made her head pulsate with pain. Whatever knocked her out left her in a mess. Her heart was racing, her head was pounding. She was out of breath, her frantic breathing short and shallow. Her mess of a mane hung past half of her face, matted down to her head with sweat. She just wasn't feeling good.

As Shadow finally calmed, she realized that she was no longer in her robes. What happened to her while she was unconscious? Various scenarios flashed through her mind, some worse, some better, but she quickly pushed all of them out. As far as she could tell, she didn't feel very different, save for a faint pain in her side. She looked down at her body to find bandages wrapped around her midsection. A thin streak of blood soaked through them, but they still held well enough.

She took another look around the room, really taking it in. It was rather clean. The hardwood floor practically shone in the candlelight. Shelves filled with books of varying sizes lined the wall in front of her. There was even a nice cup of water resting on the nightstand beside her. Everything was just so clean. Even her bed, despite the sweat stains, smelled and felt fresh. Either she was among friends, or she was just a highly respected prisoner.

Just as Shadow reached for the water, eager to satisfy her dried throat, the bedroom door opened as a familiar pink pegasus stepped inside, a bucket of water clenched in her teeth and a jar of white cream balanced on an extended wing. Shadow didn't know if she should've felt relieved or annoyed as the smiling pegasus approached her bed.

Butterfly placed the bucket and jar down next to the bed. "Good, you're awake."

"I cannot seem to get away from you, can I?" Shadow asked, adjusting herself to a more upright position.

"Small world, I suppose." Shadow turned away with a huff in response. Butterfly simply giggled at the mare's gesture. "I see your attitude hasn't changed."

"Neither has yours." Shadow took one more glance around the room. "Where am I?"

"Don't worry, you're safe. After I found you in that alley, I brought you to Madame Resona's house. My master, remember?" Shadow nodded. "She left the room before you woke up, but told me to keep an eye on you. Tell me, how do you feel?"

"I… I feel rather sick, to be honest," Shadow begrudgingly responded. Common sense told her to be grateful of this hospitality, but her pride wouldn't allow her. She just couldn't get over the embarrassment of being helped twice by a pony she barely knew. It wasn't even like she was a fellow Assassin; she was just some random civilian who happened to be skilled with making fires and throwing knives. And she always appeared to be in the right place at the right time. It seemed more suspicious than coincidental, but that was an issue she would press later.

Butterfly placed a hoof on Shadow's forehead. "Hmm. Just as I thought. You're burning up. Don't worry. I have a few things that'll fix your right up." She glanced at the untouched cup if water on Shadow's nightstand. "Did you drink any water? Go on, it'll be good for you."

Shadow's eyes drifted back to the water sitting next to her. It wasn't every day when such a simple thing seemed like a mystical elixir, so it was clear that she needed it. She carefully took up the cup in both of her hooves. She didn't want to waste a single drop as she brought it up to her lips. It was a bit more bitter than she expected, but still delicious. Invigorating, in fact. With every sip, she felt her strength return to her.

Butterfly simply smiled as she watched the mare chug down the entire glass within seconds. "How do you feel now?"

Shadow placed the cup back down on the nightstand, gasping for air. Perhaps drinking the entire cup without stopping for a breath wasn't a good idea. Despite that, Shadow couldn't deny that the water definitely helped. "I feel better. That water was truly something."

Butterfly giggled. "Thank you. I mixed in some herbs to help regain your strength."

"So you're an herbalist, then?"

"I have some experience, yes. It's a little hobby of mine." Butterfly took a sopping wet rag out of the bucket beside her. "Could you lie down, please?"

Shadow didn't really feel comfortable about putting herself in such a vulnerable position, but she really wasn't in a position to be reluctant. She slowly laid back down onto the soft bed.

"This should help with the fever," Butterfly assured. After wringing the rag of excess water, she used it to lightly dab Shadow's forehead.

The shock of the ice cold water touching her skin shot throughout Shadow's body, but it still felt very soothing. Almost immediately, that pounding headache of hers went away. With that nuisance gone, she could finally think straight again. "Butterfly?"

"Hmm?"

"This Madame of yours. Why would she allow a stranger to sleep in her home?"

"She can be very nice when she wants to be. I think she got it from me." Butterfly dropped the rag back into the bucket. Using her hoof, she scooped a small amount of the white cream out of the jar. "She didn't tell me why she did it exactly, but it must be for a good reason." She gently rubbed the cream against Shadow's wet forehead, making sure that it became absorbed into her skin.

Just like the wet rag, the cream felt cold on Shadow's skin, but still felt oh-so divine. She just wanted to lie back and let the pegasus work her magic, but she still had questions to ask. "You said that you found me in an alley?" Despite her clearer head, Shadow could barely remember what had happened before she blacked out. It was all just a blur to her.

Butterfly nodded, still focused on her work. "Yes, you were unconscious. Tranquilizer dart. It did quite a number on you. You're lucky that I found you when I did. Who knows what those guards would've done to you if they captured you."

"The guards." Yes, the guards. It was all still a bit blurry, but Shadow remembered something a few said that caught her attention.

"By order of Lord Solaris..."

You and I are going to have a lot of fun before I bring you to Solaris."

"Solaris."

Butterfly barely heard the mare. "Hmm?"

Shadow suddenly sat up in her bed, interrupting Butterfly's treatment. The pegasus tried to push her back down, but she wasn't moving an inch. "Solaris. I need to speak with him now."

Butterfly was a bit taken aback by the sudden request. "Lord Solaris? I don't know how easy that'll be, Shadow. He's very strict when it comes to visitors."

"Wait. Lord Solaris? When did he earn such a title?"

Butterfly looked at Shadow as if she just asked what one plus one was. "He's been Hoofington's Lord for quite some time now. A few years, in fact."

Shadow sighed in frustration. Glancing out the nearby window, she saw the city's castle off in the distance, jetting above the rest of the city, practically taunting her. That would at least explain why it was built in the first place. If Solaris was inside that beast, then things would become much more complicated. "I need to get inside that castle. Where are my things?"

"Madame Resona took them."

"Where is she? Can you take me to her?"

"I suppose I could. She's right downstairs. Can you stand?"

Much to her body's various protests, Shadow forced herself out of bed. Whatever it was that knocked her out was still having some effect. She tried to stand up, but her legs trembled beyond her control, threatening to give in to the slightest bit of pressure. It didn't help at all that it felt like her head felt like it was about to roll off of her shoulders, either. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't keep her balance and staggered across the room.

Butterfly quickly intercepted the falling mare, leaning against her as a support to stop her fall. "Careful, now." She kept Shadow on her hooves until she regained enough balance to walk on her own. "There you go. Much better."

Shadow shook the lingering dizziness out of her head. Though her vision was still rather fuzzy, she could finally stand on her own.

Butterfly still insisted on staying next to Shadow, just in case she fell again. "Feel better?" she asked. Shadow nodded. "Good. Let's get going. The Madame's no doubt waiting for us." Slowly, the pegasus led Shadow out of the bedroom.

As soon as Shadow stepped out of the bedroom, the strong aroma of lavender-scented candles slammed into her. It was a fitting smell, she supposed, since everything else around her practically oozed with extravagance. She was only in a narrow hallway, but that one hallway had more decorations and knick-knacks than she could be bothered to count.

A plush, red carpet embroidered with gold lace spanned across the entire hallway floor. Various paintings of ponies dressed in all things frilly and flamboyant decorated the walls. There were even a few paintings of the king and queen, as well as one of Celestia and Luna, both of whom looked absolutely miserable in their flashy dresses.

Butterfly led Shadow towards a set of stairs leading to the lower floor. Slowly, Shadow placed one hoof in front of the other as she made her way down the stairs. Butterfly stayed next to her as support, just in case. Their progress down the stairs was excruciatingly slow, but Shadow didn't feel like she was about to fall yet.

As the two made their way further down the stairs, the living room slowly came into view. Shadow didn't have many words to describe the place beyond 'extravagant', but that hardly mattered. What did matter was the fact that she felt very, very poor when she gazed upon the room.

Much like with the hallway upstairs, the entire floor was covered with red carpeting. A shimmering, golden chandelier hung above, casting the room in a bright light. Books in pristine condition filled the shelves that lined the walls. There were even a few random knick-knacks topping the various desks around the room, ranging from simple bags of bits, to small figurines, to... diamond-encrusted goblets? Where in Equestria could a pony get something like that unless it was crafted by hoof? Actually, taking a second look around the room, there were several expensive items decorating desks, such as necklaces, trophies, and other such things. The expenses put into buying so many items seemed outlandish, even by royalty standards.

In the middle of it all, lying comfortably in a pile of plush pillows, was a brown-coated, black-maned unicorn. She was dressed in a tight-fitting white shirt with a looser, black one over it. Black, leather boots covered all four of her hooves, and to top it off, Shadow could see the sheath that held her dagger strapped to her waist. The unicorn was deeply engaged with the book in front of her. She didn't even glance up as Shadow and Butterfly reached the bottom the stairs.

Butterfly left Shadow at the stairs as she approached the reading unicorn. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out, as if she was afraid of interrupting the unicorn’s story.

“Just a moment, Butterfly,” the unicorn requested, not even glancing back, “Allow me to finish this chapter first.”

The pink pegasus flinched at the sudden announcement before whispering, “Okay.” She promptly backed away as the unicorn continued to read.

Shadow, meanwhile, was rather impressed by the unicorn’s perception. At first glance, she seemed like nothing more than a pampered fashionista, what, with her shiny, curly mane, and clean fur. Shadow glanced down at her own body. Her fur was lightly ruffled and splotched with dirt. As for her matted mess of a mane, she didn’t even want to compare. She wasn’t jealous. She was just a little... she wasn’t jealous.

The unicorn finally shut her book and put it to the side. She stood and faced the pink pegasus. “Now, what is it, my young protégé?”

Butterfly was too busy awkwardly shuffling her hooves across the ground to catch the question at first. “Huh? Oh, right. Um, she's awake, Madame.”

The unicorn glanced over to Shadow, who still stood patiently by the stairs. A small smile crept onto the unicorn's face as she stood and approached her. “Well, it’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Ms. Streak.” She stuck out a hoof. “I am Madame Resona.”

Shadow shook Resona’s hoof. “You know of me?”

“Oh, but of course. Butterfly has told me quite a lot about you. Isn't that right, darling?" The pegasus nervously hid behind her yellow mane. Resona leaned towards Shadow, not like she made any effort to lower her voice. "Between you and me, I think she may like you."

Butterfly shot up, her wings flaring out and her pink cheeks burning red. "M-Madame!"

Resona simply chuckled at Butterfly's bashful nature. "Oh, come now. You know that I love to play with you, Butterfly." She put her attention back on Shadow. “Goodness, where are my manners? Please, sit down. Have some tea. Read a book. We saved your life, the least you could do is relax a little.”

It didn’t take much to convince Shadow. Her legs still felt weak, and those pillows just made them feel even weaker. She followed Resona over to the pillows, collapsing onto the cushy pile as soon as she reached it. Resona lied down next to her before picking up a porcelain teapot with her magic. She poured some more tea into two cups and handed one to Shadow.

"Thank you," she said with a grateful nod. While Resona took short, lady-like sips, Shadow downed the entire cup in a few gulps. The water was delicious, but this tea was nearly divine. Her body practically melted as she drank the warm liquid. There was something else to it as well, something about the taste. It was bitter, but not off-putting.

Resona chuckled as Shadow's eyes lit up. "I'm glad that you like it. I made it myself. Hoofington's tea can be so bland at times, so I added my own twist to it. Ginseng. A lovely little plant if I do say so myself. You know, it was imported all the way from Haysia."

"Haysia? Strange. I have not heard of such a place."

"It is a rather small place, but is an absolute utopia of various herbs and plants. You should visit it sometime."

"Hmph. Perhaps I will." That tea certainly put Shadow in a more relaxed mood than usual. She needed to learn the recipe to make more herself. What did Resona put in it again? Ginger? She'd have to keep that in mind whenever she came across an herbal shop. Perhaps she'd even go all the way to Haysia herself if time ever permitted it.

Resona took another sip of her tea. "So, what brings you to Hoofington, Ms. Streak?"

"Please, call me Shadow. As for my being here, I need to speak with Solaris."

Resona's eyes slowly rose until they met Shadow's. The black mare couldn't put her hoof on it, but something in the room changed. The initial homey mood of the room changed to something more serious. "Solaris? That is certainly something. What do you wish to speak to him about?"

"I would rather keep that to myself."

"Of course, of course. But best of luck earning an audience with him. He only spends his time with the very best that Equestria has to offer. The wealthy, the famous, that sort of thing."

Shadow took another glance around the room, noting every expensive thing she found. "Surely, somepony like you could help me get inside."

"Really? And how would I do that?"

"Somepony in possession of such expensive merchandise must have more than enough money to buy her way into the castle"

Resona took an uninterested glance around the room. "Oh, all of this? Believe me, I didn't spend a single bit on any of these."

"What? But that's... How could you possibly--?" Shadow cut herself off when she noticed the sly smirk on the unicorn's face.

"I suppose a more specific introduction is in order." Resona set aside her tea and stood back up. She bowed her head to the mare before her. "I am Madame Resona, master plunderer and current leader of the Thieves' Guild."

Well, that would explain the vast amounts of wealth that Resona possessed. But it wasn't the fact that she was a thief that caught Shadow's attention. No, it was something else that the unicorn mentioned.

"The Thieves' Guild?" Shadow remembered hearing of it before. When she was a filly, Grey Mane told her stories of the countless times when Assassins and thieves worked together to meet a goal. It was a rather simple relationship. The thieves obtained information for the Assassins, and the Assassins would repay the thieves with blood and, of course, bits. Even to this day, the Assassins still had connections with the thieves, using them as a resource to teach new recruits the ways of stealth. This practice was made official years after Shadow became an Assassin, and by then she had received all the training she needed from Grey Mane, so she never got the chance to experience such a thing.

Resona looked over towards a desk in the corner. Using her magic, she opened the drawer and took out a large, rolled up sheet of parchment. Floating it over to herself, she unfurled it, revealing it to be a map of some sort. The unicorn placed it between herself and Shadow. It was a map of Hoofington, with every single building drawn and labeled in painstaking detail. All throughout the map were red markings on every building in the city, save for the castle.

"What is this?" Shadow asked, peering intently at the map.

"A display of the power we possess in this city. You may not have heard much of the Thieves' Guild, but I assure you, we are everywhere. Our eyes and ears survey every single inch of ground in this city, or rather, we would if it weren't for one, annoying thing."

"The castle is untouched by your men."

Resona nodded. "We are completely blind there. Solaris could be plotting any range of schemes behind those walls and we'd be none the wiser. That is something that needs to change. Unfortunately, his security is very tight, and I've lost several thieves to his guards. We need someone else, someone with combat expertise, to infiltrate it." She gave Shadow a small smile. "And I may know who that someone is. Do you, Assassin?"

Shadow just sighed. She already knew where this was going, and did not feel like trying to dance around it. "What do you want from me?"

"Oh, no. It's not what I want from you, at least not yet. Rather, it's what I want to give you."

"Really? And what could you possibly teach me that I don't already know?"

Resona rolled up the map and placed it back in the drawer. "Don't be so quick to look a gift horse in the mouth, darling. You never know what you may earn from this." She stood up, Shadow following suit. "Now, if you'll follow me."

"Wait. Where are we going?"

"Outside, of course. I've been cooped up with that book for so long that my poor legs are taut from neglect. I simply must to stretch them."

"But I can't go outside like this," she said, motioning towards her stripped, weaponless body. "Where did all of my equipment go?"

"Oh, don't get your mane frazzled over such a trivial issue. No offense, but your equipment was in a state of absolute disarray, so I had them sent away for repairs, improvements, modifications, and such."

Shadow took a single, threatening step towards the unicorn. "Where are they?"

Resona didn't even flinch at the foreboding approach. "In the tender care of a blacksmith in the middle of town. If you can go more than five feet without bursting a blood vessel, then I can take you there."

Shadow backed off, though her irritation was still clear. The things that she wanted to say were building up inside of her. She was like a dam ready to burst, but by some miracle, managed to stay silent.

Resona smiled again. "I'll take your silence as a 'yes'. Just follow me." She approached the front door, but Shadow still remained behind. The unicorn sighed in impatience as she came to a stop. "What's wrong, Shadow? You don't trust me?"

Shadow gave Resona a flat stare. "Why would I trust a thief?"

"For the same reason that I trust an Assassin. Do you honestly think that such a title places you on a higher moral standing?"

An answer was right on the tip of Shadow's tongue, but the mare thought better against letting it out. She didn't even know why she was being so suspicious in the first place. After waking up in such an unknown location, her instincts told her to stay on edge, but once she calmed down, she became more sensible. As far as she could tell, Resona was showing no signs of lying. She didn't seem shifty, she wasn't sweaty, and her heart rate didn't seem to increase. That either meant that she was telling the truth, or she was a very, very good deceiver. Given Resona's status as a thief, the latter didn't seem very unlikely, but if Shadow wanted her gear back, then she had no choice but to play along.

Eventually, she just sighed in submission. "Fine. Let's go."

"Excellent!" Resona immediately set off towards the door again, Shadow reluctantly following behind. "Butterfly, you've been a delight today. Why don't you take a break? Read a book. In fact," She used her magic to give the pegasus the book that she was reading, "finish that one for me. Don't spoil anything, though. I'm just dying to find out what happens to Rodeo and Mareiet."

Shadow just rolled her eyes as the two approached the door. She just couldn't shake the fact that this was going to be a very, very long day.

A few hours must've passed during Shadow's little nap. The sun that used to be creeping over the horizon was now high above the sky as crowds of ponies walked through the streets of Hoofington.

Shadow grew rather apprehensive as approached the thick crowds. Would somepony recognize her face? Was she going to have to prepare to run again? Strangely enough, once she reached the crowd, her face clear and in the open, not a single pony so much as batted an eye at her. They simply walked on past, going about their daily affairs. As grateful as Shadow was, she couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious of the sudden change in behavior.

"Strange," Shadow muttered.

"What is, dear?"

"Just this morning, nearly everypony recognized me as a threat. But now, none of them seem to even acknowledge me. It makes no sense."

"Actually, it makes complete sense." When Resona saw the black mare give her a confused stare, she decided to elaborate. "The citizens of Hoofington may be innovative, but they aren't very bright. Some of my boys tore down those ghastly wanted posters throughout the city, and just like a bad cold, nearly everypony forgot all about you. The guards may still recognize you, though, but that's just part of the fun."

"But that still doesn't explain how Solaris knew that I was coming. How did he know what I look like? How did he even know that I would be here?"

"Perhaps another city warned him of you."

Shadow shook her head. "That can't be it. These cities couldn't care less about what happens outside of their walls. It must be something else."

"Well, a pony like Solaris most likely has stranger ways of obtaining information. That could be something you ask him when you stop by for a 'talk'." Resona chuckled to herself, eliciting another roll of the eyes from Shadow. "Don't let these happy faces fool you, though," Resona continued, "Hoofington is a city filled with tyranny and deceit."

"Tyranny and deceit brought upon by Solaris," Shadow assumed.

The unicorn let out a small sigh. "Yes, ever since he came to rule over Hoofington, things have not been quite the same. He may have given the city a fresh coat of paint, but it's merely a facade to hide his true intentions."

"Which are?"

"He intends to corrupt this city. He wishes to break the minds of its citizens until they bow down without question."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Just take a closer look around, Shadow, and you'll see--"

"Hey, you!"

Shadow was nearly about to run when she realized that the guard wasn't calling out to her. No, he and two other guards were approaching a lonely merchant stand. The weak, old unicorn standing behind it reared back in fear as they grew closer.

Resona pointed at the scene. "You'll see things such as this." She and Shadow stopped to observe.

The guards surrounded the stand, swords hovering in their magical grip. "Time to pay, friend. Where is the money?"

"I told you, I need more time. My business is small; I simply can't make enough in the time you give."

"Where does all of your money go, hmm? You have no wife, no foals. What do you spend it all on? Food? Hah!" The guard poked the unicorn's chubby stomach with his sword. "I think you've had enough of that." The surrounding guards joined him in mocking laughter.

Shadow stood by, glaring at the scene with increasing intensity. She felt the rage slowly building up inside, threatening to burst out at any moment. She wasn't about to stand idly by and let this happen right in front of her.

She started towards the guards, only to have Resona place a foreleg in her path. The unicorn met Shadow's glare with a stern look of her own. "No, don't."

Shadow shot daggers at the unicorn before looking back at the scene before her.

"Well, then," one of the guards began, "if you can't pay now, then what are we supposed to do about it?"

"Just give me more time. That's all I ask."

"We gave you more time, old fool! Lord Solaris was merciful enough to give you time last week and the week before that. But no more games, he demands his payment now."

"Then perhaps your Lord asks too much!" the old unicorn snapped.

The three guards were struck silent by the outburst. Not long after, one took a menacing step towards the unicorn. "Our Lord has rebuilt this city--"

The unicorn immediately realized his mistake and cowered back. "I-I'm sorry."

"--brought confidence back to its citizens--"

"I meant no--"

"--and all he asks in return is a measly bag of bits to make up for all of that, and you dare say that he demands too much?"

"Please. I only meant--" The merchant was cut off when the guard spat in his face.

"If it weren't for him, you would be dead in a gutter somewhere! Would you have him undo everything that he's done to save this slum of a city?"

"N-no, I--"

The guard didn't allow him to finish. He raised his sword in the air and brought it down on the unicorn's stand, smashing it in two. As the merchant stared aghast at his destroyed stand, the other guards shoved him to the ground. He tried to get up, but the guards met his attempts with stomps and kicks.

As this scene played out, Shadow only felt her anger become more and more potent. It was burning in her eyes, it was bubbling inside of her very soul. Her breathing came out as feral growls. Every fiber of her being was telling her to lash out, and she wanted to listen to them. She wanted to tear those guards apart. She wanted to do far worse than that.

"Shadow, stay focused!" Resona ordered.

Her words fell on deaf ears. Shadow could hear nothing but the unicorn's pained cries as the guards continued to beat him. She didn't care that she had nothing but her bare hooves. She didn't care that she'd more than likely attract more guards. She just didn't care about anything. She couldn't just stand by and let this happen, no matter the circumstances. Her mind was made up.

"Shadow, don't you dare," Resona growled.

Shadow didn't listen for a second. She bolted towards the guards, all sense and thought thrown out of the window. Anger was the only thing fueling her movement, and it made her blood-thirsty.

The guards never saw her coming. Shadow tackled one of them, pinning him to the ground. The others stopped their assault and watched in shock as the raging mare attacked their partner. Shadow raised a hoof and brought it down hard on the guard's face. That alone was enough to break and bloody his nose, but she wasn't done. She raised her hoof and brought it down again. She did it again, and again, and again until the guard's body ceased to move. She was sure that she felt his face cave in at some point. Good.

Shadow looked at the guards behind her, anger still burning in her eyes. One of them finally regained enough sense to attack. Shadow got back up just in time to avoid a stab aimed right at her abdomen. She countered with a quick, hard slap, but not to his face. No, she hit him right in his horn. The sudden pain in his skull disrupted his focus, making him drop his sword. Shadow was quick to take it up in her teeth as the guard staggered back, still trying to get over the immense pain. She never gave him the chance to recover, and with a quick slash across his throat, ended his life as well.

As the second guard fell to the ground, his throat a crimson fountain, Shadow set her sights on the last one, the one who started the attack in the first place. By this point, fear was plastered on his face as he stood there, trembling in his armor. Shadow took a single step towards him. He took a single step back. She stepped forward again. He stepped back again. Every advance she made was matched by a retreat from the guard. She should've expected this sort of cowardice from a guard such as this. So willing to prey on the weak, and so quick to run from anyone posing a threat. Pathetic.

Shadow crouched down, preparing to pounce on him like an angry manticore. The guard simply stood stiff, far too scared to make any real attempt to escape. Easier for the Assassin. But just as she was about to attack, a dagger flew right past her and towards the guard. It embedded itself deep in his forehead with a sickening crack. The guard, stunned at first, slowly staggered forward, a thin red line trickling down his face as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Just as he reached Shadow, he finally collapsed at her hooves in a limp heap.

The dagger in his head was encased in a bright blue aura. Shadow didn't even need to look back to know who it was, so she didn't. She dropped the sword and walked over to the merchant as Resona yanked her dagger out of the guard's forehead.

The old unicorn was cowering behind his destroyed stand, his forelegs covering his head as he kept it in the dirt. "I-is it over?" he asked, his voice cracking.

With the guards dealt with, Shadow finally calmed down enough to find a sincere tone. "Yes, it's over. Nopony will hurt you now."

The merchant, still shivering, peeked out from between his legs. Sure enough, he only saw the black mare standing before him. Feeling safer, he slowly got back up on his hooves. "Oh, thank you. Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me. If you didn't stop them, those guards would've... th-they would've..." The fearful tears in his eyes came back, but he wiped them away.

"I know. I was just glad to help." She looked down at the destroyed stand. "Do you need any help with that?"

"Huh? Oh, this? No, I'll have my sons help me with it. They've very strong stallions, just like their father."

Shadow couldn't help but chuckle as the old unicorn puffed his chest out, despite the fact that his stomach was the more prominent feature about him. Still, it was a pleasant sight, and only made the rescue feel even more worth it. "Yes, well, you should get home before more guards arrive."

"Straight away, miss. Straight away." He lived up to that promise by trotting away from the messy scene as fast as his legs would carry him. With him gone, Shadow turned her attention towards Resona. Whatever elation she felt before was quickly washed away when she saw the unicorn's stern glare.

"What were you thinking?" Resona demanded, stomping up to Shadow.

"What was I supposed to do? Stand idly by while that merchant got beaten?" Resona nodded, much to Shadow's disgust. "But we can't just--"

"Yes, we can. You just don't want to." Shadow was about to say something else, but Resona cut her off. "Allow me to finish, please." The black mare kept her mouth shut, and Resona continued. "You cannot allow your emotions to get the better of you, especially not over a trivial matter such as this. You need to come to terms with the fact that you cannot save everyone. It's a hard fact to face, I know, but the sooner you accept it, the easier your life will be."

"You just don't understand, do you?" Shadow snapped. The sudden outburst struck Resona silent. "I've already accepted that fact, but just because it's true doesn't mean that I can't try my best. That's why I became an Assassin in the first place; to help everyone in Equestria escape this kind of abuse. That may be a goal that I'll never reach in my lifetime, but I will not allow such things to happen in front of me, not if I can help it."

Resona sighed in exasperation as she shook her head. "You see, it is that type of talk that brings people like you to an early grave. You think that the title of Assassin makes you this all-mighty super-mare, when in reality, you are just as vulnerable as everyone else."

"I know I am, but—"

"Then act like it, Shadow! What good will you be to Equestria if you die? Have you ever stopped to think about that?" Resona took the silence that followed as a 'no'. "Please. Listen to me. This is not a little filly's fantasy. This is life, and whether or not you like it, life is ugly. Life is unfair. Life will throw you to the ground and kick you while you're down, and I promise you, there will come times when that becomes blindingly obvious."

Shadow was struck silent by the unicorn's tirade. Her eyes simply fell to the ground. As much as she hated to admit it, Resona was right. She let herself become so wrapped up in her emotions that she simply stopped thinking rationally. It was a miracle that she wasn't dead already, but she was becoming more and more reckless with each passing day. She needed to stop, but she simply couldn't help it. She hated feeling useless, she hated feeling helpless, but most of all, she hated feeling insignificant, like she couldn't change anything in the world around her. She became an Assassin with the hopes that she would be able to make a difference in this oppressive world of hers, but more often than not, she found herself wondering whether or not she'd actually succeed in doing that.

"Shadow? Are you feeling well, dear?"

Shadow snapped out of her guilt-ridden stupor as Resona called out to her. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine. I'm..." Shadow let out a long, tired sigh. "I'm sorry. It's just... I was unable to protect two ponies very close to me. I just want to make sure that nothing like that ever happens again."

"Say no more. I understand."

"Do you now?"

"Do you honestly believe that thieves have clean pasts? We've all been face-first in the dirt before, just like you. Even Butterfly, innocent and fragile as she may seem, has a past riddled with misery and abuse. Our pasts are what made us stronger. The same applies to you, does it not?" Shadow remained still at first, but soon nodded. "I understand that it's something you don't wish to discuss." Resona placed a reassuring hoof on Shadow's shoulder. "Just know that you're among friends."

A pained smile appeared on Shadow's face. Friend. Why did that term seem so alien to her? How many friends did she actually have? It was a question that Shadow never really dwelled on. Not mere workers, colleagues, or others that she simply knew, but someone who she could enjoy talking to and actually be happy around.

None of her Assassin colleagues could really count; she simply worked with them, so calling them 'friends' would be a stretch. The same could apply to the Solar family. She wasn't very friendly with them, she was merely protecting them. Celestia and Luna would've been potential candidates if Shadow were ten years younger, but at her age, she was more like a foalsitter than anything else. Grey Mane, as much as she respected him, wasn't very fun to talk to or even be around. Goat, despite his light-hearted attitude and admittedly effective skill as an Assassin, was just annoying. Even though Shadow saw him in a higher light than her other partners, she just wanted to gouge her ears out every time he opened that fat mouth of his.

So, no. Shadow didn't have any real friends to speak of. What did she just say? That she wanted to avoid losing anyone close to her? Well, how was she supposed to do that when she had no one close to speak of? Goat was right. She was a very, very recluse pony.

Shadow and Resona continued through the city streets as the unicorn continued to comment on the city's current state. As much as Shadow hated to admit it, she was finding it more and more difficult for her to go through with her mission to protect Solaris. Between the cruel treatment of the citizens to his disgustingly effective levels of deception, he did not sound like somepony worth saving. In fact, he sounded more like a target than anything else. However, these were all words coming from Resona's mouth. Shadow would reserve her final judgement until she met Solaris for herself.

"I don't understand, though. How did Solaris come to rule over Hoofington to begin with?"

"See these renovations?" Resona asked, motioning towards all of the flashy and elaborate buildings. "These are all because of him, and the citizens immediately loved him for it."

Shadow scoffed. "Just like that?"

"Just like that," Resona huffed. "Perform one generous deed and the masses line up to kiss the dirt you walk on. If you ask me, I believe that Hoofington was better off as the slum that it was before."

"Isn't that rather excessive? Hoofington was a dangerous place back then, full of bandits and disease."

"As was every other city in Equestria, but at least we had the freedom to do as we pleased. Now, we have this oppressive, omnipotent force watching over us like a foal watching ants march along a hill."

"But you must admit, the city is far safer than it has ever been before."

"Yes, but at what cost? These citizens have been weakened under Solaris' rule. They no longer have the fighting spirit that made us strong. Those violent bandits aren't gone, they've simply been placed inside shining armor, now free to do whatever they wish. These ponies still fear for their lives, they are ready to explode, but they just don't have the backbone to do anything about it. We do."

"Yes, but—" She was cut off when Resona stopped her in her tracks. "What? What is it?"

"We are getting closer to our destination." Resona pointed ahead of the two.

Shadow looked ahead to find a less than pleasing sight. Just ahead of them, a long line of guards blocked off the road. They couldn't go any further, not without any trouble. They needed a plan for this.

She leaned in towards Resona, hushing her tone. "What do you think? Should we find another way around?"

Resona's face didn't show an inkling of worry. In fact, she was smirking. "Don't be ridiculous, dear. We're going straight through."

"What?" Shadow may have been known to make dumb decisions, but even she thought that was an outlandish plan. She was still stripped of every bit of equipment, including her hidden blade, and Resona was armed with nothing more than a flimsy dagger. "How in Equestria do you plan to fight your way through that?"

"Honestly, darling, I thought that an Assassin of your caliber would know that fighting isn't the only solution to everything. For example, we could always request assistance."

"Assistance? From who?"

"I have friends who have a tendency to appear at the right place and time." Resona tilted her head off to the side, as if directing Shadow over there. When she looked, she saw a small band of thieves cooped up near an alley. They certainly carried all of the signs of thieves. As opposed to Resona's relatively clean outfit, these ponies were dressed in torn, faded shirts complete with a matching hats. Some even had bandages wrapped around their hooves, no doubt to hide whatever cuts they suffered over the years.

The thieves immediately stood at attention when Resona looked at them. With a simple nod of her head, they sprung into action and galloped towards the guards. Rather than outright attack them, they instead bumped into the guards in an attempt to provoke them. But that wasn't all that they did.

As the thieves ran away, Shadow saw a bag of bits hanging from their teeth. They didn't always have those bags, did they? But Shadow didn't even see them take it. They were that fast? Unbelievable. And they were just the scrubs; what was Resona, their leader, capable of?

The guards immediately gave chase, abandoning their posts and leaving the road wide open. Resona chuckled at the sight. "As I've said. Innovative, but not very smart."

Shadow just stood there, her jaw threatening to drop to the floor. In all of her years, she had never seen such skilled movements from anyone other than an Assassin. Just what sort of training did they go through to grant them such skill?

"Are you coming, darling? Our blacksmith friend isn't much further away."

Shadow looked ahead again. Resona already started walking down the street again, and showed no signs of stopping. She trotted ahead to catch up. Hopefully she was growing closer to this blacksmith Resona kept going on about. Only time would tell, she supposed.

It was obvious that they were on restricted grounds. The streets beyond the guard post were completely barren, meaning that Shadow and Resona were the only two ponies on the open street. Despite the fact that a guard could easily spot them from Manehattan, Resona insisted on staying out in the open for some inane reason.

"Are you sure of this, Resona?" Shadow asked, keeping her voice low and hushed. "We would have a better chance of remaining undetected if we went through an alley."

The unicorn stared at Shadow, gasping in utter disgust "An alley? Are you daft? Do you have any idea how filthy Hoofington's alleys are?"

A thief worried about staying clean? What an interesting combination. "You don't think that any guards will see us?"

"The blacksmith is right up this road. I assure you, there will be no guards between us and there."

Shadow stopped in her tracks, placing a foreleg in Resona's path. "Then who is that?" Shadow asked, glancing up and to the right.

When Resona saw what Shadow saw, she planted a hoof firmly on her face. "A guard."

Yes, standing atop a building was a guard armed with a rifle. He vigilantly scanned across the area in front of him. Unfortunately, the only two intruders in the area were behind him.

Shadow and Resona hugged a nearby wall, effectively staying out of the guard's sight. Resona let out an overdramatic sigh. "I was hoping that I'd be able to avoid getting dirty today."

Shadow just rolled her eyes. The last thing that she needed was somepony's theatrics. "Do you have any throwing knives? I can take him down from here."

"That won't be necessary. I can handle this."

"What? But he's on a roof. How will you--?"

Resona cut her off with a swift wave of her hoof. "As I said, darling, I can handle this. Just give me a moment." Before Shadow could ask any more questions, Resona ducked into a nearby alley. Shadow could hear the unicorn exclaim in disgust as she grew further away. Then she heard a different sound, one that was very similar to metal clinking and scraping against stone. It wouldn't have bothered Shadow so much if it weren't for the fact that she heard the same sounds again and again and again. Curiosity eventually getting the best of her, Shadow peeked into the alley just to see what Resona was doing. What she saw was something that she just did not expect.

Nothing. The alley was completely empty. But it didn't make any sense. She didn't hear Resona gallop away, and even if she did, she would've still seen her down the alley. She didn't hear the sound of a spell being cast, so the possibilities of cloaking or teleportation were out. What did that unicorn do?

Shadow's question was answered when she heard a short, pained grunt come from the roof above her. A few seconds later, the guard that was keeping watch tumbled off of the building and plummeted to the ground behind Shadow. The mare observed the unmoving guard before her. It was clear that he was dead, and it was clear how he died. His throat was ripped open. Not sliced open, but ripped open as if somepony dug a hook deep into his jugular before yanking it out. It couldn't have been a painless way to die.

Looking up, Shadow saw another peculiar sight. Resona was standing atop the roof, looking right back at her, a tiny smirk on her face.

"I said that I could handle it, did I not?" she said. She dropped down, landing right next to Shadow. She brushed away any dirt on her shoulders and fixed her slightly frazzled mane. "Now that he's out of the way, we should continue," she suggested, completely ignoring Shadow's dumbfounded stare.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

"Hmm? Do what?"

"How did you get on top of the building? You have no wings, and I heard or saw no signs of a spell. What did you do?"

Once Resona realized what Shadow was asking, she chuckled. "Oh, I understand. See, I may be a unicorn, but when it comes to spells such as teleportation, I'm, how do you say, lacking. As a result, locomotion has been rather difficult for me, but I didn't let that stop me. Since I didn't have pegasus wings or any advanced spells as my disposal, I needed to rely on simple innovation." With a quick flick of her hoof, a blade shot out of the bottom of Resona's boot.

Shadow couldn't believe; she possessed a...No, it wasn't a hidden blade, at least not like the one Shadow possessed. This one, instead of being a simple, straight blade, ended in a hook.

"What is it?" Shadow asked, completely captivated by the strange blade before her.

The blade retracted back into Resona's boot. She raised the same hoof and used her magic to take off her boot, revealing a shining, silver bracer. This one was also different, lacking the Assassin insignia and having a rounder design than the original's sleek curves. "I like to call it the hookblade." she said, "A useful little tool that allows ponies such as myself to overcome various obstacles, buildings notwithstanding. It may not be as simple as flying or as flashy as teleportation, but it does the deed all the same."

"Where did you get that bracer?" Shadow asked, not taking her eyes off of it.

"Oh, this? I made it myself. After seeing that curious hidden blade that you Assassins use, I decided to have my own crafted, only with locomotion in mind rather than combat, though it is effective in both."

"Interesting." So many uses for such a tool flashed through Shadow's mind. How useful would it be to be able to scale a building within seconds while other guards could not? It offered more angles for stake-outs, planning, and assassinations. Shadow didn't exactly know how she was going to get such an item, but she still had one, clear thought in her head, "I want one."

Resona chuckled. "I imagined that you would. Come, we can make the arrangements once we reach the blacksmith."

With the way to the blacksmith finally clear, the two mares continued down the street. After all the trouble that the two went through, this trip had better have been worth it.

Resona sat against a wall in the blacksmith's shop, impatiently tapping a hoof on the floor. The shop itself was nothing out of the ordinary; various swords, daggers, maces, and shields decorated the wooden walls ahead of her. Larger weapons and pieces of armor hung in prominent display cases throughout the shop. The familiar smell of coal and forged steel filled the air. The disgruntled, grey unicorn standing behind the counter constantly mumbled to himself as he wiped the blade of a sword.

Shadow was in the back of the store, changing into her new gear. The mare had been gone for nearly fifteen minutes now, and without a book to keep herself busy, Resona found waiting to be a very slow, tedious process.

"Honestly, dear," Resona called out, "I know that you enjoy taking your time, but can you please hurry?" No response. With a less than ladylike grumble, she continued to wait. And wait. And wait.

The shop's back door opened. Resona practically leapt up to her feet as she saw the black mare walk out, donning new, clean, white robes. The unicorn brought a hoof up to her forehead, nearly fainting at the sight. "Oh, my. Shadow, you look amazing."

Shadow felt amazing. Her new robes were more elaborate than her previous ones, having an open, elongated collar and a pointed hood that draped on her shoulders even when covering her head. The robes split open near the end as they draped over her backside, leaving room for her tail to poke through. They were also shorter, not covering nearly as much of her legs as her old robes did, allowing for freer movement. Her signifying red sash was still wrapped around her waist, but along with it was a leather belt that held bags of smoke bombs, medicinal herbs, and bits, as well as the scabbards that contained her throwing knives.

She was more armored as well. Metal plating bearing the Assassin insignia protected her chest while metal a pauldron protected her left shoulder. As an added touch, a white and red cape attached to the pauldron draped across most of the left side of her body, stopping short of her flank.

Shadow couldn't help but smile as she looked down at herself. She was back, and felt better than ever. "I must say, Resona, I was rather wary of these robes of yours. But after putting them on, they fit me perfectly." She bowed to the unicorn. "Thank you for this."

Resona stood up and bowed as well. "The pleasure was mine. Oh, that reminds me. How do you like your new toys?"

Shadow glanced down at her front hooves. Both of them were covered by a silver vambrace, the right one slightly larger and bearing the Assassin insignia as well. She raised her right leg before extending the concealed blade. The shiny blade ended in a sharp hook, as did the other one. "They work just as planned. I'm sure that they'll do wonders in the near future."

"I'm glad that you like them. And don't you worry your pretty, little head about your old one. Rest assured that I'll keep it safe."

Shadow retracted her blade. "I can only hope that you're right. Now, about Solaris."

"Yes, yes, of course. We can arrange plans on the way there. Just try to avoid getting into any more trouble along the way."

Shadow smirked. "I can promise nothing."

Resona rolled her eyes before leading the mare towards the shop's exit. "You know, if you like these clothes, then perhaps you could try on some of my others? They're not like your robes, of course, but perhaps you'd still find them to your liking."

"I would prefer if we kept a professional relationship for now, Resona."

"Of course, of course. It is just a suggestion, one that I will be willing to follow through with should you ever change your mind."

"I will consider it." Shadow simply could not wait. With these new tools in her possession, she could finally infiltrate that castle. She was so close to Solaris that she could practically smell him. Still, there was one question lingering in her mind. Was saving him a good idea? Considering the warm welcome that she received earlier in the day, persuading him to come with her could very easily prove to be harder than she thought. Well, there was only one way to find out, and Shadow was more than eager to find out.

Was Celestia a good ruler? She liked to think so. Ever since she came to rule over Equestria, she did everything within her power to ensure that its inhabitants, her loyal subjects, would never come in harm's way. She wanted to rid Equestria of the suffering that had plagued it for so long, through peaceful means if at all possible. Unfortunately, with a position as powerful as this, such goals weren't as simple as she wanted to believe. There came times when simple words weren't enough, and drastic action needed to be taken.

Every so often, there came along those whose only purpose was to cause as much havoc and misery as possible. These were the ones, the cancerous growths on an otherwise great land, that Celestia needed to get rid of. She captured these criminals, tried to persuade them to change their wicked ways, but they never changed. That only left one option: execution. It wasn't an easy task at first; execution rarely was, but over time, much to Celestia's disgust, giving the order became easier and easier. Soon, she was simply no longer affected by it, at least not externally. But internally, it was slowly eating away at her. Every time she had a life ended, she felt a part of her own die off, like a shell peeling away to reveal the black, emotionless void underneath.

Her subjects never saw this side of her. No, all they saw was an all-powerful, benevolent being who wouldn't harm a fly. She supposed that was for the best, though she could never shake the feeling of deceit that came with it. Once again, was Celestia a good ruler? As she descended the cold, stone stairs leading into the castle's dungeon, she liked to think so.

The dungeon was like the physical form of Celestia's 'darker side'. As opposed to the rest of the castle, which was bright, clean, and glistening with the elegance of pure royalty, the dungeon was a place of agony. It was dark, dank, and reeked of blood. No matter how many times Celestia came down here, her nose always stung from the stench.

As she came closer to the bottom of the stairs, she heard the rattling of chains, as if someone was trying to break free from their binds. She couldn't help but feel pity for the poor soul, whoever it may have been.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she saw the thief. At the opposite end of a corridor lined with numerous, empty, chain-ridden cells, was a dark green unicorn. Splotches of dirt soiled his coat and matted down his mane. All four of his legs were bound to the wall behind him by chains, leaving him hanging in an embarrassing, splayed position.

He continued to struggle against his chains as Celestia approached him. The princess calmly sat in front of him, meeting her prisoner's angry glare with her own, patronizing smile. "Hello, there. How are you?" The unicorn let out an angry snort. "I apologize if my guards were rather rough with you, but you know how this sort of thing goes, right?" He remained silent. Celestia stood back up and paced back and forth in front of her prisoner. "I suppose that I can't blame them. You did, after all, attempt to steal one of the most powerful items in Equestrian history. After already stealing one other, I might add." She stopped right in front of the unicorn. "So, tell me. Where is the Staff? Who are you working for? What made you want to take it?"

No answer.

Celestia sighed in impatience. She came closer to the unicorn until her muzzle was inches away from his. "Are you going to cooperate or am I going to have to resort to more drastic measures?"

The unicorn answered by spitting in Celestia's face. The princess flinched in disgust as the glob of saliva landed right on her cheek. Any other pony would've flipped into a rage after such a disgusting act, but Celestia wasn't any other pony. Though violent thoughts did flash through her mind for a split-second, she managed to calm herself down with a long, deep sigh. Even then, the anger was still clear in that piercing glare of hers. She may have prided herself on being forgiving, but that didn't mean certain actions would go unpunished.

After flinging the spit off of her face with a magical flick, she slapped the defiant unicorn across his face. It wasn't very hard, just enough to leave a nice, red welt on his cheek. "You should learn respect," she hissed. "Just who do you think you are, you foolish colt?" The unicorn prepared to spit again, but Celestia interrupted him with another slap across the face. Even with a bloodied nose and two large welts on his face, the unicorn still gave Celestia an angry glare that only made her want to hit him again.

She stood back up, staring down at the unicorn with cold eyes. "You aren't even aware of the magnitude of your actions, are you?" she asked, her voice eerily calm. "You foolishly attempt to undo everything I've achieved in the past one-thousand years, and when I ask you to explain yourself, you spit in my face. Well, if you aren't going to give me information willingly" she began, backing away from the unicorn, "then you leave me little choice."

Keeping her stern eyes locked with the unicorn's, Celestia channeled magic into her horn until it glowed a warm, but foreboding yellow. Though the unicorn tried to maintain an angry glare, Celestia could see something else in his eyes: fear. Slowly, she brought her horn closer to his forehead. "Oh, there's no need to worry," she assured. Inch by inch, her horn grew closer. She could see beads of sweat form on her prisoner's brow. "I promise you, this won't hurt one, little bit."

As soon as her horn touched the prisoner's forehead, it flashed a bright yellow, filling the room with a blinding, white light.

11: Hard Times; Hard Decisions

Night finally fell upon Hoofington. The usually hectic city was finally silent and still, not a single soul on the streets, save for the occasional patrolman. The change in atmosphere was almost staggering. No more crowded streets, no more screaming merchants, no more noise. The city simply sat in quietly under the starry, moonlit sky. It was peaceful. It was tranquil. It was perfect. The perfect time to infiltrate Solaris' castle.

Shadow and Resona darted across the city's rooftops, leaping from building to building as they made their way towards the stone behemoth. It was certainly a more exhilarating way to travel than simply running through the streets below, and Shadow supposed that she had Resona to thank for that. These new blades worked wonders for climbing.

It was at times like this when Shadow took a moment to truly appreciate the simple act of running. Feeling the cold night air brush against her face, hearing the quick, rhythmic beating of her hooves against the concrete, made her feel alive. It fueled her, and only made her run faster. Before she knew it, she was leaving the unicorn behind.

It didn't take very long before Shadow reached the castle again. A few seconds later, Resona came trotting up behind her, clearly exhausted from her little sprint. "Honestly, dear," she said between deep breaths, "that wasn't a race, you know?"

Shadow gave the tired unicorn a cocky smirk. "But it still became one." She playfully nudged Resona's side. "Perhaps you should exercise more."

The unicorn simply rolled her eyes. "The plan, Shadow?"

"Yes, yes. I know." From the rooftop they were on, the two were able to safely scan the environment. Not much had changed in terms of guard placement. There were fewer of them patrolling the castle, but a dense line of them still guarded nearly every conceivable entrance, but that wasn't what Shadow was concerned about. Resona said that there'd be help here, but Shadow didn't see anything but armor-clad guards. "Resona, where is this help of yours?"

"Give it a moment, dear. She'll be here soon."

"There is only one other? How will that help us?"

"You'll see in due time."

Resona's persistent vagueness did little to calm Shadow's nerves. This had to be the mare's most important mission to date; she just couldn't afford to play games.

Finally, Resona's eyes lit up as she spotted something down below. "Ah, there she is." She pointed Shadow towards an alley across from their position. There, they saw a familiar pink pegasus creep out of the darkness.

"Butterfly?" Whatever confusion Shadow felt before was increased tenfold as she saw the pegasus slowly approach the five armor-clad stallions guarding a side entrance. "What in Equestria is she—?”

"Shh!" Resona quickly cut in. "Let the dear work her magic."

Shadow still wasn't too sure of the plan. Too many things could go wrong, and all of them ended with the pegasus' untimely demise. Shadow prepared herself, ready to leap off of the roof at the slightest sign of trouble.

Butterfly sauntered up to the guards without fear. As she came closer, the armor clad stallions confronted her. "You don't belong here, peasant. Leave," one ordered. Butterfly didn't respond. She didn't even move. She just stared at them with an emotionless, almost dead expression on her face. The guard took a single step towards her. "I won't tell you again. Leave this place, or suffer the consequences." Again, Butterfly didn't comply.

The guards have had enough. They marched towards the pegasus, drawing their weapons. Before they could get too close, however, they suddenly froze in their tracks, as if they had just been paralyzed.

"What the—?" Shadow squinted her eyes as she peered at the scene before her. Were her eyes playing tricks on her, or did those guards look absolutely terrified of something? Their eyes were as wide as dinner plates, sweat trickled down their forehead. They were shaking in their armor, for goodness sake.

Next to her, Resona chuckled at the sight. "Excellent work, Butterfly." She turned her attention towards Shadow. "We should move in now while they're distracted."

"What did Butterfly do? She is simply standing there."

"As I said, she's simply working her magic. Now, let's get inside before the others catch notice." Before Shadow could say anything else, Resona dropped down to the street below and galloped towards the building. The earth pony still didn't have a clue what was going on, but Resona did have a point. The guards were distracted. That raised their chances of getting into the castle all the way from nil to slim.

Wasting no more time, she leapt down to the ground and galloped towards the castle. As she approached Butterfly and the incapacitated guards, she snuck in a glance at the pegasus. That was a mistake. As soon as Shadow's eyes met Butterfly's, the black mare froze stiff.

Her eyes. Butterfly's eyes simply weren't normal. They were fixed in the most terrifying glare the Shadow had ever seen. A fierce stare filled with unrelenting hate.

An indescribable feeling of terror built up in Shadow's stomach. A cold sweat dripped down her forehead. She was literally shaking from head to tail. She wanted to look away, she wanted break away from that dreadful stare, but she couldn't. She couldn't look away. She couldn't move. She was completely paralyzed with fear. It was driving her to the brink of insanity!

Suddenly, her head was forcefully turned away from Butterfly's stare. By Resona. As soon as her eyes broke contact with Butterfly's, her head felt as if it had just been released from a vise. She felt lighter. Freer. She could move again, and she savored every following second of that fact.

"You may want to keep your eyes off of Butterfly for now, dear," Resona said, being careful not to look at Butterfly herself.

It was good advice to follow. Keeping her eyes far away from Butterfly, Shadow observed the area around them. Thanks the Butterfly's petrifying stare, the side entrance was left wide open. There were no other guards along this side of the castle, while the ones at the front entrance didn't catch wind of what was happening yet. If there was ever a chance to get into the castle, this was it.

"So, I assume we'll be going through here?" Shadow assumed, motioning towards the side entrance.

Resona almost seemed offended by such a question. "Goodness, dear, what kind of Assassin are you? There could be a whole battalion of guards waiting for us behind that door."

Shadow simply sighed in irritation. "Fine. Just give me a moment." Resona did have a point. It'd be best to enter from a better vantage point, but where would that be? Suddenly, something clicked in her head. Scanning her eyes across the higher levels of the walls, Shadow searched for it. That open window she saw earlier in the day. It was the perfect way inside, Shadow just had to pray that it was open.

"Where is it? Where is it? Ah-ha! There!" Shadow pointed up to the very same open window from earlier. It hardly moved an inch. In fact, it seemed wider than last time. Solaris certainly need to invest in better security.

Resona looked up to the window as well, a sly smile crawling onto her face. "Excellent, Shadow. That's much better. Let's not waste any more time. Come." Resona trotted up the castle wall and began her climb. Her experience in using her hookblades was clear, as she was able to climb the hundreds of feet to the window within seconds.

Shadow stole one last glance at the petrified guards next to her. They were like terrified statues, not budging an inch. Butterfly herself seemed to be in some sort of focused trance. Shadow would have to ask her how she came to develop such an effective stare. It could be useful. But that would have to wait, she had more important things to do. Putting her attention back on the castle, Shadow began her climb up the wall as well.

Her climb was a bit longer than Resona's, not having as much experience as the unicorn. It didn't really take much to use her hookblades, just a bit of coordination. The castle's flashy architecture also made finding grips an easy task as well.

Soon enough, she pulled herself up onto the surprisingly wide windowsill. Resona had already entered the castle long before Shadow made it this far. Peering inside, it looked like she was above a stony, torch-lit hallway. Resona was down below, already surveying the area. This was it. The moment of truth. Solaris was finally within her reach, and she was not going to let him slip between her hooves.

Taking a deep breath, Shadow dropped into the hallway below.

It was bittersweet to be back in the castle after its completion. Nothing about the place felt familiar to Shadow; in fact, it felt like she had just stepped into a nightmare. The uneven stone floor felt cold beneath her hooves. Ominous suits of armor stood at everlasting attention on either side of the hall, shining in the dim, orange glow of the numerous torches. There were various paintings decorating the walls, most of them of a unicorn with a cold, emotionless stare. His coat was a magnificent yellow, his mane a matching golden brown. Shadow didn't need an incredible sense of deduction to figure who that was. Solaris.

"Goodness, would it kill him to smile?" Resona asked with a roll of her eyes.

Shadow hardly heard her. She was too caught up in mourning the death of her childhood playground. There was none of the childhood novelty or nostalgic joy that she originally hoped for. Instead, all she felt as she slowly crept down the dimly lit hallway was a lingering sense of foreboding. Aside from the dark architecture, something about this place just didn't feel right, as if she were headed straight towards her own execution. But that didn't matter. The fact of the matter was that she was inside the castle. She couldn't turn back now.

"You said that Solaris would be in the upper levels, yes?" Shadow asked, turning towards the unicorn.

Resona nodded. "Yes."

“And what exactly do we do once we arrive?”

Resona’s eyes lit up as she came to a stop. “And here I was thinking you would never ask.” She pulled out a small sack from her saddlebag. Something inside clattered inside as she brought it over to Shadow.

Shadow gently poked the bag floating before her. “I assume that the plan involves whatever is in the bag,” she guessed.

Resona’s mouth curled up into a sly smile. “Your perception is truly something worthy of envy.” She only elicited an eye roll from the mare.

“What are they then?” she asked, impatience becoming prominent in her voice.

Instead of answering immediately, Resona opened the bag and took out one of the items.

Shadow’s face scrunched up in confusion as she stared at the object floating before her, trying and failing to deduce its purpose. “A tiny, metal… ball.” The words came out slowly and with uncertainty as though that would change the sight. It didn’t. A round, gleaming ball shone in the torchlight as it bobbed up and down in Resona’s magical grip. “And how is this supposed to help us?”

“Well, do you recall me saying that this castle is the only place blind to my thieves?”

Shadow nodded. “And this?” she asked, pointing at the metal ball.

“Since it’s clearly too dangerous to leave any of my own here for an extended period of time, I’ve opted for an alternative.”

“A marble,” Shadow flatly said.

An annoyingly haughty chuckle left Resona’s muzzle. “Oh, don’t be so quick to judge, dear. You of all ponies should know that appearances can be deceiving.”

A small burst of energy surged through Resona’s horn, wrapping the ball in a bright, white light. From that light, a voice emerged.

“And how is this supposed to help us?”

Shadow’s eyes went wide with shock. “What in Equestria? She leant in closer towards the talking marble, scarcely able to believe what she just heard. “Do I honestly sound like that?”

An impish grin cracked onto Resona’s face as she tapped a hoof to her chin. “Well… if you would like me to be honest…”

Shadow quickly cut her off with a wave of her hoof. “No, no, no. We have more important matters to attend to.” After a quick breath, she regained her somewhat professional composure. “So, I assume that we will place several of these throughout the castle?”

Resona nodded, placing the marble back into its bag. “Precisely. These are enchanted to capture voices. They will go into a nice, discreet hiding spot, and after a generous amount of time has passed, we will simply come back, recover them, and go over what our dear Lord has to say.”

As Shadow listened, she couldn’t deny that it seemed like a sound plan. After all, gathering intelligence from right under the enemy’s nose was right up her alley. However, she couldn’t ignore the flag or two that rose during Resona’s explanation. “A noise-capturing enchantment. Sounds rather complex for a unicorn with alleged subpar magical ability.”

Instead of feeling, or even feigning offense, Resona merely chuckled again. “Oh, Shadow, you really don’t give me much credit at all, do you? It is true that I did not create them myself, yes. However, what I lack in magical ability, I make up for with my connections. I simply had somepony else make them for me.

Shadow raised a single, interested eyebrow. She may not have been a unicorn herself, but she knew skill when she saw it. Having an ally capable of producing such complex enchantments in such a large quantity could no doubt prove to be useful. She actually did want to meet this unicorn, if only to see what else they could do. “Interesting. Resona, would you happen to know this unicorn’s name?”

“I’m sorry, Shadow, but a lady must keep some secrets for herself. Besides, a mare of your caliber will no doubt meet her in due time. Assassins always seem to have a habit of meeting the right ponies at the right time.”

Shadow let a small smile crawl onto her face. “Fair enough, I suppose. Now, shall we continue?”

“Let’s. Now, I believe it would be best if we started from the upper floors and worked our way down.”

Shadow had to agree with that plan. It sounded easy enough, but that left one other question. "How are we supposed to go up?" Shadow asked.

"The stairs, of course."

"And where are the stairs?"

"They're—" Resona immediately stopped in her tracks as the problem became clear to her. "Oh."

Shadow nodded in agreement. "Yes, 'oh'."

It wasn't as if all hope was lost. A castle this high had to have a way to the upper floors nearby. But this was a very large castle; that way up could be anywhere. It was essentially a maze to anypony who didn't have the layout burned into the brain. It could take anywhere from minutes to hours before either of the mares found a way up to Solaris' chambers. Unless they just stumbled across a map, this would be a bit trickier than they thought.

As the two approached an adjacent corridor, the two stopped dead in their tracks. Just around the corner, a door opened and shut, followed by the faint hoofbeats of walking guards.

Shadow signaled Resona to stay behind as she approached the corner, staying as close to the wall as possible. From there, she slowly peeked her head out to peer down the hall.

She spotted two guards, who were thankfully walking away from their position. It looked like they just left through an open door down the hall. The blood on their armor glistened in the dim light of the halls. Just what were they doing in there? Listening in on their conversation, Shadow would hopefully find out.

"You can call it whatever you want," one said, "I still don't like going down there."

"So, you'd rather disobey the Lord's orders just because you have a weak stomach? Pathetic."

"I don't know what you expect to get out of this, though. That pegasus is as stubborn as they come. Thieves usually are."

The second guard chuckled a menacing chuckle. "I have my ways of making prisoners talk. Let's see how tight-lipped he'll be when those precious wings of his are at stake."

They had a thief held prisoner? Interesting. If he was one of the ones that Resona sent to infiltrate the castle, then perhaps he had a better sense of the layout here. That would certainly help her find Solaris. He was probably held in the castle's dungeon, wherever that was.

Shadow looked back to the unicorn. "Resona, did you hear any of that?"

"I can't say that I have. What did they say?"

"They have a prisoner in the dungeon. Could it be one of yours?"

Resona brought a hoof to her chin as she pondered the thought. "It's certainly a possibility, but how is this supposed to help us find Solaris?"

"Then there could be a chance that he saw more of the castle than we did. He could point us in the right direction."

Resona's face scrunched up with uncertainty. She dropped her eyes to the ground as she continued to think. "I'm not sure about this. What if this is—?" When she looked back up, she saw that Shadow was already halfway down the hallway, eyeing a portion of the wall. The unicorn simply sighed as she walked up to the mare. "Goodness, dear. You can't keep doing that."

"Well, it seems that I have found the dungeon," Shadow announced. Indeed, she was staring at a closed, wooden door. There wasn't much in terms of decoration to speak of, but it still spoke to Shadow loud and clear. Something terrible was behind this door, and she was going to find out what it was.

Slowly, she pushed open the wooden door, its hinges creaking in the silence. It revealed a set of stairs leading down to the dungeon below. Rusty chains hung from the ceiling throughout the stairwell. Dried blood splattered the grimy stone steps. Just standing outside the door, the two mares could smell something dead and rotten down there. They didn't even need to go down there to know that it was a place of great suffering and anguish.

Resona peered into the darkness alongside Shadow, disgust clear on her face. "Ugh. How barbaric. What kind of animal keeps something like this?"

"Somepony who wants information." Shadow continued to stare down into the darkness. It was very faint, but she could just barely hear chains rustling. "Somepony's down there. Let's go." Shadow started down the stairs, only to stop when she realized that Resona wasn't following. "What is it?"

Resona took a step back from the door. "Uh, I feel as though we would be better off splitting up. We'll be able to cover more ground that way. Besides, I still have to plant these marbles throughout the castle. So, I'll stay up here and do that while you explore the dark, disgusting dungeon down there."

Shadow promptly planted a firm hoof on her face. She should've figured that the clean-obsessed thief would have an issue going down there. It wasn't a two-pony job anyway. "Fine. You stay up here and explore." She cracked into an impish smirk. "Perhaps you will find some cosmetics to cover up that blemish on your face."

Resona’s eyes immediately went wide with shock, a faint crimson appearing on the brown unicorn’s face. "Blemish? Don't be ridiculous. I-I don't have a blemish, do I? Do I?" Shadow didn't bother answering. She just continued down the stairs, a smirk still on her face. But Resona wasn't done quite yet. "You are joking, right? Right? Please don't joke about that. Oh, goodness, I need to find a mirror." Resona trotted off to a different area of the castle to deal with this new aesthetic emergency.

Shadow just shook her head. "Some ponies."

As Shadow went further down the stairs, that revolting smell only grew stronger. She resorted to holding her breath as she made her slow descent. Unfortunately, she couldn't hold it for long, and needed to pause for a breath of not-so-fresh air. Her nostrils burned with each heavy breath she took. Her eyes burned from offensive fumes. Her stomach churned at the very thought of what could be the source of such an odor. What was down here that caused it? The closest thing that she could think of was a rotting carcass. When she finally reached the bottom of the stairs, her suspicions were immediately confirmed.

Now, Shadow had always thought that she was strong enough to face whatever horrors life had to throw at her, but what she saw, as well as the sick feeling in her stomach, proved that she wasn't immune to everything.

The corridor before her was lined with cells that were just covered with bodily wastes. Blood, feces, vomit, and others that Shadow didn't even want to try and recognize. Even worse, some cells still held the decomposing corpse of their prisoners, long since left to starve and rot. The smell alone made Shadow want to puke, but the sight alongside it nearly pushed her over the edge.

By some miracle, Shadow was able to keep herself from adding to the copious amounts of waste, but that didn't help get rid of the intense anger she felt inside. She had more than a few choice words to share with Solaris now, and he was going to talk, whether or not he wanted to.

Tearing her eyes away from the terrible sights around her, Shadow continued down the corridor. That prisoner had to be down here somewhere, and this dungeon wasn't exactly a maze, either. She just needed to--

"Ah'll be comin' 'round the mountain when I come. Yee-haw.
Ah'll be comin' 'round the mountain when I come. Yee-haw.
Ah'll be comin' 'round the mountain, Ah'll be comin' 'round the mountain
Ah'll be comin' 'round the mountain when Ah come. Yee-haw."

Shadow froze in her tracks. That voice. That annoying dialect. It couldn't be. "Goat?"

"Ah'll be ridin' on the… on the… Dammit, Ah forgot the rest."

It was Goat! But just as she got over the initial shock, another feeling took its place: worry. What was Goat doing down here? How long was he down here? It sounded like he barely had enough energy to speak, let alone move. What happened? Shadow continued down the halls at a trot, rounding a corner. As soon as she did, once again, she stopped in her tracks.

At the very end of the corridor, chained against the wall, his back facing Shadow, was Goat, beaten and disrobed. His back was covered with several, grotesque lashes, his caramel coat stained a dark red. His breathing was heavy, the ground around him a pool of sweat and blood. Next to that, coiled up on the ground, was a worn, black, leather whip, its surface still slick with blood.

Shadow simply couldn't believe what she was seeing. Goat was tortured for who-knows-how-long, and when it was over, he was left to starve. It was cruel, it was barbaric, and it only served to make the mare even angrier. She needed to get Goat out of there, and she needed to do it now. Slowly, she walked up to the battered pegasus.

As she grew closer, her hoofbeats loud in the silence, Goat lifted his head a few inches. "You fellas back for more?" he croaked. Shadow didn't say anything. She just stood there, staring in disbelief. "Ain't got nothin' to say this time? Well, if ya'll are gonna get straight to business, could ya work on the left side o' mah back this time? Ah got an itch back there that needs a good scratchin'."

"Goat," Shadow whispered.

Hearing her familiar voice, Goat immediately perked up, despite the pain. "Shadow? That you?" He tried to turn his head, but from his position, was unable to actually see behind him.

Shadow was still in too much shock to speak, but she had to say something. "Y-yes."

"Ha! Well, Ah'll be! Best news Ah've gotten all day. Ah would've found ya earlier, but as you can see, Ah'm a bit tied up."

Shadow didn't waste any time and got to work on releasing Goat from his binds. The shackles around his hooves were locked tight, and the chains were too strong to cut through. No matter how hard Shadow pulled or tugged, those things weren't going to break. "It's no good. I need the key."

"Pfft. Figures. Well, maybe—"

"Halt! You there!"

Luck was shining down on Shadow that day. Turning around, she saw a pair of guards trotting up to her. They seemed to be the same pair she saw leaving the dungeon. They must've returned to continue their interrogation. Unfortunately, that, along with a few others, was about to be cut short.

"How much you wanna bet one o' those two has the key?"

"Luck is finally on my side for once." Shadow faced the two guards as they came closer, weapons drawn in their magic.

"You are trespassing on private property. What is your plea?" one demanded as he stopped right in front of the mare.

Shadow stared flatly at the guards. She simply was not in the mood for this. "Guilty as charged." In a flash, her hidden blade shot out of her bracer and found itself lodged into the guard's throat. The hooked blade lodged itself rather well in his jaw. WIth a quick yank, Shadow threw him to the ground, leaving him to bleed out while she focused on his partner.

He didn't even hesitate before rushing towards the mare, his magically raised sword ready to strike. Shadow ducked under the sword as it flew right over her head, and darted in to deal her blow. But instead of killing him, Shadow dug her blade into one of his forelegs. It wasn't a fatal blow, far from it, but it was more than enough to incapacitate the guard.

With a pained cry, he fell to the ground, dropping his sword. As he lied there, Shadow stood over him, holding her hidden blade up to his throat. Her eyes practically channeled death itself, and she could see the fear in her victim's eyes because of it. She leaned in until her muzzle was right above his. "Solaris' chambers," she said in a low, dark tone. "Where are they?"

The guard was already shivering in terror, his teeth chattering together as much as his armor. "I-I don't know, I swear!"

Shadow stomped a firm hoof on the guard's chest. "Then what good are you to me?"

Goat was still trying to face the scene happening behind him to little avail. "Ask him if he's got the key," he asked.

"Th-the key? The one to your shackles, yes? I have it right here." The guard took a single iron key out of his armor, the key wobbling in his shaky magic. He dropped it on the ground next to Shadow. "There. There, see? I'm doing as you asked. Will you let me go?"

"So you can do what? Go tell Solaris that I'm here? Bring in reinforcements?"

"I won't tell anypony of this, I swear!"

"No. You won't." Before the guard could get another word out, Shadow plunged her blade deep into his throat. His body wildly thrashed about, his attempts at screaming only came out as blood-filled gurgles. Shadow kept a hoof on his chest all throughout his fit. She wasn't taking any chances; she wasn't going to move until he stopped.

She didn't know what it was, but there was almost a sadistic sense of pleasure that came from this. Her years as an Assassin left her cold and virtually emotionless. But it also made her find pleasure in strange, twisted places. Simply killing an enemy and leaving him on the ground like a discarded tissue was one thing, something that she grew used to. But this, staring her enemy in the eyes, watching as the life slowly drained from his body, had a more intimate feel to it. Did that make her a little psychotic? She couldn't see how it didn't, but she hardly cared, either.

"Hey, you ain't dead back there, are ya, Shadow?"

The black mare finally stood back up, the guard long since dead. She took a deep breath. "Not yet." She reached down and took up the key in her teeth before approaching her bound ally. It was tricky trying to maneuver the key in her mouth as she unlocked the shackles, but she soon got the job done.

Finally free, Goat plopped onto the ground in a tired heap. "Can you stand?" Shadow asked.

"Ah don't know, kid. Spending all day chained up got mah legs feelin' pretty weak." The pegasus tried to get back on his hooves, but could barely get an inch off the ground before his legs began shaking.

"You were here for an entire day?" Shadow asked as she helped Goat back up.

"More like twelve hours, Ah guess. Kinda hard t' keep track o' time when you're facin' a wall, ya know?" He leaned against the wall for support as he regained strength in his legs. "What're ya doin' here anyway? Ah thought you were supposed t' be protectin' Neptune an' his family."

"Don't worry. They're with Master Grey Mane. I came to Hoofington to find you. Did you see that hooded pony?"

"That hooded fella? Oh, yeah. Ah saw 'im, and you ain't gonna believe what Ah found out."

Shadow instinctively leaned in towards the pegasus, not wanting to miss a single word of this. "Yes? Tell me."

"That hooded pony? It's the king's brother, Solaris."

Shadow felt like she was just punched in the chest. Solaris, Neptune's own brother, was responsible for the attempted assassination of the king and his family. But if Solaris was a part of that plan, then Shadow would have to… Things just became much more complicated. "Y-you saw Solaris?"

"Yeah, Ah saw Solaris. Prissy, ol' unicorn who wouldn't know work if it bucked him in his pretty, lil' throat. That's royalty for ya, Ah guess." Goat hunched over as another sharp pain shot through his body.

"Stay with me," Shadow said, helping Goat back up. "What happened? How did you end up here in the first place?"

Goat closed his eyes in contemplation, straining as he tried to form coherent thoughts through the pain. "Bastard found out that I was followin' him somehow. I tailed him to this here castle when he sicced his guards on me. Ah took most of 'em down, but I got hit by some sorta paralysis beam outta nowhere. Ah guess it was him. No good, spineless, son of a—"

"Focus," Shadow cut in. "Is he still here?"

Goat weakly shook his head. "Nah, Ah doubt it. He probably—" Goat stopped as a realization slammed right into him. Fear and worry became clear on his face. "Oh, no."

Shadow leaned her head in. "What is it?"

Goat fell back onto his haunches. "Oh, no, no, no."

Shadow got even closer. "What?"

"Shadow, you need t' get outta here, now."

"What? Why? What's—"

"Solaris ain't here. He…he—" Goat suddenly grunted, bringing a hoof up to his head as another wave of pain washed through his skull. "Dammit! Ah can barely remember what he did, but he did…somethin'. Some sorta spell. Ah think he got into mah head, saw mah thoughts. Nearly everything Ah knew, he knew."

Shadow felt a strange sense of foreboding building up in her gut. She didn't like where this was going. "What are you trying to say?"

"Ah think he knows where our base is. If the family's there like you said, then things are gonna go south fast if you don't stop him before he gets to the palace."

"I'm not leaving you here. Come on, get up."

Goat tried to comply, but the pain in his back kept him from going anywhere. "Nah, Ah'm only gonna slow ya down. Besides, Ah still need to find my gear. You go on ahead. Ah'll catch up later."

"Goat—"

"This aint no time for arguin', Shadow! Get outta here! Save the king an' his family!"

Shadow had to take a step back. The anger in Goat's eyes said it all. He wasn't playing around. Besides, he was right. If Solaris knew where the palace was, then he would find the Solar family. That only spelled bad news. She literally had no time to waste. All she could do was hope that Goat could handle himself. "Do not die on me," she said to the groggy pegasus.

"Don't intend to. Now go!"

Shadow didn't feel right leaving Goat there, but she didn't have much choice. She turned and galloped out of the dungeon.

As she returned to the main hall, she nearly ran into Resona, who was waiting right in front of it. The unicorn leapt back as Shadow barreled out of the dungeon. "Goodness, don't do that! You nearly scared me to death."

Shadow barely heard the words leave Resona's mouth as she fixed a stern stare on her. "Listen to me. There is a pegasus down there who needs help. Go down there and get him out of here."

Shadow may as well have asked Resona to roll around in a pile of filth considering the shocked, almost incredulous look the unicorn gave. "You cannot be serious."

Shadow's glare only grew darker. "Do I appear to be joking? Go down there and help him. Now."

“But what of the castle?”

“The pegasus first!” Shadow snapped. “Now, stop question me and do it!”

Before Resona could argue further, Shadow darted down the hallway, making a hasty exit through the same window she used to enter. Time was of the essence. She needed to act quickly.

The blinding light in Celestia's dungeon finally diminished, returning the room to its dark, depressing, blue hue.

The white alicorn backed away from her prisoner, a small, satisfied smirk on her face. The spell left her prisoner unconscious; mind-reading spells tended to have that effect on the weak-minded. As for what Celestia found, spending nearly half an hour sifting through the unicorn's mind produced both answers, as well as more questions.

Unfortunately, this was not the same pony who stole the Staff, meaning its location remained unknown. Celestia did, however, discover something else. This unicorn received his orders via letters sent from Manehattan. But that wasn't all. Though it wasn't recent, there were times when the unicorn received letters directly from another stallion, a stallion that the Princess recognized all too well. It was Postal, the very same stallion who handled her own mail.

So this is what he does when he leaves Canterlot. Celestia thought to herself, already trying to come up with an appropriate punishment. Betray my trust, will you? You'll surely pay for that.

Speaking of punishments, she still needed to think of one for the petty thief before her. This was no simple act of thievery, this was treason, something that Celestia had no tolerance for. She could spend hours trying to think of something, but that required time that she simply didn't have. No matter. Even though the 'interrogation' didn't yield the results Celestia wanted, she still found another lead to go on, and was not about to let it slip by. Besides, that unicorn could spend another day or two down here.

The princess turned around and made her way out of the dungeon, leaving her prisoner behind. But as she made her way back up the long, cold stairway, she could help but feel another niggling sense of worry. This was not a simple act of rebellion, that much was obvious. There was a much larger plan behind this, one that only confirmed the fears she had for over a thousand years. Someone was trying to overthrow her, and they intended to use the Pieces of Equestria to do it.

Not only that, but this scheme already had her questioning the loyalty of the ponies around her. She already lost the trust of a pony she almost considered a friend, so who else was there? How many of her subjects were actually on her side, and how many were merely wolves in sheep's clothing? Celestia almost didn't want to find out, but would have to if she wanted to prevent this scheme from succeeding. But that would have to wait. As of now, she needed to have a nice, little chat with Postal.

As she left the dungeon, softly shutting the door behind her, she heard a voice that nearly made her heart stop.

"Tia?"

Celestia nearly broke her neck as she looked to her left. Luna was staring at her with a confused look as she approached her older sister.

"Luna? I-I thought you were reading your comic books."

"I finished," Luna answered, none of her confusion leaving her. "What were you doing down there?"

Celestia quickly and nervously glanced back at the wooden door behind her. This was hardly a good situation. Out of the two of them, Luna despised the dungeon the most. She had always insisted refurbishing it to something a bit more pleasant, but Celestia always refused. "Oh, I was simply…" Digging around in a prisoner's mind like a messy toy box. "Cleaning. Yes, I was cleaning." No, lying was not one of Celestia's strong suits.

Luna scrunched up her face, more confused than before. "You were…cleaning? In the dungeon?"

Celestia quickly nodded her head. "Yes. The stench down there simply became too nauseating for me to handle, so I did a little tidying up."

"Why not just have one of the servants do it?"

Celestia simply chuckled, acting like her sister didn't just make a strikingly good point. "Oh, Luna. Our servants don't deserve to see the things that I saw down there. Besides, it was my decision to keep the dungeon, so it's only fair that I'm responsible for keeping it well-kept, wouldn't you agree?"

"I guess that makes sense?" Luna assumed, still unsure of it herself. Celestia's points were barely making any sense to her, but still enough that it eased some of her confusion. There was still one question on her mind, though. "But what made you want to clean it today? I mean, it's not like it stinks up the entire palace, so it just seems pretty--"

"Lunch?" Celestia suddenly asked, cutting Luna off.

"What?"

"Lunch. It's lunchtime. Would you like to eat lunch?" Celestia asked, putting on the largest, cheesiest smile she could muster.

The mention of lunch did make Luna's stomach growl, but she still didn't feel comfortable with her sister's answers. "I don't know, Tia. You don't really sound like you're telling--"

"We have cinnamon buns." Celestia cut in again.

Suddenly, all of Luna's suspicions were thrown right out of the window when she heard those two simple words. "Cinnamon buns?"

Celestia nodded again, mentally thanking whatever benevolent force made this work. "Yes. I'll even let you have the biggest one we have. Now, hurry along before they--" Luna bolted towards the dining room in a purple blur, leaving behind her confused, but thankful sister. "--get cold." She let out a long, deep, relieved sigh. She actually couldn't believe that worked. Some ponies just never changed, she supposed. Still, she had other matters to attend to, but first, she needed to make a quick visit to the kitchen. She needed to add cinnamon buns to the menu.

Even at a full gallop, it took an excruciatingly long amount of time for Shadow to reach her palace home. Her lungs burned with every breath of fresh, night air that she took. Pain shot up her legs every time her hooves beat against the ground. Her vision went blurry as angry tears filled her eyes. Her body was giving her every single protest imaginable that she needed to take a break, but she would have none of it. She was not going to stop. She couldn't stop. Too much was at stake for her to stop.

As she sped down the dirt road leading to the Everfree Forest, she saw something that made her blood run cold. A large, thick plume of some rose high above the forest trees, its source shockingly close to where the palace was.

"No. No, no, no." Shadow poured on the speed, ignoring her body's screaming protests. She darted into the forest, disappearing into the encroaching darkness. Despite being unable to see anything, she still knew exactly where to go. Her charge through the dense trees sent various critters fleeing for their lives.

As she grew closer to the palace, she felt something through the pain and fatigue that she hadn't felt in a long time: fear. Not a fear of impending injury or death, but a fear of the unknown. Shadow had no idea what rested beyond these trees. Too many scenarios ran through her head for her to keep count. The king could be dead. His family could be dead. Grey Mane could be dead. Anything could've happened.

Finally, Shadow broke through the dense forest and found herself staring at her home. Or at least, what was left of it.

The stone palace sat in a smoldering pile of rubble before her, destroyed. Gone. The place that had molded her into who she was, the only place left that she had to call home, was nothing now. It was taken away from her. The area around it was a bloody battleground, littered with the corpses of countless guards. Shadow was unable to find the king, his family, or Grey Mane amongst the corpses. It was the only calming thing in this nightmare.

Still, even though she didn't find their corpses, she still didn't see them anywhere in the clearing. What in Equestria did Solaris do here? "Master Grey Mane!" Shadow shouted. No response. She felt her heart sinking. Her breathing became more shallow and erratic. Not out of something as simple as fatigue, but panic. This just couldn't be happening. This just simply couldn't be happening. Shadow galloped deeper into the clearly, hoping, praying that she'd find somepony. "Master!" Still nothing.

Just as Shadow was about to search the forest for them, as hopeless as that would've been, she suddenly heard something. There was movement behind the wrecked palace. Shadow immediately prepared herself for a fight, expecting more guards to come charging out. Instead, two fillies covered in dirt and soot nervously walked out from behind the wreckage.

Shadow recognized the princesses immediately. "Girls!" The two scared fillies ran up to Shadow, nuzzling into her as deeply as they could. Shadow just stared down at the two in confused shock as they cried into her chest. They were a mess. Celestia's white coat was covered with splotches of soot, while her mane was matted down with mud. Luna's ruffled mane was full of dirt, dust, and twigs. Neither of them let up as they continued to cry. Shadow had been trained to handle a variety of situations. Calming two crying fillies wasn't one of them.

Whether it was out of instinct or common sense, Shadow reached out and wrapped her forelegs around them in what she figured was a hug. The princesses didn't have any objections to the hug, though it did little to calm their crying. Shadow really needed to think. Taking it a step further, she used a hoof to stroke their manes as she whispered reassurances to them.

It seemed to work, as they soon stopped crying. A few more tears ran down their cheeks, but for the most part, they were finally calm. Shadow sighed in relief herself. That was far more taxing on her than it should've been, but at least she finally succeeded in calming them down. "Are you two okay?" she asked, keeping the two held close.

Physically, most likely. Mentally, probably not. Regardless, the two fillies nodded.

"What happened here?"

It looked as though the girls considered speaking, but simply stared at the ground instead. They must've still been in shock. Too much shock to speak. Understandable. This must've been painful for ponies their age to go through.

"Was it Solaris?"

The two nodded again.

"Where are your parents? Do you know?"

More tears welled up in both of their eyes as they shook their heads. Shadow swore under her breath. How could she have let this happen? The king, the queen, her master, and that staff were all gone. It was a miracle that she was able to find Celestia and Luna, but what was she supposed to do now? Find Solaris felt like the obvious answer, but that only raised even more questions. Where did Solaris go? Where did he leave the king, queen, and Grey Mane? How was she supposed to find any of them? All of these questions needed answers before Shadow could do anything. However, that would have to wait. She needed to get the princesses to safety, and only one place came to mind.

Shadow broke away from the hug and stared both of them in the eye. "I need to take you two somewhere else. It's not safe here anymore."

Celestia and Luna shared a worried glance, but eventually nodded in agreement. Shadow led them out of the clearing, the two princesses being especially careful to steer clear of any dead bodies.

It was well into the middle of the night as Shadow and the princesses made their way down the quiet dirt road. None of them had said a thing since leaving the forest. The silence was almost eerie. There was no wind, no insects, no wildlife, nothing. If it weren't for the sound of their hooves scraping against the loose dirt, it would've felt like they were deaf.

"Shadow?"

The mare felt a jolt of shock when she heard her name. She looked down to her right to find Luna looking back up at her. Her eyes were still bloodshot from crying. The streaks left behind by her tears were still visible on her cheeks. "Yes, Luna?"

"Where are we going?"

Shadow looked back ahead. The silhouette of a city against the white moon lied in the distance, no more than a mile or two away. "We’re going to Hoofington."

A tiny gasp left the pegasus' lips. "But isn't that where Solaris is?"

Shadow shook her head. "I don't know if he's there anymore. What I do know is that I need to get you two to safety, and Hoofington is the only place left where I have allies." That answer was apparently enough for Luna, as she looked back at the road in front of her. Shadow glanced down at Celestia. The unicorn kept her eyes on the floor, sniffing back more tears threatening to leave her eyes. "Celestia." She turned her head ever so slightly towards Shadow. "Are you okay?"

Celestia shook her head. "Why? Why would our uncle do this to his own family? I don't understand."

Shadow just sighed. "Some ponies will do anything for power, no matter how despicable the act." She looked back down at the unicorn. She saw a single tear fall from her eye. "If it's of any worth, I'm truly sorry for what's happened."

The unicorn took a moment to stop and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thank you. For everything. If you hadn't have shown up in Canterlot when you did…"

"My mission is to keep all of you safe. That's what I intend to do."

"What about Solaris?" Celestia asked.

Shadow opened her mouth, but quickly closed it back shut. What good would it do to flat-out tell these girls that she'd have to kill their uncle? They were already suffering enough, and anything she had to say would only serve to make things worse. Instead, she settled with, "I don't know."

"How will we find our parents?" Luna asked.

"I don't know," she repeated, her voice louder.

"Are we ever going to find them?"

This was becoming too much for Shadow to handle. She stopped in her tracks, turning towards both of the fillies. "I don't know!" Her sudden outburst caused the two to shrink back. Shadow immediately regretted it when she saw the fear in their eyes. She couldn't afford to snap like that, especially when they were as vulnerable as they were. She needed to keep her head. She stepped back and took a deep breath to calm down. "I'm… I'm sorry. I just need some time to think, please."

It took a while for Celestia and Luna to get over their shock, but they were soon back at Shadow's side. Even then, Shadow could tell just by looking at their eyes that these fillies were in a type of pain that only Shadow knew of. The pain of losing those closest to them. She didn't know if it was the fact these fillies were going through the same thing that she did, or if it was because it reminded her of her own parents, but looking at those two just tore her up inside. She had only known these two for barely two days, but she still couldn't stand seeing them like this. She had to do something, anything, to help lighten the mood, however little. That was when it hit her.

"Oh, that reminds me." She dug into her robes, taking out a bag of the candy that she bought earlier that day. "I got these for you. Do you want any?" She held the bag out at the two. She had hoped to do this under better circumstances, but she had to do something to cheer them up. That was all that came to mind.

The princesses glanced up at the bag, not a single ounce of sorrow leaving their eyes. Shadow immediately regretted her decision. What in Equestria was she thinking? These girls just lost their parents, and here she was offering candy as if it would make things all better. But to her surprise, Celestia took the bag in her magic, levitating it towards herself and her sister. She took out two pieces of candy, one for herself and one for Luna. The two plopped the candy into their mouths. As they chewed, soft smiles formed on their faces, one of the last things that Shadow expected to see that night.

"Thank you, Shadow. This is delicious. I appreciate it."

"Yes. I love caramel."

Shadow felt herself smile as well. That certainly went better than expected. But despite the lightened mood, things were still far from good. Solaris was gone; off somewhere with the king, queen, and Grey Mane doing who knows what. For all Shadow knew, they could be dead. She was the only one left to protect Celestia and Luna, and so far, she's been doing a pretty terrible job at that. It was a miracle that they made it through that attack alive, but they may not be so lucky next time. She needed to prevent something like tonight from ever happening again, but how?

What would Grey Mane do in this situation? Train them? Stay by their side for as long as possible? Take them wherever he went? Shadow just didn't know, and she wanted to slap herself for it. Fifteen minutes without her master to guide her, and she was already lost on what to do. All she knew was that the princesses were her main priorities, and she needed to do everything within her power to protect them. It was just a metter of figuring out what to do.

Falling back into silence, the three ponies continued towards Hoofington. Though she didn't exactly like the idea of playing foalsitter, Celestia and Luna were Shadow's responsibility. Though she lost the king and queen, she was not going to lose these two fillies, not until she drew her last breath. That was a promise that she intended to keep.

Celestia sauntered through the halls of her castle, her stomach filled to the brim with a lovely lunch. Luna, as expected, hogged all of the cinnamon buns, but what else did she expect from her sister? Besides, Celestia couldn't really complain; it gave her enough time to slip away and check on Rainbow Dash.

She reached her bedroom door and began to open it, but something made her stop. A sensation of some kind, one that she never felt before. Her body just felt cold, as if she stepped outside in the middle of winter, but she wasn't shivering. It just felt strange, and that was what made her worry. Even more so, she felt the sensation coming from her bedroom. Swinging it open, Celestia barged inside, expecting some sort of intruder. What she saw instead made her stop dead in her tracks.

The candle flame that kept Rainbow Dash captivated was no longer green. Instead, it was black. Pitch black like a moonless, starless night. Celestia had never seen anything like it before. She felt a strange feeling in her gut, as if it were being tied into a knot. It took a moment for her to realize what it was: fear. What was happening to cause such a thing? More importantly, what was happening Rainbow Dash as a result? Celestia didn't want to wait and find out. Without moving a muscle, she focused her magic on the fire, controlling its flickering flames. Thankfully, this strange color change didn't any effect on her magic, and she was able to quickly dispel it.

The flame burst into a dazzling shower of black particles, releasing the cyan pegasus. Her limp body fell to the ground like a rag doll. Celestia stared at the pegasus with worried eyes. She wasn't moving, not by an inch.

Is she…? No! No, she can’t be.

Celestia gulped down whatever fear she felt before creeping towards the pegasus' body. Still, Rainbow didn't move, even as Celestia stood right over her. When the alicorn observed her more closely, she let out a relieved sigh. She could see Rainbow breathing. She was simply unconscious. Thank goodness. But that still didn't explain that nonsense about the fire turning black. She never came across such a phenomenon before, so what was so special now? That was something Celestia would have to look into later. For now, Rainbow's session for the day was over. She needed to have one of her guards bring her back home.

"I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Ms. Dash," Celestia said. With that, she turned and went to retrieve an escort for the sleeping pegasus.

Today didn't feel like a complete waste. She made some progress with Rainbow Dash, at the very least. Not only that, but she received very crucial information from a less-than-cooperative prisoner. Things were actually starting to look up for her, it was just wonderful!

Celestia was so caught up in her own self-satisfied thoughts that she failed to notice that she walked right past something very peculiar.

The door to the dungeon, the one that she didn't want anypony going inside, was slightly ajar.

12: A Change of Plans

It was a dark night in Ponyville; darker than any night that anypony had seen before. Even Luna's countless stars and bright, shining moon did little to alleviate the strangely thick darkness that this night brought. Most ponies thought nothing of it and simply slept in the safety of their homes, save for one.

A single stallion, a stout, blue unicorn, walked through the town square. It was cold, freezing, and his numerous layers of shirts and coats did little to keep him warm. The cold, nighttime breeze practically seeped through his clothes, chilling him to the bone. He needed to find warmth somewhere. He needed to find shelter, but where would that be?

Through the wind blowing past his ears and his chattering teeth, he heard something. Something behind him. It sounded like the beating of hooves against the dirt. Whatever it was, it sent a frightening chill up his spine. He whipped around, darting his eyes all around him as he searched for the source of the noise.

There was nothing there. He couldn't believe it. He kept looking around, peering into the darkness before him. He knew that he heard something run right by him, but who or what was it?

The stallion took a deep breath. He needed to calm down. This cold weather must've been getting to him. As windy as it was, it was probably a few cans that toppled over or something. He chuckled to himself, almost believing his little theory, then he heard more hoofbeats. They were closer, right next to him.

He looked to his right, seeing nothing but more darkness. Even more hoofbeats, these louder than before. Then he heard more, and more, and more. Something, somepony, was circling him, growing closer and closer with each step. He had nowhere to go, he was virtually helpless. He couldn't see anything, he was freezing all over, and the fact that he was panicking didn't help things at all.

Suddenly, out of the darkness, a glint of metal flashed before his eyes. Before he knew it, he felt cold steel slash across his throat. Everything around him just seemed to stop, as if the entire world stood still. The wind fell silent, the only noise now being a soft ringing in his ears. His head felt light, his stiff body grew numb and cold, colder than it had been all night. A warm liquid trickled down his neck, staining his coat a deep crimson.

His balance became unstable. He staggered to the side before tripping over his own hooves, falling face first into the dirt. His body grew limp and weak as the reality came looming over him. He was going to die here on the cold, unforgiving ground. Alone. Afraid. But who in Equestria could be cruel enough to simply end his life without provocation? He received his answer when a bright blue hoof stepped into his view.

Using what little energy he had left, he peered up to see his attacker's face. The pony was clad in white robes, their face concealed by not only the encroaching darkness, but also a hood. As the attacker raised a leg, a shining vambrace attached to the hoof, a bit of their mane fell out from the hood. It was the strangest mane that he had ever seen, sporting all the colors of the rainbow.

A blade shot out of the vambrace, poised to finish him off. Just as the stallion felt death's embrace wash over him, his attacker brought the blade down towards his neck.

Rainbow shot straight up in her bed, screaming at the top of her lungs. It took seconds before she finally realized that she was back home. It was just a dream. A stupid, twisted dream. It was fine, everything was fine. She was safe.

As her heart calmed down and the adrenaline left her veins, a new pain became apparent. Rainbow clutched her head as a grueling, pounding headache assaulted her skull. The previous ones were bad, but this made them seem like tiny pinpricks in comparison. It felt like a hammer was slamming into her head over and over again.

Rainbow rolled off of her bed, falling onto the soft floor of her home. She couldn't move her head without suffering a sharp pain in her skull. Her headache was already unbearable, and it was only getting worse with each passing second. Fighting through the dizzying migraine, she forced herself up to her hooves and trudged towards the bathroom.

Her vision was undeniably blurry. No matter how many times she blinked, it looked and felt as if the room was spinning around her, tilting back and forth. Just the simple act of walking was a daunting task. Rainbow nearly tripped over her own hooves several times before she reached the door. Hopefully, a nice rainwater shower would make the headache go away.

Finally reaching her door, Rainbow pushed it open, hoping for a nice, calming, uneventful shower. As soon as she saw her bathroom, it became very clear that things weren’t going to be that simple.

Lying in the middle of the room, reading a book, was a black mare that Rainbow knew all too well. Her so-called ancestor.

Though Rainbow was positive a startled squeal left her mouth when she laid eyes on the mare, Shadow didn’t stir, not by an inch. She just sat amongst her pillows with her back to the pegasus, muzzle-deep in a book. Without those white robes of hers, she almost looked harmless, friendly even, but that did little to calm Rainbow’s nerves. She wanted to run, but couldn’t help but be drawn towards the odd sight.

Whether it was out stupidity, curiosity, or both, Rainbow took a step further into the room. She took another step. Then another. Then another. Her mind was telling her to stop, but her body wouldn’t listen. It didn’t take long before she found herself in front of Shadow.

Despite being mere inches away, Shadow still didn’t look or even glance up. Curiosity overtook Rainbow again, as she waved a hoof in front of Shadow’s face in a futile attempt to get her attention. When that didn’t work, Rainbow crouched down until she was at eye level with her ancestor. Taking things a bit further, Rainbow lifted a hoof and slowly inched it closer to Shadow’s muzzle.

Just as it seemed as though Rainbow was about to touch Shadow’s muzzle, she immediately snatched her hoof back as Shadow’s image began to fade. Still, Shadow didn’t move, not by an inch, and in what wasn’t even a few seconds, Rainbow was the only one left in her bathroom.

She honestly had no words for what she just saw. Her brain was just unresponsive. She had no idea how to feel or how to react. As far as she was concerned, she only knew one thing: forget the shower, she needed to go see Twilight about this.

Canterlot's postal office. A humble, little building, not much like the other, more extravagant buildings dwarfing it. Its plain, white storefront and red-tiled roof certainly left much to be desired in the otherwise flashy city. But looks could always deceiving. Despite its humble appearance, this building served a very important purpose. Besides the Griffon Express, this was the only postal service in Equestria that handled deliveries to and from royalty. In other words, any mail sent to and from the princesses went through there.

As a result, packs upon packs of ponies would pour into the building on a daily basis. They ranged from customers hoping that their packages would receive the same handling and care as the princesses’, to tourists who just went there just to say that they’ve been there. Either way, Canterlot’s postal services rarely ever saw a slow day.

At the center of it all was Postal Stamp, a humble earth pony with a seemingly never-ending supply of patience and smiles. Very few ponies would have the patience or sanity to handle a job as tedious and mechanical as handling hundreds of ponies’ mail every week, but the large stamp adorning his flank marked Postal as the pony for the job, and he took on that job with strong determination every single day. This day was no different.

After stamping the package of a particularly bubbly mare, Postal shot her one of his trademark smiles. “And… done. You’re all set, miss.”

The young mare probably couldn’t smile any harder if she tried. “Oh, thank you so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”

“It’s my pleasure. And be sure to give the old man my regards.”

“Of course. Thank you again. Take care.”

“Same to you.”

The mare turned and trotted towards the front door. As soon as she reached it, it swung open wide and hard, nearly smacking her right in the face. She darted away in a flash as a group of Celestia’s personal guard walked into the building.

Save for a few murmurs, the entire building immediately grew silent and still as the guards walked deeper into the building. The thick crowd before them promptly got out of their way, forming a path straight to Postal’s desk.

Despite the tension being thick in the air, and the stern glares her received from the advancing guards, the light orange stallion kept his usual, cheery composure. “Hey, there. What can I do you fine stallions for?”

His cheery demeanor didn’t do a thing to lighten the guards’ stares. “Postal Stamp, you are under arrest for conspiracy to overthrow the rulers of Equestria.”

A small, worried outburst erupted in the crowd as several shared worried whispers with each other. The news even managed to make Postal replace his usual smile with a confused frown. “Wait, what? What are you talking about? I’ve done nothing like that.” Whatever cheer he had left in him was quickly dashed away when two unicorn guards pointed their horns at him, offensive magic ready to fire at any given second.

“Do not resist. Come with us and allow Princess Celestia to determine your fate.”

After a moment’s consideration, Postal simply sighed. “Very well. I suppose there’s no point in trying to get through your thick skulls. You’re wasting your time, though.” Without the guards’ knowing, Postal shifted his hooves on the tiled floor. Applying the slightest bit of pressure, he pressed one of the tiles into the floor. Before anypony knew what he had done, a thick gust of smoke shot out from underneath the counter, creating a thick smokescreen that covered nearly half of the room.

Within the seconds, the postal office fell into complete and utter chaos. Ponies scrambled for the front door, cramming in the doorway as they tried to push and shove past one another. Those unfortunate enough to get caught in the smoke suffered from hacking coughs as the airy substance filled their lungs. The guards, who took the brunt of the sudden attack, could barely see through the smoke.

“Stop—stop him!” one cried between coughs. Unfortunately, they were all incapacitated by the thick smoke. By the time the cloud dispersed and they regained their bearings, the entire office was emptied, and Postal was long gone.

“Curses! Where did he go?”

The group of armored stallions scanned their eyes all across the room, peering through the thin veil of smoke that lingered. “Wait. There!” One of the guards pointed behind the counter. The door leading out to the back alley was wide open. Knocked off of its hinges, in fact.

The guards wasted no time, and darted out the door. However, once they were behind the store, another problem became very clear. “Where did he go?” No matter where they looked, all they managed to find were twisting alleys in both directions. Where Postal ran off to, he was long gone. But that wasn’t going to be enough to deter the guards from their mission.

The larger of the guards faced his comrades. “You two, return to the princess and inform her of the situation. The rest of you, with me. We split up, and search this maze from wall to wall. He can’t have gotten far.”

“Sir!” The two guards turned tail and galloped back towards the castle.

The remaining stallions split up, heading down both paths of the maze. Wherever Postal was, he was not going to get away.

"Uh, are you sure about this, Twilight?"

Twilight finished reading a few more lines from her notes before looking up at her worried assistant. "Don't worry, Spike. I've spent weeks working on this. Absolutely nothing can go wrong."

Spike shot a worried glance towards the small gemstone next to him. It emitted a dim, purple glow from the magic swirling around inside. He was no stranger to Twilight's experiments, and more times than not, he'd end up leaving with a few scorch marks. This one didn't look like it'd be any different. "Are you sure? Like, a hundred percent sure?"

Twilight tapped her chin with a hoof. "Well, it's highly unlikely that things could go wrong."

Needless to say, that wasn’t what Spike wanted to hear. "What? But you always say that."

"Because it's always true,” Twilight said with a shrug.

"Can't you find somebody else to try this on? What about Pinkie Pie?"

Twilight glared at her assistant, annoyance clear in her eyes. "Spike, remember our deal? I let you sleep in for an entire week, and you…?"

"Listen to everything you say, I know.” Spike just sighed in submission. What was the point in arguing anyway? She’d just ground him. Again. “Alright, let's just get this over with."

"Oh, come on, Spike. It'll be fun!" The baby dragon met Twilight's enthusiasm with a very unamused gaze. "Alright, alright. Let me just finish jotting down a few more notes." Twilight scribbled a few things into a nearby notebook. "And… done! Okay, let's get started. Do you remember what you have to do?"

Spike took another nervous glance towards the glowing gem next to him. Never in his life had he ever been so terrified of something so delicious. "Uh, yeah. I just, uh, break it, right?"

"That's right. With the way I enchanted the gems, the magic inside should not only be released, but wrap itself around the nearest multi-celled organic being, that being you." Twilight didn't notice Spike roll his eyes as she continued her little explanation. "Afterwards, it should find and travel to an object containing a similar magic level to it, which should be that gem over there." Twilight directed her assistant towards the ruby on the other end of the room. "If all goes well, you should find yourself on the other side of the room where the ruby is with only teeny, tiny bit of motion sickness."

"You're saying 'should' an awful lot, Twilight. What if something goes wrong?"

"You're just worrying too much, Spike. Honestly, what's the worst that's ever happened to you during these experiments?"

"Where do I begin?" Twilight's deadpan stare prompted Spike to just submit, in spite of his slowly increasing worry. "Okay, okay. I'll break the stupid gem."

“Thank you. And remember, I’m right here with you.” With that, Twilight dove behind her desk, which she so kindly fortified with sandbags. “Good luck,” she said from the safety of her barrier.

Spike felt his eye twitch, but he still persevered. All he had to do was smash it, just like he said he would. But of course, saying that he'd do it was far easier than actually doing it. He looked down at the glowing sapphire. It was easy. All he had to do was lift a foot and stomp on the thing. Then the magic would probably break him down to the molecular level, take him to Celestia-knows-where at the speed of light, and then put him back together in—hopefully—the right way. Easy.

Gulping down the fear building up inside, Spike lifted up a shaky foot. All I have to do is smash it. All I have to do is smash it. He kept repeating that to himself as he slowly built up the courage to finally do it. He raised his foot ever so slightly, but just as he began to bring it down—

Knock! Knock! Knock!

—somepony rapped against Twilight's door as if it were the end of the world.

Spike hopped on this chance in an instant. "Oh, hey, look at that. Gotta answer the door." In the blink of any eye, he was at the door, swinging it wide open to find Rainbow Dash on the other side. "What's up, Rainbow—" He was promptly cut off as a blue blur shot right by him.

"Twilight!” she cried.

The unicorn came out from behind her cover. “Oh, there you are Rainbow. We’ve been looking for you all day.” She approached the pegasus, but stopped when she saw Rainbow’s wide, bloodshot eyes staring into hers. “Wait, what happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m—I—she—” A million things wanted to leave Rainbow’s mouth at once, but it all just came out as unintelligible stammers. The odd experience back at her home kept flashing through her head, which only made it harder for her to form coherent thoughts. Finally, she just blurted out, “I saw Shadow!”

“Wait. Y—you what? Your ancestor?” Aside from Pinkie Pie, Twilight was rarely ever confused by anything that anypony said, especially if it were only a mere three words. So, when Twilight needed to take a moment to take in what Rainbow just said, that threw up one, giant warning sign. “What do you mean you saw Shadow?”

“What? Am I talking in a different language here?” Rainbow snapped.” I. Saw. Shadow!”

Twilight nearly left an imprint on her face when she smacked a hoof on it. “What happened? What exactly did you see her doing?”

“I don’t know. She was just sitting in my bathroom. I walked right up to her.”

“Um, okay. Give me a second.” Twilight trotted over to one of her bookcases, taking up several books in her magic. “How long did it last?” she asked, skimming over the titles of the numerous books before her, tossing away any that she didn’t need.

“Who cares how long it lasted? I. Saw—”

“I heard you the first time, Rainbow,” Twilight interrupted, irritation clear in her voice. “And yes, it does matter. You’re suffering from hallucinogenic side effects thanks to the candle. Depending on the severity, treatments could go from just waiting for them to pass, to something a bit more… drastic.”

“Uh, ‘drastic’? What do you mean by—?”

“Ah-ha! Found it!” All of the books floating around Twilight fell to the ground, save for one, dusty journal. “I knew I left this around somewhere.” Twilight trotted over to her desk, placing the journal on her desk.

“Um, Twi?”

Unfortunately, Rainbow’s calls fell on deaf ears, not that it should’ve been surprising. When Twilight got into her books, she was a pain to try and talk to. When she was really into her books, Rainbow would have better luck trying to get a brick wall to listen to her. Needless to say, this was the latter scenario as Twilight wildly flipped through the journal’s pages.

“Let’s see. Uh, ‘Treatment for Side Effects’. Um… here it is!”

Rainbow just rolled her eyes. It’d be best if she just dropped her questions and played along. For now, at least. “Aright, how do I fix it?”

“Give me a moment." Twilight scanned the pages until her eyes lit up, finally spotting what she was looking for. "See, Rainbow? The length of your hallucinations do matter.” Twilight brought the journal right in front of Rainbow’s face. Since she couldn’t help but look at it, it being right in her face, she saw that both pages were nothing but treatments for those candles Twilight kept going on about. “Like I said, the severity, and the treatment, both depend on that. So, please, can you at least guess how long this vision lasted?”

“I don’t know. Like, er, twenty seconds.”

As soon as she gave her answer, Twilight took the journal away from Rainbow’s face and dove into the text once again. “Let’s see. Twenty seconds. Twenty seconds. Ah-ha! Found it!”

“Okay. What’s it say?”

Twilight didn’t bother answering the question as she continued reading, her eyes darting across the pages. As soon as she finished, she slammed the journal shut, a wide smile on her face. “Good news!” she exclaimed.

Rainbow immediately perked up. “Yeah?” she asked, hope in her voice. After everything she’d been through, some good news would’ve been great.

“It doesn’t look like you have anything severe yet. In fact, you should be back to normal after a few days as long as you don’t use the candles again.”

To describe the feeling of elation Rainbow felt when she heard those words was simply impossible. She wiped off a nervous sweat that had been trickling down her forehead as she gave a relieved sigh. It felt like a weight that she didn’t even know was there had been lifted from her shoulders. “Phew! Boy, that’s a relief. I can’t believe I was actually worried there.” But despite Rainbow’s new sense of relief, Twilight still wore a frown on her face, something that Rainbow would’ve been hard-pressed not to notice. “Uh, Twi? What’s up?”

Twilight placed the journal back in its place in the bookshelf, putting on a sheepish smile. “Well, see, we don’t know if Celestia will actually let you relax for a few days yet.”

Whatever weight had been lifted off of Rainbow’s shoulders returned tenfold. A sense of dread built up in her gut as her nervous smile was replaced with a frown full of fear and worry. Countless scenarios of her future experiences with the spell flashed through her mind, none of them very pleasant. With so many thoughts racing through her head, all Rainbow could manage to muster out was, “Oh, yeah.”

“But wait!” Twilight said, still trying to keep her friend calm. “We still don’t know if she won’t give you a break.”

“Uh, yeah. I don’t mean to be a downer, but didn’t she say something about needing me for the ‘utmost importance’ or something? You really think she’ll give me a few days to relax?”

Twilight shrugged. “I mean, we won’t know if we don’t ask, right?”

Rainbow still had her doubts, but she was probably just worrying too much. After all, this was Princess Celestia that they were talking about. What was the worst that she could do if they asked for a break? Say no? Even then, it didn’t seem like the sort of thing she’d do. She figured that it was at least worth a shot. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Don’t worry. This won’t take long at all.” Twilight looked over at the corner of her library. There, she saw Spike helping himself to a few of her experimental gems, much to her annoyance. “Spike!”

The dragon immediately dropped a ruby from his hand before giving Twilight the biggest grin he could muster. “Yeah, Twilight?”

“You can have some gems later. I need you to take a letter.”

Tick. Tock.

Every, single, solitary tick of that grandfather clock banged like a drum in Celestia's ears. She had never even noticed how loud that ticking actually was. Usually, she came to her bedroom for moments of silence, but this day felt different. It felt too quiet, and that only made that clock’s incessant ticking all the more annoying.

She leaned back, taking a deep breath as she looked out of her nearby window. Peace. That was all she wanted. Plain and simple. A peaceful land where no one, be they a pony, zebra, griffon, or buffalo, would have to worry about violence or crime. She had been doing a decent enough job with that, hasn’t she?

Actually, in retrospect, there was that incident with her sister, then Discord's little chaotic spree a year later. Then there was that issue with Chrysalis at her niece's wedding. Then there was that parasprite infestation in Ponyville, and the small war between the buffalo and ponies at Appleoosa. In fact, there were also a few instances of dragon attacks, now that she thought about it. But those were all minor occurrences. At least minor in the sense that nopony died. Yes, that had to mean something, right?

Honestly, Celestia had no idea why she was thinking of such things. Then again, it was hard to concentrate on anything with that annoying clock ticking away right next her.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Peace. How could something that sounded so simple be so difficult to achieve? Was she really asking for so much?

Tick.

All she wanted was simple peace and quiet.

Tock.

A land where no one needed to hurt anyone.

Tick.

Serenity incarnate.

Tock.

And so far, she couldn't even get a few seconds of silence! Celestia turned a burning hot glare towards the bothersome clock. With a quick flash of magic, she covered the entire thing in an airtight barrier. The clock continued to tick and tock away, but not a single peep escaped that barrier. A relieved smile crawled onto her face as she experienced a few precious seconds of sweet, sweet silence. Perhaps now she could finally focus more on her thoughts.

Or at least, she'd be able to if it weren't for another inconvenient distraction. This time, it came in the form of a letter materializing before her in a flash of green fire. It must've been another letter from Twilight Sparkle. Celestia, admittedly, was rather curious about what it was for. Twilight had already sent her weekly friendship report, so what was this one about? Unfurling the rolled up parchment in her magical grasp, Celestia read it to find out.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I never like bringing bad news, but I feel that this is something you need to hear. I've just spoken with Rainbow Dash, and I fear that my suspicions surrounding the integrity of her psyche have been confirmed. She claims that she saw Shadow in her home, and I believe her. Hallucinations like these are becoming more frequent, and her headaches are becoming more painful. I'm beginning to fear for her mental well-being. If this goes on, she may never be able to recover from this.

Please know that I don't want to place Equestria in danger, but I don't want to risk my friends' safety either, at least if it can be helped. So please, from a student to her teacher, I implore you to consider postponing your sessions with Rainbow until these side effects go away. However, if there’s anything that I or the others can do to help, please let us know as soon as possible, and we’ll do it without question.

I guess that just about covers it. Oh, I hope she takes this well. Wait. Spike, are you writing this all down? Stop! Stop it! Will you just… never mind.

Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle

A pained smile appeared on Celestia's face as she lowered the letter. That was just like Twilight, putting herself in danger for the safety of her friends. Perhaps Celestia was approaching this in the entirely wrong way. Keeping Twilight in the dark about this just didn’t seem like the best way to go about this. She and her friends have proven on several occasions that they could handle a variety of dangers. Maybe they could prove useful this time as well. Especially Rainbow Dash, despite her supposed conditions. It was dangerous obviously, but worth the risk. There still were certain things that worried her, however.

Knowing Twilight, she’d no doubt accept the task that Celestia was planning to give her, but that wasn’t what the princess was worried about. This journey could be unlike any other they’ve been on, the dangers unlike anything they’ve faced so far. She needed to do everything she could to ensure that they remained as safe as possible. She could no longer afford any mistakes.

Putting down Twilight’s letter, Celestia took up her own quill and parchment. She put the quill to the parchment, mentally preparing herself to write. Seconds ticked by. Then minutes. Still, the parchment remained blank. The quill trembled in Celestia’s grip as she tried to force herself to write something. Anything. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

It didn’t work.

In a fit of sudden anger, Celestia crumpled up the parchment into a tiny ball, throwing it and the quill far, far away from her. She couldn’t do this. It wasn’t that she was worried that Twilight would deny the task; she’d go to the ends of Equestria if Celestia asked her to. It wasn’t even that this could prove to be too dangerous a task; Twilight and her friends have undergone far worse than this. Physical danger was still likely, but not Celestia’s main concern.

There were secrets. Secrets stemming from Celestia’s past that she spent a thousand years hiding from the public eye. Unfortunately, not all of the connections to her past have been cut off permanently. That was what worried her. If Twilight and her friends ran into too many of the wrong ponies, those secrets Celestia spent so long trying to hide could seep out into the open. If that were to happen, then she could only hope that their loyalty, especially Twilight’s, would keep them from viewing her in a darker light. She’d go as far as saying that they would do that without question, but as Celestia learned throughout her long, long life, nothing was absolute.

At the very least, she knew that they could handle whatever she had to throw at them, but that didn’t take away from the fact that this could tarnish the relationship she developed with them over the years. She felt so sure of this plan just a scant few minutes ago, but now she was beginning to question if it really was worth the risk.

She needed time to think about this.

“Your Highness! Urgent news!”

But as usual, that time would have to wait, as one of her guards came rushing towards her as fast as she could.

“What is it?” Celestia asked as he came to a stop before her.

“It’s Postal. He has… escaped.” The guard could hardly look at the princess as he informed her of the news, and for good reason. As soon as he glanced up at the white alicorn, a freezing cold chill ran down his spine.

Celestia’s eyes bore no signs of worry or anxiety. Instead, they were cold. Dead. The closest thing to a hint of emotion was the slight furrowing of her brow as she stared down at the guard. Her gaze froze him firmly in place. He didn’t dare run. Never in his life did he see the princess with such a deceptively calm, yet angry stare.

“Would you mind repeating that?” Celestia asked. She tried her best to remain calm, but the expression on her face betrayed the gentle tone behind her voice.

Just the idea of repeating what he just said made the guard put the guard in a state of panic unlike anything he’s ever felt before. He, and just about every other sentient being in Equestria looked up to Celestia as an all-forgiving, benevolent being. The ‘Mother of Equestria’ some would call her. She simply wasn’t the type of pony many could see being capable of anger, yet here she was, looking as though she’d reduce him to nothing more than a pile of dust at any given moment. No, that didn’t sound like something she’d do, but again, the guard never saw Celestia like this.

“Well?” Celestia said, the impatience creeping into her voice.

By this point, the guard was trembling like a terrified filly. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. If he didn’t say anything, Celestia would get angry. If he did say something, Celestia would get angry. What a conundrum. Through chattering teeth, the guard began to speak. “Postal, he… he escaped us. We were unable to arrest him.”

Celestia sighed, nodding in understanding. “I see. How?”

The guard, expecting immediate disintegration upon his answer, was surprised by the question. “Um, I beg your pardon?”

“How did Postal Stamp, an old mailpony, manage to escape a group of trained and armed guards?” The anger in her eyes and voice seemed to have left, though the tension was still thick in the air.

“He caught us off guard with some type of smokescreen. He slipped away during the ensuing chaos.”

“And instead of pursuing him, you decided to come here? Please, I’m trying to make sense of all this.”

“I was only following orders,” the guard said, trying to defend himself.

“Of course you were. Well, in that case, here are some more for you to follow.” Celestia stood from her seat and walked up to the cowering guard. If he felt small before, then he felt absolutely minuscule as Celestia towered over him, those same, cold eyes staring down at him. “Go back to your fellow guards and continue your search. If you have to scour every inch of Canterlot, or even Equestria, to find him, so be it. I want him found. Do not return until you do.”

The stern tone behind her voice was all he needed to hear. This was not the time nor the place to make any mistakes. He needed to make sure that he followed Celestia’s every word. That was what his mind was saying. Unfortunately, his body had different ideas. It chose to stay put, shaking like a leaf, much to Celestia’s annoyance.

“What are you waiting for?” she asked.

That was more than enough to make the guard regain his senses. In the blink of an eye, he darted out of Celestia’s bedroom, desperate to leave her sight.

With him gone, Celestia sat back down amongst her pillows, heaving a much needed sigh to calm her nerves. If things kept going the way they did, she'd never stamp out the source of the problem. She needed to go about this differently. Get more eyes in more places. Her guards seemed like the most obvious choice, but she wasn't feeling very confident of their abilities at the moment. When did they become so inept? Goodness, Twilight and her friends would be a better choice.

Suddenly, Celestia sat straight back up as an idea popped into her mind. "That could work." Perhaps the six of them didn't need to face any actual danger after all. Even her past could remain in secrecy, assuming she pointed them in the right directions, of course. Now she just needed a way to word this letter.

Snatching up her quill and parchment yet again, Celestia began to write.

Twilight paced back and forth across her library. Her rainbow-maned friend hovered in the air, her forelegs crossed in impatience. Seconds had gone by since Twilight sent that letter, and Celestia was always very quick with responses, especially if they were urgent. But this time, there was nothing. A few seconds became a few minutes. A few minutes became a dozen, and those dozen became a dozen more. Still no response.

“Well?” Rainbow asked. “What’s taking so long? Did Spike send it to the right castle?”

“I don’t think Spike has anything to do with this. Maybe she just needs to think about it.”

Rainbow’s mouth fell open in disbelief. She could barely find words to say. “Wha—Twi, I don’t—I’m losing my mind over here and Celestia has to think about it?”

Twilight looked up at her airborne friend as she continued her futile attempt to calm her down. “I mean, we don’t know what else she has to consider. This might not be as simple as she thought.”

“Twilight, I still don’t—”

“And besides,” Twilight cut in, “she didn’t send a letter saying that you couldn’t take a break. Maybe you should take it easy.”

Rainbow still wore a pout, but couldn’t deny that Twilight had a point. She finally had some time for relaxation after what she’d been through. She might as well take advantage of it. She reluctantly plopped down on the floor, legs still crossed. “Oh, fine.”

Twilight approached the moody pegasus and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Do you feel okay now?”

Rainbow considered it for a moment, and eventually just shrugged. “Meh. Better than usual, I guess. Ever since the spells, these headaches have been pretty bad, but now they’re just—” Rainbow winced as another sharp pain shot through her skull. “Ugh, annoying.”

“Well, hopefully they’ll go away soon.” The uncertainty was still clear in Rainbow’s face. To help calm her, Twilight took the pegasus in a warm, heartfelt hug. “You’ll be fine. I promise.”

“I hope you’re right,” Rainbow said, breaking away from the hug.

“I know I am,” Twilight said, still smiling. “Just remember what I said; try to take it easy for a while, okay?”

If Rainbow didn’t look worried before, she certainly did now. Just when she thought her day couldn’t get any worse. “Uh, yeah. About that—”

“Rainbow. Promise me.”

Rainbow considered arguing against it, but there really wouldn’t have been much point. When it came to Twilight, she’d be better off trying to argue to a brick wall. “Fine, I promise,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

Twilight nodded in approval. “Come on, we should tell the others that you’re back. They’re worried sick about you.” She walked towards the front door, Rainbow following behind.

“Yeah, I can imagine,” she muttered under her breath.

Still down in the basement, Star Light breathed a tired sigh as she sat down at her desk. Marigold and her master have long since left, the trio finally forming a plan. They all came to the agreement that trying to prevent Rainbow from going to Trottingham at all would prove to be too much trouble with the short amount of time that they had. So, they approached things differently.

Come tomorrow, first thing in the early morning, Star and Marigold would meet outside Trottingham’s city gates. Since it would still be early, the streets would be relatively clear of witnesses, leaving them free to locate the supposed restaurant without worry.

Upon locating it, they would… eliminate any possible threats within and around the immediate vicinity. With the two mares working together, they were likely able to complete that phase of the plan within a few hours. After that, they would simply linger about the city, ensuring that any enemy reinforcements were also promptly dealt with. By the time Rainbow would come, any threats would be dealt with.

It seemed like an ideal plan, but Star Light wasn’t necessarily at ease just yet. There were still a few things niggling away at the back of her mind, and no matter how hard she tried, those things would not go away. The plan seemed fine, but it still left Rainbow having to deal with the devastating fact that her parents weren’t going to be there. The crushed expression that was bound to be on the pegasus’ face refused to leave Star’s mind. And there was little that she could do to prevent that.

Star Light shook those thoughts out of her head, slapping some sense back to herself. “Come now, Star Light,” she said. “Stay focused. You cannot afford to lose it now.” Another tired sigh passed through her lips as she rested her head on her desk. “Maybe I need fresh air.” With a yawn, the unicorn picked herself up and climbed up the basement stairs.

Star Light had little in the way of words to describe her feelings for Ponyville. She didn’t even think that places like this existed anymore. Everywhere she looked, there were ponies happily chatting away with friends, nary a care in the world. They even shared small talk with others who just happened to be walking by at the time. There was none of the hectic hustle and bustle that made up cities like Manehattan or Canterlot. This was just a small, tight-knit community where everypony knew everypony. She had to admit, thought she had only been there for a few years, the place’s positive atmosphere did manage to rub off on her, if only by a bit. It certainly did wonders to help her calm down.

For the first time in a while, she had left the comfort of her home without a final destination in mind. She simply wanted to wander; for how long, she didn’t know. For the time being, she merely walked, taking in the fresh air and the cool breeze brushing against her coat.

She had forgotten just how small Ponyville was; her house was located near the city’s edge, yet she found herself reaching town square in as little as five minutes. Its compact size only served to reinforce that ‘tight-knit community’ aspect of the town, both for better and worse. Perhaps that was why she opted for the isolation her home provided. Even if she didn’t want to see a pony, the town’s small size made avoiding them something of a tricky task.

Case in point, Star Light found herself in uncomfortably close proximity to the library. She almost thought that it’d be nothing to worry about, but then the library’s front door opened, and out walked out two ponies that Star really didn’t want to see just yet.

As Twilight and Rainbow left the library, the pink unicorn hid herself behind a nearby tree trunk. She breathed a quiet sigh in relief as the two mares continued on, oblivious to her presence. The fact that those two would leave the building at that exact moment only served as more proof that some higher power was out to get her.

As she spied on the two ponies, Star Light found her gaze constantly drifting over to the rainbow-maned pegasus. She simply couldn’t believe what she was seeing. From everything that she already heard about Rainbow, she expected the pegasus to be a depressed wreck, or at least a cynical wreck like Star was. But there she was, chatting away with that unicorn friend of hers. She was even smiling. Laughing, for Equestria’s sake!

That strange feeling Star felt before came rushing back, but now she had a clue about what it was. Seeing Rainbow as happy as she was, seeing her with friends, it all filled her gut with an uneasy feeling of tension and anxiety. Envy was what it was. Yes, that seemed about right. Star had expected certain emotions to come out during this mission of hers, yes, but this was something that she simply didn’t expect, not after the things she heard.

Star suddenly shook her head. She needed to get those thoughts and feelings out of her head. She couldn’t let her emotions get the better of her. Not again. She needed to stay focused.

Thankfully, Rainbow and Twilight weren’t walking in her direction. The element of stealth was still on Star’s side. Once the pair was a safer distance away, Star felt that it was safe to finally move again.

“Hi!”

Unfortunately, she didn’t get the chance to move a single muscle before a hot pink pony that literally appeared out of nowhere popped right into her path. Star leapt back a good few feet as that pink pony just beamed a scarily wide smile at her. “Uh, hel—”

“Are you new in town? I’ve never seen you before, but I know everypony in Ponville, so if I never saw you before, then you must be new here! Oh, I like your mane! I’ve never seen a white mane before! It looks super-duper cool! Oh. Oh! Do your parents have white manes too? That’d be so neat! It reminds me of a time when…”

The bubbly pony’s ramblings turned to little more than a very loud buzzing in Star’s ears as a terrifying realization hit her. She wasn’t stopping, and from the sounds of it, wasn’t going to any time soon. Her eyes shifted over to the two ponies that she was trying to avoid. With the volume that the chatty pink mare spoke at, she was no doubt going to attract their attention. Star needed to get away from that pony. “This is all very nice, miss,” Star said, talking over the mare’s continued ramblings, “but I really must get going.” She tried to walk past the pony, only to have her jump right in her path again.

“I’m Pinkie Pie!” she said, sticking out a friendly hoof.

Star looked at the hoof as if it were covered in some sort of toxic sludge. She glanced at Rainbow and Twilight again. They were even further away, and only growing further away for every second that Star stayed here. If introducing herself to this pink obstacle would get rid of her, then Star would have to do it as quickly as possible. “Hello, Pinkie,” she said, shaking Pinkie’s hoof. “I’m Star Light. It was a pleasure to meet you. Bye, now.”

Star tried to walk past Pinkie once again, and once again, Pinkie popped right back in front of her. “Oh! Star Light? That’s so weird! That sounds a lot like the name of another friend of mine, Twilight! Well, her whole name is Twilight Sparkle, and your name doesn’t sound like ‘Twilight Sparkle’, but your whole name sounds a lot like her first name.”

“Yes, yes, that’s very nice. Now, if you’ll please excuse—”

“Do you like books, too? Twilight loves books! Oh, you two can be such great friends! In fact, Twilight’s right over there! Here, I’ll call her!”

Star’s eyes went wide with shock. “I-I really don’t think that’s—”

“Twilight!” Pinkie called.

“—necessary.” Yes, it was official. Something really did have it in for her. So much for her stress-relieving walk.

Twilight and Rainbow finally reached Pinkie. “Yes, Pinkie?” Twilight asked. “Did you call us?”

The bubbly party pony excitedly bounced her hooves. “Yep, yep, yep! You’ve gotta meet my new best friend! She looks really, really cool! See?” Her two friends, eyebrows raised, looked past her.

“Er, Pinkie,” Twilight began. “Who are you talking about?”

“My new friend, silly! She’s right—” Pinkie whipped around to show off the pony in question, only to stare into a void of empty air. “—here?” A frown appeared on Pinkie’s face for all of a second before another excited smile replaced it. “Oh! Did she vanish? Oh! Oh! I can do that, too! Just watch!”

Rainbow just sighed, hardly in the mood to deal with the pink pony’s antics. “Look, Twi, can we just go find the others?” she asked.

Twilight didn’t hear Rainbow at first. She was too busy looking at Pinkie, who had suddenly gone completely still, a look of absolute concentration on her face. It was the longest that Twilight had ever seen Pinkie frown.

“Twilight!” Rainbow shouted.

The unicorn snapped back into reality. “Huh? Oh, oh, sure. Let’s get—”

“Twilight! Twilight!”

Twilight and Rainbow looked back towards the library in shock. Spike was running towards them as quickly as his little legs could carry him. He clutched a rolled up letter adorned with the royal seal. He stopped in front of the three ponies, panting as he tried to regain his breath. “Letter… Celestia… for… you.”

The two stared at the letter in Spike’s hand in disbelief, Rainbow most of all. “What? Now she decides to send a letter?”

“Spike, let me see that.” Spike gladly let Twilight take the letter up in her magical grip. She unfurled it and began to read.

My Most Faithful Student, I understand and respect your request, and will adhere by it. However, I do believe that there is something you and your friends can still do. Gather the other Elements and meet me at Canterlot’s post office as soon as possible. I will explain more there. And please, Twilight, be careful.
Your Caring Mentor,
Celestia

“What do you think she wants?” Rainbow asked.

“I don’t know. It’s pretty short, but it can’t be anything good if she wants all of us there.” Twilight looked up at her friend. “We should get going. Um, Pinkie? Are you ready to—” Twilight looked towards where she knew the pink pony had to be, only spot nothing. Pinkie had completely vanished. “Where did she go?”

Rainbow just shrugged. “I don’t know. You know how she gets. We’re just gonna run into her again anyway. Besides, we’ve got more important things to do, don’t you think?”

Twilight nodded. “You’re right. Come on, we need to go get the others.” But just as the two began to leave, Spike tapped Twilight on the shoulder. “What is it, Spike?”

“Uh, does this mean I can take a break?” he asked, looking as if he’d collapse right then and there.

Twilight just smiled and rolled her eyes. “Yes, Spike. You can take a break.”

That was all Spike needed to hear. In that same instance, he collapsed on the floor, falling asleep on the spot. Twilight and Rainbow just amusedly glanced down at the sleeping dragon, struggling to hold back their giggles.

“Okay, I’ll go put Spike in bed and then we’ll go get the others. Give me a minute.” Twilight picked Spike up and placed him on her back before trotting back into her home.

Left alone, Rainbow just sat down and waited. What must’ve been only a few seconds went by before another stinging headache shot through her skull. She clutched her skull as tightly as she could, biting her tongue to hold back the wave of screams just waiting to burst out. Ponies who happened to be walking by her at the time quickened their pace, sneaking in a glance or two at the mentally deranged pegasus.

Finally, just as quickly as it came, the pain just went away. It left Rainbow rubbing a sore spot on her head, but she was thankful that it was gone, if not a bit annoyed. “Man, that’s getting annoying.” She shook the lingering drowsiness out of her head before looking ahead. Then she felt her blood run cold. “Not again.”

Yes, again. Not even a few hundred feet away from her, standing amongst the thick crowd of ponies, was that same, accursed mare that Rainbow grew sick of seeing. But this time was different. Shadow wasn’t busy doing some other random activity like last time. Instead, now, she was just standing perfectly still, and even worse, staring directly at Rainbow.

The pegasus felt like she should’ve moved somewhere, ran away, or even just looked away. She should’ve done something, but just like last time, she couldn’t tear her eyes away. It was as if those emerald green eyes put Rainbow in some sort of trance. But the worst part, the one that made Rainbow’s heart stop, was that she could’ve swore that Shadow was smiling at her.

Whatever senses Rainbow lost during this was promptly restored when she felt a sudden prod in her side. She looked over to find Twilight back at her side.

“Hey, ready to go?”

Rainbow opened her mouth, but only a constant flow of unintelligible stutters left it. Questions still racing through her mind, she looked back to where she saw Shadow. Hardly surprising, Shadow wasn’t there anymore, gone just as quickly as she came. Still, Rainbow couldn’t help but keep her eyes glued on the spot where she just was, as if she’d suddenly poof back into existence. Of course, that never happened.

“Rainbow?” The pegasus snapped out of her stupor and looked back at her friend. “Are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s get going.” Before Twilight could say anything else, Rainbow took to the sky, making a beeline for the Carousel Boutique.

As the two sped away from the library, Star kept an eye on them from a nearby bench, one that was much further away from them and that odd ‘Pinkie’ character, thankfully. After hearing what they just discussed, she could hardly believe her own ears. “Celestia wants them in Canterlot?” she asked under her breath. “That can’t be good.”

It was just typical. She went out there for a nice, quiet, calm walk. Not only did she not get that, but she unwittingly, and unwillingly, found herself with another point of interest to follow through with. From what she’d just seen, Rainbow was being used to relive her ancestor’s memories. She could only think of one pony who’d want to do that, and she just called her and her friends to the castle.

Again, just typical.

13: Following the Breadcrumbs

Luna stood before the large doors serving as the entrance to Celestia’s bedroom. On any other day, in any other situation, entering Celestia’s quarters would’ve been as simple and as natural as breathing. But on this day in particular, it was different, in more ways than Luna could even begin to count.

Something was bothering Celestia, that much was obvious. Her shaky behavior, her refusal to answer Luna’s questions, and her annoying insistence that Luna stay in her room all day were all warning signs. In fact, the only way Celestia could’ve appeared any more suspicious at this point would be if Luna walked in on her pacing back and forth, mumbling nonsense to herself. Whatever the case was, she wasn’t going to brush Luna off this time.

After putting on her sternest face, Luna took a deep breath and pushed open the door. “Sister, I—” Whatever speech Luna had planned in her head was lost to her when she laid eyes on the sight in front of her. Her usually calm, collected sister was, in fact, pacing back and forth across her room, mumbling nonsense to herself.

Luna couldn’t make out the exact words, but judging by the worried look on Celestia’s face, it didn’t seem like she was making plans for a party. In fact, it sounded like something along the lines of, “This can’t happen. This won’t happen. I will not allow this to happen.” Regardless, it didn’t help make things any easier for Luna.

After regaining her nerves, Luna cleared her throat. Celestia stopped in her tracks and looked up at her, her worried look immediately replaced with a warm smile. “Oh, Luna. What brings you here?”

Luna had to admit, Celestia had quite the way with expressions. Celestia could be going through a mental breakdown and still be able to put on a heart-warming smile at a second’s notice. It would definitely explain why she was such an expert at persuasion. However, Luna wouldn’t let herself be moved this time; there was nothing to be smiling about. “You’ve seemed rather uneasy as of late,” Luna said. “Is everything alright?”

Celestia’s smile didn’t falter for a moment. “Yes, everything is fine. What would make you think otherwise?”

Luna’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. It was just as she expected; Celestia wasn’t admitting anything yet. Perhaps if she pressed a bit harder. “You’ve just seemed… disturbed about something. On edge, if you will.”

Much to her surprise, Celestia breathed a tired sigh. “Things have been rather stressful lately,” she admitted, sitting down on a pillow. “Then again, when aren’t they?”

Luna sat down next to her sister. It wasn’t often that she saw Celestia visibly stressed and tired. Perhaps finding out what was wrong wouldn’t be as difficult as she thought. As grateful she was for that, she couldn’t help but feel a little peeved. Just when she thought she’d finally get to practice her investigative skills after reading those Hays Attorney novels.

“What is it?” Luna asked. “Perhaps I can help.”

Celestia opened her mouth to say something, but it only came out as another sigh. “I suppose there’s no point at hiding this any longer.”

Luna scooted closer to her sister. It looked like a crack was finally opening. “What do you mean?”

Celestia, almost as if it pained her to do it, looked up directly into Luna’s eyes. “Do you remember what happened to us all of those years ago?”

Luna’s eyes immediately shot wide open. “You mean that incident with the bananas? I assure you, sister, that wasn’t—”

“No, not the bananas! Goodness, no.” After the two of them regained their composure, Celestia went on. “No, further back than that. Back when we were fillies.”

“Oh. That far back. Yes, I remember. Why?”

“And you remember the things we’ve had to go through? The things we’ve done?”

The memories from that long ago, still vivid in Luna’s mind, flashed through her head. “Yes. Yes, I do. But again, why?”

Luna saw something on Celestia’s face that she hadn’t seen in a very, very long time. Her face was scrunched up with hesitation, unease, and the tiniest hint of fear, as if she was scared to say what she wanted to. “How do I put this?”

Before Celestia could continue, Luna placed a hoof gently on her shoulder. “Before you go on, I must ask, does this have anything to do with that prisoner in the dungeon?”

Luna actually saw Celestia stiffen up. She said nothing, but instead nodded. “So, you have been down there,” she said, her voice eerily calm.

“Yes. I heard movement from down there. Rattling chains, it sounded like. So, I decided to investigate.”

Celestia just nodded again. It was all she could do. “I see.”

“He was so bloodied and beaten. Please tell me you didn’t do that.”

Celestia seemed to droop even lower under her sister’s gaze. “Not all of it.”

Luna was nearly struck speechless. She could scarcely recall the last time Celestia harmed another pony, let alone to such an extent. It felt like she was staring at a different pony, a pony she thought disappeared a long, long time ago. “But I don’t understand. Why would you do this?”

“I can’t say that I know. I just… snapped.”

“Snapped? How? What could ever make you do something like this?”

“As composed as I may be, Luna, I am not made of stone. I can still lose control of myself under the appropriate circumstances.”

“But you still haven’t answered my question,” Luna said, her voice and face growing sterner. “What drove you to do such a thing?”

Celestia breathed another sigh before getting up from her pillow. She walked over to her window, staring out into the deep, blue sky. “Luna, the Staff has been stolen.”

Luna cocked her head to the side. “What does that—” Once she realized what Celestia was referring to, her face paled as her eyes went wide with shock. “N-no. You can’t mean that Staff. You don’t do you?” She peered at Celestia, expecting to see her break into laughter, crack a smile, give her a sly wink, anything to tell her that she wasn’t being serious, but Celestia’s expression never wavered. “Please tell me you aren’t serious.”

Celestia just shook her head. “I would never joke about something as dire as this. I’m sorry.”

Through the numbing panic rushing through Luna’s body she pieced together a few connections. “So, the prisoner. Was he the one who did it?”

Again, Celestia shook her head. “No. He was, however, caught attempting to steal the Shroud.”

Luna was so dumbfounded that she didn’t even notice herself standing up. “Why is this happening? How is it happening?”

“I’m afraid that I do not know. I’m still trying to put things together myself.”

“But why am I just now hearing of this? Why wasn’t I told of this sooner?”

Celestia turned around to face her sister, her expression as blank and stoic as ever. “I’ve spent every day and every night considering whether or not I should let you know of this. But…” Celestia trailed off as she tried to find the right words.

“But you doubted that I could handle it,” Luna finished, anger creeping into her voice.

“No, not all. I just know that since you’re still readjusting to modern life, you’re already dealing with your share of stressful things.”

Luna snorted in protest. “I’m well-adjusted to modern life, sister.”

“Luna, just last week you tried to have a young stallion banished to the Everfree for making a joke about socks.”

“Your point?”

“That practice has been abolished for the past seven hundred years.”

Luna looked away from her sister for a moment, kicking at the ground. “But that still did not answer my question. You did not think that I could handle this situation?”

“I was trying to protect you,” Celestia said, doing nothing to calm Luna’s nerves.

“Protect me?” Luna repeated, almost in disbelief. “From what?”

With another sigh, Celestia closed her eyes. “Dealing with this would require us to relive the hardships from our past. The emotional turmoil was terrible enough once, especially so for you. Having to go through it all again… I don’t know. I just feel it was something that you didn’t need to go through.” She looked back up at her sister. “Is that so wrong?”

Despite the sincerity in Celestia’s voice, Luna kept glaring at her. “If I may be so frank, do you understand how dangerous and foolish that is?” When Celestia stayed quiet, Luna continued. “By doing this, you are placing all of Equestria in danger, and for what? To keep me from remembering a few unpleasant memories?”

Celestia still had nothing to say. She couldn’t even maintain eye contact, and instead looked at the ground as Luna continued to berate her.

“I am not a filly anymore, Celestia. When I said that I would stand by your side through anything, I meant anything.” She walked up to Celestia and placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder, a warm smile on her face. “I would go through any pain, physical or emotional, a thousand times over if it meant the protection of our loyal subjects. What you’re doing now is no different than what our father did to us all those years ago.”

Just as Luna thought she was finally getting through to her sister, Celestia shot her head up, staring right into Luna’s eyes with an unbridled fury Luna didn’t even think Celestia was capable of. “Don’t you dare mention him in this castle!” Luna immediately backed away, cowering under the intense heat of Celestia’s livid glare. “I am nothing like him.”

Slowly, Luna stood back up. “I never said that you were. Please, calm down.”

Celestia tried to regain her composure through deep breaths, but her glare didn’t lighten in the slightest.

“Unbelievable,” Luna said. “All of this time, you were worried that I was the one unable to get over our foalhood. However, I believe that the better question is, have you?”

Neither sister said anything else. Neither one backed down for a second. They simply stood there, glaring at each other.

After a few seconds that may as well have been an eternity, there was a knock at the door.

“Enter,” Celestia ordered, keeping her glare fixed on Luna’s.

Without missing a beat, a guard entered the bedroom and immediately bowed. Finally, the two sisters broke eye contact to look at him. “You may rise,” Luna said. The guard complied wordlessly.

“What is it that brings you here?” Celestia asked.

“Your Majesties, Twilight Sparkle and her friends have just arrived at Canterlot Station. They will be at the post office shortly.”

While Celestia nodded, Luna only looked back at her, her glare growing even sharper. “They are here as well? Why?”

Celestia didn’t even glance at Luna as she walked past her. “We can discuss this later,” she said, her horn wrapped in a yellow glow.

“Celestia, wait!” Luna tried to go after her, but as soon as she took a single step forward, Celestia disappeared in a flash of blinding yellow light. To say Luna was angry would’ve been a gross understatement, but instead of taking it out on the poor, ignorant guard, she paced back and forth as she tried to calm down. “Unbelievable. She has the gall to undermine my authority as ruler? Especially now of all times. How dare she?”

The whole time, the guard stood idly by, still as a statue as he awaited his next order.

It took a moment or two, but with a final sigh, Luna finally managed to calm herself. If Celestia honestly thought that Luna was unable to handle the dire situation, then she would have to prove her older sister wrong. As she formed what could be loosely considered a plan in her head, she looked over at the guard. “Tell me, is our prisoner still in the dungeon?”

He didn’t even blink. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

The tiniest of smirks crept onto Luna’s face. “Interesting. That will be all, thank you. You are dismissed.” The guard bowed before walking out of the bedroom.

Finally alone, Luna resumed pacing about the room, putting together an idea. It wasn’t the smartest of ideas, in fact it was rather dumb, but if Luna proved anything in her long, long life, it was that she was all about dumb ideas. How they actually managed to work in the end was a mystery, but she wasn’t going to complain. This was going to work, she could feel it.

With a bravado rarely seen from her, Luna trotted out of the room, ready to put her plan into action.

“I told you guys, I’m fine!” That had to be the tenth time Rainbow repeated that to her friends, fifteen if she counted all the times she said that before getting on the train to Canterlot. Even then, it was all just guesstimating on her part.

Much to her annoyance, Twilight went and told them all about the situation she was stuck in. Thankfully, their reactions, much like Twilight’s, weren’t at all what she thought they’d be. Granted, they were more shocked than Twilight was, but they didn’t think any less of her. Instead, they all became incredibly overbearing.

Over the course of the next hour or so, from the time when the six friends were together to their train ride to Canterlot, everything from a minor headache to a bit of sweat was treated with the same worry and urgency of a stab wound to the chest. Actually, Rainbow really didn’t want to think about stab wounds at the moment. She already had enough to worry about.

Celestia may have given her a much-needed break for a while, but this new quest that she had for them didn’t exactly sound like it was going to be a walk in the park. In fact, it wouldn’t have surprised her if it had something to do with that ‘Apple’ business, but she was just getting ahead of herself.

Staring out into the countryside as it sped by did help take Rainbow’s mind off of things. She would’ve much rather preferred flying through the open skies, which were looking as beautiful as ever, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

Before she could become too lost in her thoughts, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She looked over and saw Applejack sitting next to her.

“Oh, hey AJ. What’s up?”

“Oh, nothin’ much. Just wanted to check and see if you—”

“Yes, AJ. I’m fine.”

Applejack actually looked a bit confused from Rainbow’s sudden outburst. “—er, wanted to play cards with me an’ the girls?”

Rainbow looked behind the farm pony to find the others huddled around a table, cards held in their hooves.

“Stop peeking!” Pinkie cried even though none of them were actually peeking.

“Oh. Cards. Uh, yeah. Yeah. Sure, I’ll play.” Rainbow followed Applejack over to the table and took a seat in front of her own set of cards. “So, what’re you guys playing?”

“Good, ol’ fashioned poker. Gamble-free, o’ course. Not everypony here knows the in an’ outs of the game. Not gonna name names, though.” Applejack did, however, shoot a very obvious glance towards the fashionista across from her.

Rarity stared at her cards like they were in some sort ancient text. “Um, what’s a flush again, darlings?”

“It’s when all of your cards are the same suit,” Twilight answered. “For example, if you have all diamonds."

Rarity’s eyes immediately lit up. “Oh, really? I think I may have one!”

Every single one of her friends simply could not have put their cards down faster.

“I fold.”

“Foldin’.”

“Check! I mean, fold!”

“Um, I fold. Sorry.”

To say Rarity was mad would’ve been an understatement. The heat from her glare was enough to melt a block of ice.

“Oh, don’t get your mane in a twist,” Applejack said, placing a hoof on Rarity’s back. “But next time, ya might wanna keep that kinda information to yourself.”

Rarity just huffed in response, throwing her cards down as well.

“So, am I gonna get in on this or what?” Rainbow asked.

“Oh, of course. Here, let me reshuffle the cards.” Twilight took up all of the cards in her magic, and after a few shuffles of the deck, dealt out the cards.

Before Rainbow could take up her own cards, she noticed something different about them. Just by looking at the identical designs on their backside, she could tell that they were unlike any of the usual cards she saw foals, and even professional players use. They seemed older as well, slightly yellow with age, and were as stiff as cardboard. “Uh, Twi? Are these cards yours?”

“Yep. Why?”

Rainbow took up the cards and observed the other side. The numbered cards looked enough of the same, but the face cards were what caught her attention. She only had a king, but the pony depicted on it nearly made Rainbow’s heart stop. Up until this moment, Rainbow had only seen cards that depicted the princesses. But there, on that king, was a deep blue unicorn that Rainbow knew all too well.

The beginnings of a headache throbbed in her head, but she tried her hardest to push the pain back. She shook her head in an effort to clear her head. It made a minuscule amount of pain go away, but she was at least able to think straight. “These look kinda old. Where’d you find ‘em?”

“They were in an old cardboard box from when I moved here from Canterlot. I guess Celestia put them in there as a little going-away gift. But you’re right, they are old. Over a thousand years old. It’s a miracle that they don’t disintegrate to the touch. In fact,” Twilight took out a king and showed the face to her friends, “this stallion here is one of the previous rulers of Equestria, King—”

“King Neptune,” Rainbow finished.

Twilight nodded. “Wow, Rainbow. I didn’t think you’d know who he was.”

“I’ve had some up-close experience with him.”

“You’re tellin’ me. Most Ah got from my ancestors were a few dusty recipes passed down the generations. But you... you got quite the family history, Rainbow."

“Well, you can borrow mine any day of the week.” They all shared a laugh together. Rainbow had to admit, things turned out far better than she ever expected. She had no clue why she ever doubted her friends in the first place; they’d never abandon her for any reason, and she felt like an absolute idiot thinking otherwise. She had some of the best friends a pony could ask for, the very least she could do was act like it.

“So, do any of you actually know what the princess would want with us?” Rarity asked, finally picking up her own cards.

A frown formed on Twilight’s face as she still tried to figure out what Celestia’s message to her could mean. “Her letter was pretty vague, but it didn’t sound like anything good.”

“Nothin’ good like Discord? Dragons? Parasprites? Anythin’ like that?”

Twilight just shook her head. “I don’t know. I just know that she wants us to do… something. What that something is, I have no idea.”

Rainbow lazily sat back, picking up her cards as well. Thankfully, she got over the shock of the ponies depicted in the cards, and just wanted to play the game. “How bad could it be if she wants us to stop by the post office? Heh, maybe she needs us to carry some heavy packages.”

Even though Rainbow managed to chuckle at her own joke, none of her friends joined in. Well, Pinkie did, but then again, she laughed at just about anything.

Twilight seemed the most exasperated out of all of them. “This is serious, Rainbow. Between what Celestia told us about this plot to overthrow her, and everything you’ve been through lately, we might be getting involved in something we had no idea even existed.”

“Well, we won’t know until we find out, will we?”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but simply shook her head. She took a fleeting glance out of the window and promptly sat straight up in her seat. "Hey, we’re here!” Before she could even turn towards her friends, they all crowded around a single window as Canterlot came into view.

It didn’t matter how many times they went to Canterlot, the sight of the magnificent city was always enough to take their breath away. From the elegantly crafted buildings, to the bright, regal clothes of ponies walking the street, to the absolutely perfect view of Canterlot Castle, the city was truly a sight to behold.

The train slowed to a stop at the train station. Twilight and her friends, along with dozens of other ponies, stepped out onto the platform. Twilight took in a deep breath, basking in the crisp, fresh air that seemed all the more sweeter after being cooped up in that sweaty carriage for so long.

She looked back to her friends. “You girls ready?” They all nodded. Twilight looked ahead, a determined look plastered on her face. “Then let’s get going. Princess Celestia is waiting for us. Come on!”

Twilight trotted out of the station with the others following behind. Unfortunately, amongst the vast amount of other ponies, they failed to notice the pink unicorn trailing closely behind them.

Finding their way to the post office was no problem at all. Twilight had spent more than enough times in Canterlot to know the place like the back of her hoof, so navigating the streets was nothing that worried her. What did worry her, however, was Rainbow Dash. She finally managed to convince the others to give Rainbow some space, but that didn’t mean that they were any less worried, especially Twilight.

Ever since they got off of the train, Rainbow kept taking worried glances all around the city, looking at the various buildings like a lost foal in a new, strange place. Twilight was initially willing to save the questions for later, but Rainbow simply wouldn’t stop looking confused, even when looking at buildings that she’s been in. After a while, Twilight could no longer hold her tongue.

“Rainbow, are you sure you’re alright?” she asked, slowing to a stop.

As expected, Rainbow rolled her eyes with an annoyed sigh. “Twi, I already told you, I’m fine.”

“I know you said that, but are you really? Ever since we’ve gotten here, you’ve looked uncomfortable. Like you’re confused about something. Are you?”

Rainbow opened her mouth to say something else, presumably a very loud, very clear denial, but with a quick snort, closed it.

As she scuffed her hoof on the ground, Twilight walked over to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Rainbow, I know things are tough right now, but we’re still here for you. If you can’t tell your friends when something’s wrong, who can you tell?”

“Yeah,” Applejack chimed in. “We may not know much about what’s been goin’ on, but that don’t mean you can’t talk to us about it.” The others nodded in agreement.

Rainbow nodded as well. “Yeah. Yeah, you guys are right. I shouldn’t try to hide stuff like this from you.”

“It’s okay,” Twilight assured. “This is some pretty heavy stuff. I don’t even know how I’d react to it. Now, what’s been bothering you?”

“I mean, it’s not even that big of a deal, but okay.” Rainbow took one last look at all of the surrounding buildings. “It’s just that these buildings all feel, I don’t know, different. Like they moved or something.”

“Well, they certainly haven’t moved since we’ve last been here,” Rarity said.

“I know, but still. They just don’t feel right.”

“Hmm.” Twilight brought a hoof up to her chin as she thought of a possible reason. “Tell me, did Shadow ever visit Canterlot during one of your sessions?”

Rainbow perked right up. “Oh, yeah. In today’s one she went there.”

“Well, there’s your answer. Canterlot must’ve looked completely different back then. Your mind must still be readjusting to everything.”

“Yeah, well, that’d explain the headaches,” Rainbow said, rubbing her head as she felt another one coming on. “But, uh, that’s not all that’s been bugging me.”

Twilight cocked her head to the side. “Really? Well, what else is there?”

Rainbow opened her mouth again, but suddenly found herself a bit more hesitant to speak. “Well, uh, I kinda didn’t wanna tell you guys about this so that you wouldn’t freak out. So… don’t freak out, okay?”

All of her friends unconsciously took a step closer, an unnerving sense of tension in the air. “Rainbow, what is it?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow looked left, then she looked right. After seeing that the coast was clear, she leaned in herself. “I think we’re being followed." Everypony's eyes went wide with shock, much to Rainbow’s annoyance. “I said don’t freak out!” she hissed.

“Followed?” Applejack repeated, whispering herself. “Who’s followin’ us?”

“Does somepony else know about our meeting with the princess?” Rarity asked.

Pinkie suddenly gasped far louder than she should have. “Maybe it’s a spy!”

“I don’t know who it is!” Rainbow said, her voice barely under a whisper. “I just know that I kept hearing somepony right behind us, but whenever I turned around, nothing was there.”

“But if that's the case, then how come we didn’t hear anything?” Rarity asked.

Rainbow shrugged. “Heightened senses.”

“Beg your pardon?”

“Side effects of the spell,” Twilight clarified. Afterwards, she looked around the street herself. Aside from a few passersby, there was nopony else there, especially nopony looking suspicious. “Are you sure it wasn’t a hallucination? You know those are potential side effects as well.”

“I know. I mean, I don’t know. I mean—gah! Look, I don’t know what it was, alright?”

Twilight took a step back to give Rainbow some room. “Rainbow, calm down. Nopony’s accusing you of lying. It was just a possibility. However, if somepony really is following us, then maybe it’d be best if we arrived to our destination in a different way.”

“Oh! Are you gonna teleport us there?” Pinkie asked, already bouncing at the thought.

“No, Pinkie. I’m going to teleport—wait. Uh, yes, that’s exactly what I was going to do. Everypony huddle around.” As Twilight channeled the magic into her horn, her friends gathered in a tight circle around her.

In almost no time at all, her horn was wrapped in a lavender glow that only grew brighter as the seconds ticked by. “Ready?” When the girls nodded, Twilight released all of her magic, entrapping all of them in a large dome of magic. That dome appeared for all of half a second before it disappeared, along with the six mares.

Seconds of silence passed by before a pink unicorn stepped out of a nearby alley, walking up to where the six mares were. Her calm exterior did a fine job of hiding the frustration she felt inside. But despite the annoyance she felt at having lost Rainbow’s trail, she still couldn’t help but smile.

I’ll have to give them this one, she thought. That was a rather impressive move on their part. She looked up into the deep blue sky, brushing white locks of mane out of her eyes. But I’m more impressed by you, Rainbow. You’ve only just now begun spending time with Shadow, and you’re already picking up her skill. A good thing, I suppose, since everything is doomed to hit the fan at this rate.

Star Light started down the street again. Where to, she honestly didn’t know yet. But if you honestly think you can hide from me, let alone them, then you’re in for more trouble than you could possibly imagine.

In the blink of an eye, Twilight and her friends reappeared outside of the post office. Despite their rather sudden appearance, the two guards standing watch outside the door didn’t even flinch, only looked down at the mares as they approached. “Twilight Sparkle?” one asked.

“Yes. My friends and I are here to meet with Princess Celestia.”

The guards casted fleeting glances over the six mares. After a moment of breathless silence they stepped aside. “You may proceed,” one said.

Twilight graciously nodded her head. “Thank you. Come on, girls. Let’s go.” With the guards allowing them entry, Twilight pushed the door open, her friends eagerly waiting behind her.

As soon as she opened it by more than a crack, a misty cloud of smoke poured out from inside, wrapping around their legs.

“Whoa. What happened here?” Rainbow asked.

“I don’t know,” Twilight, covering her nose and mouth. “Maybe the princess can clue us in. Come on.” She and the others stepped inside the building, careful not to inhale the smoke.

Inside, the entire room was filled with a light haze of smoke, as if there was a fire. Nothing seemed burned, or even damaged, though. In fact, it looked like the worst of the damage was a mess of papers at the front counter.

All throughout the room, Celestia’s guards were scouring the floor, the walls, some pegasi even searching the ceiling for any form of clue. And in the middle of it all, watching over her guards like a hawk, was Celestia herself.

She looked over to Twilight and her friends, smiling as she saw them. “Twilight. I’m so happy that you and your friends could make it.”

The six mares approached the princess, quickly bowing down once they were close. “It wasn’t a problem at all, Princess. We’re always happy to help.”

She shifted her attention to Rainbow Dash. “Hello, Rainbow.”

With Celestia’s gaze suddenly on her, Rainbow almost shrank a little. “Oh, uh, hi.” Even ignoring everything that’d happened over the past few days, it always felt a little intimidating to have the ruler of Equestria staring down at her like that.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“I feel… fine. Yeah, fine.”

“Are you sure?”

Rainbow shuffled her hooves on the ground. “Well, I’m still a bit out of it, but it’s nothing major.”

Celestia’s smile only grew warmer. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“What is it you wanted, Princess?” Twilight asked. “What happened here?”

The smile on Celestia’s face quickly turned into a frown. “I fear that there may be several ponies with ill intentions planned for me and Luna.”

Nopony could hardly believe what they just heard. “Wait, what? Who could want that? Do you know?”

Celestia shook her head. “I’m afraid I do not know. However, I have managed to trace one of these plotters here. Unfortunately, I was unable to capture him.”

“Well, if there’s anything you need us to do, please just tell us,” Twilight requested.

 “Yeah, you know we’re always willin’ to help out, no matter what.”

Celestia’s smile returned to her. It was just as she had hoped; just as always, they were willing to do anything. Perhaps things wouldn’t be as bad as she originally imagined.

Finding anything that could be remotely considered a clue was far easier said than done, as Twilight and the others quickly found out. It looked like it didn’t matter if they scoured every inch of ground a hundred times over, there didn’t seem to be anything worth finding. It certainly didn’t help that Pinkie, on several occasions, kept stepping on the floor tile that shot out more smokescreen, only making things even harder to see.

Twilight just finished rummaging through an entire pile of mail before turning her attention towards Rainbow, who was busy with her own pile. “Rainbow. Have you found anything yet?”

Rainbow lifted her head out of the pile. “Nope.” She continued picking up letters, tossing away the ones that weren’t of any use to her. “Just a bunch of junk, love letters, and a… subscription to Plot Magazine. Huh. But nothing useful.”

“Do you think there’s anything here at all?”

Rainbow shrugged. “Like I got a clue. So far, I’ve just found a bunch of nothing.”

Twilight kicked aside a few discarded envelopes littering the floor. “Maybe we’re looking in the wrong place.”

“Well, where else can we look? This ain’t exactly a big building.”

“Hmm.” Twilight tapped a hoof on her chin as she looked around the area. The rest of her friends were still busy sifting through bags of mail as Celestia observed them. Then her eyes fell on the front counter. “Have you checked behind the counter over there?”

Rainbow stopped reading through another letter as she shifted her attention over to the counter right next to her. “Oh, uh, no. Right, gimme a sec.” She leisurely tossed away the letter in her hoof before getting up and walking behind the counter. Back there, she found another plethora of papers stacked inside tiny cupboards, and even more littering the floor. It didn’t look like the guards were doing a very good job at keeping the place clean; it was no wonder they couldn’t find anything of use.

Picking up a small pile of papers, Rainbow quickly got to skimming through them. Unfortunately, they yielded results no more interesting than what she’s already found. In fact, they were less interesting. At least the previous ones had a bit of spice to them, with the various love letters and subscriptions to magazines that may or may not have been her own. But the papers she was holding were just logs kept for ingoing and outgoing mail. Maybe Twilight would’ve had better luck with these, but Rainbow couldn’t find anything useful in them, so she just threw them back on the ground.

Not even the urgency of the situation was enough to keep Rainbow from feeling bored. If she wanted to sift through stacks of boring papers, she’d have gone to work. Still, if Celestia was certain that there was something here worth finding, then Rainbow couldn’t quit just yet. She’d have to look a bit harder.

Scanning over the floor, Rainbow took note of a tile protruding out of the ground ever so slightly. It must’ve been the one that triggered that stupid smokescreen, but there was something else as well. Another tile a few spaces away was slightly misaligned with the rest, like it was detached from the floor.

Following a hunch, Rainbow walked up to the tile and gave it a quick kick. Just as she suspected, it slid off to the side, revealing something that both shocked and annoyed her. There was a small hole dug into the ground where the tile used to be, a hole that contained even more bucking papers. Rainbow, however, was willing to cast aside her annoyance long enough to give them a read. After all, it wasn’t like ponies simply hid things in holes for the fun of it. But if these were papers describing the sacred, ancient ways of mailpony services or something equally as stupid, Rainbow was going to call it quits right then and there.

“Rainbow, did you find anything?” Twilight called out.

“I think so,” Rainbow called back. “Gimme a sec.” She picked the short stack of papers and started scanning through the first of them. However, just as she was halfway through it, she did something she never thought she’d do. Rainbow, the same pony who despised any book that wasn’t related to Daring Do with a passion hotter than Celestia’s sun, returned to the top of the letter, and actually read it. She took in every sentence, every word, her eyes growing wider the further she read.

In a single bound, not even flapping her wings, Rainbow leapt over the front counter, papers still in hoof. “Guys, come here! I think I found something.” All of her friends, Celestia included, hurried over to the pegasus.

“Rainbow, what did you find?” Celestia asked.

Rainbow held out the letters, which Celestia promptly took up in her magic. “I found those in a hole behind the counter.”

“I see.” Celestia silently read the letters to herself, her expression flat and unmoving. Not even a minute later, she glanced down at Twilight and her friends, who were silently awaiting some type of response. Celestia’s rolled up the papers. “We’re going to Hoofington.”

The six mares didn’t even have time to respond to that before Celestia walked right past them. Twilight took a few steps after her. “Hoofington? Why? What did the letters say?”

“Postal Stamp is meeting with one of his conspirators there. At an old museum, if I understand correctly.”

“Can I read them? Maybe there’s something that I can—”

“That can wait until later,” Celestia cut in. “Enough time has been lost already. Whatever can be explained now, can be explained on the way to Hoofington. If we do not take advantage of this chance now, we may never again get another one like it. Do you understand?”

“I…” There were a few things on Twilight’s mind that she wanted to say, but given the stability of the situation, or lack thereof, it would’ve been better to wait until things calmed down. “Yes, Princess. Whatever you say.”

Celestia nodded graciously, smiling down at her student. “And the rest of you understand as well, yes?”

All of Twilight’s friends, in one way or another, expressed their understanding. All of them, except for Rainbow Dash. Whether or not she even knew she was doing it, she had a confused look on her face, as if she was having some type of mental argument with herself.

“Rainbow, is everything okay?” Celestia asked.

Rainbow immediately snapped out of her stupor. “Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Like I said, still a little out of it.”

“Very well.” Celestia continued towards the door. “I’ll send for a chariot immediately. Do not leave this building.”

“We won’t move a muscle,” Twilight assured.

With a final nod, Celestia, along with her guards, left the building, leaving Twilight and the others to themselves. As soon as they were alone, Applejack turned her attention towards Rainbow.

“Hey, you alright there, Rainbow? We almost lost ya again for a second there.”

“I don’t know. I must be more out of it than I thought.”

“Well, just hang in there. Things might be lookin’ a bit bad now, but Ah’m sure this’ll all be over before we know it.

As much as Rainbow appreciated Applejack’s optimism, she couldn’t help but slouch over. “Yeah, I hope you’re right.”

He was weak. He was tired. He was hungry. His joints ached, nearly on the verge of snapping. The chains clamped around his hooves dug deeper into his skin with every slight movement. Simply keeping his eyes open was an endlessly difficult effort.

That heartless tyrant left him down there to starve. To rot. She dug into the deepest recesses of his mind, rummaging through his memories like a filly rummaging through her toy box, and once she was finished, she didn’t even have the common courtesy of putting him out of his misery. No, she left him to suffer. She wanted him to suffer.

Then again, it wasn’t like it mattered. Anything that happened to him at this point would’ve been inconsequential. He had outlived his usefulness. He failed his master. Even if he did somehow manage to escape, he’d be killed just for that. Still, he’d have given anything to just see the tyrant’s inevitable downfall. Seeing the expression on her face as she saw her control of the kingdom slip from her hooves would’ve been all he needed to die happy.

Alas, such a sight was forever taken away from him, unless nothing short of a miracle came his way.

His ears twitched as he heard the dungeon door open. It must’ve been the sun tyrant returning to gloat even more. However, when he saw the tyrant’s younger sister descend the steps into the dungeon, he perked up with energy that he didn’t even know was there. He had seen her only one other time, when she came down there earlier in the day, only to leave without saying a single word. And now here she was again, only this time with a tray filled with a range of delicacies, from salads, to sandwiches, to soups.

After having to deal with the dungeon’s scent rot and musk for an unbearable amount of time, the various aromas emanating from the food was virtually orgasmic. He licked his dry lips as his mouth threatened to drip with saliva. Never in his life was he so grateful to see something as simple as a daisy sandwich. However, whatever elation he felt was quickly dashed aside when his eyes met the night tyrant’s.

“Hello,” she said, her voice dripping with that deceptive sympathy she and her sister were infamous for. She gently set down the tray of food between herself and the prisoner. “I have a proposition for you.”

14: A Plan Doomed to Fail

The prisoner crumbled to the floor like a discarded ragdoll once Luna undid his shackles. Hitting the cold stone floor knocked the wind clean out of him. Slowly, he planted a foreleg on the ground in a bid to lift himself up. His leg shook and trembled as he strained himself, but found he couldn’t muster the strength. Spending such a long time chained to that wall left the ground feeling alien.

A dull pain pulsated in all of his joints. The red bands wrapped around his hooves signified where the chains chafed and bloodied his skin. Moving a single inch only sent a jolt of pain coursing throughout his entire body.

Fighting against his body’s protests, he tried getting up again. Through teary eyes, he planted all four of his hooves on the ground. Slowly, agonizingly, and with trembling legs, he forced himself to stand. He didn’t get very far before his legs gave in, and he fell to the ground once more. He had nothing left. Just the mere act of moving seemed nigh impossible.

Then he looked up.

Luna. The dark alicorn. The ruler of the night. She towered above him, staring down with cold, condescending eyes. Seeing her there, mere feet between them, made his heart pound. His veins filled with a burst of adrenaline. His face twisted and curled into a scowl as a guttural growl left his muzzle. He couldn’t even begin to describe the rage he felt.

That was when he realized something. He was free. Unrestrained. He was free to do anything he wished. Anything.

Ignoring his body’s crying protests, he darted towards Luna, his undying rage the only thing keeping his body moving. The distance between the two closed quickly and immediately. However, he didn’t get very far before he came to an abrupt halt, his body bobbing gently up and down in the air.

He strained himself as he tried to move, but it became very clear, very quickly that he couldn’t. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move a single inch. Then he noticed the dark blue aura wrapped around his body. Floating in the air, he could do little more than glare into Luna’s unflinching eyes.

Inches. He was away by mere inches. If he could just break free, then maybe he could do something. Anything. He didn’t even know what he would do; he just wanted to do it.

All the while, Luna simply stood there, unmoved and unthreatened by the pegasus’ seething glare. Her eyes scanned over his body, widening ever so slightly at the sight of the numerous cuts, bruises, and dirt splotches covering his body. She could do little more than sigh. “I certainly hope that this is not how you react to all forms of assistance.”

The pegasus made another attempt to break free of Luna’s magic, and just like last time, failed.

“I am unsure if you heard me before,” Luna continued. “I offered you a proposal. A deal, if you will. However, you seemed to have ignored that in favor of attacking me. May I ask why?”

The pegasus only snorted in response, his glare not lightening in the slightest.

Luna cocked her head to the side. “Has a cat made off with your tongue or are you mentally ill? Why do you not speak?” Again, she received little more than a glare. She quietly sighed to herself. “Very well. You need not speak, only listen. I understand that my sister has not treated you with the best of intentions, and I honestly cannot blame her. You did, after all, attempt to steal one of the most powerful artifacts in Equestrian history.

“However, I am willing to look past that. I firmly believe that all of us deserve a second chance, no matter how heinous our initial crimes.” For a small moment, Luna looked away, her mouth curling into a solemn frown. “I can certainly attest to that.” Her eyes snapped back to the prisoner. “Therefore, I am willing to offer you a chance at freedom, but only if you cooperate. I cannot, however, guarantee your safety if you choose to attack me again. ”

Slowly, Luna lowered the pegasus back down towards the floor. He made no more signs of resistance or violence. He struggled no longer. Whether it was due to his own self-restraint or the fact that he simply didn’t have the energy to do so, Luna didn’t know, but she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. It wasn’t like he could do much in his condition.

Once the pegasus’ hooves touched the ground, Luna released her grip. As soon as she took away that support, the prisoner fell down on his haunches, his head hung low and drooping.

Luna sighed yet again. Her eyes drifted down over to the tray of food she placed aside. In all of the drama, she nearly forgot about it.

The prisoner finally took note of the food as well. His eyes, weak and glazed, scanned over the various soups, breads, and teas. The aroma, though smothered by the dungeon’s own musky stench, made his mouth water and his nostrils burn. He licked his dry, cracked lips as the smell grew even more distinct. Slowly, almost subconsciously, he leaned in towards the food tray. Unfortunately, his body wasn’t strong enough for such strenuous action; the moment he put an inkling of weight on his forelegs, they buckled underneath him, and he fell onto his stomach.

Luna took another step towards him before sitting down. “I can tell that you have not eaten in quite some time,” she said. Without another word, she wrapped a bowl of soup in her magical aura and brought it over to herself. She lifted the spoon from the bowl and held it in front of the prisoner. “Here. Try this.”

The second the pegasus looked back at her, his tired, glossy eyes immediately ignited with a new dose of fury. His body, however, was not up to par to match his burning spirit. Keeping his eyes latched onto Luna’s, he forced himself back up to his hooves. On trembly legs, he started towards Luna, not at the full-blown gallop he wanted, but at a slow, unstable gait.

The sight left Luna little more than speechless. She just cocked her head to the side as the pegasus inched closer and closer. Despite the seething glare he gave her, Luna didn’t waver for a single instant.

Once the pegasus finally closed the distance, he made a slow, pitiful attempt at a punch. Luna simply took a single step back. The pegasus’ hoof flew clear of her face, and the momentum sent him falling to the floor yet again. Despite his less than threatening tumble, the prisoner, instead of wallowing in his own embarrassment, still tried to get up even though simple movement was far beyond his body’s limitations.

Luna simply shook her head before picking the pegasus back up with her magic, where she held him in front of her yet again. “I fail to understand this,” she said. “Your condition is absolutely pitiful, yet you insist on attacking me. You attempted to steal an artifact that could doom all of Equestria if it were to fall in the wrong hooves. I must ask. Why? What made you want to do this? Do you honestly hold such animosity for my sister and me? Have we done something to offend you in the past? If so, what?”

The prisoner refused to answer. He just used what little strength he had left to stare Luna in the eyes yet again.

Luna opened her mouth, but whatever she was about to say got caught in her throat as she noticed something. “Wait a moment.” She leaned in closer, looking over the prisoner as if he were an intricate puzzle.

It was his eyes. They just didn’t look right. At first, Luna thought that they were simply yellow. As she looked closer, however, she realized that his eyes had a slight glow about them. An unnatural glow. A glow that sent a chill down Luna’s spine.

“Oh, no. You poor, poor soul.”

Luna took a step back, her eyes never leaving the pegasus. Despite the things he did, despite the things he wanted to do, she looked at him in a completely different light. He wasn’t a cold, cruel, aggressive tyrant with dreams of destruction. No, he was an innocent pony who ended up at the worst possible place at the worst possible time. He wasn’t the source of the problem; merely a pawn used by the true mastermind.

Gently, Luna placed the prisoner back on the ground. The instant he was set free, he fell down at her hooves. “You should not be here,” she said. “You became involved in something far larger than yourself and for that, you have my condolences.” A dull, dark blue glow wrapped around Luna’s horn yet again.

Slowly, she lowered her horn towards the prisoner’s forehead. The most he could do were simple, pitiful squirms of resistance, and even those were taxing on his body. He could do nothing as Luna’s horn grew closer, illuminating his face, as well as the rest of the dungeon, with an ominous, blue glow.

“You have no reason to be afraid,” Luna assured, her horn inching closer by the second. “This is not your fault. I hold nothing against you. In fact, I am going to save you, and this will all seem like a bad dream. Just hold still.”

Luna’s horn lightly tapped the prisoner’s forehead. The second it did, it flashed in a magnificent burst of magic, engulfing the entire dungeon in a blinding, white light.

Once it died away, all initially looked untouched. The prisoner still lay at Luna’s hooves, the alicorn herself towering above him. As Luna backed away, the pegasus picked himself back up. He shook away the dizziness before cracking open his dull, orange eyes.

A smile found its way onto Luna’s face as a wave of relief washed through her. Unfortunately, the prisoner did not share similar feelings.

When he laid eyes on Luna once again, those eyes that were once filled with unbridled rage widened in shock and terror. “P-Princess Luna!” He tried to scramble up to his feet, only to fall to the ground again when his legs buckled under his weight.

“Please, calm yourself,” Luna said. “You have nothing to fear.”

“Wh-where am I?” he asked, his voice shaky with fear.

“A place where you should not be. Tell me, how do you feel?”

The question seemed to fly right over the stallion’s head. He darted his eyes all around the dungeon, his breathing becoming more and more sporadic as he realized where he was. Sweat trickled down his face. His heart pounded against his chest like a drum with every beat. If it weren’t for his weak body, he’d have tried to run out of there in a frenzied panic.

“I-I don’t understand,” he said, his voice no calmer than before. Again, he tried to force himself up off the ground. “Where am I? How’d I get here? Wha-what did I—”

“Do not try to move,” Luna cut in, “In your condition, you are lucky to even be awake.” The pegasus wisely chose to listen. Luna picked up the bowl of soup in her magic once again and held it in front of the pegasus. “Here. Drink this. It will make you feel better.”

The moment the bowl was hovering in front of his face, the pegasus’ nose wrinkled and twitched from the aromatic food. However, despite the princess’ insistence and the noticeably loud rumbling in his stomach, he still didn’t sip the soup. Instead, he made a quick glance up at Luna, fearful that it was some kind of test. When he saw Luna nod in approval, he finally decided that some food would do him some good.

His first few sips were small. The soup definitely had a spicy punch to it, sprinkled with various exotic herbs and spices that he never even knew existed. It was definitely a step above the bland daisy sandwiches he grew so used to.

His small sips soon grew to entire gulps until he downed the whole bowl, much to Luna’s joy. However, even though the soup was delicious, it wasn’t necessarily filling, if his still-growling stomach was any indicator. Luna, thankfully, was more than willing to offer more.

Four more bowls of soup, three sandwiches, and a cup of tea later, the pegasus finally felt stuffed and energized.

“How do you feel now?” Luna asked.

The pegasus, after feeling like he could never move again, finally had the strength to stand up again, though his legs still shook due to fatigue. “I feel… better. Thank you, Princess Luna.”

“It was my pleasure. Nopony deserves to be treated the way that you have been, and for that, you have my condolences.”

While he did appreciate the kind words, the pegasus couldn’t help but let a confused frown creep its way onto his face. “What do you mean? What happened to me?”

“There will be time to explain later. For now, it would be best for you to leave this place. Can you walk?”

The stallion looked down at his legs. “Yes. I think so.”

“Good. Head home, then. Put all of this behind you. It is for your own sake.” The stallion seemed like he was about to say something, but chose to keep his mouth shut. “I will tell the guards that you are free to go. Again, I am sorry that this happened to you.” Before the pegasus could say anything else, Luna turned and started towards the dungeon steps.

“Celestia,” she mumbled, shaking her head, “what are you doing?”

Celestia’s carriage shook and rocked as it flew, full speed, towards Hoofington. All was silent, save for the occasional awkward cough. Nopony, not Twilight, her friends, or even Celestia herself uttered a single word. They just sat there in the silence. However, out of all of them, only one truly appreciated the silence, and it was Rainbow Dash.

The silence allowed her to think. To ponder. To dwell on things. Though she really didn’t want to, her mind kept drifting back to the things she saw. The things Shadow Streak saw. The more she thought about, the more she realized just how different Equestria was a thousand years ago.

Whereas murder was practically unheard of in Rainbow’s time, it seemed commonplace in Shadow’s. The same went for poverty and disease. The worse Rainbow ever had to deal with was running short on bits, or getting a minor case of the flu. In Shadow’s time, such things were responsible for the deaths of what must’ve been thousands. It was scary to imagine Equestria in such a state of dismay and misery, and even scarier to know that, for a time, it was. The very thought sent a chill down Rainbow’s spine.

However, that was when she realized something else. Yes, Equestria was a dark, dreary pit of misery in the past, but that was exactly what it was: the past. If Rainbow never experienced things from Shadow’s perspective, she would have never suspected Equestria of being any different than it was today, save for a few unpleasant skirmishes. Rainbow, and everypony else around her, had the luxury of living in a land of peace and harmony, and who did she have to thank for that?

Rainbow looked over to the alicorn sitting across from her. Princess Celestia. If it weren’t for her and Luna, Equestria could’ve remained as the violent and chaotic world it was all those years ago.

A small smile crept onto Rainbow’s face. She already had a great deal of respect for the two alicorns, but after seeing the things she saw, and knowing how much the princesses had to go through, that respect only increased. Equestria really couldn’t have asked for a better pair of rulers.

Unfortunately, Celestia did not share the same sentiments.

The sun princess sat near the carriage window, staring out into the passing countryside below. She scanned over everything with cold, sad eyes. She didn’t see serene, green fields, or lush forests. For brief moments, she only saw what used to be miles of battle-scarred terrain.

The ground was scorched black from raging fires. The thick clouds above blocked out the sun’s glorious rays, leaving everything below in a dull, grey light. Spears, swords, and other weaponry jetted from the ground, some broken, most slick with blood. The corpses of ponies long forgotten littered the ground, their mangled bodies lying in thick, red puddles.

That was what Celestia saw when she looked out the window. That was what awaited Equestria if she failed to save it.

It took her and Luna so long to bring Equestria up from that point. It took so long to bring true peace and harmony to the land. Now, it felt like it was slipping between her hooves. If she failed, all of that progress would be undone. All of her work would have been for nothing. And worst of all, he would be proven right.

You cannot prevent change, no matter how hard you try.

Celestia flinched as the voice rung in her head. “Yes, I can,” she muttered.

“Princess Celestia?”

Celestia was torn away from her thoughts when she felt a light prod on her side. With a small jolt, she looked down. Twilight and the others were looking up at her, worry in their eyes.

“Are you alright?” Twilight asked.

With a sigh, Celestia leaned back in her seat. “Yes, I’m fine,” she calmly answered, a smile on her face. “Simply thinking.”

“About what?”

Celestia looked back out the window. The peaceful scenery speeding by acted as the only thing keeping her calm. “Quite a few things, actually, some more than others.” She looked back at Twilight. The unicorn awkwardly shifted in her seat, taking the occasional glance back up at the princess. It didn’t take long before Celestia sighed again. “I apologize if I’m less talkative than usual. I have a lot on my mind.”

“Oh, it’s quite alright,” Rarity said. “We understand. Right, girls?” The six of them nodded in agreement.

Celestia’s mouth curled up into a smile of her own. She looked back out the window. “You know, Luna and I had a dream when we were fillies.”

“When y’all were fillies?” Applejack asked. “Hoo, boy. That must go a ways back, huh?”

Celestia nodded. “It does. Over a thousand years ago, we were fillies just like everypony else, and just like everypony else, we had dreams.”

“Dreams?”

Celestia’s eyes drifted towards the floor. Slowly, she closed them. “It should come as no surprise that Equestria was very different a thousand years ago. However, unless you’ve seen it for yourself, you simply could not understand how terrible things truly were. The ponies then were nothing like the ponies today. They fought each other, robbed each other, enslaved each other, killed each other. It was absolute misery.” Her voice grew louder, more forceful, more passionate, with each word.

Twilight and the others just sat there, listening. None of them dared to say a thing until they were positive Celestia was done speaking.

“Luna and I decided that enough was enough. That was our dream. We wanted the violence to end. We wanted the death to end. We wanted to bring peace and harmony to this otherwise chaotic land. We wanted change, no matter the cost.”

“Well, it sure looks like y’all did a bang-up job with that,” Applejack said.

“Indeed we have. However, if this plot, whatever it may be, is to succeed, everything we’ve done will have been for nothing. Equestria will sink back into the doomed state we’ve worked so hard to rescue it from.”

“Don’t worry, Princess,” Twilight assured. “Whatever’s going on, you can count on us to help you stop it.”

Celestia smiled yet again. Such undying optimism was a rare thing back in her day. It was one of the few things that gave her hope. Perhaps things weren’t as bleak as she had thought.

“Hey! Looks like we’re here,” Applejack said.

Celestia’s attention switched back to the carriage window. Applejack was right. The vast city of Hoofington was finally in view. Twilight and her friends stared in awe as they flew over the city. Its large buildings stood tall and proud, easily towering over anything Ponyville had to offer. It was often referred to as ‘The Antique City’, and for good reason.

The city, along with its more modern architecture, was sprinkled with archaic structures that must’ve gone untouched since their conception. Temples devoted to the sun and moon lay at the city’s corners, while numerous bell towers jetted out of the ground like eternal sentries.

However, while everypony else was simply amazed by the city, Rainbow was practically entranced by it. Hypnotized, even. She knew that she shouldn’t have been so mesmerized by a simple city, but she just couldn’t tear her eyes away.

The rest of her friends noticed her strange behavior. “Hey, Rainbow,” Applejack called, prodding the pegasus. “You okay?”

Rainbow didn’t budge in the slightest. She didn’t even hear her friends’ voices. She only had eyes for that city. Her eyes scanned over every single building like they were priceless gems. She couldn’t think of a single word to describe the way she felt, and the longer she stared at that city, the more intense those feelings became. It felt nostalgic, in a way, despite Rainbow never even seeing Hoofington before.

In an instant, Rainbow’s head burst with another explosion of pain as voices rang throughout her mind.

Ha! Try to keep up, father!

Don’t get too arrogant now, child. I’m merely getting warmed up!

Rainbow lurched, clutching her pounding head, falling out of her seat in the process. Through the pain, she couldn’t tell if her eyes were shut or if her vision was blackening out. Either way, it felt like she was in an endless void of suffering, and it wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.

You two! This area is off-limits. You are both placed under arrest for—Stop! Come back here!

Every sentence, every word, every syllable, only sent another pulse of agony surging through her skull.

I care not how you vent your frustrations, dear. Just don’t lash out at me because your foalhood was a bit rough. That’s nothing special.

Rainbow felt her consciousness slipping right then and there. Her head pulsated a sadistically rhythmic rate. It felt like it was ready to burst like a balloon filled to the breaking point. However, through the onslaught of agony and voices, one voice stood out amongst the rest. The loudest of the bunch. The most painful.

Shadow, snap out of it!

Rainbow’s eyes snapped open. She found herself lying on the carriage floor, her coat, mane, and feathers all ruffled and damp with sweat. She was looking up, but instead of seeing the carriage ceiling, she saw an orange mare staring down at her.

“Rainbow, Ah said snap out of it!” Applejack shouted.

Rainbow shook her head in a vain attempt to get rid of the lingering pain. Slowly, she forced herself back up. It was easier said than done, though. Everything felt like it was spinning around her. The floor itself felt alien, and the turbulence wasn’t doing anything to help. She needed Applejack’s help to just to get back into her seat.

“Oh, my goodness! Rainbow, are you okay?” Twilight asked, sliding closer to the pegasus.

Once she regained enough of her senses to see straight, Rainbow rubbed her head with a hoof. Not long after that, she brought the same hoof down with a hard, angry stomp. “I’m getting sick of these stupid headaches!”

Twilight backed away from the raging pegasus. “Rainbow, I know it’s not looking good, but there’s not much we can do except wait it out.” She mustered up the will to put on a wavering smile. “Besides, at least it’s over, right?”

Rainbow snorted. “Yeah, yeah. It’s all fine and dandy until the next one shows up. You know, I can’t even take a nap anymore because those stupid things keeping waking me up! I’m telling you, I’ve had it!”

“Will you please stop shouting?” Rarity demanded.

“Or what?” Rainbow tauntingly asked, purposefully raising her voice. “I don’t see you getting these headaches every five, feather-flocking minutes! Get on my level, then tell me to keep quiet!”

“Girls!”

All went quiet in the carriage. The six mares set their eyes on Celestia. The princess looked down at all of them, her brow furrowed in a stern, almost ominous expression.

“This is not the time for bickering. Things may be difficult, yes, but we cannot crack under pressure. Lives are at stake. We must remain focused.”

The ponies kept quiet as they switched their attention over to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus sat with her head hung low, struggling to look her friends in the eye. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I just… I don’t know how I’m gonna deal with it if it keeps going like this.”

“I understand,” Celestia said. “But remember, you have all of us to help you through it all.”

Rainbow looked up at the rest of her friends. Every single one of them gave her some of the most-heartwarming smiles she had ever seen. It was times like this when Rainbow realized just how lucky she was to have friends like them. Yes, they butted heads every now and again, but when the time came when one of them needed support, none of them would hesitate for a single second to offer comfort. With them at her side, Rainbow would be able to persevere through anything life had to throw at her.

The carriage suddenly jerked back and forth as it came to a rough landing outside of Hoofington. They’ve finally arrived. There was no turning back.

If Star Light were to ever compile a list of words that best described her, ‘annoyingly persistent’ would be right up at the top, and for very good reason. She was the type of pony who’d bash her head against a wall until it crumbled down if it was standing between her and her goal, even though others would have simply walked around it.

Case in point, even though she lost Rainbow’s trail, it didn’t mean she couldn’t find her again. She just needed a bit of indirect assistance from other ponies. After all, if there was one thing that she learned throughout her life, it was that ponies loved two things: they loved hearing about gossip, and they loved talking about gossip.

Ponies these days had a rather interesting habit of hearing even more interesting things, and when it came to talking about them, there was a single place that was a gossip hotspot. Luckily for Star Light, that place was not only in Canterlot, but also not very difficult to find. She just needed to follow the wubs.

Club Wub—a name that made Star sigh every time she so much as thought about it—wasn’t just a club blasting music she couldn’t stand for the limited amusement of emotionally dead ponies. Yes, that was what it was most known for, but it was something more. It was a giant, dark, wub-filled goldmine of information that proved to be invaluable on countless occasions. The ponies there foolishly thought that nopony else could hear their conversations over the deafening music, but those ponies were sorely mistaken, as Star was always happy to prove.

As she grew closer, the music only grew louder. The bass grew more and more forceful until each beat nearly shook Star to her core. Even the weather began to change; as Star Light continued on, the sky darkened until the initially blue, midday sky became a deep, black night. It was probably just an illusionary spell used to give the nightclub more of that ‘nightclub feel’, but that was hardly anything worth worrying about. Star Light finally found it.

The club was tall, proud, and most of all, loud. The obnoxiously large and bright neon ‘Club Wub’ sign hung over a pair of glass doors. Save for the flickering glow of the strobe lights inside, the doors led into pitch-black darkness.

Pushing them open, Star stepped inside. She still wasn’t in the actual club, but rather, a narrow corridor lined with red velvet carpeting. The music, loud but muffled, was coming from behind another set of double doors directly in front of her. She took in a deep breath. She wasn’t going to like it; in fact, she was probably going to hate it, but her comfort wasn’t exactly top priority in her current situation. With a single push, Star shoved open to the doors to the nightclub.

The music slammed into her ears like a brick wall, the bass shaking her entire body with each beat. The flashing lights nearly blinded her, and the thick smell of sweat, perfume, and expensive cocktails in the air made her want to gag. Unfortunately, the dance floor only served to make things worse. It was a large, darkened square in the center of the room complete with strobe lights, flashing tiles, and a pack of mindless ponies flailing their limbs about in what could barely be classified as dancing.

Up on stage, sitting behind a set of turntables, was the face of the club, if not the face of clubbing itself, Vinyl Scratch. The white unicorn bobbed her head to the beat, her electric blue mane whipping back and forth. Star had to admit, she admired the DJ’s enthusiasm. It was the sort of thing that rubbed off on even the most hardened of ponies, making even their most hated of activities seem fun in some way. But then Star glanced back down at the pit of flailing idiots and remembered that being the face of this was about as dignified as being the face of idiocy.

No, Star Light was not a party pony by any stretch of the imagination. She just wanted to get in, find her intel, and get out as quickly as possible. The sooner she returned to her blissful silence—preferably with a nice book to read—the better. Thankfully, the pony she was searching for wasn’t that hard to find. Not so thankfully, the pony in question wasn’t a much better alternative to the music.

A bartender lackadaisically leaned against the bar he worked at, using his magic to wipe the grimy counter. His dark blue coat nearly made him invisible in the already dark bluish environment, but his bright orange mane made him easy to spot from a mile away. Making sure to stay far away from the dance floor, Star trotted over to the bored stallion.

He heard her approaching, but didn’t bother to look up. “And what’s your favorite poison?” he asked.

Star just stared blankly at him. “You know I don’t drink, Record Scratch.”

Record Scratch stopped wiping the bar. He brought his eyes up to meet Star’s. An annoyed grumble left his muzzle as he sat straight up. “Oh, hello, Star Light,” he said, the contempt thick in his voice. “To what do I owe the displeasure of this little visit?”

Star Light took a seat in front of him. “I simply stopped by to see if you’ve gotten any closer to removing the branch from your flank. From the looks of things, you haven’t.”

That little quip earned her little more than an eye roll from her agitated companion. “Yes, you’re a natural comedian.” He lifted a mug from underneath the bar and began cleaning it out with his rag. “But as much as I would love to indulge your childish behavior, I have more important things to attend to.”

Then it was Star’s turn to roll her eyes. “Yes, because surely all of your time and attention needs to go towards cleaning a mug that was never dirty to begin with.”

Again, Record Scratch stopped ‘cleaning’ and looked up at the pink mare. “If annoying me is the only reason why you’re here, then you can leave right now.

“You make it sound as though that it isn’t reason enough,” Star responded, a smirk crawling onto her face.

If Record’s glare grew any hotter, he’d risk setting fire to the entire club. “Star Light…”

Star raised a hoof in a bid to calm her irate friend. “Now, now. There’s no need to get your mane in a twist. Do you honestly think I’d come to a place like this—” Star Light cringed as the already deafening music went up a few decibels, suddenly becoming more like a rhythmic series of explosions going off in her ear lobes. “—without a good reason?”

Record shrugged as he continued wiping the already clean mug. “You’ve done less sensible things before. Need I bring up the incident with the ball?”

Star Light’s eyes shot wide open, a cold sweat forming on her brow as a pang of shock shot through her like an arrow. That shock quickly gave way to anger as she shot out of her seat and planted both forelegs firmly on the bar. It was her turn to shoot her partner a red-hot glare. “You say a word of that and I’ll gut you like a trout,” she hissed.

With an amused chuckle, Record set the mug back down on the bar. “So, you’re here. What is it you want to know?”

With a deep sigh, Star Light sat back down. “I need information.”

“Well, what kind? I hear a lot of things. For example, that gentlecolt in the suit is wearing mare’s underwear right now. That stallion over there plans on streaking through Canterlot, though I don’t see the point since we’re naked anyway. The mare over there used to be a stallion, and I’m pretty sure her friend likes to take it up the—”

“Record!”

“What? You said you wanted information. Maybe you should be a bit more specific, my dear.”

Star Light looked the stallion dead in the eye, all hint of play vanishing in a flash. Her voice was loud, clear, and deliberate. “I need information on Rainbow Dash.” She saw Record Scratch immediately tense up, virtually every muscle in his body stiffening, at the mere mention of the name.

“Rainbow Dash,” he repeated, his voice low and somber, as if saying it was taboo. Quickly, he darted his eyes from left to right. “This is not a place we want to be right now. Follow me.”

Star Light stepped behind the bar and followed Record through one of the club’s back doors. This one in particular led out into the back alley, surprisingly enough.

Despite being hit with smells arguably worse than the club’s own odor, Star couldn’t help but feel an immense relief for finally being outside again, though the muffled wubs did ruin the mood a bit. Before she could become too engrossed, though, she turned her attention back on Record, who leaned against the alley wall.

“Rainbow Dash,” he said again, louder this time. “There’s a name I haven’t heard in quite a while. So, what is it you want to know about her?”

“Master wants me to keep an eye on her. Celestia knows of her connection with Shadow Streak, and it’s my duty to ensure that she receives as little harm as possible. I found her in Ponyville and followed her here, but…”

Record leaned in, ears perked up. “But?”

Star sighed, the shame already setting in. “But I lost her due to intervention from her friends. I need to know where they are right now. Time is wasting.”

Unfortunately, Record didn’t share the same sense of urgency, if the smug smirk on his face was any indicator. “So, the high and mighty Star Light has made a mistake. Truly, history has been made today.”

Star Light’s pink cheeks quickly became a deep crimson, both of anger and embarrassment. “Record, I will yell at you for this later. I need to find Rainbow Dash now. Do you know anything that may be able to help me?”

Record took a moment to ponder on that, rubbing a hoof on his chin.

“Record Scratch!”

“I’m thinking!” Record snapped back. “Goodness gracious. And you say I’m no fun to toy with. Well, since you’re in such a hurry, I’ll give you the short version.” He loudly cleared his throat. “There was a scuffle at the local post office. Celestia went to investigate. Celestia called for the Elements of Harmony, Rainbow included, obviously. They presumably found something worth finding, and Celestia sent for a chariot to… Hoofington, I believe. Of course, this is all just what I’ve heard, and could very well be about as useful as a soggy biscuit.”

Record’s ending comments flew right over Star’s head. As soon as she heard ‘Hoofington’, she felt an odd feeling in her stomach. That cold sweat came back in full. She found it harder to maintain controlled breaths. Her heart rate ramped up, beating in near perfect sync to the rapid, muffled beats of the club. It took her a moment to realize what that feeling was. It was the unmistakable sense of panic.

“Hoofington?” she repeated to herself. Her eyes shot back up to Record Scratch. “When did they leave?”

“Well, if I remember correctly, Celestia sent for a carriage about… forty-five minutes ago, give or take. Given the urgency of the situation, I’d say it took them ten minutes at the most to get a carriage ready and at the post office. Add in the time it took to get everypony in the carriage, and I’d say they have about a thirty-minute head start.” When he heard Star Light mumble something under her breath, something that could’ve only been a swear, he chuckled. “Is something troubling you?”

“Hoofington is miles away. How am I supposed to get there in time?”

“You have four working legs. I suggest you put them to good use.”

Star’s face twisted into a scowl. She would’ve given Record a piece of her mind, but she already had no more time to waste. Without another word, she turned to leave.

“Star Light!” Record called.

With an annoyed sigh, the pink unicorn stopped and turned around. “What is it now?”

“As much as I’d love to see you run into battle ill-equipped, I think you’re forgetting something,” he said, pointing at his own foreleg.

Star looked down at her own and immediately saw the problem. Her forelegs were completely bare. No bracer. No hidden blade. No weapon. Though the chances of her even needing one were slim, she wasn’t in the mood to risk it. “Alright. Give me yours.”

“Beg your pardon?”

Star walked up to the stallion. “I need a weapon, and I’m not going all the way back home to get mine. So, give me yours.” Of course, she didn’t expect him to immediately comply. In fact, the blank, unamused stare he gave her was more than enough of an answer. “Very well. I’ll just take it then.”

That, apparently, was enough to convince him. With a quick scoff and roll of the eyes, he kicked open the club’s back door. He reached inside with his magic, wrapping it around the bracer hidden underneath the bar. Once he brought it out, he tossed it over to Star.

She took a moment to stare it over, taking in the sight of the gleaming, silver bracer she knew all too well.

“I swear, impulsive violence must run in your family,” Record said.

“It’s yet to let me down.” she shot another smirk at her partner as she slipped the bracer comfortably over her right hoof. It was a perfect fit.

Record started back towards the door. “Goodness. Next I bet you’ll be asking for my robes.” Before he stepped back inside, he risked another glance over to Star, a decision he immediately regretted.

Star was still standing there, giving him a sly, impish grin. She didn’t even need to say anything.

With something between an exasperated sigh and a shout, Record slammed his face into the doorframe. “I’ll be right back,” he muttered, and stomped back into the club.

Celestia and the others stood next to their carriage as they stared into Hoofington. All eyes were on the princess as she scanned the city, looking over every building and pony with scrutinizing focus.

“Are you sure that these ponies are here?” Twilight asked.

Celestia broke out of her concentration and looked down at the six ponies. “Whether or not the ponies behind all of this, I don’t know. However, I know for certain that Hoofington houses their base of operation. Finding that is our top priority.”

“Well, what’re we waiting for?” Rainbow asked as she took to the sky. “Let’s go!” However, just as she darted towards the city, she was stopped as she felt a tug against her tail. Looking back, she saw that Celestia had a magical grip on her tail.

“Wait,” the princess ordered, releasing Rainbow.

“What is it now?” the annoyed pegasus asked, turning back towards her friends. “I thought time was a pretty big deal here.”

Celestia gently eased Rainbow back down to the ground with her foreleg. “It is important, yes, but we can’t afford to be careless. They’re likely expecting us. Me, to be more precise. We would be walking right into a trap if we don’t take proper precautions.”

The mares took a moment to look amongst each other. “What have ya got in mind?” Applejack asked.

“Hmm. They won’t be expecting any of you, but as for me… Just give me a moment.” Celestia took a few steps away from the group before focusing her magic into her horn. In only a few short seconds, a burst of light completely engulfed the princess, leaving Twilight and the others momentarily blinded.

Once the light diminished and they could see again, the six mares dropped their jaws in perfect sync. Standing before them was not the majestic princess of the sun, but a simple brown, pink-maned pegasus. She wasn’t even the same size as Celestia. She was the same size as any other full-grown mare. Even the wings were authentic. It wasn’t just a simple illusionary spell or trick of the light. The spell changed Celestia’s entire body structure.

The pegasus turned back towards the six, smiling. “What do you girls think?” she asked, her voice unmistakably that of Celestia’s.

“Ohh! Neat trick, Princess!” Pinkie chirped, appearing at the disguised princess’ side in an instant. “Do me next! Me next!”

Celestia only chuckled at the eager request. “That won’t be necessary. As I’ve said, they won’t be expecting any of you.”

“Wow, Princess,” Twilight said, eyes still wide with awe. “That’s incredible! I don’t even recognize you.”

“I appreciate the kind words, Twilight. Perhaps I’ll teach this to you someday. Such a spell would surely be useful.”

Twilight could feel her heart flutter at the promise of a new spell taught by Celestia herself. “Wow, I… Tha-thank you. It would be an honor.”

But while Twilight had another one of her moment’s with the princess, Rainbow Dash sat back on her haunches, forelegs impatiently crossed as she waited for something that didn’t seem to be showing up. “Okay, so I’ve got a question.”

All eyes immediately switched over to the pegasus. “Yes, Rainbow Dash? What is it?” Celestia asked.

“Why are we wasting so much time being all quiet and careful? Why can’t you just take all of your guards and have ‘em knock down the guy’s front door?”

All eyes were then on Celestia. She took a deep, calm breath as she gathered her thoughts. “I’ve considered that,” she began, “but soon decided that it would not be the best course of action.”

“Why not?” Rainbow demanded. “It doesn’t matter how strong these guys are. They can’t stop an entire army!”

“And that is where you are wrong,” Celestia calmly said. “You must remember the situation we’re in. These ponies, whoever they are, possess a Piece of Equestria. Any one of those items is capable of downing entire armies. If we were to just rush in, we would be placing more lives in danger. If we’re to do anything, we must do it without the enemy ever knowing, and strike when they least expect it.”

As the mares shared worried glances amongst themselves, Celestia turned her attention towards Rainbow. “You, of all ponies, should be familiar with this style of action, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened ever so slightly as she looked up at the princess. “I… What’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded, her eyes suddenly brimming with anger.

Celestia didn’t back away or flinch in the slightest, but tilted her head, surprised by Rainbow’s explosive reaction. “Hmm? I thought… Nevermind. Forget what I said.”

Despite her request, Rainbow wasn’t quite ready to let that go. “‘Cause it sounded like you were saying I was like those Assassin freaks!”

“Rainbow, calm down!” Twilight pleaded, but her words fell on deaf ears. The raging pegasus only had eyes on the princess.

“I don’t care how many of my ancestors were Assassins, I don’t care how much time I spend with that Shadow pony, I’m nothing like them and I’m never gonna be like them!” Despite the absolute anger she displayed, Celestia only stared back at her with a calm, stoic expression.

Whatever else Rainbow had to say, was cut short when she felt a hoof rest on her shoulder. She looked back to see Twilight looking back at her, concern in her eyes. The rest of her friends hung back, but their eyes said it all.

“Rainbow, please. I know you’ve been through a lot, but we need you to calm down,” Twilight said.

Rainbow kept looking back and forth between her friends and Celestia. Whether or not she’d calm herself down, they didn’t know, nor would they find out. Taking advantage of her indecision, Celestia stepped in.

“Listen to your friends, Rainbow,” she said. “I promise to answer whatever questions you have later, but we must deal with this situation first. Surely, you understand that.”

Anypony with a working brain and a pair of eyes would’ve been able to tell, at a single glance, that Rainbow wasn’t ready to back down. Unfortunately, the odds weren’t exactly in her favor, and she’d rather avoid getting on Celestia’s bad side.

She backed away from the group, shut her eyes, and sighed, finally calming down. “Okay. Okay!” she said, caving in. “Let’s just take care of these guys and get this over with.” She didn’t even bother waiting for a response before trotting into the city proper while her friends lingered behind.

Twilight walked up to the princess, who had her eyes on Rainbow. “She’s going to be okay, right?”

Celestia smiled at her young student in a bid to calm her nerves. “She simply needs time. It’s as you said, she’s been through a lot in a short period of time. Some time out and about will do her some good. I promise.”

Twilight’s eyes drifted back over to Rainbow, who was already well amongst the city’s citizens. “Yes, I suppose that’s right.”

Celestia started towards the city herself. “Let’s go, girls. Time is essential.”

There was far too much going through Rainbow’s head for her to focus on one single thing. Between Shadow Streak’s memories, the whole thing with the ‘Apple’, Celestia’s insistence on dodging her questions, and the skull-splitting headaches she’s been having almost hourly, she didn’t even know where to begin. It was driving her nuts.

She knew that she shouldn’t have been getting worked up over that kind of stuff, but she couldn’t help it. She hated being left in the dark about anything, especially if it involved her.

Rainbow Dash became so caught up in her thoughts, she had no idea just how quickly she was walking down the street. Hoofington’s citizens didn’t realize either, and Rainbow wasn’t exactly paying attention to where she was going. One unfortunate stallion discovered that the hard way when he stepped into Rainbow’s path.

By the time she was aware of his presence, she already bumped into him and knocked him to the ground. The impact was enough to knock her out of her small stupor, but only served to knock the stallion into a small daze.

“Oh, uh, sorry about that,” Rainbow quickly apologized as she helped the stallion up to his hooves. “That was totally my fault. Wasn’t paying attention. You’re okay, right?”

Despite having a few splotches of dirt covering his coat, the stallion didn’t bother brushing it off. He didn’t even seem to acknowledge it. Instead, he looked up at Rainbow, sporting a very large, very friendly, and very creepy smile.

“Hello there!” he said. “Welcome to Hoofington!”

Despite the clear hospitality, Rainbow couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at his behavior. “Okay? I guess that means you’re fine.” No sooner did she finish that sentence did the stallion thrust out a foreleg, expecting a friendly shake.

For a moment, Rainbow only looked down at the hoof before looking back up at the stallion, whose friendly, wide-eyed gaze didn’t waver for a second.

“Uh, right.” Rainbow slowly reached out and shook hooves with the stallion. As soon as she did, his hoof snapped back onto the floor.

“Enjoy your stay!” he said, finally walking away.

As far as welcomes went, it definitely left Rainbow far more confused than it should’ve. “Must’ve hit his head harder than I thought,” Rainbow muttered. She started down the street again, making it a point to go away from the stallion.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow didn’t get very far before she heard Twilight call her name. Turning around, Rainbow saw her and the others running towards her. She wondered who the brown pegasus with them was before remembering that it was Celestia in disguise. That was going to take some getting used to.

“Rainbow, are you okay?” Twilight asked.

“It looked like you had a pretty nasty tumble with that fella,” Applejack added.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Just a little out of it, I guess. Don’t know about the other guy, though.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Rarity asked.

Rainbow just shrugged. “Dunno. He just seemed… weird.”

“A few apples short of a bushel?” Applejack asked, trying to clarify.

“I guess. It’s just weird how he didn’t even say anything about me bumping into him.”

“Maybe he didn’t want to be a bother,” Fluttershy guessed. All eyes shifted to the brown pegasus.

Celestia rubbed a hoof to her chin. “That is certainly odd. However, we can’t allow that to distract us from the task at hoof.”

“Right, right.” Rainbow took a quick glance around the city. Put simply, its size was absolutely overwhelming. The buildings were large, extravagant, and numerous, making the city streets more like a maze than anything else. The fact that ponies had the streets packed to the near brim did nothing to help, either.

“So, where are we gonna start?” Rainbow finally asked.

Celestia took a look around the city herself, but not to take in the sights. No, she took a larger interest in the ponies themselves. Her scrutinizing gaze scanned over every single pony within her vision. No stallion, mare, or foal was spared from her gaze, but none of them seemed to provoke a reaction larger than a simple head shake.

After several minutes of observing the surrounding crowd, Celestia sighed. “We may have to extend our search. None of the ponies here are guilty.”

“How do you know?” Rainbow asked.

“It’s their body language,” Celestia answered. “The way they move and act don’t hint at any suspicion. No matter how discreet these ponies may be, they wouldn’t be able to mask their body’s natural language, not without looking even more suspicious.”

“Um, alright,” Twilight said. “How should we do this then?”

“If we were to split up, we would be able to cover more ground in a shorter period of time. We still have the benefit of being incognito, so we shouldn’t draw too much attention. Do any of you object so far?”

The six mares looked amongst themselves, trying to see if any of them had a problem with the plan so far. When none of them objected, Celestia continued.

“Very well. Rainbow and I will search from above. The rest of you will cover the city from down here.”

The mares shared another bout of worried glances. “Are you sure about this?” Twilight asked.

Celestia nodded. “I understand your hesitation. As I’ve said, this is very dangerous, meaning we must be extremely careful. Keep an eye out for anything even remotely suspicious, but do not approach anypony. You will report anything directly to me, understood?”

There was a short moment of silence as the air left the mares’ lungs. Despite her position as princess, Celestia rarely ever ordered anypony to do anything. Everything, from tightening security to something as simple as bringing her a cup of tea, was always a request, and she was never angered or annoyed if somepony said no. To hear her give an order, all of them knew right then and there not to even consider going against her.

Once they all nodded, Celestia smiled. “Thank you. Mere words cannot express my gratitude.”

“Oh, no. It’s the least we can do.,” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah!” Applejack chimed in. “We ain’t gonna sit back while Equestria’s in danger. No way!”

Celestia’s smile grew even wider as she stared at the six most loyal ponies she ever had the pleasure of knowing. She switched her gaze over to Rainbow Dash. “Are you ready?” The pegasus immediately nodded in response. Celestia looked back at the rest. “Be careful, all of you.”

“You can count on us, Princess!” Twilight assured. Celestia gave them one last smile before taking off to the sky, Rainbow following right behind her.

With them gone, Twilight and the rest continued down the street by themselves, keeping their eyes peeled. Unfortunately, they failed to notice the pair of hooded ponies observing them from the darkness of a nearby building.

Once the oblivious mares turned a corner, the two ponies stepped away from the window and focused their attention on the circle of hooded ponies at the center of the room. A single lantern, lazily dangling from the ceiling, left a single cone of light in the otherwise pitch black room, leaving the ponies concealed in shadow.

“Has she finally arrived?” one asked.

“Yes. Her and six others.”

“The rainbow one is our target, yes?”

“Correct.”

“We’re encountering her earlier than intended.”

“Then we adapt accordingly.”

“Very well. And what of her friends?”

There was a small pause before another spoke. “You remember what Master said. He has special plans for them. Capture them.”

After sharing a mutual nod, the ponies dispersed, their soft hoofbeats breaking the room’s silence. Once the last pony left the room, the lantern blew out, plummeting the room back into darkness.

16: So Close; Still So Far

Yes. Once all of this is over, I am returning to my long-distance teleportation training.

Star Light could scarcely recall the last time she had to travel over such a long distance on hoof. There was that one time when she had to travel to far eastern Equestria and back, but that was with ample breaks in between and enough food to shame even the most gluttonous pony's stash. And Hoofington appeared to be so close to Canterlot on a map, too. Oh, how wrong she was. Then again, she did fail to take into account the long trip down the mountain that Canterlot was situated on. It also likely would've helped if she hadn’t galloped for the entire eleven or so miles. And to think she used to hate it when her parents took her out to run cross country.

It wasn’t like it mattered in the end, anyway; she was standing just outside of Hoofington, and time wasn’t something that she could afford to squander. If she was to find Rainbow Dash, then her burning lungs and aching legs were just things that she’d have to endure. Of course, getting to the city was the easy part. Getting Rainbow Dash out of there in one piece was the real challenge.

Best not to waste any more time, I suppose.

As Star Light took the first steps into the sprawling city, the issue of actually locating Rainbow became a very apparent one. Numerous buildings on either side towered over her, and stretched down the street for as far as the eye could see. The street that she was on had to contain dozens of them alone. And that was to say nothing of the countless ponies wandering about the streets. Even for a pony as distinctive as Rainbow, spotting her amidst the hundreds of buildings and thousands of citizens that Hoofington had to offer was a truly daunting task.

Of course, she always had the option of traveling at ground level, thoroughly perusing the streets for any hints of rainbow. However, Hoofington was a rather large city, to put it lightly, and such a method of exploration would take far too much time, time that Star Light already had virtually none of. If she was going to search the city for that pegasus, then she would have to approach things from a different angle.

“I'm going to need higher ground,” she muttered. Her eyes scanned the numerous buildings around her. Any number of the towering structures would’ve proven to be effective vantage points, but getting atop any one of them was where the challenge began.

Without any climbing equipment or opposable thumbs, she only had her teleportation to rely on, and even then, it was nothing very impressive. At the most, she could travel a maximum distance of thirty feet without fear of going thirty miles off course, nowhere near enough to mount the towers around her. However, there was a plethora of other, smaller buildings that could serve as stepping stones if she managed to get on top of those.

Star’s eyes shifted over to a smaller building, a small-time bakery, likely family-owned. Getting on top of the single-story structure would prove to be foal’s play, even for Star’s weaker-than-average magical abilities.

Unfortunately, as she looked over the bakery, she failed to notice the stallion walking right towards her. She only acknowledged his existence when he bumped into her, knocking her to the ground. As things stood, her visit wasn't starting off as smoothly as she had hoped.

As she lay on the ground, the stallion stood over her, not making the slightest effort to help her up. He just stood there, wearing a wide grin that was likely supposed to be friendly, but only came across as annoying as Star Light picked herself up off of the ground.

“Idiot,” she mumbled, brushing the dirt off of herself. It wasn't so much the dirt that annoyed her; she had gotten far worse things on her robes than that. No, it was the fact that she was knocked down in the first place. “Would you mind watching where you’re going next time?” she inquired.

Despite the seething glare she gave him, the stallion remained as lively as ever. “Hello there!” he said. “Welcome to Hoofington!”

Star Light only rolled her eyes. She appreciated hospitality as much as the next mare, but it was neither the time nor the place for such formalities. “Yes, I know where I am, thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really must—”

She hardly got halfway through her next sentence before the stallion jammed out a hoof, expecting a friendly hoofshake. Star Light looked down at the hoof, then back up at the stallion, face flat and unamused.

“I don’t have time for this,” she muttered. “Please, just leave me—” As eager as Star Light was to tell the stallion off, she couldn’t help but notice something very odd about him. It was his eyes.

The stallion was kind of enough to remain perfectly still as he waited for the hoofshake that never came, allowing Star Light a closer look. She didn’t notice it as first, but looking more closely, she could see a very faint, yellow glow in his eyes. A sense of familiarity scratched at the back of Star’s mind. It took her a moment, but she soon remembered exactly where she had seen such a thing before.

Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.

“Oh, no,” she whispered. She backed away from the smiling stallion, her heart racing as a fresh wave of panic rushed through her body. She looked around at the countless other ponies walking around, or rather, she looked at their eyes.

Yellow.

It didn’t matter who it was, be it a stallion, a mare, or a foal, all of their eyes were aglow with that faint, yellow light. To the untrained eye, nothing would’ve seemed out of the ordinary; it was just ponies going about their daily lives. As Star Light observed her surroundings, she quickly realized that that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Looking more closely, she saw ponies stiffly walking up and down the streets in an endless loop. Vendors stood stock still, unmoving and unblinking, behind their stands. Even listening to the randomly assorted groups of ponies standing about yielded strange results. All of them kept having the same, repeated conversation about the weather, the occasional forced laugh thrown in here and there.

Nothing about the scene was ordinary. It wasn’t a city full of ponies, but one full of puppets. Puppets led along by some unseen string. That only left one question. Who was the puppeteer? Star Light needed to find Rainbow Dash, and quickly.

She swung back around to face the bakery, immediately pouring magic into her horn. She shut her eyes, painting a picture of her destination in her mind. With it being a roof, it didn’t take much trouble. With a clear image in her mind and enough magic built up, she released it all in one casting. She felt the surge of magic rush through her as it carried her to her target destination.

A split-second later, she rematerialized above the bakery. Ten feet above it, to be exact. That being the case, she took an immediate ten-foot dive to the bakery’s roof proper. She landed on the unforgiving concrete with a forceful thud, knocking all of the wind out of her. Evidently, overshooting her mark was still a problem, a minor flaw in her planning that she overlooked.

Star didn’t dwell too much on that graceful landing before getting back on her hooves, readying herself to jump over to the next building. She set her eyes on a nice, three-story building not far from her. From the ground, that might’ve been a challenge, but thanks to the bakery’s boost, it was miles easier. In a flash of light, she jumped over to that building, and with that one as another boost, she jumped over to another, and another, and another, each building higher than the last. As far as plans went, that one was going far better than she expected.

Before long, she found herself atop a towering, ten-story hotel, definitely a reasonable vantage point. Hoofington stretched out beneath her, its streets cutting wide swaths of brown through the maze of concrete buildings. From that point, nearly the entire east side of the city was visible to the unicorn. If there was something of interest to find, then she was going to find it.

Taking a deep, calming sigh, Star Light shut her eyes. Focus was imperative. A clear mind was essential. She needed to be sharp and alert. As she cleared her mind, all outside noise, from the loud hustle and bustle of the city, to murmured conversations, became crystal clear. Even her heartbeat, even her gentle breathing, was loud and clear. Properly composed, Star Light opened her eyes. The change in clarity was like night and day.

The citizens below, the size of mere ants before, were clear, distinct, and most importantly, easily identifiable to Star Light’s keen eyes. She scanned the packs of ponies below and the droves of pegasi above, keeping an eye out for any hints of blue or rainbow. At the moment, though, there seemed to be nothing, at least not from her current perch.

In another flash of light, she reappeared atop another nearby building, this one slightly lower than the hotel, but still acceptable. From that new vantage point, she made another scan of the city, going through every single street in her sight. To her annoyance, the result was the same: nothing. She jumped from building to building, scanning over the numerous streets five times over before continuing to the next. Each failed search only made her more frantic, more desperate. She even looked over certain places twice, desperate to find the pegasus. She double-checked, triple-checked, and double-checked her triple-checks. Yet each search still yielded the same thing. Nothing, nothing, and more nothing.

This isn't good. Not good at all. Where is she?

Doubts started filling her mind. What if Rainbow wasn’t there? What if she was captured by whoever brainwashed the city? What if Star Light simply overlooked the pegasus during her more frantic searches? All of these scenarios and more raced through Star’s head, and none of them helped to calm her nerves.

It certainly didn’t help that all of her frequent teleporting was taking a toll on her both physically and mentally. She felt her senses slipping away from her. Her vision, slightly blurred, was becoming utterly useless in her search, and the soft buzz in her ears virtually crippled her concentration. The entirety of her horn throbbed with the familiar ache of a unicorn pushing their magical capabilities past their limits, an ache that Star Light knew all too well.

As she sat there, gasping for breath and her brain sizzling, she had to admit that she may have overdone it. She should’ve stopped after three teleportations. She pushed it at five. After scrambling her brain with the ninth one, she finally decided that a quick break might have been the better option.

“How do those Las Pegasus performers make it look so easy?” she breathed out.

After her little breather, Star Light felt like she had enough juice for a few more castings. In reality, she only had enough for one if she was lucky, but ‘stubborn’ was another one of her many traits. Just as she started gathering the magic, however, her ears perked up as they caught a noise. It sounded like the clattering of a tipped over trashcan. Better yet, it came from right behind her.

She immediately spun around and crept towards the edge of the roof, towards the source of the noise. Peering over the edge, it hardly took her more than a second to spot something interesting at last. Was it Rainbow Dash? No, but it could still prove useful.

"Why am I always stuck with the heavy lifting?" A stallion clad in black robes travelled down the alley, weighed down by the burden of a purple unicorn resting on his back. That alone would’ve been enough to pique Star’s interest, but things only became more interesting when she realized that she recognized the unconscious mare, if only vaguely.

They met back in Ponyville under rather… unfavorable circumstances. She may not have known the purple unicorn for very long, but it was still long enough for Star Light to know that the unicorn was friends with Rainbow Dash. If she was still in the city, then Rainbow must’ve been as well. It wasn’t the most concrete of assumptions that Star had ever made, but since she was in a situation that involved Rainbow Dash, found enemies who were hunting Rainbow Dash and targeting friends of Rainbow Dash, assuming that it was all connected to Rainbow Dash was only a fair assumption to make.

Thankfully, the stallion had yet to notice the white-clad mare. If he was actually dumb enough to not only lead her to where Rainbow was, but to his base of operations as well, she potentially kill two birds with one stone.

Time to see where this goes.

Slowly and quietly, Star Light crept along the rooftop, tailing the oblivious stallion down the alley. As she did, she couldn’t help but let a soft chuckle pass through her lips. Sometimes, things were made a little too easy for her.

This wasn’t how things were supposed to happen. Far from it. The plan was simple: capture the rainbow one and eliminate any opposition along the way. The proper preparations were set-up. Nothing was overlooked. Eyes and ears covered the entire city, capturing everything. Not a single street went unguarded. Even the layout within the tavern was perfect. The bait was laid out and one of the rainbow one’s friends went right for it.

Once the brown pegasus walked in, the assigned guards moved in front of the entrance, effectively trapping her inside while the others closed in. Even if she tried to run, she wouldn’t have gotten far. Even if she fought, she wouldn’t have lasted long. After all, she was one, frail pegasus. What fools they all were.

They all foolishly believed that they were prepared to face any situation; that any problem that presented itself would’ve been resolved posthaste. They were wrong.

Things were going accordingly at first. They had the brown pegasus surrounded, ready to capture her. But when that same pegasus went alight in a white, ethereal glow, morphing into the celestial sun princess, it became clear that there were certain things that they were not prepared for. All of their planning, all of their training, none of it could have ever prepared them to face the fiery wrath of Celestia herself.

There was a collective silence throughout the entire tavern as the alicorn scanned her environment. Dozens surrounded her, some backing away in fear, others defiantly standing their ground, daggers in mouth. All synchronization in the plan was gone, rendered meaningless by her presence. Everything that was to happen next was left entirely to fate.

In the end, some chose to flee, others chose to attack, others were simply too dumbfounded to do either. None got far. None stood a chance.

Celestia attacked quickly, fiercely, and ruthlessly. Her magic flew about the tavern in a magnificent display of controlled destruction. Those who chose to retreat hardly made it five steps before being tossed aside by sweeping bursts of magic, colliding with the walls at violent speeds.

Those who chose to fight fared no better. Numerous ponies charged the princess, daggers ready to slice and stab. The metal blades merely bounced off of her protective shield, not even causing a single ripple in the golden orb. Magical attacks were equally useless, their feeble blasts ricocheting off of the golden barrier, striking the surrounding walls, and in some instances, their own comrades, singeing both wood and flesh alike to a blacked crisp. They remained persistent, however, hopelessly convinced that the barrage of steel and magic had to overcome the princess eventually.

All the while, Celestia showed no signs of fatigue against the supposed onslaught. While their attacks were blind, reckless, and desperate, hers were not so haphazard. Every single beam of energy she fired was precise and focused. None missed their marks. The numerous surrounding ponies fell one by one as they were struck by the golden arrows. Her attacks sent pony after pony tumbling across the tavern floor, their coat and skin charred and smoking. The sickening odor of burning flesh slowly but surely filled the room, forcing its way into their nostrils, burning them.

Pained screams of the injured echoed throughout the tavern as more and more fell, their numbers dropping rapidly. Soon, only three remained, the bodies of their comrades littering the floor, a grim reminder of what awaited them in the near future. They had no hope. The plan completely fell apart. They needed to get out of there. Celestia was the only thing standing between them and the front door, their only chance at escape, slim as it was.

Two of the three took their chances and ran for the door. Celestia’s reaction was instantaneous. A golden beam slammed into one as he passed by, sending him crashing against the wall, his blue coat singed a dark, sizzling black. The other managed to make it past the princess. However, just as it seemed as though freedom was within her grasp, she came to a sudden stop. Looking behind, a golden aura around her tail was all that she saw before she was yanked back, flung towards the far opposite wall, crashing against it with a sickening crunch.

That left only one. Out of all of the ponies, he was the only one clad in black robes, robes that Celestia recognized all too well. The elegant stitching along the fabric, the white accents, it all only served to bring back memories that she would’ve rather forgotten. But the thing that caught her eyes the most was that accursed insignia etched into the hood that concealed his face. A full moon eclipsing a brilliant sun. The Solar Eclipse.

As she observed him, the slightest glint of anger flashed through her eyes. She knew that he was involved with everything that had happened over the past few days. He knew something that she wanted to know, and he was going to tell her, whether or not he wanted to.

The young stallion locked eyes with the princess. His legs trembled. The dagger in his mouth grew heavier with each passing second. Calm, controlled breaths were nothing if not an impossibility. Over forty bodies, and the princess went through all of them within a few minutes, not breaking a sweat. He was the last one left. It was hopeless. He stood no chance. Still, even as things stood, he couldn’t just stand down. Not to her. If she was going to take him down, he was going to go down fighting.

With nothing to lose, he broke into a mad charge towards the princess. The distance closed in seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, he made the leap towards her, eyes set on her throat. Then he stopped, left floating in the air, trapped in a golden aura mere inches from the princess. Her cold eyes stared directly into his, instilling a cripplingly cold fear in his chest. His mind was racing, and through the panic, only one thought stood out.

“Celestia have mercy on me.”

The princess’ face grew cold and stern. She peered even deeper into the stallion’s eyes, striking dread into his heart with one, simple word. “No.”

She threw to stallion to the ground. Before he even had time to register the pain, he felt a hoof firmly plant itself on his skull. She had him trapped. He was at her mercy.

Celestia glared down at him, her eyes boring a hole into his very soul. Slowly, she eased more weight onto the stallion’s head as she lowered her head next to his. “The Staff. Where is it?” she asked, her voice calm yet demanding.

As persistent as the stallion was in his attempts to escape Celestia’s grasp, he wasn’t going anywhere without her approval. “I… I don’t know!”

Celestia would’ve been lying if she said that she didn’t expect that exact answer. It wouldn’t have been the first uncooperative prisoner that she had to deal with, and it certainly wasn’t going to be the last. If she had the time, then she likely would’ve been able to coax the information out of him, but time was something that she didn’t have. She had to resort to more direct measures.

Her eyes wandered down to the stallion’s flailing legs. Her eyes widened ever so slightly as an idea quickly formed in her mind. She enveloped one of the legs in a tight magical grip, stretching it out to full extension. The stallion must’ve known exactly what the princess had in mind, because the sheer panic in his eyes managed to make Celestia’s own heart race.

“I am in no mood to pull teeth,” Celestia stated. “I will ask you again. Where is the Staff?”

“I told you, I don’t know! You’ll just have to kill me.”

A soft, pitying sigh passed through Celestia’s lips. “Very well. Then you leave me no choice.”

The magical shroud around the stallion’s leg began to bend. Once he felt that pressure, he flipped into another full-fledged panic, flailing his free limbs every which way. Celestia, however, ensured that he was going nowhere. All the while, his leg only bent further back.

“Wait! Stop! Stop!” he cried. But Celestia didn’t listen. Her patience was already worn beyond thin. If showing mercy got her nowhere, then perhaps she should’ve stopped offering it.

The tavern doors burst open as a blue blur shot inside. Celestia immediately released her grip on her captive’s leg, much to his immense relief. Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt right in front of the princess, panic running rampant in her eyes. “Princess, you gotta hear this! Twilight and the others were… were…” Her voice trailed off as she finally noticed the devastation surrounding her.

She took in the charred, blacked wood that spotted the tavern, the small blood spatters that stained the floor and walls, and the numerous ponies lying on the ground in ways that only a plethora of broken bones would allow. The sight should’ve been shocking, disturbing, or at least bothersome to the pegasus. Perhaps unnerving or at least a bit uncomforting. The scene before her should’ve been a number of things, but it was none of them. It was surprising, yes, but more in the sense of walking in on a giant mess rather than a possible massacre.

After scanning it all, her eyes finally stopped on Celestia. “What, uh… What happened here?”

Celestia didn’t falter for a second. “My suspicions were correct. This tavern was a giant trap. All of these ponies attempted to attack me. They left me no choice. It had to be done.”

The sheer callousness behind her voice should’ve been something of a red flag, but there were far too many other things on Rainbow’s mind for her to be concerned about that.

“You were saying something about Twilight?” Celestia asked, worry finally appearing in her eyes. “Has something happened?”

And with that question, all of the destruction around Rainbow may as well have been graffiti on a wall for all she cared for it. “Yeah. I think they were captured or something."

Celestia’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she glanced back down at the stallion beneath her hoof. Her eyes quickly snapped back up to Rainbow. “By who?”

Rainbow awkwardly scratched the back of her head. “I… didn’t really get a good look at their faces, but…” She took note of the stallion as well, and her eyes filled with a newfound hatred. “…but they were wearing the same robes as this jerk!” She punctuated that with a swift kick to the stallion’s ribs. With Celestia cutting off his air supply, he couldn’t so much yelp as he could wheeze in pain.

The sun princess hardly concerned herself with the abuse. She had other questions. “These ponies that you saw, were they attempting to capture you as well?”

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah. Three of ‘em tried to jump me in that abandoned house. I managed to take out two, but the last one got away.” Her voice grew sterner as the anger she felt back at the house started to resurface again, and was only amplified as she glared at the stallion before her.

Celestia would’ve continued her questions if a few choice words didn’t jump out at her. “’Take out’?” she repeated. “As in you—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Rainbow quickly cut in. “No, I didn’t kill any of ‘em. I just knocked ‘em out. Don’t ask how, ‘cause I barely know myself.”

“I see.” Celestia’s face softened ever so slightly. She had a niggling desire to continue that conversation, more out of worry than anything else, but she was quick to remember why they were there in the first place. With these recent developments, things only became all the more urgent. “Regardless, perhaps our new friend will be able to shed some light,” she said, looking down at the stallion.

“He better, if he knows what good for him,” Rainbow said. In reality, she was just hoping that he’d give her the perfect excuse to tear him a new one. She still had pent-up aggression for the one that got away. The chance to let it all out just seemed far too sweet to let slip by.

Celestia finally removed her hoof from the stallion’s throat. As he rolled about the ground, gasping for air, she noticed the murderous glint in Rainbow’s eyes. The pegasus stood over the stallion, just waiting for the perfect moment—the perfect excuse—to beat him within an inch of his life. Celestia gently eased her aside with a wing, much to Rainbow’s annoyance. “Hey, what gives?”

“Now, now, Rainbow,” Celestia began, her voice carrying the silky smoothness of a mother. “There will be no need for violence.”

Her assurances made the stallion chuckle, in spite of his bruised ribs. “Just as hypocritical as always,” he said. “Just five minutes ago, were you not going to—” Whatever blatant lie he was prepared to spew was promptly cut off when a golden shroud wrapped around his mouth.

“Unless violence is made necessary,” Celestia said, stern eyes glaring daggers at the silenced stallion. Not long afterwards, she brought her eyes back up to Rainbow, the princess’ eyes not showing a hint of the animosity they held mere seconds ago. “You have no need to worry,” she said. “I will handle this.”

Rainbow’s eyes, still brewing with anger, drifted down to the stallion. She knew that whatever Celestia had planned would be too good, too painless, for him. If she just had five minutes with him, then she'd give him what he really deserved. Granted, she may not have gotten answers, but she’d still feel better afterwards. But Celestia said that she had things under control, and Rainbow didn’t have much reason to doubt that. So, against her gut instinct, Rainbow sat aside.

With her under control, Celestia could refocus attention on the stallion. After removing the magical gag, she lifted the stallion in a golden aura until the two were eye to eye. “Now, I have been very patient with you. That patience is beginning to wear thin. I will give you one last chance to cooperate.” She brought the stallion closer until their muzzles were mere inches apart. “Where is the Staff?”

Rainbow shot up to her hooves. “And my friends?”

“And her friends,” Celestia quickly added.

“I already told you. I don’t—”

“I've heard you before. I simply don’t believe you.”

The stallion could only scoff. “Believe what you want.”

“Rest assured, I only believe what I know to be true. As of right now, I believe that you are no longer proving to be of any use to me.”

“Let me have a crack at it,” Rainbow requested, an impish grin on her face. “I bet I can get him talking in no time.”

Celestia kept her gaze fixed on the stallion. “That won’t be necessary.” She softly sighed. “I have given you the chance to cooperate. To redeem yourself, if only slightly. You chose to spurn it. I hoped that it wouldn’t come to this, but you leave me no choice.” Her horn surged with its magnificent, golden light, illuminating the entire tavern. As she inched towards the stallion, the trapped pony put all of his strength into attempts at escape, but he couldn’t budge an inch. Celestia’s grip was firm and unwavering; he wasn’t budging a single muscle if she didn’t allow it.

With another flick of magic, she drew back his hood. A pair of terrified, blue eyes stared at her from an equally terrified orange face. Celestia’s horn stopped mere inches from the stallion’s sweating forehead. “Do you have anything else that you wish to say?” She herself didn’t know why she gave such ponies so many chances. Maybe she had some blind hope that an inkling of sense would break through to them, but more times than not, they simply spat those chances back in her face, sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally.

As the stallion’s expression hardened, she knew that this time would be no different. “Do whatever you want to me,” he spat. “Just know that—”

“If you insist,” Celestia cut in. Whatever speech he had planned, it was nothing that she hadn’t heard a thousand times before. She had far more important things to attend to. Before the stallion could properly express the sheer fear that was undoubtedly coursing through his veins, Celestia touched her horn to his forehead.

Rainbow Dash could only stand aside and shield her eyes as a blinding light engulfed the entire building. Once it faded, she cracked open an eye. The stallion was still floating in Celestia’s magic, but his body was limp. Whatever Celestia did to him, it knocked him out cold.

Celestia herself had her eyes closed as well. But they weren’t clamped shut as if out of pain, but gently shut as though she were concentrating. Although the small voice at the back of her mind was telling her not to, Rainbow crept closer towards the princess. “Uh, Princess Celestia? You okay?” Understandably, her mouth curled into a small frown when she didn’t get a response.

However, just before Rainbow was about to use the tried and true method of waving a hoof in front of the unresponsive princess’ face, Celestia slowly opened her eyes. For a moment, she seemed to stare off into space before snapping her eyes back on the stallion before her. Her face fixed itself into a soft, yet fierce glare, one that chilled Rainbow to the bone just looking at it.

“So… what happened?” the pegasus asked.

The question seemed to fly right over Celestia’s head. She just stood there for a few more seconds before finally dropping the stallion to the ground like a discarded ragdoll. “Worthless,” she muttered.

“What?”

“He doesn’t know much. He doesn’t know where the Staff is nor where the others are.”

“How do you know? Did you read his mind or something?”

“In a way, yes. It’s something of a last resort that I use in only the most dire of situations. As you can see, its effects on the recipient are less than beneficial.” She took another glance down at the pony lying at her hooves.

Rainbow gently prodded him with a hoof, getting absolutely nothing in response. She had to admit, if she couldn’t see him breathing, she might have assumed the worst. “Who are these guys, anyway? Why are they doing this?” Rainbow looked back up at the princess, expecting an answer.

She didn’t get one, at least not straight away. Celestia took a moment to properly compose herself. She shut her eyes and gently sighed. Evidently, the situation was starting to get to her as well. Finally, Celestia opened her eyes and looked dead at Rainbow. “I don’t know.”

Rainbow didn't know what it was, but something odd was itching at the back of her mind. It was a feeling that she just couldn't shake. Whatever it was about the princess, it simply felt like she wasn't being entirely up front. Regardless, those niggling feelings weren't helping her get any closer to her friends, and as of that moment, nothing else was either. She felt herself slouch over as she felt a pang of what Celestia must've been feeling; disappointment as they ran into another dead-end. “So, I guess we’re stumped, then?”

Surprisingly, a small smile crept onto Celestia’s face, raising Rainbow’s own spirits, if only slightly. “Not quite,” she said. “Though this stallion didn’t yield much information, I do now know where they’re operating from. I’m almost certain that Twilight and the others, as well as the Staff, are there as well.”

Rainbow felt a surge of newfound energy as she stood right back up. In all honesty, she didn’t give a flying feather about that fancy whacking stick; she just wanted to find her friends. “Alright! Where to?”

“It isn’t very far from here. Stay by me and we will be there in no time.”

As psyched as Rainbow was to get some much-needed payback, she couldn’t help but feel that they were overlooking something. That feeling became very apparent when she laid eyes on the stallion at her hooves, and weighed down like a sack of bricks when she saw the other unconscious ponies strewn about the destroyed tavern. “What about these guys?” she asked.

Celestia took a quick look around the tavern herself. “No need to worry. They won’t be waking for quite some time, and once they do, they’ll find themselves behind bars.” If Rainbow still had concerns about anything, Celestia didn’t give her a chance to voice them. “Now, if there’s nothing else to discuss, we should get going. We’ve wasted enough time.”

There were still things that Rainbow wanted to discuss. A lot of things, actually, but Celestia was right. Her friends needed her, and standing around wasn’t going to do a thing to help them. The questions buzzing about in her head would simply have to wait.

As she approached the princess, she could feel the familiar sensation of magic wrapping tightly around her body. After a few short seconds, another flash filled the tavern. When it cleared, the two ponies were gone.

At times, Star Light truly wondered what most ponies had against looking up. If any one of her targets had mastered that simple art, or even just studied it in their spare time, it would’ve thrown a massive wrench into virtually all of her plans. Yes, it would’ve caused the occasional sprain in the neck, but a bit of pain would go a long way if it meant protecting their precious, secret plans.

Even the lout that she was trailing would’ve given her some trouble if he just looked up. Her frequent leaps from building to building as she followed him, while impressive, weren’t exactly the subtlest form of travel. One glance up and her cover would’ve been blown wide open. Maybe it would’ve led to a heart-pounding chase through the crowded streets or even a small brawl in the heart of the city. That would’ve been nice.

But as things stood, Star Light remained undetected, and the stallion remained ignorant. As a result, he soon led Star right straight to what she was hoping for. Just a scant few blocks away sat Hoofington’s most prized piece of architecture. The Celestial Museum. Named after the sun princess herself, this was one of the very few buildings throughout Equestria that Celestia herself personally built. Even after so many years, her elegance still withstood the test of time.

The wooden exterior, carved from the finest oak, still shone with the same lustrous sheen that it had from the day it was built. Its windows were crystal clear, its body free of any nicks or scratches. And at the very top stood a white marble carving of Celestia herself, forever looking over all of Hoofington. It was as if time itself refused to deface such a beautiful structure.

However, beneath the elegance was something far more sinister. Something that should’ve been lost in history long ago. And Star Light was led right to it. But before she got too ahead of herself, she had to save that mare.

With no more reason left to wait, Star dropped down from the rooftop. The stallion never saw her coming. He was only alerted to his presence when he heard a light thud behind him. He spun around, but all he saw of her was a swift pink hoof speeding towards his face. He already had no chance, but with the unicorn weighing him down, he was completely helpless. With a satisfying, shattering crack, Star Light sent the stallion crashing to the floor.

The purple unicorn tumbled off of his back during the fall, landing on the ground in a sleepy heap.

Before Star could check on her, however, she still had to deal with the stallion, who quickly recovered from his little tumble. The smile on her face as the stallion drew a dagger was just as gleeful as it was disturbing. Finally, she would have a fight, and from the looks of it, an easy one at that.

If the stallion was low in rank, it certainly showed. His fighting stance hardly showed a hint of confidence. He was nervous. Afraid. Sure, with his level of skill, he’d be able to deal with ponies like the purple mare, ponies who lacked proper combat experience, very easily. But against a pony such as Star Light. It was a very different matter. She wouldn’t even need to use her own weapons. It wasn't so much a challenge for herself, but rather an insult to him.

With a blood-thirsty cry, the stallion rushed forward. Now, any respectable combat instructor would've heavily advised against such an action, as a blind charge was, is, and forever will be, easily predictable and avoidable. Star Light quickly proved that point as she sidestepped the stallion’s wild swipe, clearing the blade by miles. She punished him with a quick jab to the back of the head. It wasn’t too forceful; just hard enough to really piss the stallion off.

Another point that is strongly advised by combat instructors is to never throw all of one's weight and strength into each and every attack, as it would not only leave one wide open for counterattacks, but would also eat through one's energy very quickly. Unfortunately, nopony told the stallion that.

He furiously swung his dagger towards Star Light, aiming for her chest, her throat, her abdomen, and always hitting nothing but air. None of the unicorn’s movements were wasted. Ducks led gracefully into sidesteps. Backsteps led seamlessly into small leaps over the blade. She even teased him, at times allowing his blade to pass mere inches from her flesh. And every time he missed, she snuck in a punch or two, whether it was to his face, his chest, or at times, his rump. This was the first fight that she had in months, and as Celestia as her witness, she was going to savor every second of it.

Soon enough, the stallion’s movements grew sluggish, more so than they already were, at least. His attacks decreased noticeably in both speed and power, making them even easier to dodge. His chances of hitting Star Light were already low to begin with, but now, he didn’t have a chance. He was never in control from the very start. Star Light played him like putty in her hooves, and now she had him just the way she liked her opponents. Weak, groggy, and defenseless.

Soon, the two were at a stand-off. The stallion panted, his legs shaking and lungs burning from fatigue. Star, meanwhile, was just as energetic as she was before the fight. Her smug, satisfied eyes stared right into the stallion’s own furious gaze. They both knew how the fight was going to end, whether or not either of them said it. Star Light, however, felt an obligatory need to rub that fact in regardless.

"We both know how this is going to end," she said, her smirk only growing wider. "You'd be better off surrendering, not that it'd make a difference."

The stallion only snorted as he prepared himself for one last charge, crouching down low, mustering up one last burst of energy. Star Light never gave him the chance to do so. She darted forward, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. The stallion’s eyes were quick to fill with terror, but his body was anything but quick. Before he could react, Star brought a firm hoof down on the top of his head, slamming his face into the concrete. His body followed suit, crumbling to the ground in a limp heap. It was over. He was out cold.

Victorious, Star Light stepped over the stallion, shaking the lingering aches out of her hoof as she approached the sleeping mare. She had to admit, he didn’t last as long as she would’ve liked, but given the strict time constraints, that was likely for the best.

With the threat eliminated, that only left the task of waking up the mare. Maybe she’d be able to get the unicorn to give her some information on Rainbow's whereabouts. Somehow, she felt that was going to be far easier said than done.

“Let’s see what we can do.” After clapping her hooves together, Star Light stood over the sleeping unicorn. From there, she could already tell that she was still breathing, so that was the worst-case scenario thankfully thrown out of the window. Star gave the unicorn a quick look over, observing her body for any signs of trauma. “Hmm. No bruises, no cuts, no signs of broken bones. Looks like she was knocked out with some kind of spell or drug. Okay, this should be simple enough.”

Her observation complete, Star backed away from the mare. Her horn glowed a bright blue as she reached into her robes. She took out a small vial of clear liquid. It was the perfect thing to wake anyone from their deepest of slumbers, drug-induced or otherwise.

She unscrewed the vial and carefully dabbed a tiny amount of the liquid on her hoof. After placing the vial back in the safety of her robes, she held the hoof right under the sleepy mare’s nose. “Okay, sleepyhead. Time to wake up.”

After breathing in the liquid’s scent, the unconscious mare’s nose involuntarily twitched and fidgeted about until finally…

“Achoo! Achoo! Ah… Ah… Achoo!” The mare exploded into a fit of uncontrollable sneezes.

Whatever professional appearance Star Light thought that she had quickly crumbled as she tried and failed to hold back her chuckles. As the scene before her went on, those chuckles quickly turned into uproarious cackles as she fell back on her haunches, clutching at her aching stomach. It was for that very reason why sneezing water was one of her favorite tools. One whiff of the stuff, and she was guaranteed a show from anybody.

Of course, as the mare’s sneezes came to an end, so too did Star’s laughter. So, once the purple unicorn was over her fit, Star trotted back up to check on her. “So, you awake yet?” she asked. She couldn’t help but smile as the mare cracked an eye open. At least she knew that it worked, not that there was any doubt.

“Wha?” she groaned. Her vision was hopelessly blurry. All she could make out was the silhouette of a pony against the blue sky. “Rainbow, is that you?” she asked, still fighting through the daze.

Star’s smile quickly faded away. As much as she was enjoying herself, she couldn’t forget the gravity of the situation, nor why she was there in the first place. “No, I’m not Rainbow Dash. Actually, I was hoping that you could help me find her.”

The dazed unicorn opened her other eye. “What? Why would you—” For the first time since she woke up, her vision finally cleared. The very first thing she saw was a hooded pony staring right down at her. So, she reacted much like how any normal pony would’ve reacted to such a sight. She shot a potentially lethal beam of magic right at the hooded pony’s face.

Now, Star Light liked to consider herself fast. At full gallop, she could run faster than some pegasi could fly. Her senses were well above average, and her reaction time was near instantaneous. That said, the speed at which she jerked her head back to avoid that beam of magic was undoubtedly the fastest she had ever, and will ever, move.

Even then, she was unable to save her mane, if the few blacked locks dangling in her vision were any indicator. Unfortunately, she didn’t have much time to mourn over her ruined mane before she felt herself lift off of the ground, trapped in a lavender aura. Just as she predicted, talking to that mare was going to be much easier said than done.

When she got a good look at the mare, the sight was unsurprising, to say the least. The unicorn could’ve set fire to something with the unbridled anger in her eyes. And Star Light, at the moment, was at her mercy. As far as situations went, she had seen boulders balanced on needles that were more stable. Still, she wasn’t dead yet; in fact, she still had free reign to move about in the unicorn’s magical grip. Maybe she’d still be able to talk her way out.

“Where are my friends?” the unicorn demanded.

Star Light wisely kept her hooves up in the air, lest she cause some kneejerk reaction. “I don’t know,” she calmly answered.

“Don’t lie to me!” Another surge of magic built up in the unicorn’s horn. Star didn’t need to be a magical aficionado to know that she didn’t want to be on the receiving end on whatever that spell was. Still, she kept her composure.

“I am not the enemy here. I want to help you.”

The unicorn's expression only grew sterner. “Help? How?”

Star Light motioned to the unconscious stallion lying underneath her. “Well, I did just save you from him. How’s that for starters?” Her captor’s hardened expression softened for a moment as she took that fact into consideration. Star Light was actually surprised when she felt herself relax. She didn’t even know she was that tense.

“How do I know that I can trust you more than him?” the unicorn asked, her voice softer than before.

“That’s the thing. I know that this isn’t the best of circumstances, but I was hoping that saving your life would make you give me the benefit of the doubt.” Star figured that she was slowly but surely getting through to the mare, but until her hooves were safely back on the ground, she wasn’t going to assume much of anything. It did, however, seem to be working, as she felt the grip around her loosen. She wasn’t back on the ground yet, but it was a start.

The two unicorns locked eyes again. “H-how do I know you’re not just working for them?” the purple mare asked. She tried to sound fierce, but she still couldn’t hide the uncertainty in her voice.

Even though Star Light understood just how irrational a paranoid pony could be, she still couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Do you hear yourself right now? Why would I knock out one of my comrades and then wake you up, a key target, giving you a chance to do any number of things?” She brought attention to the lavender aura that she still floated in. “Clearly, not a sound plan.”

“Who’s to say that I’m even awake? This could all be a hallucination caused by the tranquilizers. You might not even be here right now!”

In spite of the situation, Star couldn't keep herself from smacking a hoof to her face. “Oh, for the love of— Really?!”

“Well, excuse me! It’s hard for me to think rationally right after I’ve been drugged!”

Star was about to toss more fuel onto the verbal fire when she felt the grip around her tighten again. Perspective regained, she decided that shouting at her possibly unstable captor wasn’t the best course of action. After swallowing down a few choice words, Star finally calmed down. “Okay. Maybe we should try this again.” She softly sighed. “You don’t recognize me, do you?”

The purple mare raised a single, confused eyebrow. “We’ve met before?”

“I suppose that’s a no,” Star sighed. She grabbed her hood and drew it back, revealing herself to the mare. Her captor took a moment to study Star’s face, trying to figure out where she had seen her before. It seemed as though Star Light cleared another hurdle when her captor’s eyes went wide with realization.

“Wait, I met you in Ponyville,” she said. Almost immediately, her face flared with anger. “You were the one who broke into Rainbow’s house!”

A disturbingly wide smile broke out onto Star’s face. “Ah! So, you do remember me. Excellent.”

Despite her oddly chipper attitude, Twilight’s glare didn’t soften for an instant. “What are you doing here? Why did you break into Rainbow’s home? Don’t try to play games with me this time, either! You’re not exactly in the position to mess around.”

Star’s smile softened into another sly grin. “At least you’re more intelligent than most other ponies I meet. And since we’ve already met once before, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt if I shed some more light on things.”

“Looks like you didn’t get away after all,” Twilight said, her own smirk crawling onto her face.

A short chuckle left Star’s muzzle. She liked this mare. “I suppose not.” The pink unicorn cleared her throat. “My name is Star Light. As for why I’m here, well, I’m simply on a mission. That is the same reason why I… perused Rainbow’s home.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, her suspicions not waning by the slightest. “A mission? What kind of mission? And that would be?”

“To protect Rainbow Dash.”

“From who?”

“From the likes of him.” With a jerk of her head, Star directed Twilight’s attention towards the black-clad stallion unconscious next to her.

Twilight felt a pang of disgust as she looked down at the stallion. The thoughts of what he’d have done to her if help hadn’t have arrived raced into her mind. It was a close call, one that Twilight didn’t want to make again. Still, her suspicions of her supposed savior remained.

“Listen,” Star said. “As I said, my only reason for being here is to ensure Rainbow’s protection. As her friend, I can only assume that you wish for the same. As long as we share that mutual goal, you have nothing to fear from me.”

Despite the reassurances, doubt still lingered in Twilight’s eyes. “As happy as I’d be to see a friendly face, I don’t think I’m ready to trust just anypony. I don’t really even know who to trust anymore.”

“Where do we go from here then?” She pointed down to the sleeping stallion. “I can’t, in clear conscience, let you wander off by yourself with more like him around. But I have my doubts that you’re willing to welcome me with open arms just yet.”

Twilight took a moment to weigh her options. Star Light’s claims seemed genuine, but for all she knew, deception could just be her special talent. Her gut was telling her to trust the pink unicorn, but she just couldn’t bring herself to take a risk like that. She couldn’t trust her own judgment. However, there was one pony whose judgment she did trust.

“Listen, Star Light. I’m taking you to Princess Celestia. If she can trust you, then I can, too.” She saw the unicorn visibly tense up at the mention of the princess’ name. Not the most reassuring sign. “Is there a problem?”

“Huh? Oh, no. Fair’s fair, I suppose. But, uh, do you even know where she is?”

“As a matter of fact, I—” Whatever confident face Twilight put on quickly shattered as another realization slammed into her. “—don’t.”

Star Light sighed once again. “Listen, I know things aren’t looking their brightest right now, but like I said, I’m not the enemy here. I want to help, but I can’t if you won’t let me.” When Twilight didn’t say anything, Star continued. “You wanted to know where your friends were. I think I know where they are. I can take you to them.”

Star Light could practically hear the struggle raging in Twilight’s mind as the unicorn tried to decide which option was the best. Even if she didn’t admit it, they knew that wandering the city blind was only going to waste time, and between the two, Star Light likely knew the city's layout better. As long as Twilight kept an eye on her, things should've been fine. The choice seemed clear.

After what felt like an eternity, Star was finally freed from her lavender prison, landing on the heavenly ground once more. However, her relief would have to wait; despite releasing Star, Twilight’s horn still surged with energy, and had it pointed right at the pink mare.

“If you think that you know where my friends are, take me to them. Now,” Twilight ordered.

Star slowly brought her hood back over her head, concealing her face within its shadows once more. “As you wish. But if you want to get them all out of there in one piece, you will do what I say, when I say it. Understand?”

Twilight’s horn crackled with energy as she entertained the thought of releasing her spell at the slightest provocation. “Just don’t try anything funny and we’ll see how well we get along.”

“Fair enough. Now let’s get going.” She trotted past Twilight, further into the alley. “The place isn’t very far. Just try to keep up.”

Twilight didn’t take her eyes off of the pink unicorn for a second as she followed behind. She didn’t know what she was getting herself into, but she didn’t care. She had a goal set in her mind, and she was going to see it through, no matter what.

Don’t worry, girls. I’m coming.

17: The Sun's Wrath

"Come now, Twilight. Keep up the pace. We’ve still got a ways to go,” Star Light said. She and Twilight had been walking through Hoofington for ten minutes, cutting through its numerous alleys in order to keep attention off of them. All the while, Twilight’s horn still surged and crackled with energy, prepared to release it at any given moment. Needless to say, the walk had certainly been a tense one. “If you have any questions, now would be the time to ask them.” Star didn’t even need to see Twilight’s increasingly fierce gaze to feel it settle on the back of her head.

Twilight didn't waste another second. “Just who are you?”

“I’ve already told you my name,” Star answered, chuckling.

Her levity did nothing to ease Twilight’s nerves. In fact, it only made her glare intensify. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?” It was all in her tone, in her knowing smirk. Star knew exactly what Twilight meant; she simply wanted to hear the mare say it herself.

The question was right at the tip of Twilight’s tongue, but even amidst their current situation, it just seemed too far-fetched. She wasn’t a mare of superstition, and to think that an organization that died out centuries ago could suddenly reappear out of the blue was simply absurd. But at the same time, stranger things have happened over the past few days.

As she struggled with her decision, Star Light snuck a glance back. “We both know what you want to ask, so you may as well come out with it.”

Twilight’s stern glare fixed itself back on Star. “And just how do you know what I want to ask?”

“Well, given the situation, I can only imagine that you want to know what side I’m on. I also think that it’s safe to assume that I won’t do your racing heart any favors when I answer ‘yes’.”

The magic enveloping Twilight's horn faded away as her stern expression slowly, but surely crumbled away into one of disbelief. “So, you’re… you’re an…” A slight nod was all that Twilight needed to see. “But… but how? Every history book that I read said that you all died out centuries ago.”

Again, Star Light chuckled. “Yes, that’s what the public wanted to believe. In reality, we only went dormant. When Equestria was a place of chaos and corruption, we were the only ones capable of maintaining balance and order, eliminating the corrupted when needed. But when Equestria became the peaceful land that it is today, the world simply had no more use for us. Unfortunately, it seems that we'll be needed once again.”

Twilight gulped down a lump in her throat. “What do you mean? Does this have anything to do with those ponies in the black hoods?”

“Yes. They’re members of another organization. The Solar Eclipse.”

Twilight perked up at the name. “Wait, I’ve heard of them before. They were the personal guards of King Solaris.”

“And the sworn enemy of the Assassins,” Star added, hints of disgust behind her voice. “They wanted to rule over Equestria with an iron hoof. We couldn’t allow that. I’m sure that you can see where the conflict came from. Once Celestia and Luna came into power, the Solar Eclipse didn’t die. They just went underground, plotting to overthrow the two sisters. Of course, that never happened, and after a particularly brutal defeat, they went dormant as well. Now here we are again, going at it like a couple of old, grizzled idiots.”

“What’s happening here?" Twilight asked. "In Hoofington, I mean. None of the ponies seem… right.”

Star Light slowed to a stop in the middle of the alley, Twilight doing the same. “I was wondering that myself when I first got here, but I have an answer. Follow me.” Star led Twilight to the end of the alley, and the two poked their heads out into the street. The pink unicorn scanned the area, stopping on a nearby group of ponies gathered around a nearby table, idly chatting about the weather. And nothing else. “Look at those ponies over there,” Star said, directing Twilight to the chatting ponies. “Notice anything off about them?”

Twilight squinted as she studied the ponies. Nothing looked particularly out of the ordinary, but if they were anything like that store clerk from earlier, then there could’ve been something wrong with them mentally. Of course, without the proper brain scans, she couldn’t tell for sure. “I don’t see anything wrong,” she finally said.

“Try again,” Star insisted. “This time, look at their eyes. Closely.”

Twilight did as she was told. Looking at their eyes, she did notice something strange. All of their eyes were yellow. Or rather, they all had an odd yellow glow to them. Twilight looked at the other ponies wandering about, taking careful note of their eyes. Again, they all had that faint, unnatural, yellow glow to them.

“Do you see it now?” Star asked, recapturing Twilight’s attention.

“Their eyes,” Twilight whispered. “What’s wrong with their eyes?”

“I have to give these morons credit. I didn’t think they’d actually get a hold of a Piece of Equestria.” While Star Light found some amusement in the situation, Twilight only felt gut-wrenching horror, to put it lightly.

“That’s right,” she muttered. “Celestia said that a Piece of Equestria was here. But what did it do?”

“Oh, so you already know about the Pieces. Good, that spares me one explanation. Well, one of these Pieces, the Staff, gives the wielder some form of mind control. As long as they possess it, they can make any number of ponies bend to their will. They’ll do what they want them to do, and think what they want them to think.”

Twilight took a moment to let that sink in. Mind control. Citywide mind control. Hundreds of ponies mindlessly following the orders of some mad pony. It was simply spine-chilling. “But why use it on an entire city?”

“Likely to eliminate the possibility of a stray eye catching them while they did whatever they wished. For example, capturing your friends.”

Twilight’s body froze up as her mind shot back to her friends. The mere thought of them being trapped in a cage while a pony did Celestia-knows-what to them made her tremble out of both anger and fear. “We need to hurry!” she shouted.

Without waiting for an answer, she darted out of the alley. Or rather, she tried to. She didn’t get very far before she felt something tug against her tail. Looking back, she saw that her tail was gripped in a bright blue aura, the culprit, a pink unicorn leaning casually against the alley wall.

“What are you doing?” Twilight demanded. “We need to save them before something happens!”

Despite the clear urgency behind Twilight’s voice, Star simply shrugged. “I wouldn’t be too worried if I were you.” She walked past Twilight, releasing the unicorn’s tail.

Twilight followed behind her, confusion and anger trying to override one another. “Why wouldn’t I worry? These are my friends!”

Star’s attitude was hardly affected by Twilight’s outbursts. “Because the Solar Eclipse made the fatal mistake of attracting Celestia’s attention at the worst possible time.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, her voice faltering.

“For a very long time, they’ve been trying to bring out the worst in Celestia so that the public could see ‘who she truly was’ or some horseapples like that. Most of their efforts were fruitless. In fact, only when they targeted things very close to her heart did they even make a chip in her exterior. Now, they have a Piece of Equestria, and I can’t think of many quicker ways to get on her bad side.”

As Twilight listened, she tried to think back to all of the times when she saw Celestia angry. Not annoyed. Not agitated. Not even cranky or snappy. Truly angry. She came up with nothing. Celestia was the calmest pony Twilight knew; the thought of her becoming angry not only felt alien, but sent a chill down Twilight’s spine. “So, what do you think will happen?”

“What I think? Well, the Eclipse have always been trying to bring out Celestia’s bad side.” A dark chuckle left Star Light’s muzzle. “I think that today, they may finally succeed. And I think that we’ll want to get your friends far away from her when that happens, unless you want them to get caught in the crossfire.”

Twilight hardly had any words. She could only gulp down the immense fear building up in her throat. “Right.”

Star quickly cleared her throat. “Well, I think that will end our chat for now. We’re here.”

Twilight looked back ahead. They reached the end of the alley, and right across from them was the towering museum. The two slowed to a stop. As far as secret hideouts went, Twilight certainly could’ve thought of less conspicuous places.

“The Celestial Museum?” Twilight asked, head cocked to the side. “Why would my friends be in there? Star Light?” Twilight looked back down at her white-robed companion to find her already trotting towards the museum. “Star Light!” she hissed, trotting after the unicorn.

Once she reached the building proper, Star positioned herself next to one its ground windows, peering inside.

“What are you doing?” Twilight asked.

Star didn’t avert her eyes for a moment. “Give me a sec,” she said.

Unfortunately, Twilight wasn’t feeling very patient. “Star Light.” She grabbed the unicorn’s hood, and with a quick tug, yanked her away from the window. “Why are we here?”

With an annoyed sigh, Star Light fixed her robes before focusing on the purple mare. Persistence. A nice trait to have, but an annoying one to deal with. “Okay, time is short, so here’s the short version. This used to be the location of a massive castle owned by Solaris. The surface structure was demolished, but the dungeon underground was left untouched. This has to be where the Eclipse are operating out of, and if your friends aren’t down there, then I’ll be hard pressed for ideas.”

“Then why are we standing out here?”

Star went back to the window, looking back inside. “I’m scoping the place out. If my hunch is right, this place is crawling with goons. Goons that I’d rather not deal with. Now, just give me a second, please.”

She didn’t need to look at Twilight to know that she was giving her that suspicious glare that she grew so accustomed to. She must’ve had a lot on her mind, and Star couldn’t really blame her. But whatever questions she had, Twilight thankfully decided to save them for later.

“Now, let’s see what we’ve got,” Star muttered. Even just peering through the windows, her eyes stung as she looked into the gleaming interior. Everything, from the white floors, to the display glass, to the wooden furnishing were polished and cleaned to a near blinding sheen. Ancient artifacts such as weaponry, armor, scrolls, and other items rested in the safety of the various display cases that dotted the museum floor.

But she didn’t spend long observing the pretty sights. She had her eyes set on the ponies filling the museum, specifically, their eyes. As expected, most of them were yellow. Most, but not all. Though they were tricky to spot at first, Star did manage to find a number of ponies with normal eyes. An alarming number, actually.

After her scan, she turned back towards Twilight. “Okay, bad news. More Eclipse goons are inside, mixed in with the brainwashed ponies. In other words, we won’t be able to waltz in without trouble.”

Hints of worry crept onto Twilight’s face, but she quickly shook them away. “Well, what's the plan? Do you even have one?”

Star tapped a hoof to her chin in contemplation. In truth, she was never very good at coming up with plans more complex than ‘beat up the other guys’ on the fly. Even then, as tempting as it sounded, that likely wasn’t the best course of action for a hostage situation. The place was too brightly lit to take them out one by one, and there wasn’t enough cover to sneak around. A sticky situation, indeed.

“Well?” Twilight asked.

“Hold on, I’m thinking.” Star looked up. By some inane stroke of luck, most of the museum’s upper windows were cracked open. Starting from the upper floors could give them something of an advantage if used properly. Of course, they'd have to actually get up there first. The beginnings of a plan finally started forming in her head. She snapped her head back down towards Twilight. “Alright, here’s what we’ll do. Do you see those—”

She didn’t get very far in her master plan before the two unicorns were blinded by a magnificent flash of light, one that came from inside the museum. Neither hesitated for a second before rushing up to the nearest window and peering inside. Twilight’s heart fluttered at the sight. Star Light’s dropped.

Standing in the middle of the museum floor for all to see was the lustrous form of Celestia and a slightly battered Rainbow Dash.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight cried.

“Rainbow Dash,” Star Light whispered.

Despite the princess of the sun literally appearing out of nowhere, the crowd’s reaction was virtually nonexistent. Twilight’s reaction was anything but.

She rushed towards the front door, eager to reunite with her mentor. She only got as far as three steps before she suddenly stopped, feeling another tug on her tail. Glaring back, she saw another blue aura wrapped around her tail. That glare quickly switched over to the pink mare responsible.

“What are you doing?” Twilight hissed.

Star Light’s horn never ceased to glow, but the unicorn kept close eyes on the princess. “Wait,” was all that she said. All the while her gaze never left Celestia. “What are you going to do?” she whispered.

Celestia looked left. She looked right. She took in her surroundings, her eyes not showing a hint of compassion, content, or nostalgia as she stood in the structure that she built with her bare hooves. Instead, they were cold, calculating, and decisive.

She said something to Rainbow Dash; Star Light couldn’t hear what. It must’ve been something along the lines of ‘Get down’ because the pegasus immediately did just that, lying flat on the ground, clasping her hooves over her head as Celestia channeled an immense amount of magic through her horn.

An intense sense of something shot through Star Light’s veins. She quickly identified that something as terror. To see a normal pony gather up that much magic would’ve been enough cause for worry. To have an alicorn gather that much was an entirely different tier of terror.

Star could feel the magic pulsate inside of her own body, pounding against her chest. She felt it resonate within her own horn. Her legs shook uncontrollably, threatening to give in at any moment. The sheer amount of magic she felt was nearly enough to debilitate her.

“Please tell me that you feel that,” she said, looking over to Twilight. Even if she didn’t shakily nod, Star would’ve been able to tell that she could feel it just as much as she could. The absolute fear in her eyes spoke that much.

“What is she doing?” Twilight asked.

Star Light took a single step back from the museum. She could swear her entire body was trembling. “I don’t know, but we have to get away from here, now!”

“No! She’s right there. We can stop her!” Without even waiting for a response, Twilight darted towards the front door. By the time Star even made a move, the unicorn was already at the door, ready to open it.

“Twilight, don’t!” She rushed forwards, desperate to stop her, but it was too late. Twilight swung the door open, but that was as far as she got.

Neither mare saw it coming.

First came the light. White, blinding, burning to the eyes. It was as though they were staring into the sun itself. Twilight only stood at the entrance, eyes wide as she stared into the white void. She knew that she should’ve moved, she wanted to move, but her body refused to listen. Fear left her body completely paralyzed.

Then came the wind. Roaring gales rushed past Twilight, screaming in her ears and stinging skin, like daggers brushing past her body. She shut her eyes tight, turning away in a feeble attempt to shield herself from the bombardment.

She didn’t even feel the tug against her tail as Star Light yanked her back. She wasn’t sure if Star said something; between the gale-force winds and her immense shock, it was hard to hear much of anything. She did, however, hear the distinct slam of the museum door as Star Light threw it shut.

The pink unicorn followed up by casting a protective barrier in front of the entrance, pouring as much magic into it as she could. It was as basic as basic could get, but it was all they had. They didn’t have enough time to get away; the most they could do was brace themselves for what was coming.

“This is going to hurt,” Star muttered.

Then came the blast.

Rainbow Dash had long since learned to never go against an order from the princess. That was doubly so if it wasn’t even a request, but a deliberate, unwavering, to-the-point command. So, when Celestia told her to brace herself, she didn’t think twice before hitting the floor. However, it was going to take more than closed eyes and clamped ears to prepare Rainbow for what came next.

The blast hit her.

However tight she had her eyes shut, she shut them even tighter as she felt roaring winds rush over her body, cutting like knives. She felt the very floor beneath her tremble and quake. She heard glass shatter, she heard the stone walls crumble away, she heard wood splinter and snap. All various sorts of debris crashed into the ground around her, some as close to only a few mere inches from Rainbow’s position. It felt like the entire building was being torn asunder.

But just as it felt as though the cacophony was reaching its peak, she realized something. It had stopped. No more shaking, no more wind, and save for a few bits of debris clattering to the ground, all was silent. The entire ordeal must’ve lasted for only a few seconds, but Rainbow would’ve been lying if she said that it wasn’t the longest few seconds of her life.

“It is safe to rise, Rainbow Dash.”

On shaky hooves, Rainbow finally stood back up. Even that was a harsh ordeal. She flinched at every sudden creak of wood or crumbling of stone, as if the entire place could still collapse at any given minute. When she opened her eyes, she saw, very quickly, that that could’ve very well still been the case.

The museum, once pristine, clean, and heavenly, was little more than a graveyard. Whatever elegance the establishment possessed disappeared in a single, destructive flash. Splintered wood, shards of glass, the shattered remains of display cases and ancient artifacts all littered the floor. Several large chunks of the marble floor itself was torn from the very ground it was meshed to, the broken pieces only adding to the mess.

So much destruction, and Rainbow hadn’t even seen the worst of it yet. She looked around at the rest of the building. She felt her blood run cold when she saw what became of the ponies caught in the blast. Dozens of broken bodies lay against the wall, thrown violently against it during the blast. That was a terrifying fact within its own right; the fact that these ponies were innocent civilians only made things worse. They still seemed to be breathing, thankfully, but that could’ve been Rainbow denying the reality. She just didn’t know.

Somehow, she managed to tear her eyes away from the sight and looked up at the one responsible for the destruction.

Princess Celestia. Or rather, Rainbow was sure that it was Celestia, but she had her doubts. Never in her life did she think that Celestia could act so… cold. Even after everything that she saw, she still didn’t want to believe it. Yet the proof was right there. Not only was the proof all around her, but it was also in Celestia’s very eyes. No remorse, no regret. Not a sliver of compassion.

There was something boiling inside of Rainbow. There was something rushing through her veins. Something familiar. Something that she never thought would be directed at Celestia. Anger.

“What the hay was that?” Rainbow asked, voice low and foreboding. Princess or not, she wasn’t going to let anypony do this to innocents without hearing from her.

Celestia picked up on Rainbow’s agitation. She had to. There was no way that she couldn’t. Yet her eyes still showed nothing. “A concussive spell,” she calmly answered. “Anything caught with the blast is instantly rendered unconscious.” She took a quick glance around the destroyed museum. “While the spell’s effects are harmless, the blast from the casting does leave room for improvement.”

Rainbow could hardly muster up the senses to speak. The princess’ casual tone was simply mind-boggling. “Room for— You leveled a room full of innocent ponies! Why did you do that?”

Celestia didn’t falter for an instant. “Innocent? That type of gullibility will get you in far more trouble than you could ever hope to handle.”

That did nothing to help calm Rainbow’s nerves. In fact, it only served to throw more fuel into the flame. “I’m gullible? I’m gullible? And how the hay did you know that they weren’t innocent, huh? What huge sign gave away that these guys weren’t innocent?”

“I didn’t know. I simply did not want to take a risk.”

Rainbow’s seething glare only sharpened as she took a single step towards the princess. “So you risk hurting a bunch of ponies who didn’t have anything to do with this? That’s a risk worth taking? That’s insane! You’re supposed to protect them!”

Sighing, Celestia slowly shut her eyes. “You still have much to learn, Rainbow Dash.” She opened her eyes, her gaze suddenly foreboding and serious. “At times, it doesn’t matter what others want. At times, some morals must be broken. If something must be done, then it must be done, regardless of the consequences.”

“Don’t feed me that crap!” Rainbow shouted. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at the princess anymore, trotting away from the alicorn in some feeble attempt to keep calm. Never in her life did she ever even consider the idea of having any aggressive feelings towards Celestia of all ponies. Yet, here she was, struggling to keep herself from flipping into a rage. And the princess wasn’t making that effort any easier.

Celestia hardly seemed bothered by Rainbow’s behavior; not the slightest shred of remorse made its way onto her face, not even as she overlooked the destruction that she caused. “Allow me to ask you something, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow’s eyes snapped back up to the princess. “What?” she growled.

“When you were face to face with your friends’ captors, how did you feel?”

Rainbow raised a single eyebrow at the sudden question. “What? Wh-what do you—”

“Were you angry?”

“I-I was… I mean, yeah. But I—”

“Did you want to kill them?”

The question slammed into Rainbow like a punch to the chest. She couldn’t deny that if she could’ve, she would’ve had blood on her hooves. Back in that house, during that bloodthirsty rage, she would’ve murdered somepony. She wanted to. But she wasn’t thinking clearly. She was lost in the moment. It was a blind frenzy. It wasn’t like she would ever consider killing a pony if she had a clear mind. At least, that was what she told herself.

“Rainbow Dash. Did you want to kill them?” Celestia repeated.

As she considered the question, the anger inside of Rainbow slowly subsided. Her angry gaze drifted down to the floor. Her body loosened up, sagged. Something else was filling up inside. Something worse than anger. Fear. Fear that she was losing her grip on her morals. Fear that she was losing her grips on reality. Fear that if she didn’t do something about it, she would become the very thing she despised: a killer.

Whether it was because she grew impatient waiting for an answer or because she sensed Rainbow’s growing anxiety, Celestia kept the questions coming. “Would you be willing to kill if it meant saving your friends?”

Even after everything she’s been through, it still stung to even consider taking another life, even if it meant saving her friends. That was what she told herself. That was what she wanted to believe. “No. There’s gotta be another way, though.”

Celestia didn’t miss a beat. “What if there isn’t?”

“Then I’ll find a way.”

“What if you can’t?”

Rainbow stamped a hoof on the ground. “Then I’ll make one up! I’m not killing anything. I don’t care what I have to do.”

Another sigh passed through Celestia’s lips. Finally, she hit Rainbow with the hardest question. “And what if that stubbornness, that refusal, resulted in your friends’ deaths?”

What if it was her fault? That was what Celestia was asking. What if this stalwart refusal to break her morals ended up getting her friends killed? What if they died because of her? Rainbow tried to look down at her hooves, to try and see if she had the hooves of a killer, but all she saw were blurred waves of blue. It was difficult to see through the tears.

“Killing is not something that I take lightly,” Celestia said. “However, it is also something that I am not above if it is for the greater good.” Celestia walked up to Rainbow, using a wing to ease the pegasus’ head up. “I can see true anger in your eyes, and I know that some of it is directed towards me. There is little that I can do to change that. I also know that most of it is directed towards those who stole your friends. We will do everything within our power, the both of us, to ensure that they are safe and that the ones responsible will pay. I cannot guarantee what will happen. All that I can do is ask that you will be able to forgive me after all of this.”

Was Rainbow going to forgive Celestia? In all likelihood, probably. But at that moment, Rainbow couldn’t give a rat’s tail about that. She just wanted to save her friends, get as far away from Hoofington as possible, and put the entire thing behind her like a really bad nightmare.

They were going to get away and everything would go back to normal. Better than normal, even. Rainbow would spend more time with them. Maybe she could help out Applejack around the farm more. Maybe she could return all of those overdue Daring Do books to Twilight. She could pull more pranks with Pinkie, spend more time with Fluttershy and her animals; she could even pose in some of Rarity’s dresses.

They were going to get out of it just fine. Everything was going to be fine. That was how all of this was supposed to end. It was all going to be okay. It had to be.

“I understand that this is an incredibly difficult time for you, and it will only get harder from here on out. If you do not want to continue, I understand.”

Rainbow wiped the tears from her eyes. She got back on her hooves, still holding in the tears. But through that was a newfound resolve. Now was not the time to get teary eyed, and now definitely wasn’t the time to even consider backing down. She came too far to run away just because things looked tough. She was not going to abandon her friends. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said.

Celestia slowly nodded her head. “Very well.” Her eyes drifted over to a wooden door tucked away in the corner of the museum, one of the few things that were still standing. The door that led into the ‘storage room’ of the museum. The pulsating magic emanating from that door was impossible to ignore. The Staff had to be down there.

She walked up to the door, Rainbow solemnly following behind. The princess eased the door open, revealing the pitch black stairway behind it.

Rainbow, mouth agape, crept up to the newly revealed stairway. “Whoa. What’s down there?” she asked, her voice echoing in the dark depths.

“The storeroom.”

Rainbow’s mouth curled into an annoyed frown. “That’s it?”

“It used to be a dungeon.”

“Oh.” Rainbow felt a cold chill run down her spine as she stared back down the stairs. Somewhere in that dark abyss were her friends, trapped in a cage like rabid animals. She wanted to make the ones responsible pay. She wanted to make them suffer. The very though was enough to get her heart racing. But she had to keep her head together. Saving her friends was her priority. Any payback that she happened to get along the way was just a bonus.

“Are you ready?” Celestia asked.

Rainbow released all of her aggression in a single, long sigh. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go.”

Without another word, the two ventured down into the depths of the museum. Now, Rainbow never liked being a pessimist, they tended to be buzzkills, but she couldn’t shake the bad feeling itching at the back of her mind. She didn’t like what was happening, and she wasn’t going to like anything that was about to happen. Regardless, when she said that she would always be there for her friends, she meant it, and she was going to prove it. The nightmare was almost over, and she was going to do anything that she could to end it. Anything.

As she regained consciousness, the first thing that Star Light noticed was the gleaming blue sky above, quickly followed by the dull, throbbing pain in her muzzle. Lingering pains were one of the worst parts about losing consciousness. That, and the fact that anything could’ve happened during the time she was knocked out. Judging from the sun’s position, she couldn’t have been out for more than a few minutes. Still, it was a good idea to regain her bearings. A few minutes could be a very long time in the appropriate scenario.

Looking off to the side, she spotted one of the museum’s front doors lying next to her. She must’ve taken a pretty nasty hit from that. Solid oak and heavy to boot. Without the barrier that she put up, she might not have woken up at all.

Slowly, Star picked herself up off of the dirt. She touched a hoof to her nose, flinching back when sharp sting shot through her muzzle. It was definitely sore, but not bleeding. As far as injuries went, it could’ve been much, much worse.

“That wasn’t fun,” Star mumbled. “Twilight, are you okay? Twilight?” She didn’t know whether to be surprised or not when she didn’t get a response. She looked around, expecting to find an unconscious purple mare somewhere within the vicinity, but oddly, she couldn’t find her. “Twilight?” Star called again, louder. Still nothing.

Granted, even though both of them had to have been knocked out by that blast, Star took the brunt of it, so it made sense for Twilight to wake up before her. What didn’t make sense was the mare’s wandering off, especially in the given situation.

However, Star did have something of a hunch as to where the errant mare could’ve wandered off to. She set her eyes on the museum before her, or rather, what was left of it. Bits of the outer walls were blown clean off, leaving holes that led straight into the interior. Every window adorning the structure was broken open, the shattered remains of its glass littering the ground. And of course, the front doors were blown clean off of its hinges with frightening force, as Star Light painfully learned. Oddly enough, at the very top, the white marble structure of Celestia was left untouched. Star didn’t know if that was mere luck, or if she was supposed to take something away from that.

Regardless, peering through the museum’s open entrance, she found Twilight. The unicorn was standing in the middle of the museum, amidst the devastating aftermath of what was essentially a contained explosion. Her eyes scanned over the destruction, not uttering a single word, her face a pit of shock and disbelief.

Star Light slowly made her way inside the museum herself, careful not to startle the unicorn. Shattered glass and bits of stone crunched beneath her hooves as she made her approach, her eyes surveying the damage as well. It was a miracle that the building was standing at all, given all that it’s sustained. However, if the crumbling bits of wall were any indicator, it wasn’t going to stay that way for long. The sooner that they got out of there, the better.

As she came closer, Twilight glanced back at her, barely holding back the tears welling up in her pained eyes. Star was tempted to try and comfort her, to place a comforting hoof on the mare’s shoulder, but given the volatile nature of their relationship, such things likely would’ve only made things worse.

“What happened here?” Twilight croaked out.

Star took another quick look around the destroyed museum. “It looks like somepony cast some type of concussive spell. A powerful one, too.”

“But who did it?”

Star Light failed to stop herself from sighing. There was little point in dancing around the subject. “You know exactly who did it,” she said. “I don’t know why, but Celestia isn’t—”

“How do you know it was her?” Twilight snapped, anger suddenly brimming in her eyes. “I’ve known Celestia since I was a filly, and she would never do anything like this!” Just as quickly as it appeared, the anger subsided as Twilight’s eyes drifted towards the ground. “She just… she couldn’t.”

Star Light softly sighed to herself. Yelling wasn’t going to do either of them any good. She had to remember where Twilight was coming from. She was a personal student of Celestia. A protégé of the sun princess. She had to have placed the princess in the best of lights, on the highest of pedestals. She was Twilight’s mentor, role model, and likely one of her best of friends. To see and know that someone she held in such high regards was capable of something so callous and destructive must’ve been near impossible to bear. It was hard to accept, yes, but it was rarely ever easy to hear the truth.

“You felt the exact same magic that I did,” Star Light said. “Are you honestly going to tell me that there’s a unicorn alive who could ever hope to match that? You don’t really believe that, do you?”

For a few short seconds, Twilight considered the possibility of Celestia causing such destruction. However, as she looked at the unconscious bodies littering the destroyed museum, her doubts came rushing back in full. The damage to their bodies, bloodied and beaten, couldn’t have been inflicted by a pony as benign as Celestia. “But there are innocent civilians here,” she said. “Celestia would never do something like this, not if it would hurt them.”

“You’re right,” Star said. “There are civilians here. But as I’ve said before, there were also members of the Solar Eclipse here as well, mixed in with the crowd. Celestia knew this as well. I wanted to deal with them in a way that would’ve kept civilians out of the crossfire. Celestia didn’t bother with such a precaution.”

Twilight’s angry exterior slowly broke down as she took it all in. She had always been a mare of facts, but these were facts that she didn’t want to believe. She couldn’t believe that Celestia—the Princess Celestia—was capable of such a thing. It just wasn’t possible.

Star Light simply stood aside as she watched Twilight break down in front of her. Even for her, seeing the unicorn like that was too much to watch. That was when she decided to place a comforting hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, in spite of herself. Still, Twilight didn’t flinch away, so it must’ve been the right thing to do.

“I know that this is all very hard to take it, but if you keep lying to yourself, then who are you helping?”

Twilight looked up at her, tears streaming down her face. “But I don’t understand. Why would she do this?”

“I don’t know her exact reasoning behind this, but it’s like I said, the Solar Eclipse have spent a very long time trying to bring out the very worst in Celestia. It seems that they’re finally succeeding. If we don’t do something soon, then your friends may end up getting caught in a very deadly crossfire.”

Twilight said nothing else. She simply looked back at the ground as she let it all sink in. Star Light gave the unicorn her space and walked over to the exposed stairwell, peering down into the museum’s dark depths. It must’ve been where Celestia went while they were knocked out. More importantly, however, it must’ve been where Rainbow Dash went. She was getting close.

Star looked back at Twilight. The purple mare hadn’t moved from her spot, and didn’t look like she was going to for a long while. “Listen, Twilight. I can’t stay here. Your friends must be down in this dungeon. I have to get them out before something bad happens. You can follow if you want, but otherwise, you should look for—”

Whether or not Twilight was even listening to her came into question when she brushed right past Star and down the stony steps.

“Hey, Twilight! Where are you going?”

“To find my friends.”

"And what about Celestia?" Star asked.

"I'm going to ask her a few questions."

Star Light was already following Twilight down the stairs, but had to come to a dead halt when she heard the conviction, the authority, and the anger behind her voice. Somewhere within the past few seconds, something inside of Twilight snapped. Now, instead of slouching around, questioning what was true in her life, she was charging right into the face of danger without so much as a second’s hesitation, which might have been a step too far in the other direction.

Whether or not they were friends, Star Light felt some obligation to protect the unicorn. Maybe it was to keep her own conscience clean, or maybe it was for Rainbow Dash. Either way, Twilight rushing ahead made protecting her something of a challenge. “For goodness’ sake. Wait!” she called.

Twilight stopped and looked up at her. “If you want to talk me out of it, don’t bother.”

Star Light started down the stairs herself. “The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. But if we’re going to do this, at least let me lead. These guys are dangerous.”

“I can handle myself in a fight, thank you,” Twilight retorted, following the white-robed mare down the stairs.

Star had to stifle a chuckle. “A young, little bookworm like you? I’ll believe it when I see it.”

If Twilight was annoyed by that little statement, she didn’t show it. “Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”

“Now there’s something that we can both agree on.” Of course, actually getting through that situation with little difficulty was something that required enormous amounts of luck, something that Star Light had very little of even in the best of times.

As treacherous as things seemed, however, the fact still remained. Rainbow Dash was back in her sights. All Star could do at that point was hope that she could find her before anything happened. It was, after all, the least that she could do.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much, Your Highness! You are too kind! Far, far too kind!” The green pegasus, whom Luna eventually learned was named Wind Gale, practically kissed the lunar princess’ hooves as he bowed before her. Bowing was the absolute least that he could’ve done; it was nowhere near enough to repay her immense generosity.

After releasing him from the dungeon’s unforgiving shackles, Luna not only filled his starving stomach with a feast fit for a king, but she also allowed him to clean himself up in the heavenly waters of the royal baths, before finally letting him rest within the incredibly comfortable confines of one of the many guest rooms. That guest room, with its gleaming white floors and pristine white and blue bed, was where he met Luna again. He couldn’t have begun showering her with praise any quicker if he tried.

Of course, Luna didn’t see her actions as righteous and as divine as he did. She was simply a pony helping another in need. “Rise, Wind Gale, please. Such actions are not necessary. Bringing you back to health was the least I could have done, given what you’ve endured.”

Wind Gale quickly complied, clearing his throat as he regained a more serious composure. As silly as he must’ve seemed, what else could he have done? Simply say his thanks and walk away? Clearly not a proper display of gratitude. “So, am I free to leave?” he asked.

Luna nodded. “You may leave if you wish. However, I do have some questions that I would like to ask, if that is okay with you.”

“Oh, of course. Anything you wish, Your Highness.”

The gentlest of smiles graced Luna’s face. “Excellent. Please, take a seat.” She motioned over to a few nearby seat cushions. The pegasus and alicorn each took their respective seats, but where Luna sat normally, Wind Gale nearly sunk into his seat, soft as it was. Once he was properly composed again, Luna decided to begin her questions. “Now, do you remember anything that has happened within the past few days?”

Wind Gale’s face scrunched into a small frown as he tried to recall anything unusual. It was odd. He knew that something had to have happened over the past few days, but actually remembering them was a different story. He knew that they were near the front of his mind, but it was like trying to remember a dream as the events slowly slipped away from memory with each passing second. He just couldn’t do it.

Soon, he simply shook his head. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I can’t seem to remember. The memories are there, but it’s all just one, big blur.”

“It is quite okay,” Luna said. “I expected as much. Now, can you remember anything before the blur?”

“Oh, of course. Everything from before is crystal clear.”

“Do you remember what happened just before this blur in your memory?”

Wind Gale took another moment to recall those events. Even those were rather blurry, but he could still remember what had transpired. “Yes. I… I was headed home after a long day’s work. I’m a courier, you see, and delivering packages across Equestria can take a toll on the body.”

“Understandable,” Luna said, nodding. She’d be lying if she said that she was unfamiliar with the aches of sore wings. “Please, continue.”

“Of course.” The pegasus cleared his throat, regathering his thoughts. “When I returned home, I went straight upstairs to my bedroom. When I got there, I noticed a draft coming from one of the windows. This was odd because I knew for a fact that I locked all of my windows before I left.”

“You believe that there was an intruder in your home,” Luna assumed.

Wind Gale nodded. “They must’ve snuck up on me. Before I knew it, the entire room was filled with this chilling, yellow light. That’s all that I can remember, I think.”

“I see.” Luna took a moment to absorb the information. It wasn’t much to go on, but it was better than nothing. If there were intruders in his home, then perhaps they left something behind. “Wind Gale, would it be of any trouble to you if I arranged a thorough search of your home? These intruders may have left crucial evidence.”

“Of course not, Your Highness. Do whatever you wish if you feel it is for the best.”

“Thank you.” Luna’s expression, once gentle and kind, suddenly hardened into something more serious. “Now, I have only one last question to ask of you.”

The sudden change in her tone made Wind Gale grow tense. “Y-yes?”

“You mentioned working as a courier, yes?” The pegasus nodded in silence. “For whom were you delivering these packages?”

“I work for the Pegasi Postal Service, rather standard affairs,” Wind Gale calmly answered. “Today, I had to deliver tools to a carpenter in Trottingham. Since the total delivery was too heavy for one trip, I had to deliver them one at a time.”

Luna nodded her head as she listened to his answer. However, she wasn’t necessarily listening to his words, but rather his tone. She listened out for the slightest quivers, for any involuntary changes in pitch. His answer, however, was perfectly calm and unsuspicious. But Luna wasn’t done yet. She also kept an eye on his face. Though his voice didn’t falter, the same couldn’t have been said for his expression. For a split-second, the occasional quiver betrayed whatever honest mask he was trying to wear. It was barely noticeable, but it was still enough for the alicorn.

Luna sat back in her seat, a small, almost satisfied creeping onto her face. “I must say, Wind Gale, you are a truly excellent liar, and that is not a statement I make lightly."

Whatever confident façade that the pegasus thought he had nearly crumbled away in a sharp intake of breath. “What do you mean?” he asked.

"I must be honest, though. I thought that we would be long past lying by this point.”

"B-but I’m not lying, Your Highness.”

“Come now. None of us are perfect liars; some merely have very difficult to spot signs. For instance, your nose twitches ever so slightly when you are deceptive.”

“I-it does not!” Wind Gale shouted, though his muzzle thought otherwise.

“Ah, there it is again,” Luna teasingly said, pointing at the twitching nose. But as Wind Gale tried to cover his traitorous nose, Luna grew serious yet again. “But in all seriousness, what is it that you are afraid of telling me? Are you afraid that I will grow enraged at the truth? If so, then rest assured, you have nothing to fear. I simply wish to know the details so that I may better understand this plight of ours.”

Wind Gale slowly brought his eyes down to the floor. He shifted back and forth in his seat, not so much trying to think of another lie, but deciding on how much he should tell Luna, if anything at all. “I… I’m afraid that I can’t,” he solemnly said.

Luna simply nodded. “I see. You do not wish to go against your creed.” The princess could practically see every muscle in Wind Gale’s body tense up. There were no sudden, surprised yelps or attempts to lie yet again. He simply looked up at her, face just as flat and serious as hers.

“How did you know?” he whispered.

“I did not wish to say anything at first due to the rather grim circumstances we started off in. Now that we are here, however…” Luna motioned towards the pegasus’ neck. “There is no need to hide such a thing from me.”

Wind Gale softly sighed in both defeat and shame. Slowly, he brushed aside a bit of his mane, revealing the branded scar, the triangular insignia that forever labeled his allegiance. He didn’t know if the burn he felt came from his shame or Luna’s gaze as she laid eyes upon it. “So, what will you do to me?”

“It is as I said, you’ve nothing to fear; I simply do not want you lying to me. Now that we are, as they say, on the same page, I will ask you again. What was inside that package?”

Wind Gale fidgeted about in his seat as he came to terms with the situation. He glanced up at Luna; her expression said it all. There was no anger behind her eyes, but rather an unfaltering sternness. He wasn’t going to leave until he told her what she wanted to know. Finally, the pegasus breathed a deep sigh, conceding to the princess’ wishes. “It… it was a map.”

“A map of what?”

The pegasus couldn’t even bring himself to look into Luna’s eyes. “Of Ponyville.”

Luna let out a small breath, her gaze not faltering for an instance. “And why did you have a map of Ponyville?”

“It was a part of a recent operation to gather intelligence on the pegasus, Rainbow Dash.”

Even though Wind Gale couldn’t see it, the slightest hints of surprise appeared in Luna’s eyes. She still maintained her composure, however. “What does Rainbow Dash have to do with any of this?”

Wind Gale took a deep breath. A long, deep breath to calm his nerves. Against his better judgment, he looked back up into Luna’s unwavering eyes, meeting them with his own stern gaze. “Everything.”

Despite her numerous paranoid claims and fears, Rainbow had never actually been in a dungeon before. Yes, she saw numerous pictures of dungeons in the odd history book every now and again, but she had never set hoof in one herself. That being the case, she never could’ve expected the chilling sense of eeriness that came with entering one.

Even as she and Celestia were descending the stairs, Rainbow couldn’t ignore the lingering chill that traveled up and down her spine. Once they reached the dungeon proper, however, that same chill practically had her shivering. The cold stone beneath her hooves, the chilling air, the dim, claustrophobic, torch-lit halls, it all served to create an oppressive atmosphere that did nothing to calm her nerves.

Granted, a lot of effort had gone into hiding the dungeon’s bloody past. At first glance, it did seem to be little more than a storage place for the artifacts not on display. The numerous rooms lining the walls around them were all filled with various dusty crates and barrels, some containing larger artifacts draped over by a large tarp. Signs hung from the walls, reminding employees to handle the items with care, to wash their hooves, and other standard talk.

With the drastic makeover, it wouldn’t have surprised Rainbow if the average pony saw this without feeling an inkling of the unease that she felt. But they could tell her that it was simply ‘a place for storage’ all they wanted, it would never change what it used to be: a place of imprisonment, torture, and even worse. Countless ponies, kicking, screaming, bloodied, and beaten, were dragged down the very corridor that Rainbow stood in, taken away to whatever cruel fate awaited them. The rooms, the cells that surrounded the pegasus all contained enough horror stories to last ten lifetimes. And this was where her friends were being held.

And then there was Celestia.

Rainbow didn’t know what it was, but something about the princess simply wouldn’t stop bothering her. Was it her stoicism? Her coldness? That unwavering, emotionless look in her eyes? Ever since they’d arrived, absolutely nothing has seemed to even give Celestia a hint of concern. Given just how bad things had gotten, Rainbow didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. It just didn’t make sense. Rainbow was supposed to feel safe around the princess; she was supposed to trust her and her judgments. If that was supposed to be the case, then why didn’t Rainbow feel safe? Why didn’t she trust Celestia? What was it about the princess that didn’t feel right?

Celestia slowly came to a stop in the middle of the stone passageway, Rainbow doing the same. The princess’ eyes were fixated firmly on the path before her, scanning it for even the slightest sign of movement.

Rainbow looked down the passageway as well. Actually looking at it, it seemed to stretch on for far longer than necessary for the museum above it. She couldn’t even see the end. Rainbow looked behind herself as well. The sight was the same: an endless corridor leading into pitch darkness. Had they really traveled that far? And this was only one corridor; it was bound to have countless branching paths that essentially made it an underground maze. If her friends were somewhere down there, blindly searching was only going to waste time. And that was to say nothing of those hooded goons that were no doubt crawling all over the place.

“We’re close,” Celestia said.

Rainbow peered into the darkness before her, gulping down her anxiety. “Yeah, we have to be. So, how are we gonna do this? This place looks pretty big to me.”

Celestia didn’t respond, she just kept staring down the corridor, her face still completely flat. The things going through her mind, the emotions she must’ve been feeling, she didn’t show a hint of it.

Finally, she looked down at Rainbow. “I sense a source of immense energy not far from here. I am certain that the Staff is there.”

If Celestia was relieved, then she was the only one who was. “What about my friends?” Rainbow asked. Again, she didn’t get an answer. The question didn’t even seem to register to the princess. She merely started down the corridor yet again, not even acknowledging Rainbow’s concerns. Rainbow herself didn’t know whether to be confused or annoyed as she watched Celestia walk away. “What the…? Hey, wait up!” She galloped up to Celestia’s side, the princess not slowing for an instant. “You didn’t answer my question. How are we gonna find my friends down here? This place is huge!”

Again, no response from the princess. She didn’t even glance down at the pegasus.

What the hay’s her deal?

Rainbow got in front of the princess and tried to push her back. “Will you just… slow down… and talk to me?” she strained out through clenched teeth. But no matter how much strength she used, Celestia never slowed, let alone stop. Rainbow may as well have been trying to stop a stampede for all the good it did. Fatigue soon got the best of her, and she had to aside to regain her strength. Celestia, of course, continued on, not batting an eyelash.

At first, Rainbow was merely confused by the odd behavior, but it was only a matter of time before she grew annoyed. Very annoyed. Celestia was her best bet of getting her friends out of there in one piece. At least, she was supposed to be. Yet here she was, pretending that Rainbow didn’t even exist. Well, Rainbow no longer cared what she had to do in order to get the princess’ attention. Even if she had to slap some sense into her, so be it.

Rainbow shot up to her hooves and darted back in the princess’ path. Just as she started making designs on the fleshier parts of the princess’ face, however, something caught her ear.

“You get your hooves offa me, you good-for-nothin’, feather-headed, apple-suckin’ varmint!”

That was a voice that Rainbow would know anywhere. A sense of both elation and fear swelled up in her chest as she searched for the source. “Applejack?” She looked down an adjacent hall. She heard Applejack’s voice echo from the darkness. It had to have been coming from that way. Applejack was there; that must’ve meant that the others were as well. They were close. Very close.

Rainbow looked back towards the princess. She was still walking, didn’t even slow down. She didn’t bat an eyelash or showed a hint of interest towards Applejack’s shouting.

“Princess Celestia!” Rainbow called. “You heard that, right? My friends are right down here!” Something akin to hope was in her voice. Unfortunately, that hope was extinguished when Celestia didn’t slow for a second. She walked right past Rainbow Dash and continued down the hall. “Hey, did you hear me? Where’re you going? Princess!”

Celestia continued down the hall towards whatever destination she had cemented in her mind. “It’s close,” she muttered. “It’s close.”

Rainbow was speechless. They were so close. Too close to let things fall apart now. Every second that she spent standing there was a second thrown to waste. It no longer mattered why Celestia was there herself; Rainbow was there for her friends. If Celestia wanted to obsess over a hunk of metal, then that was her prerogative.

Rainbow glanced down the path that led to her friends. She glanced back to Celestia, glared at her. “She can handle herself,” she muttered. Without another word, Rainbow took the path down towards her friends, leaving the princess on her own. She had her own mission to attend to, and if that meant leaving the princess to her own devices, then so be it. Nothing was going to get in the way between her and her friends.

18: Doubts

“Hey! Hey! Ya’ll better let us out, ya hear me? If ya’ll don’t open this door right now, so help me, Ah’ll kick it down!”

As Applejack screamed and swore at whoever was outside their cell, Rarity stood in what constituted as the ‘cleanest’ corner of the room. Even then, she may as well have been standing in acid for how comfortable she seemed, standing on the tips of her hooves. As if trying to stay out of the dirt and grime wasn’t difficult enough, Applejack’s bellows only made it even worse. “Applejack, threats didn’t work for the past nine times. I have my doubts that it will work on the tenth.”

And just like that, all of the anger Applejack held for her captors switched over to Rarity as the farm pony whipped around. “And why the hay are you so calm?” she snapped. “In case ya ain’t noticed yet, we’re trapped in some nasty cell in Celestia-knows-where!”

“I’m aware of that, and believe me when I say that I want to get out of this place more than you do. However, shouting obscenities won’t help us with that.”

Applejack took a step closer to her calm friend. “Then what are we supposed t’ do, Ms. Composure? Just sit around with our hooves up our rear ends?”

“I don’t know,” Rarity sternly snapped back. “What I do know is that what you’re doing isn’t going to help us.”

“You can talk all you like, doin’ nothin’ ain’t gonna do any better. If Ah got a chance to get out, Ah’m gonna take it.” To punctuate herself, Applejack gave the wooden door trapping them in a quick, strong buck. The impact of her hoof slamming into the door was accompanied by a loud, echoing bang, but the door itself looked no worse for wear.

Rarity still stood by, unimpressed, to say the least. “Are you quite finished? Or is there more to add to this lovely plan of yours?”

“At least Ah’m doin’ somethin’ an’ not just standin’ around like a loaf!"

Tension was high and tempers were higher. One hour. Two hours. Half a day. None of them had any idea how long they’d been trapped in there, nor did any of them have any idea where they were. They didn’t even know how they ended up there in the first place; they were waiting for Twilight in front of the gift shop and before they knew it, everything went black.

Now, here they were. Trapped, isolated, and at the mercy of whoever captured them in the first place. Oddly enough, they hadn’t heard a peep outside the door ever since regaining consciousness. But before they thought that they had a decent amount of time to yell at each other some more, the silence was promptly broken.

From the dead silence of their cells, the mares could hear faint hoof beats on the other side of the door. These hoof beats grew louder with each passing second until they stopped right in front of the cell door. All was quiet as metal clanged with wood as the locks were released.

The mares slowly backed away as the cell door creaked opened. A looming shadow crawled into the room, gliding across the stone floor. A collective silence hung in the air, save for the crackling torches and faint hoofbeats against the stone floor.

Tension weighed down on the mares, thick like a blanket. All of them, even Fluttershy, gathered close as they prepared themselves for anything, for the worst. For all they knew, it could’ve been the last moments of their lives, or the beginning of something worse than that. Countless scenarios rushed through their minds, each worse than the last, none with the slimmest chance of a positive outcome.

The door slowed to a stop, left wide open, leading out into an impenetrable darkness. For a small, hopeful second, it seemed like there was nothing beyond those doors, that they could escape. That hope was quickly extinguished when a stallion clad in black robes stepped into the cell. The way he presented himself seemed odd, though. His stride was casual, far too calm for the situation. He didn’t show the least bit of concern that he could’ve been attacked at a moment’s notice. He just took a seat in front of them, looking over their terrified faces.

At first, he merely sat there, didn’t utter a word. Even in their dire situation, the mares couldn’t help but uncomfortably shift in their seats during the awkward silence.

A few, long seconds later, the mysterious stallion finally cleared his throat. “I suppose I should be the one to start things off.” No response from the girls, as expected. The situation, as he saw it, certainly could’ve been better. Again, he cleared his throat. “I apologize for the rather… questionable situation that you’ve all found yourselves in.”

None of the girls bought into his sentimental act for a single second, Applejack least of all. As the rest of her friends took a step back, she took a step forward, ready for a fight, a burning glare in her eyes. “Well, you can take your apologies an’ shove ‘em where the sun don’t shine!” she spat.

The hooded stallion took a small step back himself. He had to tread carefully. Things were already volatile enough; he couldn’t afford many more setbacks. “I understand your anger,” he said. “All I ask is for a chance to explain.”

Applejack didn’t advance again, she just sharpened her glare. “You better, if you know what’s good for you.”

The stallion hardly seemed moved by her threats. “Yes, well, I suppose I’ll start with my name.”

“Hold on,” Applejack cut in.

“Hmm?”

“If you’re gonna try an’ play the ‘big stallion’, then you best act like it. Take off that stupid hood o’ yours an’ show us your face.”

The stallion raised a hoof, looking as though he was about to say something. He held his tongue, however, and slowly lowered his hoof back down to the floor. “If you insist.” He reached up, gripped his dark hood between his hooves, and slowly brought it down, allowing it to drape across his shoulders.

Standing before the mares was a stallion with a fine, azure coat along with a mane of the deepest sapphire. Even his eyes, also a deep shade of blue, had a mysterious sheen to them. With those same eyes staring into the very souls of the four mares, they wished that he had kept his hood on.

“As I was saying,” the stallion said, “my name may be a rather obscure one for the… historically-challenged. I am Solare, named after the great King Solaris.”

At first, none of the mares seemed moved by his over-dramatic reveal, save for Applejack. She almost seemed bothered by it, and for a terrifyingly good reason. “Hold on,” she said. “Solaris? Ain’t that the name of the fella who was ruler before the princesses?”

An amused, surprised smile cracked onto Solare’s face. “Ah, so we do have at least one history buff amongst us. I suppose that will save me some explaining. Yes, he is my ancestor, the former ruler of Equestria, until Celestia came into the picture, that is.”

“Oh, you gotta be kiddin’ me,” Applejack muttered.

“I take it that you’re the one responsible for what’s been happening lately?" Rarity asked.

Solare nodded. “Yes, and I apologize for that. Believe me, I would’ve loved for us to meet under… better conditions—”

“Ah woulda settled on not meetin’ you at all,” Applejack cut in.

The smallest of sighs left Solare’s muzzle. He didn’t know why he thought things would’ve gone smoother. “Yes, well, things tend to happen for a reason, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Then what is the reason for you capturing us?” Rarity asked. Actually trying to converse with that brute after he threw them into that disgusting cell certainly wasn’t something that she wanted to do. But if it meant buying more time for Celestia to find them, then it was their best option. Assuming of course that none of them made any brash movements before then. Oddly enough, she felt a pang of worry as she glanced over at the huffing farm mare beside her.

Solare cleared his throat again. “I will explain everything that you wish to know in due time. For now, though, I suppose that I should—” He didn’t get very far before he clapped his hooves together as though he remembered some crucially important detail. “Oh, of course! Where are my manners? That stone floor must be rather uncomfortable.”

“It does… leave much to be desired,” Rarity admitted, glancing down at the cell floor.

“Agreed.” He rapped a hoof twice against the floor. Not even five seconds later, four pillows floated into the cell, all wrapped in the bright green glow of some unseen unicorn. They set themselves gingerly in front of the girls.

Despite the supposedly nice gesture, the pillows may as well have been landmines for how comfortable the mares were around them, keeping their hooves away from the soft, red fabric.

Solare either didn’t notice or didn’t care for their behavior. “Go on. Sit,” he urged. “I would hate to see you all more uncomfortable than you need to be.”

Applejack’s glare shot up back to him. “Ah think Ah’ll pass,” she said, contempt dripping from her voice.

“I’m inclined to agree,” Rarity added, nudging her pillow away. “As a mare of etiquette, I can say that there is a time and a place for certain behaviors. This is neither the time nor the place to try and act friendly. Perhaps you should continue on to explaining why you’ve locked us in this disgusting cage like rabid animals and, for that matter, why you're doing all of this in the first place."

“If you insist,” Solare said. “Now where was I?” He tapped a hoof to his chin as he tried to regain his train of thought. “Ah, yes. I suppose I should begin this little explanation with a question. Why are you all here?”

Another wave of silence washed through the room as the mares exchanged worried glances. Without uttering a single word, they all managed to agree, right then and there, that weren’t going to tell the truth. Unfortunately, deception was a rather prominent weakness for some of them, and outright impossible for others.

Thankfully, Rarity was quick to step back in. “We were running errands for a friend. In fact, we were on our way to the gift shop when those ghastly minions of yours attacked us.”

“A friend. Is that right?” A low, throaty chuckle left Solare’s muzzle. “Tell me. Was this friend of yours, by chance, Princess Celestia?”

Shocked gasps echoed throughout the cell as the tension came crashing back in full. “What? D-don’t be ridiculous!” Rarity hastily said, trying to save face. “Of course not. We were simply—”

Solare quickly raised a hoof, cutting Rarity off. “Spare me the lies, please. I already know the details. I simply wished to make small talk. Now, whatever reason that you think you’re here for, is not the case.” He took a moment to scan over the mares’ worried faces. “Whatever task Celestia bestowed upon you, it was nothing that she couldn’t, and likely already did, complete herself. You are not here for her. You are here for Rainbow Dash.”

“Just what the hay are you goin’ on about?” Applejack demanded.

“Surely you’ve all noticed her odd behavior as of late. Mood swings, headaches, claims of hallucinations, heightened senses, and the like?”

Applejack just snorted. “So what if we did? What’s that gotta do with anythin’?”

“More than you could ever hope to imagine,” Solare said. None of the mares knew exactly what it was, but something about his tone made the air grow colder. Darker. “I doubt that any of you know just how dire things are for your friend. Whether or not you know it, she’s fighting a losing battle for her sanity. You can thank the princess for that.”

Applejack opened her mouth to say something else—another colorful retort, no doubt—but she paused, allowing Solare to continue.

“Celestia is fully aware of what she’s doing, and she’s fully aware of the consequences. Therefore, she’s taking precautions. That’s why all of you are here. As long as you, her closest friends, are with Rainbow, she’ll be able to cling on to her sanity for just a little while longer.”

While Applejack was hardly the world’s greatest debater, she wasn’t dumb enough to miss holes in an argument larger than her acres, less so when the pony speaking said argument was about as appealing to her as deep-fried apples. She took a single step forward, more agitated than angry at the drawn-out stream of nonsense leaving Solare’s mouth. “Alright, let’s pretend that Ah believe all this leavin’ your mouth. Then why are you keepin’ us away from her?” she asked.

“A minor cause for worry,” Solare admitted. “But fear not. It would take a few hours at the very least before any significant changes in Rainbow’s personality rear their ugly heads. I intend to have you all out of here before then.”

“Or how about you quit yappin’ and just let us out!” Applejack shouted.

Solare didn’t give an inch. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. Rainbow is the key to this dire situation we’ve all found ourselves in. What happens to her will determine what happens to Equestria. Listening to what I have to say may be difficult, perhaps even painful, but it must be heard. If Celestia gets her way, this land will burn. My duty, our duty, your duty, is to prevent that.”

“You’re sayin’ a lot, but all Ah’m hearin’ is a bunch o’ horseapples,” Applejack spat back.

Something of a chuckle left Solare’s muzzle. “You don’t believe me. I understand. You don’t want to do anything that would oppose the great Princess Celestia in any way. I understand.” Solare heaved a tired, almost reluctant, sigh. “I’ll admit that Celestia has done an excellent job of maintaining her benevolent façade for the past millennia, but that façade is beginning to crack. Once it does, you’ll see what she’s truly capable of. If it comes to that, only you, the Elements, will be able to stop her.”

Silence once again. The tension in the air was practically suffocating. Solare could tell that the mares were planning an attack or some form of retaliation. He could tell just by looking at their eyes. Their eyes, some a mixture of hesitation and anger, were boring holes into him.

It would’ve been ignorant and unprofessional of Solare to expect them to see what he saw so soon. It would take time. Perhaps it would take longer than he expected. Perhaps it would take shorter. Either way, it was going to happen. That much was certain.

Another black-clad pony, a subordinate, trotted into the cell. She whispered something into Solare’s ears; Applejack and the others couldn’t hear her. As she left the cell, Solare let out a long, deep sigh.

“It seems we’ll have to cut this short,” he said. “I have other matters to attend to. However, I do hope that you take into consideration what I’ve said and that you would at least be somewhat open to what I have to say in the future. For Rainbow’s sake.”

“Shove it,” Applejack spat.

Solare took a moment to clear her throat. Somehow, he suspected that convincing them would be harder than he anticipated. “Very well. We’ll see if you’re singing the same tune later on. Until we meet again.” With nothing else to say, Solare turned and walked out of the cell, slamming the creaky, wooden door shut.

The instant his hoofbeats faded into the distance, Rarity walked up to Applejack. “You don’t believe all of that hogwash, do you?”

Applejack snorted, kicking one of the pillows aside. “Not for a second. Who do they think they’re foolin’? Celestia’s gonna get us outta here, no problem. Just you wait.”

“I hope Rainbow and Twilight are okay,” Fluttershy said, finally leaving the safety of the corner.

“Well, if they ain’t here with us, then Ah’m guessin’ they got away just fine.”

Pinkie perked right up. “Yeah! Twilight must’ve used her super-duper book smarts to give ‘em the slip! And Dashie could take ten—no, twelve—with a hoof tied behind her back!”

Despite the dire situation, Applejack couldn’t help but laugh at Pinkie’s seemingly endless energy. “Ah don’t know about all that, Pinkie, but if they are out there, then they’re gonna get us out.”

“I do hope you’re right,” Rarity said.

Applejack held her head high, confident. “Ah know Ah am. Twilight an’ Rainbow are comin’ t’ get us. The princess, too.” She sat back down on the cold floor, staring up into some spacy expanse. For a moment, her confident smile faltered, curling into a worried frown. “They have to be.”

As Twilight wandered down the museum’s dank lower corridors alongside her questionable pink companion, her mind was still ravaged by the images she saw up above. The ravaged architecture, the broken bodies, it was all still clear in her head.

There were still parts of her that wanted to believe that some cruel, malevolent being was responsible, but there were just as many parts that knew who did it. She just couldn’t believe it; she didn’t want to. But she was no fool, either. It was as Star Light said up above, no other pony alive possessed the kind of magic that she sensed. All she could do was accept it.

“Twilight?”

So, she’d accept it. But then what? Was she supposed to forget about it and throw it all under the rug? No. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t. No matter who it was, no matter their reason, something so needlessly destructive could not go unnoticed nor unpunished. But how would she, a mere pony, confront the princess of the sun?

“Twilight.”

She could just get directly to the point. She could just ask Celestia why she did it. She just needed to hear her explain herself; that was all she wanted. Perhaps Twilight didn’t know all of the details. Surely Celestia could shed some light if that was the case. But what if it wasn’t?

“Oh, for the love of... Twilight!”

Twilight snapped her head back up to find Star glaring back at her. Twilight didn’t even realize that she had stopped moving for what must’ve been a few seconds. A short pause, yes, but they couldn’t afford to lose more time than they already did.

“Come on, we’re almost done,” Star Light assured. “Don’t go crazy on me now.”

Twilight let out a tired sigh as she walked back up to the pink unicorn. “Sorry. It’s just… This is a lot to take in. This all just too crazy.”

Star only shook her head as Twilight grew closer. “Listen. You don’t have to keep going if you don’t want to. Things are already hard enough as is, and it won’t do us any favors if you lose your apples now.”

Perhaps Star’s methods of reassurance weren’t the best to calm Twilight down. She glared dead into Star’s eyes, teeth gritted and face twisted into a scornful frown. “I haven’t come this far to give up now. I’m not leaving my friends behind. I don’t care what I have to do.”

Star had to admit, Twilight’s tenacity was impressive. Admirable, even. However, that could only go so far. It would take more than determination and a can-do attitude to get out of there in one piece. Considering that she had to save her from one of the Eclipse’s cannon fodder, Star had her doubts that Twilight had what it took to make it all the way through. She seemed brave and determined before, but all of that could’ve just been a shell, one that was finally starting to crack under all of the pressure. Perhaps Star shouldn’t have brought her down there.

“Twilight, I’m going to be honest with you,” Star said. “This isn’t going to be easy. In fact, it’s only going to get harder from here. You say that you don’t care what you’d have to do to save your friends. You say that you’ll do anything. Now, when you say that, do you mean it?”

Twilight scrunched her face up into a confused frown. “What do you mean? Of course I’d—”

“Do you mean it?” Star Light repeated, her voice echoing down the corridor. Suddenly, Star stared Twilight down with a glare of her own. “Think about what that means, just for a second. This isn’t a game of truth-or-dare. What happens now could be the difference between life and death, and it’s fair game for everyone here. You, me, your friends. You cannot afford to hesitate, not even for a second. So, I’ll ask you again. Do you mean it when you say that you’ll do anything?”

For a moment, Twilight only stood there, speechless. Her stern glare faltered and softened as she tossed the question around in her mind. It wasn’t long before her glare came back in full, matching Star’s. “I’m just going to assume that you’re asking if I’m willing to kill. Am I right?”

Star’s glare sharpened as she slowly nodded her head.

“Well,” Twilight began, “I don’t know what you’ve learned during your upbringing that taught you that killing is the only option, but I’m going to have to disagree with you on that point. I already told you that I can handle myself, and I meant it. I’ve dealt with worse than these animals and I’ve come out just fine, and I never had to take a life for that to happen. That’s not going to change now.”

“You can handle yourself,” Star Light repeated. The skepticism dripping from her tongue could fill a bucket. “Okay, as much as I’d like to compare moralities, now’s not the time. So, you’re not going to back down?

“No.”

Star couldn’t hold back a sigh as she shook her head. “Okay, if you insist. Now, you say you can take care of yourself. Now’s the time to prove it.” Star turned back towards the dark bowels of the former dungeon. Her eyes scanned over every bit of the grey stone, assessing her environment.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, at least not at first. Light poured out of nearby storage rooms, shadows danced along the walls as the torches’ flames flickered about, and dust drifted slowly along the floor. As far as old dungeons went, it was normal. However, it wasn’t very long before Star did manage to spot something worth seeing.

“Bingo,” Star muttered. Without another word, she trotted forward, leaving a confused Twilight behind.

“Hey, what are you doing now?” Twilight asked, following behind.

“I think we might be on the right track here.” Star stopped right above what she was looking for. A single blue feather lay on the stone, coated in a fine layer of dust. Slowly, as though she were handling a priceless gem, Star lifted the feather up in her magic, holding it out in front of her.

Twilight laid eyes on the feather as well. A sharp pang shot through her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was elation or fear. Perhaps it was a bit of both. “One of Rainbow’s feathers. She's been through here.”

“Yeah, she’s close. Really close.” Star Light lowered the feather and looked down an adjacent corridor. As though fate was finally on her side for once, another feather lay undisturbed on the ground a ways down the stony hall, followed by another a few meters further. Nothing else short of large, neon arrows on the wall could’ve proven to be a better trail to follow. “Okay, I think I’ve got another plan.”

“And what’s that?”

Star Light looked back down the hall ahead of them. The entire time they’ve been down there, she felt a strong source of magic emitting from the darkness. It was the same that she felt right before Celestia nearly blew the roof off of the museum. She could only hazard a guess as to whose magic it was.

Now, Star Light was no fool. In her state, there was a good chance that Celestia would turn her into dust as soon as their eyes locked. Twilight, on the other hoof, was bound to have a much, much better time speaking with the princess. She wanted to have a nice chat with Celestia anyway. Not only that, but since Celestia no doubt cleared the way, it was bound to be the safest possible route to take.

“Listen,” Star Light said. “From what I’ve gathered, Celestia went further down this hall and Rainbow’s down the hall over here.”

“Uh-huh,” Twilight said, nodding in understanding. “So, I’m guessing we don’t have the time to find them both one by one.”

Star nodded. “Yep.”

“So, this is where we split up?”

“Exactly.”

“And I go find Rainbow while you go to Celestia,” she assumed.

“Preci—” The words stopped dead in Star Light’s throat as she registered what she just heard. “Wait, what? Oh, nononono,” she quickly shot out. “This is gonna be the other way around.”

Twilight cocked her head to the side. “The other way around?” she repeated. “You mean you’re going to go after Rainbow? You?”

“Uh... yeah. You make it sound like such a bad thing.”

Twilight only shook her head. “No.”

Star Light reared back, as though Twilight’s answer took her by surprise. “No? What do you mean no?”

Twilight didn’t back down. She remained firm. “I’m not letting you go anywhere near Rainbow, or any of my friends, without me.”

Star couldn’t stop herself from breathing an annoyed sigh. Just when she thought she’d cleared all of the hurdles, she came across a brick wall. “Really? Even with the stakes as high as they are, you still won’t trust me if it means saving them?”

“I don’t know who to trust anymore!” Twilight snapped. “I don’t even know why I’ve trusted you for as long as I did.”

“Maybe because without me, you’d have been thrown into some deep, dark pit? Besides, I thought you wanted to talk to the princess, remember? About what you saw upstairs?”

“I haven’t forgotten!” Twilight snapped. She was quick to calm back down, though, taking in a deep breath. “I’ll confront her with that when I have the time. Right now, my friends need me.”

“Then at least let me help you,” Star said, still pushing.

Twilight took a step closer to Star. “I already told you that I can handle myself.”

“Against a group of preschool fillies, maybe,” Star snidely replied. “I don’t know if you keep forgetting, but you and your friends were taken down by grunts. Do you honestly think you’ll hold a candle to the higher ups that are after Rainbow?”

It didn’t matter what Star said, Twilight didn’t back down for a second. “They caught me by surprise. That won’t happen again.”

“Just saying it doesn’t mean that it’ll happen. You’re out of your league here. What good will you be if you end up getting captured or killed or worse?”

“And why do you care so much about what happens to me?”

Star Light, still inching towards the edge, took a moment to calm herself down before things spiraled out of control. She took a step back from Twilight, taking a deep breath, her glare still firm. “Normally, I wouldn’t. But this is… This is different.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes as her suspicion bored into Star’s being. “Different how?”

The struggle was clear in Star’s face as she decided on what she should and shouldn’t say. “I… I doubt that Rainbow would take kindly to me letting you run off and get yourself killed.”

“Oh, so don’t really care about me, you care about Rainbow.”

“Yes. I mean, no. I mean…” Star Light took another deep breath to calm her nerves. “Look, what do you want me to do?”

Twilight already had her reasons to believe that something was off about Star Light, aside from the obvious, blood-stained ones. She had her suspicions that Star was keeping big secrets from her, and that little stumble only confirmed those suspicions. Admittedly, she was tempted to keep pressing the mare for answers, but decided that there were more important things to worry about.

With a deep sigh, Twilight softened her glare. As she did, Star Light seemed to relax as well. “Star Light, you’ve been wanting me to trust you from the minute we first met,” Twilight softly said. “Now, I’m asking you to trust me. I’ll be fine. I’ve dealt with worse than this. Besides, if what you’re saying about Celestia is true, then if one of us doesn’t calm her down, she’ll probably bring this entire place down before we can get out. It’s for the best.”

Star mentally sighed to herself. Even if it wasn’t a massive waste of precious time, trying to penetrate Twilight’s impenetrable determination was threatening to give her an aneurysm. However, she’d be lying if she said that the purple mare didn’t remind her of herself. It was at that exact moment when she finally realized just how much trouble she gave her master in her younger years. And just like her master, Star had to realize when she was fighting a losing battle.

“Okay. Okay, fine,” Star said, finally yielding. “I guess you can handle this. Just follow the feathers, keep quiet, and for Equestria’s sake, be careful. I don’t need your corpse in my conscience.”

“And what are you going to do?” Twilight asked, a single eyebrow raised.

Star rolled her own eyes. “I’m going to go find Celestia and try to calm her down before she brings this place down around us.”

Twilight felt a lump in her throat as she remembered the destructive scene right above her. “Are you going to be okay?”

Star stared back down the dark corridor that led towards Celestia. Towards that powerful, pulsating source of magic. “My chances aren’t as good as yours, obviously, but Celestia used to have ties with the Assassins. Hopefully, that’ll help.” She turned back towards Twilight to share some last words, only to find a surprising sight. There was genuine concern in the mare’s eyes. So even after all of that time, Twilight didn’t hate her guts yet. Star figured that it’d be best if they parted ways soon before she said something that changed that. “Now, get going. You’ve got friends to save.”

“Right. Be careful.”

A small chuckle left Star’s muzzle. “Heh. I can’t make any promises. Now get going.”

With a final silent nod, Twilight followed Rainbow’s feathers down the adjacent corridor, disappearing into the darkness, leaving Star Light along to face the princess. For a moment, the pink unicorn just stood there, using her last moments of peace to gather her wits. Was she afraid? Terrifyingly so. Could she allow that to stop her? Absolutely not. It was part of her responsibility to look death in the eye when others couldn’t, even if it meant losing her own life in the process.

With her final moments of peace ticking away, Star released the last of her lingering fears in one, deep sigh. It was only a matter of time before she had to reveal herself to the princess, she had just hoped that the circumstances would’ve been a bit less explosive. She couldn’t have complained too much, though. Convenience was rarely ever something that was on her side.

“It can never be easy, can it?”

Where are they? Where are they? Where are they?

Rainbow didn’t know how long she’d been running for; she just knew that she never stopped. Her friends were close. They had to be. She could feel it, a bubbling cocktail of emotions raging in her gut. A mixture of anxiety, fear, excitement, anger, despair, anticipation, and a plethora of other feelings battled for dominancy, resulting in one potent sense of confusion.

That wasn’t going to stop her. She knew that every frantic beat against the stone floor, her burning lungs, and sore, aching legs were all signs that she was getting closer. But during her wild sprint, she couldn’t shake that lingering sense of doubt itching at the back of her mind.

It was clear that she was moving; the stone halls sped by, the torches’ crackling flames spun and twirled she galloped past them. She knew that she was moving, but it felt as though she was still getting nowhere. She sped down corridors, whipped around corners, but she didn’t feel any closer than she was before. Everything looked the same. For all she knew, she was just running in circles.

Rainbow finally skidded to a stop in the middle of the dank corridor. No matter where she looked, it all just led into the same dark expanse she’d been blindly running through. She wasn’t going to find them at this rate. She just needed to hear their voices again, to pinpoint where they were in that maze.

“Guys!” she cried. Her voice echoed down the hall, bouncing from wall to stony wall before fading back into stark silence.

Nothing, not even a murmur, came back in response. That wasn’t good, not good at all. Nothing about anything seemed good. She was wandering around the bowels of a dungeon-turned-storage room under the brittle remains of a museum on a wild goose chase for her friends who may or may not even be there. For all she knew, she could’ve just been hearing things; she was already going crazy.

But she wasn’t going to stop. She couldn’t stop, not while she could still move. She was going to find them. She didn’t care if she had to tear the place apart, she was going to find them.

Rainbow Dash took another step to continue her search. The moment she did, however, her ears caught a noise that tensed every muscle in her body. In the silence of the corridors, Rainbow heard another pony’s frantic gallop. A gallop that was headed straight towards her.

As though it was purely instinctual, Rainbow whipped around to face the potential ambusher, only to catch a split-second glance of a pony’s tail disappearing around a corner. It wasn’t one belonging to any pony she knew, but it still belonged to a pony, and that was enough reason for Rainbow to follow.

Silently and slowly, she crept up to the corner as the galloping faded into the distance. She peeked her head out, peering into the darkness ahead. Through the black expanse, she spotted a figure’s shadow darting away. Though she couldn’t make out the details, she could still make out the flowing flaps of the pony’s robes. It had to be a member of the same organization responsible for everything she’s been through. The Eclipse.

“Hey!” Rainbow cried. “Come back here!” The mysterious figure didn’t slow their sprint, hardly a surprise to the pegasus. Throwing caution to the wind, Rainbow chased after the pony, speeding down the hall as quickly as her legs would carry her.

The distance between her and her target grew smaller and smaller with each passing second. She was not going to get away, and she was going to tell Rainbow where her friends were, whether or not that information came out willingly. Even when the shadowed pony turned a corner, possibly preparing for an ambush, Rainbow didn’t slow, didn’t even entertain the thought. She was far beyond the point of rational action.

She whipped around the corner, and, as a reward for her rash action, found herself only a mere few meters from her target, who had finally stopped running, if only for a brief time. Her back was to Rainbow, an opportunity that the pegasus wasn’t going to put to waste.

In her frenzied, angry state, Rainbow missed a few key details. She failed to notice that the pony’s robes weren’t a pitch black, but an almost gleaming white, with a blood-red sash around the waist. She also failed to notice that the pony seemed just as confused and frantic as she was, darting her head all around, trying to find something of her own. However, the largest thing that Rainbow failed to notice was that the pony before her was one that she had the displeasure of meeting before.

Rainbow didn’t notice those things, nor was she going to take the time to find out. Instead, she chose to skip the formalities and get straight to the physical part of the confrontation. Rainbow dove towards the oblivious mare, not even entirely sure what she was going to do once she was in her grip. However, instead of feeling the weighty impact of a tackle, she passed right through the mare, grabbing nothing but air.

Rainbow crashed into the ground, skidding across the stone. She didn’t even take the time to register what had just happened before hopping back up to her hooves, ready and eager to try again. She didn’t even take a single step forward before a crippling sense of dread shot through her heart.

As Rainbow stood there, staring at the mare’s face, she finally recognized her. How could she not? The black fur. The green eyes. The white streak of color splitting through her black mane. It was impossible for Rainbow to not recognize her. It was a mare she had the misfortune of meeting far too many times.

“Oh, not again,” was all that Rainbow could say. And as though she needed more confirmation, the mare spoke.

He is not here, either. Where else could he be?

Rainbow saw the mare’s mouth move, yet the voice was inside her head, and it came with the gentleness of a swift buck to the temple. Rainbow’s legs buckled underneath her as a fresh wave of pain exploded inside of her skull. She could do nothing but hold back her pained screams, letting them out as one long, sustained hiss.

As she recovered, opening her eyes once again, she fixed them on the black mare before her. Shadow, or her spirit, or her hallucinogenic projection caused by whatever was left of Rainbow’s broken mind, stared at something on the wall. Instead of listening to her instincts and just running away, Rainbow felt a strange compulsion to approach the hallucination, if only to see whatever it was Shadow was seeing.

“Man, this is crazy,” Rainbow muttered, simultaneously winning an invisible award for Grossest Understatement Ever. With a deep breath, she inched towards the mare as though she could lash out and attack at any moment. After everything that happened already, Rainbow wasn’t above believing that that could’ve very well been the case.

Only when she was right next to her did Rainbow take her eyes off of Shadow and look up at the wall. Surprisingly, she did spot something of interest. It seemed that there was something attached to the wall, but was painted over with black paint that blended nearly perfectly with the darkness. It must’ve happened during the renovations. Rainbow hardly had time to even ponder on what it could be before Shadow galloped away, heading even further into the maze.

Rainbow was tempted to follow immediately, but she had to admit, she wanted to know what she saw. The paint itself seemed old, chipped, and flaky, so finding out wasn’t going to take much effort. Using her hoof, Rainbow scraped away at the paint. Dozens of flakes fluttered to the ground as more and more of the ancient, wooden sign underneath revealed itself.

It didn’t take much longer before Rainbow could read the sign. According to that sign, the dungeon's cells were off to her right. Again, relief, excitement, and fear battled for dominance in her mind, but regardless, she just wanted to get there as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, she couldn’t continue on her way before something else caught her attention.

“Ah, there you are, Ms. Dash.”

That voice. It was close. Not in her head. Right behind her. It sent a familiar sensation down her spine. Not a fearful chill, not even a lingering sense of anxiety. No, that sensation was the seething sense of anger. She had only heard that voice once before, but that one time was all she needed. Rainbow spun around, finding a familiar, unpleasant sight.

“You again.” The anger in Rainbow’s eyes was enough to melt ice, but the stallion before her remained unmoved.

“Excellent. So you do remember me. That actually makes things simpler than I anticipated. So, I suppose you won’t mind if we continue from where we last left off.”

“Move,” Rainbow growled.

“As I’ve said before, it doesn’t work that way. I’m not going anywhere until you hear what needs to be said.”

His words didn’t even reach Rainbow’s ears. She didn’t care about anything that he had to say. She was angry. Angry at the smug inflection behind his words. Angry at his unwavering self-confidence. Angry at that annoying smirk that he gave her from the shadows of the hood draping over his eyes. She was angry, and she was more than willing to let it all out.

“Rainbow Dash,” the stallion called, growing sterner. “Whether or not you want to hear this, you must. It is crucial that you do.”

“I said move!” If there was any sense of caution left in Rainbow’s actions, it was thrown to the wind when she broke into a blind, frenzied charge right towards the stallion. The thought of a trap or an ambush never even crossed her mind. She was solely focused on herself, the stallion before her, and the rapidly closing distance between them.

She was so caught up in her anger, she failed to notice the faint, green glow in the darkness behind the stallion. Only when a green beam tore through the air did she notice it, not that it mattered. She had no hope of dodging it. The energy beam struck Rainbow dead in the chest. There was no pain accompanying the blast, just an impact that knocked the wind right out of her as it sent her flying back.

Rainbow landed flat on her back, breathless from the attack. She hardly had time to roll onto her stomach before another hooded figure was upon her, pinning her to the ground with a firm hoof on her back. Perhaps with a bit of effort, she would’ve been able to slip out from the grip, but any hope at that was washed away when she felt a sharp, cold piece of metal press up against her throat.

As she struggled against her captor’s hold, the stallion closed the remaining distance, practically teasing Rainbow as he stood only mere inches from her. “I must say, this is a pleasant surprise. I was admittedly worried that we wouldn’t cross paths again for quite some time, but it is good to see that that isn't the case. So, I suppose this means that you wish to talk?”

With the burning hot glare she gave him, it went without saying that Rainbow was less than cooperative. “Bite me,” she spat. Her insolence earned her a swift, painful punch to the back of her head.

The stallion quickly raised a hoof to calm down his subordinate. “There is no need for that, Comet. I’m certain Ms. Dash is more than willing to be cooperative, considering what’s at stake.” He sat down in front of her, staring right into her angry eyes. “Now that I have your undivided attention once again, allow me to continue where we last left off.”

Even pinned down, even with a dagger against her neck, Rainbow still tried to attack the stallion before her, futile as her attempts were. “You really expect me to care about anything you have to say? You must be dumber than I thought.”

“Ah, you say that now, but rest assured, you will see things very differently in due time. You can begin that change now by simply listening.”

Rainbow only snorted. “If you really think I’m gonna sit here and—” Her little retort was cut short with another sharp crack to her head.

“It isn’t my intention to do you harm, but I will if you leave me no choice.”

In spite of the situation, a small smirk cracked onto Rainbow’s face. “That’s funny,” she said. “Last I remembered, you tried to kill me!”

The stallion simply chuckled. “Come now, Ms. Dash. You and I both knew that those grunts were no match for you. I was simply having fun with you.”

“Fun? That’s what you call it?”

“Yes, but that hardly matters now. The time for fun is over. We have things to discuss, things that involve Celestia.”

Again, Rainbow’s lips curled into a smirk. She’d read enough comic books to know where things were going. “Let me guess,” she began. “You’re gonna give me this huge, rehearsed speech about how the princess is the worst thing since deep-fried apples. That’s supposed to get me to join you in whatever piles of horseapples you’ve got planned to take over the world. But—and here’s the twist—you’re gonna end up turning on me in the middle of it all and use me to find out where the other Pieces of Equestria are. Am I still in the ballpark here?”

The stallion assaulted Rainbow’s ears with another chuckle. “You seem to misunderstand my intentions. What I am about to say is no lie, nor is it part of any harebrained scheme to conquer the world. In fact, my intention is to save it.”

With her stoic, unflinching gaze and unamused frown, Rainbow couldn’t have look more unconvinced if she tried. “Uh-huh. And I guess this guy you’ve got here used to foalsit on the weekends.”

“Oh, Comet actually used to own a small pet shop. It, unfortunately, didn’t do very well, however. I suppose not many ponies are very willing to own manticore younglings.”

“… Okay, now you’re just messing with me.”

“Anything but, Ms. Dash. Everything I’ve said so far has been nothing but to truth, and I intend to keep it that way.”

Rainbow didn’t say anything in response. She simply glared at the stallion, shaking her head, eyes full of contempt.

“You don’t believe me,” the stallion said.

“Ya don’t say?” Rainbow retorted.

The stallion sighed, a nice alternative to that annoying chuckle of his. “Very well. Then how about this? I’ve already told you that I’m a stallion of facts, but I’m also a stallion of my word. If you consider what I’m about to say, even for a second, then I’ll take you to your friends.”

Rainbow’s body immediately locked up. She tried to jump back up to her hooves, only to be pushed back to the ground. “Where are they?” she demanded.

“Rest assured, they’re safe, sound, and unharmed. If you want it to stay that way, then you will calm yourself and listen.”

Calm. That wasn’t the word Rainbow wanted to hear. There was nothing calm about anything. In the midst of everything happening, she was supposed to calm down? She didn’t want to, if only because that stallion asked her to, but if it meant finding her friends in that maze, she didn’t have much choice. Besides, she couldn’t do much regardless, not without getting her neck slit.

Finally, reluctantly, Rainbow took a deep breath, releasing the anger pent up inside. She loosened her body, remaining tense enough to react at a second’s notice. As far as the stallion was concerned however, she was as calm as could be.

“I suppose that will have to do,” he finally said. After clearing his throat, taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he began. “Now, I’m positive that Celestia has already informed you of her search for the Apple. That is, after all, why she’s been putting you through Shadow Streak's memories. She needs you in order to find it. Now, have you even considered what will happen if she does find it?”

He paused, waiting for a response from his captive listener. That answer never came. The most he received from Rainbow was a fierce glare.

Soon enough, he cleared his throat. “Feel free to answer that question, Ms. Dash.”

“You said that I only have to listen. I’m listening, so keep talking.”

The stallion let out a sigh. Though some things were going against his initial plans, Rainbow was still just as difficult as he had expected. “Very well. If you think that Celestia will simply lock the Apple away, then you are sorely mistaken. The Apple is a very powerful object. Powerful enough to bring an entire nation to its knees. Powerful enough to change history. Powerful enough to change a being’s very genetic structure. Powerful enough to do all of these things and more by simply willing it.

"Celestia had a taste of that power, and became addicted to it. She has been for the past one thousand years, and will do anything to taste that power again. Her finding the Apple will not ensure Equestria’s safety. No, if she finds it then nothing here will be safe. That’s where you come in, Ms. Dash. Without you, Celestia will be as blind as she was for the past thousand years. The simplest solution would be to kill you, but that wouldn’t serve our entire goal. As long as that object is out there, any fool could stumble across it, and who knows what would happen if that were to be the case.

"The only way to ensure that destruction doesn’t befall Equestria is to obtain the Apple ourselves.”

After wasting her time listening to that stallion’s deluded speech, she only sighed. Partly out of pity, but mostly out of contempt. She could hardly even begin to explain everything wrong with what she just heard. That wasn’t going to stop her from trying, though. “So, let me get this straight. You expect me to believe that you and your flunkies won’t use this powerful piece of fruit to rule Equestria, but Celestia—the benevolent Princess Celestia—will?” She couldn’t contain her laughter when the stallion nodded. “Wow, you really are stupid.”

“Just open your eyes! You’ve seen through Shadow’s eyes what Equestria was like a thousand years ago. It was a land filled with chaos, corruption, and death. Do you honestly believe that the princess could’ve changed all of that with mere words? Or do you refuse to open your mind to the possibility that they aren’t as pure as you and the rest of the world thought they were?”

Rainbow didn’t want to agree with anything that he said. She couldn’t. Still, that didn’t change the fact that he had a point, as much as she wanted to deny it. What could the princesses have done when Equestria was in such a state of disarray in order to get the entire nation behind them? Surely they had their own reasons, their own ways of doing things that weren’t nearly as bad as that stallion was trying to paint them to be. They were the princesses; they always had a reason for why they did things. Right?

The smallest of smiles cracked onto the stallion’s face as he noticed Rainbow’s hesitation. “You can’t say that I’m wrong, can you? Just look at today. Today alone, she’s decimated a tavern full of patrons and nearly leveled an entire museum in a single blast, civilians and all, without hesitation. Does that sound like your benevolent princess?”

Rainbow was more than ready to deliver another clever retort, but the words caught in her throat as something made itself prominent in her mind. For a brief instant, a very, very brief instant, Rainbow nearly agreed with the stallion. She couldn’t deny that she was furious after witnessing what Celestia did, but she was already trying to convince herself that Celestia had a good reason for doing so. She could only hope that the stallion didn’t see the hesitation on her face for that brief instant; the last thing she wanted to do was give the slightest hint that he was possibly right.

“So, she was pissed,” Rainbow said. “I’d be too if a bunch of chumps like you were threatening Equestria.”

Her resistance didn’t serve to worry the stallion. “And what of the events leading up to now? What of the things that Celestia has done to you?”

“What are you talking about?” Rainbow asked, exasperated.

“Your headaches. Your hallucinations. Do you honestly believe that that’s going to be the worst of it? Celestia knows what will happen to you at this rate. If she doesn’t stop, you won’t simply suffer headaches, you’ll die.”

Were it coming from anyone else in any other scenario, Rainbow may have taken that into consideration, but she’d sooner cut off her own wings before listening to anything that stallion had to say as fact. “How much longer are you gonna keep feeding me this crap?” Rainbow asked with a roll of the eyes.

“For as long as it takes for you to see the truth. Your entire life, your very existence, has been a well-crafted lie. There are things from your past that you were never meant to discover. Your connection to Shadow Streak is one of them. Many played a part in this, but if you don’t believe me—”

“I don’t,” Rainbow cut it.

Much to his credit, the stallion didn’t falter in his little speech. “—then perhaps you should take this information to your parents and see how they react.”

Out of all the nonsense that he tried to feed her, that was what hit her the most. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she growled.

A smirk cracked onto the stallion’s face. It seemed that he was finally getting to her. “Now, I don’t want to bog you down with too much, so I’ll stop here. If you wish to know more, then perhaps you should follow my advice and ask your parents why they’ve been lying to you for your entire life.” Leaving that for Rainbow to chew on, he got back up and started walking away.

However, if that stallion had hoped for the pegasus to simply sit there and accept that, then he was in for a rude awakening. Rainbow bucked and kicked for all she was worth in an aggressive attempt to get up, but her captor kept a hoof planted firmly on her back, only applying more force as Rainbow’s efforts intensified. But as hard as she tried, she wasn’t going anywhere.

As her struggles inevitably came to a tired end, the target of her aggression came to a sudden stop. “Oh, yes, I nearly forgot!” he exclaimed, turning back towards Rainbow. “I did promise that I’d take you to your friends if you’d listen to what I had to say, and as a stallion of my word, I’m going to uphold that promise. Comet, please escort Ms. Dash to the cell blocks and place her in the cell opposite the others. I suppose she’s earned some quality time with them.”

His hooded assistant wasted no time in following orders. However, the instant she lifted her hoof off of Rainbow’s back, the pegasus sprang into action. She darted away from the mare, breaking into a frenzied, rage-fueled charge right towards the stallion well-deserving of her ire.

Meters turned into feet. Feet into mere inches. But just as she was gearing herself up for a tackle, she stopped. Not of her own will, absolutely not; rather, something forced her to a dead halt. She flailed her limbs about, trying to gain a single inch, but it was a fruitless effort. It wasn’t long, however, before she finally noticed the faint, hazy, green hue surrounding her body.

But Rainbow wasn’t one to give up. She swung her hooves out at the stallion, trying to at least scrape him across that smirking face of his, but she was denied even that. He was standing calmly just out of her reach, and no amount of stretching and straining was going to change that.

The stallion, hardly bothered by her assault, turned around once again. “While you’re busy with that, Comet, I have other matters to attend to. And for your sake, be careful. We have three uninvited guests wandering these halls, and it would certainly be unfortunate if you were to happen upon them. That will be all. Dismissed.”

Without wasting another second, the stallion, the one thing Rainbow wanted to see leave this life, walked right past her, leaving Rainbow unable to do anything to stop him. At the very same time, Comet took Rainbow Dash and started towards the dungeon’s cell block, a journey the pegasus would’ve much rather made on her own.

All the while, Rainbow kept trying to break from the unicorn’s magical grip to no avail. But trying to do the impossible was hardly enough reason for her to give up. She only doubled her efforts, pouring every ounce of strength she had into overpowering the unicorn’s magic. She was too close to her friends to fail now. She couldn’t allow it. She couldn’t just lie there, helpless, and let that happen. She’d rather die.

Just remain calm. The moment you are not calm is the moment you lose.

Rainbow’s struggles came to an immediate halt when that voice raced through her head again. That annoying, familiar voice that she just wanted to stop. But there was something odd about it this time. She couldn’t quite explain it, but Rainbow felt as though those random thoughts were speaking to her in a way. She couldn’t, for the life of her, explain how that worked, but she wasn’t going to complain. That voice, whatever it was, was right. She wasn’t going to get anywhere blinded by rage. Even though it was difficult, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do, she needed to calm herself down. After all, it had yet to let her down up to that point.

Rainbow closed her eyes, clearing her storming mind of its thoughts. She allowed her body, rigid and tense, to loosen and go limp, dangling in her captive’s grip. Her shallow and erratic breathing slowly but surely grew controlled once again. With each calm breath, with each passing second, it felt as though more and more weights were being lifted from her shoulders. And that wasn’t the change that she noticed.

Opening her eyes, Rainbow saw the dungeon in an entirely new light. The initial mugginess was gone as though some hazy veil was lifted from her eyes. The perfectly rhythmic hoofbeats of her captor were loud and clear, as was the minute crumbling of the ancient stone surrounding the pair. Rainbow could hardly believe it herself, but she was actually smiling at the insane difference. However, she’d be crying from uproarious laughter only once she got out of that unicorn’s magic, and she was already scanning the environment to do just that.

Just from looking, the number of things Rainbow was capable of doing while floating down a dungeon corridor in a moving magical cocoon was simply mind-boggling. With a single, well-aimed kick, she could send one of the many mounted torches flying towards her captor, she could drag her hooves along the ground, loosening several of the damp stones, causing her captor to trip, if her captor would get close enough, she could simply kick out a leg and crack her in the face, but that would’ve been too easy.

Of course, she could do any one of these things if her captor weren’t already a step ahead of her. Comet not only kept her distance from Rainbow’s back legs, but she also wisely kept Rainbow away from the wall with the torches, as well as away from the floor. However, not all hope was lost just yet.

The pair had long since left the section of the former dungeon that had been renovated. The halls they were traveling down hadn’t seen any treatment for over a thousand years, and it showed. Moss, dribbling water, and that endearing musky odor all signaled towards the fact that those walls were ready to crumble at a moment’s notice. Comet seemed to have forgotten that. Rainbow didn’t.

Although she was kept away from the wall with the torches, Rainbow was well within kicking distance of the bare one, and that was all she needed. One swift kick to any portion of that wall, and it would send a significant portion of the hall crashing down. If fate smiled down on her, she’d be able to get away amid the crumbling chaos. It was a risk, yes, but Rainbow was hardly the type to be deterred by something as silly as risks.

Well, it’s now or never.

With a swift kick, Rainbow struck the weak wall. Just as expected, that portion of wall fell right out. With their only means of support tragically taken away, other blocks of stone followed suit, crumbling out of the wall in a slowly growing avalanche. It wasn’t long before the ceiling above them started losing bricks as well, dropping its thousand-year old payload all around the mares below it.

Comet stopped dead in her tracks amidst the destruction, whipping her head back and forth as more rocks came crashing down. During the confusion, a rock managed to crack her right on the head. That little interruption was more than enough to force her to lose all focus on her spell.

The magical aura trapping Rainbow immediately disappeared, plopping Rainbow down onto the floor. She was just about to let out a well-deserved hoorah when a particularly ominous rumble emanated from the very dungeon she was standing in. Yes, now that the first part of her master plan went off without a hitch, she had to worry about the second part, if the crumbling ceiling was any indicator: actually getting out of there in one piece.

“Oh, yeah. Didn’t think that far ahead.”

Rainbow didn’t need to think twice about getting out of there, and bolted down the hall. No time too soon, either. What used to be a steady dribble of rather hefty bits of rock quickly turned into a storm of debris. The raining torrent of rock, gravel, and dirt practically chased after Rainbow as she sped down the hall, pelting her with all sorts of stones and pebbles. The debris crashing down behind her roared in her ears, only making her run even faster. Slowing for even an instant would mean ending up about sixty feet under.

All the while, Rainbow had to deal with debris falling in front of her. She could hardly go two steps without having to avoid a heavy bit of stone. She dipped her head, stepped off to the side, did whatever she had to do in order to avoid the obstructions. It didn’t help that they were falling in more frequency, hardly leaving Rainbow with any room to breathe or for error, yet she was still pulling it off. It almost felt surreal. Unnatural, even, yet she was doing it.

As the avalanche of debris grew in intensity, so too did Rainbow’s efforts to escape. Her entire body screamed as it pushed itself into overdrive. Rainbow ran faster than she ever thought possible. She avoided falling debris with otherworldly reaction. Her lungs and legs burned from the effort, each breath and beat against the stone floor sending another wave of pain throughout her body. But there was something else there as well. Something flowing through her veins. The adrenaline fueling her movements felt ecstatic, and each pump of her racing heart only sent more coursing throughout her body. It was odd, but Rainbow didn’t want the danger to stop. But as with all things, it soon did.

The entire ordeal had to have lasted at least fifteen seconds, but it felt like eternity, as near-death experiences tend to. However, it was only a matter of time before the pouring debris finally came to a relieving halt. Rainbow slowed her sprint to a stop once she was safe from her close call with an early grave. She stood there, with sore legs and lungs, as she observed the destruction she just escaped.

The hall was completely filled with nothing but thousands of pounds of stone and dirt. It was almost impossible to believe that she even had a chance to escape something like that, let alone actually pulling it off. It almost felt like some kind of dream.

It should’ve been impossible to react with such impeccable timing, yet Rainbow somehow managed to do it again and again. Despite having only a split-second to react at times, it felt as though she had all the time in the world. It felt… good. And that was to say nothing of the rush, the thrill, the adrenaline flowing through her veins as she stared death in the face and still came out without a scratch. It left a huge, dumb smile on her face. It was intoxicating. She needed more, and if she was going to run into more of those goons, then she was no doubt going to get it.

Still, she had larger things than her adrenaline fix to worry about. After that, her friends had to be close. It was only a matter of time before she found them, and once they were out of there, that whole, entire dungeon could collapse in on itself for all she cared. But it wasn't all bad. With all of that noise, she no doubt attracted the attention of every grunt infesting those dungeon halls. Now they knew that she was there, that she was close, and chances were good that they were going to pull out all the stops in order to bring her down.

Rainbow simply couldn't wait.

19: Regret

“What the hay was that?”

As though Star Light didn’t already have enough to worry about, during her search for Celestia, the entire dungeon rumbled like some kind of explosion just went off, and as much as she didn’t want to believe it, she knew exactly what that meant. A part of the place just came crashing down, and a large part at that. She almost thought that Celestia was responsible, but it couldn’t have been. From the sound of it, the collapse happened somewhere far behind her, back where Twilight was. Star was tempted to go back and make sure that the unicorn was okay, but she had larger things to deal with.

“I just hope you know what you’re doing, Twilight,” Star muttered. She had hoped that there’d be more time before things started falling apart, but she was far past the point of having things go according to plan. She just needed to find Celestia, and quickly.

Fortunately, a vengeful alicorn bent on destruction wasn’t exactly the hardest thing to follow. In fact, Celestia practically left a trail of breadcrumbs for Star to follow. Unfortunately, those same breadcrumbs didn’t exactly strike hope in Star’s heart. In fact, they they only served as a chilling vision of things to come.

The stony corridor before Star was littered with the scars of battle. Pitch black scorch marks, still sizzling, dotted the walls, floor, and ceiling. Entire portions of wall were blown clean out by errant blasts. To top it all off, numerous bodies lay strewn across the ground, battered, bloodied, and beaten into submission by the angry princess. It was rare for Star to ever feel sympathy for the enemy, but those poor souls never stood a chance. If she wasn’t careful, she would end up right there on the ground with them. Still, at the very least, it meant that she was going the right way.

Star Light slowly traversed the destroyed hall, stepping over the twisted and broken bodies of her fallen enemies. It was clear that Celestia was growing more and more vicious with her attacks. At that rate, it was only a matter of time before she simply brought the entire dungeon down, assuming time didn’t do it itself before then.

As she traveled further, she felt that immense source of magic grow stronger and stronger with each step, reverberating inside of her. Celestia was close, so close, in fact, that Star felt like she could be right around the corner. The panicked pleas for mercy echoing down the hall helped solidify that.

“Please. I-I can tell you anything that you want. Please!”

“I know all that I wish to know already. Now, you are simply in my way.”

Star Light neared the corner, hugging the wall. Just as she reached the very end, ready to peer around, another Eclipse member sped past her. He went by so quickly that he likely would’ve gone unnoticed by the unicorn if it weren’t for his terrified screams as he flew far, far down into the corridor’s murky darkness before crashing to a very painful stop. Compared to how badly beaten his comrades were, he probably got off easy. Now it was Star’s turn.

She could scarcely believe the things that had already happened, let alone the situation she found herself in. Having to talk down a very, very angry princess before she kills everything in the dungeon while Rainbow Dash wandered aimlessly around Eclipse-infested territory in the same already-collapsing and about-to-be-blown-up dungeon with nothing but a purple bundle of headaches as her only means of support. And it all began with a simple, three-word mission.

'Protect Rainbow Dash.'

It was a lot to take in, and it only left one question roaring in her mind like a raging manticore.

How the hay did I end up here?

But no matter the situation, Star couldn’t afford to crack under the pressure, even if the pressure was bone-crushingly enormous. As long as she maintained her composure, she’d be fine. Now, if she could just convince her racing heart, shaky limbs, and erratic breathing of that, then perhaps she’d have a better chance of getting out of there unsinged.

“Okay, Star Light. Just calm down. Just keep it cool and you’ll be fine. Just… just explain the situation and take things from there. Sure, the princess is attacking anything that looks at her funny, but who isn’t these days, right? Heh. Yeah. Just… stay calm. I mean, things have already gotten this bad, how can it get any worse?”

“I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?”

Star Light's breath came to an immediate halt in her throat. She felt something heavy drop into her stomach. It was either her heart, the indescribable sense of fear bubbling in her gut, or both. Either way, as the words of the white alicorn slowly registered in her mind, she quickly realized that she was in a very, very, very unfavorable situation. Somehow, she wasn't surprised.

Well... I had a good run while it lasted.

“I guess that explains what that noise was,” Twilight said as she stared at the collapsed remains of the hall before her. It certainly begged a question as to how it happened, but Twilight was more concerned by the fact that the trail of Rainbow’s feathers stopped there as well. Oddly enough, Twilight wouldn’t have been surprised if the pegasus was somehow responsible. “I just hope Rainbow wasn’t caught up in all of that.” Just as a plethora of scenarios started flooding Twilight’s head, she shook them all out. “No, no. I shouldn’t think like that. She’d be able to outrun something like this. Or out... fly. She’s fine. I just have to find her.”

With that route blocked, Twilight retraced her steps and went down a different section of the dungeon. As large as the place was, there had to be other paths that lead to the same place. She already knew that the dungeon was bound to be one giant maze, but it was still ridiculous just how large it was. She could’ve made two trips around Ponyville in the time it took her to take that single dead-end path. Traversing the place was already difficult enough when she had a trail to follow, but now she may as well have been walking blind.

Still, she wasn’t ready to give up just yet. Far from it. There had to be other means of knowing where she was going. A map, perhaps. A place that large had to have at least a few lying around somewhere. Of course, that left the problem of actually finding one, a recurring issue that seemed a bit too eager to rear its ugly head again and again.

However, her search would have to wait. As she travelled through the murky darkness of the hall, nearing another corner, she stopped in her tracks, her ears perked up. In the deafening silence of the dungeon, she heard another pony’s footsteps, and they were headed straight towards her.

Through the initial dread coursing through her veins, a part of her remained hopeful, wanting to believe that it was Rainbow Dash. The sensible part of her knew that that was a terrible idea. As long as the risk of running into the enemy remained, she needed to remain cautious. She could always fight, but she had no idea just how many were potentially surrounding her. Making too much noise may as well have been the same as drenching herself in ketchup and running into a timberwolf’s den. No, she needed to hide, but there was no discernible cover nearby.

With those hoofbeats growing closer with each passing second, Twilight needed to do something quickly. So she did.

I hope this works…

As time ticked away, Twilight quickly put all of her focus into a last-second spell. A lavender aura wrapped itself tightly around her, warping and bending light around her body. In just a mere few seconds, Twilight’s body distorted and faded away until she was completely invisible to the naked eye. Not a second too soon, either.

As soon as she was out of sight, a pony did come around the corner. Twilight undoubtedly made the right call in hiding; it certainly wasn’t a pony that she recognized, nor was it one that she wanted to meet. She just stood there, deathly still and with breath held. All she could do was hope that he hadn’t heard her. In the dead silence, a single peep would blow her cover.

As the stallion neared her, Twilight had to bite her tongue just to keep from making the slightest noise. She practically flattened herself against the wall, praying that he didn’t brush up against her. She felt her very skin crawl as though it itself was trying to create as much distance between it and the stallion as nature allowed.

After what had to be the longest seconds of Twilight’s life, the stallion finally walked past her, still oblivious to her presence, thankfully. In fact, he seemed to have his attention fixed on the collapsed hall that Twilight just left. He was no doubt investigating the source of all the noise, but if it got his attention, then it likely attracted the attention of others. Whether or not more would arrive, Twilight didn’t know nor did she want to find out. She just wanted to get out of there before trouble found her.

After making doubly sure that it was safe to move, Twilight slowly—very, very slowly—crept down the hall, away from the stallion. She was practically wading through the tension as she made her way down the hall at a snail’s pace. Each step was a painstakingly calculated movement, as Twilight was careful to avoid pebbles and loose bits of stone as though they were the plague.

Even the mere act of breathing was a risk. Twilight slowly inhaled and slowly exhaled. A single breath too sharp or too loud may as well have been glass shattering.

It was a daunting task, but Twilight was managing to pull it off. Each step closer was a step closer towards her friends. It wasn’t too long before she found her rhythm and finally grew comfortable. Perhaps too comfortable.

She knew that she should’ve expected things to be more difficult than traveling from Point A to Point B, but she couldn’t help but feel a calming sense of relief with each step. As she gained distance from her would-be attacker, however, she grew careless. Just as it felt as though freedom was well within her reach, that freedom was violently wrenched away when she failed to notice a loose piece of stone jutting out of the ground.

By the time she noticed it, she had already stepped on it. The sound of stone clanking against stone shattered the silence like a thin pane of glass.

Twilight stopped dead in her tracks as her breath caught in her throat. If her body could still be seen, she’d have been as white as a ghost. The noise lingered for only a second. It went by so fast that Twilight almost believed that it hadn’t happened in the first place. She wanted to, wanted to ignore it, to believe that it was her fear and paranoia playing cruel tricks on her, but she couldn’t. All she could do was stand there, stock still, and pray that the stallion hadn’t heard her.

Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

A chill ran up Twilight’s spine as she heard the undeniable hoofbeats of the stallion as he walked back towards her. She didn’t dare breathe, let alone turn around. Her heart pounded against her chest as the seconds ticked by and as the hoofbeats grew louder, but she couldn’t lose her composure. Things were bad, yes, but they would only get worse if she didn’t act smart. He may have heard her, but Twilight still kept her cloaking spell up. As long as she didn’t make any more noise, she should’ve been able to continue unnoticed.

That single possibility was the only thing keeping her from screaming out right then and there. The hoofbeats grew louder with each passing second, becoming drums pounding inside Twilight’s eardrums. As quiet as she wanted to be, she couldn’t keep herself from trembling out of pure fear.

Louder and louder the hoofbeats grew. Closer and closer the stallion became. The tingling throughout Twilight’s body was nearly unbearable, and it only grew worse. Who was she trying to fool? It was a lost cause. He was toying with her. He knew that she was there and wanted her to marinate in her own terror.

Twilight needed to do something. Just standing there wasn’t going to be enough to get out of there. Just running away wasn’t a very viable option, either. If she wanted to be free from the threat, then she needed to get rid of it. It could get loud, yes. It could attract more unwanted attention, yes. However, that would be a better outcome than whatever would happen were she to do nothing.

She gritted her teeth, steeling herself for the attack. Even with her magic, she couldn’t guarantee herself an easy fight. The Solar Eclipse, sworn enemy of the Assassins, a group of highly skilled and trained warriors. How powerful could members of such an organization be? Powerful enough to persevere through over a thousand years’ worth of history. Powerful enough to obtain a mystical ancient artifact and utilize it on an entire city. Powerful enough to be a very real threat to Equestria. How could Twilight hope to even hold a candle up to such a thing?

No. No, I… I can do this.

Twilight couldn’t afford to doubt herself. Not now. She’d been through worse and always came out fine. No matter how bad things were, she could pull through as long she never gave up. This was no different. But if she was going to do something, she had no more time to ponder on it.

Taking in a deep, sharp breath, Twilight spun around. She dispelled her cloaking spell, instead focusing her magic into her horn, prepared to unleash it at that very instance. He was prepared to fight for her life. To give it her all.

Yet there was nothing there.

Equal parts relief, confusion, and terror rushed through Twilight’s mind as she stood in the empty corridor. It didn’t make any sense. She knew—she knew—that there was another pony there with her. She heard his hoofbeats growing closer every second after agonizing second. She practically felt his breath up against the back of her neck, he was so close. She knew that he was there mere seconds ago, but her eyes clearly indicated otherwise.

Maybe she was just getting hopelessly paranoid. With the worry for Rainbow’s safety stacked on top of the worry for her friends’ safety stacked on top of her worry for Celestia’s mental integrity, she had to have been a bit high-strung. Maybe she was just hearing things. It didn’t make her situation any less dangerous, but it could’ve at least served as a way to calm her nerves a tiny bit. It could’ve… if Twilight hadn’t still felt another unicorn’s presence. She may have calmed down if she hadn’t heard more hoofbeats right next to her.

What Twilight felt next wasn’t fear, or worry, or surprise. No, what she felt next was pain as she felt something kick her square in her ribs. Hard. The force of the blow not only knocked the wind clean out of her lungs, it sent her crashing into the wall next to her before she fell to the ground.

Through the blurred vision and coughing fit, she saw what she should’ve suspected from the very first second. The stallion that was stalking her mere seconds ago reappeared right before her eyes as he cancelled his own cloaking spell. He stared down at the mare’s battered form, not looking any worse for wear himself. Somehow, Twilight suspected that if he wanted to put more strength behind that buck, he very well would’ve.

As she lay there, at the stallion’s mercy, she didn’t feel fear for her life. She felt anger towards herself. How could she have been so hopelessly stupid? She felt his magic; she knew that he was there, right next to her, yet she was too busy questioning if it was reality or just her paranoia playing tricks on her. Now, she was paying the price for her carelessness.

Slowly, menacingly, the hooded stallion approached the downed unicorn, his own horn glowing a menacing red. Heart racing, Twilight tried to conjure a last-minute spell. Something, anything, but her horn only released a few miserable sparks. Her chest felt like it was on fire; just breathing sent cascades of pain through her ribs, and it was that exact pain that made concentration near impossible.

She tried to force herself onto her feet, only to have the stallion fire a bolt of energy at one of her hooves. It hit the ground next to her front hoof, but the small blast radius was enough to knock her back off balance. Now he was just toying with her, just when Twilight thought that the situation couldn’t get even more miserable.

The stallion stood over the unicorn, staring down at her from behind the darkness that his black hood provided. He was savoring the moment, relishing in the power he held over his prey, before he delivered the final blow. Was this really how it was going to end? With Twilight falling to some hooded unknown in the bowels of an ancient dungeon? She had to come to protect Rainbow and her friends, and there she was, unable to protect herself.

No.

She wasn’t going to lose here. She wasn’t going fail. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t, not with so much at stake. She didn’t care what she had to do. She didn’t care how tired she was. She didn’t care how much pain she was in. She couldn’t lose.

When the stallion brought his hoof down towards Twilight’s neck, he found it colliding with a strong, purple barrier.

She couldn’t lose.

With tears seeping from her eyes, Twilight forced her pained body back onto her hooves, pushing the stallion back all the while. Her glare, searing hot, bore its way into the stallion’s very soul.

She couldn’t lose.

The stallion wasted no time in responding. He leapt back, creating distance between himself and his target. He fired bolt after bolt of energy at the young unicorn, all of them bouncing off of the stalwart barrier. Twilight gritted her teeth with each impact. They were powerful, more so than what she was used to dealing with, but her barrier remained firm and strong.

She wouldn’t lose.

As she grew closer, the stallion backed away. Whether or not it was out of fear, Twilight didn’t know nor did she care. If retreating crossed his mind, then she wasn’t going to give him the opportunity to do so. He may not have expected a fight from the young mare, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to get one.

With a final surge of energy, Twilight sent a single, concentrated beam of magic at the stallion. It travelled the distance between them in less time than it took to blink. The stallion had no hope of avoiding it.

The purple bolt struck him dead in the chest, the impact sending him off of his hooves and down the hall. He landed with a heavy, painful thud, quickly skidding to a stop.

The silence that followed the short skirmish was practically deafening. The next few seconds that ticked by did so at an agonizingly slow rate. All the while, neither Twilight nor the stallion moved an inch. Twilight just stood there as her protective barrier slowly dispersed into a few purple wisps in the air. It took her frazzled mind a moment to register what had just happened.

The emotions that just overcame her, it was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. She could scarcely recall the last time she felt pure scorn for another being. Even with the likes of Discord and Chrysalis, she only wished that proper justice be brought upon them. Never did she want another being to die, yet she just tried to kill, to murder, the stallion lying completely still before her.

Was it merely instinct taking over, the anger influencing her actions? She wanted to believe that she was just lost in the moment, but she just didn’t know. She couldn't be capable of doing such a thing. She just couldn't.

As she felt the tears begin to build in her eyes, she perked up when she saw the prone stallion move again. Or rather, try to move. He tried to force himself up back onto his hooves, only to collapse again. The pain his body was in had to be indescribable. However, that didn’t change the fact that he knew things that Twilight wanted to know, and as long as he could still talk, he was going to tell her.

Fighting through the pain in her chest, Twilight walked towards her would-be assailant, each step sending another wave of pain through her body. Part of her told her to go easy on him, that all living things deserved some form of mercy. However, that part of her mind may as well have been talking to a brick wall; Twilight was far too concerned with the fact that this stallion was part of the group that held her friends captive. If she even had an inkling of reason to believe that they were harmed, then her showing mercy was the last thing that he’d have to worry about.

The stallion still tried to get back on his hooves as Twilight grew closer, but the mare was having none of it. With two precise blasts of energy, she restrained his front hooves to the ground, trapping him in place. The stallion tried to break free of his purple restraints, but he wasn’t going anywhere until Twilight allowed him.

She came to a stop in front of her captive, staring down at him, her face barely restraining the anger she truly felt inside. “I don’t want to do anything drastic here, so I’m going to warn you now. I’ve studied various ancient forms of Equestrian torture and I will use them unless you answer my questions. So, tell me…” She leant down until her mouth was right next to the stallion’s ear. “Where are my friends?”

Calling Applejack ‘stubborn’ was very much like calling a morning migraine ‘annoying’. Generous, obvious, and something that one wouldn't want to find out for themselves. Though she was initially fine with the idea of waiting for Twilight, Rainbow, and the princess come and bust them out, when she felt the rumbling of what was no doubt part of the dungeon collapsing, she threw that plan out the window along with any sense of calm.

The mares’ cell filled with the rhythmic sound of Applejack’s back hooves colliding with cell door again and again and again. Each forceful buck filled her with a false sense of hope, convincing her that was getting somewhere when she was getting nowhere. That door was built for punishment it seemed, not like that was going to be enough to stop the farm mare.

“Hey, Ah think it’s startin’ t’ give!” she announced, only fooling herself.

Rarity could only stand by and roll her eyes. “Applejack, please calm yourself. We won’t get out of here that way.”

“It’s better than nothin’!” Applejack snapped back, bucking the door for what must’ve been the twelfth time. Just like the previous eleven times, all she did was give the door an extra set of hoof prints. “You heard the same thing Ah did! If we ain’t outta here soon, this whole place is gonna come down around our heads!”

“I know that,” Rarity hissed. “I also know that what you’re doing isn’t going to get us out of here any time soon. We need another plan.”

The way that Rarity was able to keep her cool was something that Applejack both admired and hated. The same mare that would faint at the sight of mud on her dress was taking charge of things in what was no doubt a life-or-death situation while Applejack was busy banging her head against a wall. How that was even possible, she didn’t know, but she did know that Rarity was right. Her way wasn’t getting them any closer to freedom than just standing around.

With a calming sigh, Applejack finally decided to take Rarity’s advice. “Alright, alright. Gimme a sec.”

Applejack leapt up onto her hind legs and peered through the door’s tiny window. From there, she could see a guard, as expected. However, what she was really concerned with were the keys dangling from his robes. One of those no doubt went to the door between them and freedom. It was their ticket out of there.

With a satisfied smile, Applejack turned back towards her friends. “Alright, I think I’ve got another plan,” she whispered.

“Well, let’s hear it,” Rarity said, walking up to her side.

“That guard out there’s got the key to this cell on ‘im. Think you could use your magic to grab ‘em?”

Rarity tapped a hoof to her chin in contemplation. It certainly didn’t sound like a bad plan; it was miles better than Applejack’s previous plan, but there had to have been a catch. It just sounded too easy at face value. With that in mind, she took a moment to peek out the window herself. Sure enough, there was a guard, and as Applejack said, the keys were right there, dangling from his robes. It wouldn’t prove to be a problem to simply bring the keys over to them with a bit of magic. However, as good as the plan seemed, Applejack overlooked one, tiny detail.

“Applejack, dear, you do realize that the guard is still awake, yes? Even if we did retrieve the keys, he would be on us like a rabid dog before we even left the cell.”

The farm pony hardly seemed concerned with that little fact. In fact, something of a smirk appeared on her face. “Well, there’s four of us and only one o’ him. I say we can take ‘im.”

“And what if he calls for help?”

Applejack’s hoof found its way to her face as she let out an annoyed sigh. “Look, do you have a better idea?”

Rarity’s glare only sharpened. “I never said that it was a bad idea. I’m saying that we need to be smarter about this.”

“Well, if you’re gonna do somethin’, do it quick. That collapse sounded close. Ah don’t wanna be here if another one hits.”

“I know, I know. Just give me a moment, please.”

Just when they all thought that things couldn’t get any worse, a new problem decided to rear its ugly head. They already had enough reason to get out of that small, stone box. Now, the reason’s been doubled.

As Rarity racked her brain for another way out, Applejack turned her attention towards the two mares who had been rather quiet during their little epidemic. Fluttershy was hardly the unusual case. The pegasus was tucked away in the corner, her hooves covering her eyes as though it was all just one bad dream. If Applejack thought that things were hitting her hard, it had to be nothing compared to what that pegasus was going through.

Pinkie, however, had been uncharacteristically quiet for quite some time. She was tucked away in the corner opposite of Fluttershy, her back to the rest of them. All the while, it looked like she was fiddling with something. What that was, Applejack had no idea.

“Pinkie, what’re you doin’ over there?” Applejack whispered. Pinkie didn’t even look up from her work, let alone give an answer.

Were it any other day, Applejack might’ve just playfully rolled her eyes, perhaps slightly annoyed with the pink mare’s behavior, but nothing she wouldn’t get over within the next few seconds. However, this was anything but ‘any other day’. For all she knew, Pinkie could’ve been losing it; more so than usual, anyway.

“Hey, are you okay, sugarcube?” Again, no answer. Applejack, slowly inched her way closer to Pinkie. As she did, she could hear the pink mare muttering something to herself. Applejack strained her ears, barely able to make out the words.

“…and add a pinch of this. Add a sprinkle of that. Oh, no! That was a pinch! That’s way too much!”

“Pinkie!” Applejack shouted. That seemed to finally capture the mare’s attention because Pinkie finally looked up from whatever it was that she was doing.

“Oh, hi, Applejack!” she cheerfully greeted. “Just gimme a minute. I’m almost done.”

Applejack just raised a single confused eyebrow. “Done with what? Just what in the hay are ya doin’, girl?”

Pinkie tapped a hoof to her chin as she considered answering. “Well… since you asked…” Pinkie took in a deep breath, a torrent of words building up in her throat.

Applejack, coming to the terrifying realization of what she had just done, just pulled her hat down over her face. “Aw, dang it,” she muttered.

“I made this! What do ya think? Ain’t it neat?”

Applejack’s ears instinctively twitched as she braced herself for more of what was no doubt another one of Pinkie’s breathless rants. However, none of that came.

“Oh, did you hide something in your hat?” Pinkie asked. “Did you make something fancy, too? Oh, let me see! Let me see!”

Though it should’ve been the least of her concerns, Applejack couldn’t help but notice that the pink pony was surprisingly concise. Peeking out from under her hat, she saw Pinkie holding out what she was going on about. A small pile of a silvery powder rested on Pinkie’s hoof.

Applejack eyed the strange powder with equal parts interest and confusion. “What the hay is that supposed to be?”

“Sleeping powder, silly!” Pinkie beamed.

The orange mare immediately jerked her head back from the substance. Just when she thought that things couldn’t get any weirder, then again, it was Pinkie that she was talking about. “And how did you make sleeping powder?”

“Oh, it’s really easy! Zecora taught me how when I told her that Mr. Cake’s ‘special medicine’ wasn’t helping him sleep at night. I still don’t know how cider’s supposed to help you sleep at night, but Mr. Cake’s just silly like that. Anyway, you just need a few mushrooms that love growing in places like this! Perfect for sleeping parties! The ponies at those have so many crazy dreams when they use this. It’s great!”

Right as Applejack was about to question the point of a ‘sleeping party’, the pink pony, sleeping powder resting on her hoof, hopped over to the cell door, as bubbly as ever. “But why make it? Now ain’t exactly the time for sleepin’, sugarcube.”

“I know! It’s isn’t for me, silly!”

Rarity snapped out of her mental planning session just in time to see the pink enigma bouncing up and down in front of the door. If Applejack was confused, then Rarity was downright dumbfounded. “Er… Pinkie, dear, what exactly are you doing?”

“Helping!” Pinkie cheerfully announced. She took in a deep breath and blew the powder right out of the cell window. The powder dispersed into a silvery cloud of particles that completely surrounded the nearby guard.

At first, the gang merely waited with bated breath, not knowing what the final result was. However, whatever tension that hung in the air was quickly dispelled when they heard the greatest sound that they’ve heard in a long, long time.

Long, loud, and undeniable snoring. That party pony’s crazy powder actually worked, and it was just the breakthrough that they were looking for.

“Way t’ go, Pinkie!” Applejack said, patting her friend on the back. “What in tarnation made ya go an’ do that anyway?”

The pink mare giggled at the question. “Isn’t it obvious, silly? Standing in one spot all the time has to be exhausting! So, I gave the nice guard something to give him some sleep!”

Applejack just chuckled. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised that Pinkie was seemingly in her own world where everypony was nice, or silly, or funny. It was that kind of optimism that always managed to cheer her up, and in this case, it actually helped them out of a tight jam. It almost seemed crazy to think, but there seemed to be a method to Pinkie’s madness. Regardless, they finally found their window, and they needed to act fast before it closed.

“Rarity, ya know what t’ do.”

With a nod, the unicorn trotted back up to the cell door. With her target in plain sight, it was just a simple matter of reaching out, grabbing it, and bringing it back. It would be simple, if Rarity didn’t find it strangely difficult to focus magic into her horn. “What in the world?” she muttered. Again, she tried, straining, gritting her teeth together, practically giving herself a headache with the amount of focus she had. However, not even a spark left her horn.

Applejack’s face did a good job of expressing her confusion. “Hey, what’s wrong? Why ain’t ya grabbin’ the keys?”

Rarity rubbed her horn as the sheer concentration began making it ache. “I-I don’t know.” A gasp left Rarity’s lips as she realized what a reason might be. “Oh, no. Don’t tell me that they… Did they seal this room with a magic-proof enchantment?”

Applejack could only scrunch up her face. “A magi-what?”

“It’s a fairly basic, but very effective spell that most unicorns know about. They're particularly popular at insane asylums. It prevents any magic from being used as long as the enchantment stands. Only the caster can dispel it. I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to get the keys.”

Applejack may not have been very knowledgeable when it came to all of that fancy unicorn-talk, but she still knew when a plan fell apart right before her eyes. “Dang it, dang it, dang it!” Out of pure frustration, she kicked the stone wall behind her, causing some dust to spill out from the weak ceiling above them. They were running out of time, as well as options.

Despite that, Rarity was still trying to cling on to what little hope they had left. “Now, now, Applejack. Perhaps there’s another way out. Th-there has to be!”

“Then we need t’ find one!”

Pinkie just kept bouncing around, happy as ever. “I don’t know what we’re yelling about!”

“Pinkie!” the other two shouted.

Amidst the rampant panic, a young rat searching for food scraps found his way into the cell via a small hole in the wall. To the small vermin, the stream of shouts and bellows of the three mares before him was little more than intelligible nonsense to him. However, he knew that he had picked up the scent of mushrooms, a scent that he followed to that very room, and was going to find them if it was the last thing he’d do.

Unfortunately, he was spotted. One of the mares, the white one with the bone sticking out of her head, caught sight of him. Her reaction was… less than favorable.

“Ugh! A rat! Disgusting, filthy creature! Get away! Get away!”

The mare’s small frenzy only served to frighten the small creature. Seeking shelter from the raging beast, he laid eyes on a lovely, soft-looking, yellow lump in the far corner. Wasting no time, he scurried across the floor as the white mare hopped onto the orange one’s back, much to the latter’s annoyance.

However, as soon as his little whiskers brushed up against the lump, it moved, emitting a short, high-pitched squeak. As it continued to move, the rat came to realize that it was another one of those odd ponies. However, unlike the others, this one didn’t seem anywhere near as terrifying. In fact, she seemed a bit calming.

The timid pegasus lifted a hoof from one of her eyes. As soon as she spotted the rat, a small smile graced her face. “Oh, hello there. What are you doing down here?”

The rat just shrugged in response, rubbing his belly.

“Oh, you’re hungry? Well, I have some extra food back at my cottage that I could give you. I just have to get back there first.”

Despite being on the other side of the room, Rarity still recoiled in disgust as Fluttershy actually conversed with the disgusting thing. “Ugh, Fluttershy! Get away from that before it gives you a disease!”

The yellow pegasus snapped her eyes up to the unicorn, eyes wide in shock at her blatant disrespect. “Rarity!” she gasped. “Don’t talk about him like that. He’s just a poor, defenseless animal. He’s probably lost down here just like us. Am I right?” The rat nodded. “I’d love to feed you, but I don’t have anything to give you right now. Oh, wait! I have an idea,” Fluttershy looked up at the cell door, noting the small window. She looked back down at her new friend with gentle, pleading eyes. “Mr. Rat, do you think that you could unlock the door for us? The keys are on the guard right outside. If you don’t mind, I’d really, really appreciate it.”

The rat scratched his chin in thought. He glared back at Rarity, who was quick to glare right back.

Fluttershy already sensed the tension building up in the air and quickly recaptured the rat’s attention. “Please, Mr. Rat? We’ve been down here for hours. And if we do get out, I can get you some food.”

The rat’s empty stomach practically growled in response. He’d be a stupid one to deny free food. That, and it was virtually impossible for him to say no to those large eyes the pony kept fixed on him. Whether she was extremely nice or extremely evil, he had yet to decide, but that didn’t matter.

The rat finally smiled before scurrying towards the door. Rarity nearly scrambled up the wall as she flattened herself against it, making sure that there was as much distance between her and him as possible. Only when the vermin crawled up the door and through the tiny window did she relax a single muscle in her tense body.

Applejack only rolled her eyes at the unicorn’s overdramatic behavior. It looked like some ponies wouldn’t change in even the most stressful of situations.

A few seconds ticked by before the gang heard the tell-tale jingle of a ring of keys. Sure enough, another short period of time passed before they heard something that sent joy through all of their hearts.

With a loud click, their cell door swung open, the rat still dangling from the key in the keyhole.

“Oh, finally,” Rarity sighed.

“Yippee!”

“Alright! Nice goin’, Fluttershy!” Applejack heard something clear its throat. Looking down, she saw the rat glaring up at her, tapping his foot on the ground. “Oh, heh, heh. Sorry. You did good too, little guy.” The rat promptly squeaked in approval.

The timid pegasus walked up to the rat and scooped him up with her wing before gently placing him on her back. “Well, a promise is a promise. As soon as we get out of here, you’re getting that food, okay?” The rat gave an eager squak before hiding himself in her long mane, much to Rarity’s never-ending disgust.

“I will never understand how you can do this for a living, dear.”

“Alright, alright, enough whinin’,” Applejack said. “Let’s get outta here before more o’ these guys show up.”

“But where are we going to go?” Fluttershy asked.

“Anywhere that ain’t here. We have t’ run into Rainbow an’ the others eventually.”

“Oh! Oh!” Pinkie cried out, pointing in a seemingly random direction down the dank corridor. “Go this way! Go this way!”

Needless to say, Applejack wasn’t ready to take Pinkie’s random words as golden. “How do ya even know it’s the right way?”

“Mrs. Cake always said that it’s important to follow directions, and look! Directions!” She pointed towards a wooden sign on the wall behind the group. Sure enough, it had a nice large arrow above letters spelling out ‘EXIT’.

Rarity raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Oh. Well… isn’t that convenient?”

“Well, Ah ain’t about t’ complain,” Applejack said. “C’mon, gals! Ah think we spent enough time down in this dump.”

None of them could’ve agreed more. With that, they all started down the hall, towards freedom. For the very first time since they’ve been down there, things finally seemed to be looking up. Hopefully, it was going to stay that way.

If Star Light were to learn a lesson from the unfortunate predicament that she found herself in, it would be this: Never assume that things cannot possibly get worse, because some malevolent entity will emerge from the depths of Tartarus and ensure that said things will, in fact, get worse. It’s some type of law. As Star Light stood there, trying to remember how to use those things called lungs, she couldn’t help but feel that it would’ve been simply expedient to know of that lesson about ten seconds sooner.

Once she regained control of her limbs, she slowly, oh so slowly, turned to face the princess. The white alicorn towered over the white-clad unicorn, staring down at her with cold, unemotional eyes. The faintest of red splatter stained her otherwise flawless coat. It was a sight that was equal parts jaw-dropping and terrifying. It froze Star Light in place, leaving her at the mercy of the merciless alicorn.

“P-Princess Celestia!” Star stammered. In spite of the admittedly deadly situation, all wasn’t lost just yet.

Okay, Star. Just explain yourself. Don’t stand there with your mouth open like an idiot. Just… say something. Anything!

“Um… Er… Hi.”

Celestia’s petrifying gaze didn’t lighten for an instant, her face still terrifyingly unreadable.

It wasn’t necessarily the greatest thing in the world that Star could’ve said, but she hadn’t been reduced to a pile of dust yet, so it wasn’t necessarily the worst, either. Either Celestia just released a lot of aggression on the poor idiots that littered the ground, or she just didn’t see Star as enough of a threat to waste energy on. The unicorn honestly wouldn’t know how to feel if it was the latter.

Slowly, Celestia leant closer towards the pink unicorn, their gazes never unlocking. Star Light didn’t dare move a single muscle as she was studied over. She knew exactly what Celestia was doing; she was determining whether or not she was a threat. Whether or not it was some innate ability or something that she picked up in her long life, she could detect malicious intentions almost perfectly.

The alicorn’s eyes scanned Star from head to hoof, looking over everything from her robes to the terrified glint in her eyes with painstaking attention. Finally, Celestia backed away. The moment she did, Star released a heavy, relieved sigh. It may have only lasted for a few seconds, but it may as well have been an eternity.

“Leave,” Celestia said. She didn’t bother waiting for a reply before walking away from the unicorn.

“What?”

Celestia didn’t slow for a second, didn’t even look back. “Go back to your Assassin brethren. You and your ilk have not been needed for centuries. That will not change today.”

Star Light only stood there as Celestia walked further and further away. She couldn’t just allow herself to be brushed off, not with so much at stake. “You may no longer need us, but what about the rest of Equestria?” That still didn’t manage to slow the princess down. Star gritted her teeth as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She didn’t want to have to use it, but she didn’t have a choice. “What about Rainbow Dash?”

The princess immediately stopped in her tracks. Slowly, she turned back towards the unicorn. “What about Rainbow Dash?”

Star Light’s heartbeat ramped up. She couldn’t turn back now, nor could she afford any mistakes. Celestia already decided to let her live. She wasn’t going to again. She needed to choose her words carefully. “The Solar Eclipse are aware of her connections to Shadow Streak. She will be targeted by them relentlessly until the day that she dies. Even if she does make it out of here today, what about tomorrow? Next week? Next year? Have you considered this?”

Celestia’s razor sharp glare sliced right into Star’s very being. “Why would you ask such a question? Of course I’ve considered it. I’ve planned for it.”

So far, she was off to a reasonable start. She needed to keep it up. “How? By locking her in an isolated chamber?”

“Is that what it takes to keep her hidden?”

Star gritted her teeth together. Things wouldn’t have been so bad if she didn’t already know that Celestia would do that without question if she had to. “So, let’s assume that you do it then. What will her friends think of that? Do you honestly believe that you’ll be able to convince them to allow one of their closest friends to be locked in a room like a mangy animal without breaking the close relationship you’ve developed?”

Star Light nearly had to keep herself from crying out when she saw the faintest hint of hesitation flash across Celestia’s face. She could scarcely believe it, but she was starting to break through the princess’ stony exterior. Just one more push…

“If you continue to do this, what will Twilight think of you?”

If Star Light was beginning to feel confident in her coercing of Celestia, that confidence immediately disappeared when the princess wrapped a tight, magical sheath around her throat. With anger burning in her eyes, Celestia squeezed, and squeezed hard, watching as the unicorn before her suffocated.

“You will not speak her name, do you hear me?” she demanded. But through her blind anger, doubt seeped into her conscience. Her student. Her protégé. One of the few real friends that she had. What if that was taken away from her? “She… she would understand. She always does. I have my reasons, and she would respect them. She would never…” Celestia tried to convince herself, but she knew all too well that Twilight, no matter how difficult the choice, would choose her friends over anything. She was no exception. To treat her own friends like one of her own personal playthings. What if she never forgave her for that?

All the while, Star Light futilely tried to keep conscious as Celestia battled with herself. As hard as she tried, as much as her lungs craved it, burned for it, she couldn’t breathe in the slightest ounce of air. It felt as though her esophagus was being crushed. Only a few short seconds passed before darkness crept into her vision, encroaching over everything in sight. She couldn’t keep it up much longer, not at that pace.

Just as it felt like she was finally about to step through death’s door, she felt the immense pressure on her throat disappear in a flash. Her fast gasp of air was so vast and long, it burned her throat. The severe coughing fit that followed didn’t serve to help. Still, she hardly cared. She was just happy to breathe again.

Still taking in large breaths, Star looked back up at the princess. Celestia stared off into space, completely still. Her eyes were no longer the cold, emotionless ones that bore no mercy. Instead, they were full of regret and sorrow as they scanned the destruction that she had caused, free from her blinding veil of anger. She looked over the still and broken bodies of ponies strewn about the dungeon corridor.

She brought a hoof up to her face, touching the wet, sticky patch on her cheek. She brought it back down, seeing her pristine, golden shoe stained red with the blood of another living being. Blood that had splattered onto her face. Blood that she had drawn. It was a familiar sight. It was nearly identical to that one, fateful night.

By Equestria. Celestia, what have you done?

“No. No, no, no!” Frantically, she tried to wipe the rest from her face, only smearing the red substance further across her cheek. It couldn’t be happening. Not again. She thought that she had finally controlled her emotions, but the evidence to the contrary was right there on her face and smeared across her leg. She thought that she could hide from the past, but it was always right there, right behind her, just waiting to come back and haunt her. After so many years of resisting, it finally did, and in the worst possible way.

The entire time, Star Light merely sat aside as the princess came to terms with reality. As tragic as the solution seemed, waking the princess from her rage-fueled stupor, having her see the damage that she had done, was the only way to avoid something that could've been much, much worse. Even then, it was cause for little comfort. That only solved one of many problems; Rainbow and the others were still in danger.

As Celestia finally calmed herself, she diverted her attention towards the pink unicorn. “Where is she now?” she asked.

Star Light didn't need to think twice about who Celestia was referring to. “She’s somewhere down here.”

The princess' eyes shot wide open, her face a pit of fear. “What?”

Star Light nodded. “She came down here searching for Rainbow Dash and the others.”

As those words sank in, Celestia’s face didn’t show anger, nor did it show worry or fear. As the princess wordlessly walked past Star Light, she was simply in shock. Speechless shock. Only now did her actions finally make themselves clear in her mind. Her needless acts of violence, her needless endangering of Twilight and her friends. She didn’t want to believe that she had done things so… idiotic. So reckless. Because of her, Twilight and the others were trapped down in that maze of a dungeon. Because of her, they could die if she didn't find them soon.

“No, no, no, no,” Celestia muttered. “Oh, no. What have I done?”

Star Light slowly walked up to Celestia's side. Even for beings such as the princesses, Star knew when somepony needed assistance. “If we hurry now, we can find them before it's too late.”

Celestia’s confusion was apparent as she looked down at the unicorn, eyebrow raised. “We?” she repeated. “Why do you want to help save them?”

For the first time, Star Light was the one with the stern gaze. “Just as you feel a special obligation to protect Twilight, I feel a special obligation to protect Rainbow.”

“But why?”

Star Light shook her head. “It’s a long story, one that I don’t have time to tell now.” It wasn’t as though it mattered. Even if she didn’t say a word, Celestia could discover the story herself just by looking into her eyes. Not eyes of jealousy or resentment, but of compassion. As the princess nodded, Star Light knew that she understood.

“Very well. Then we must go immediately. There’s no time to waste.”

“Wait! And the Staff?”

That gave the princess pause as she made her decision. In truth, Celestia wanted to simply forget about the Staff and focus solely on the safety of the others. It had been nothing but misery ever since she discovered it. However, she couldn't deny ignoring such a powerful artifact would endanger all of Equestria. She had already acted recklessly before. She would not make the same mistake again. Still, her options were very slim, and neither seemed as favorable as she'd like. However, she only had herself to blame for ending up in such a situation in the first place, and as such, needed to deal with the consequences.

The princess looked down at the unicorn by her side. "Listen to me very carefully," she began, her voice taking that commanding, authoritative tone. "Answer me truthfully. Can you be trusted?"

Star Light's gaze didn't even falter. Her loyalty towards her creed trumped all fears. "My reliance depends on your intentions. It is my duty to ensure the protection of Equestria and its inhabitants. If you and I share the same goal, than my word will always be golden."

The princess stared down at her with a scrutinizing gaze yet again. After only a few short seconds, a smile graced her lips. "Good. I suppose you still serve a purpose after all."

"What do you need?"

"I refuse to leave the Staff in the possession of the Eclipse. However, I cannot simply allow a mere unicorn to handle such a powerful item. Something that powerful cannot be wielded by a mere mortal without coming with indescribable risks. Therefore, I will continue to retrieve it. I am trusting you to ensure the safety of the Elements of Harmony."

Star Light gave a slight nod of her head. "Consider it done."

"Just know this," Celestia added, her gaze growing stern and fierce. "If anything is to happen to them, it will be held on your and your clan's head, and you all will be punished accordingly. Do I make myself clear?"

Again, Star Light nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

Celestia's eyes returned to its softened gaze. "Then be off. Time is of the essence."

Without another word, Star Light set off back down where she came from.

"Oh, and one last thing." When the pink mare stopped, Celestia continued. "If you must kill, please do so when the mares cannot see you. However, if their lives are in imminent danger, do not hold back. Is that understood?" A single nod was all that Celestia needed to see before the two went their separate ways.

As Celestia walked down that lone, dark corridor, a frown found its way back onto her face. It seemed that demons from her past were all coming back to haunt her at once. The blind, blood-thirsty anger, the rebellious Eclipse, and the noble, but obsolete Brotherhood. She had thought that she had buried all of those things, left them to succumb to time's cruel influence. However, none of it seemed to have gone away. From what Celestia's seen so far, that wasn't going to change for quite some time, and now some of her closest associates were becoming wrapped up in what used to be a personal battle.

Celestia could only hope that things wouldn't grow worse. She could only hope that this nightmare would come to an end soon.

Author's Note

So, considering all that's happened so far, who here has any ideas or theories about how this is all going to progress/end/inevitably blow up in somepony's face? There have already been a few who've given their thoughts, but I'm curious about what the rest of you think. I feel like part of the fun with stories like this is to see all of the different predictions that people come up with. Wouldn't you agree?

20: The Thrill of the Fight

As self-centered as it sounded, Twilight never ceased to surprise herself during her fairly short life, something that she found equal parts interesting and terrifying. She had always thought that she knew what she was and wasn’t capable of, and most other ponies would've likely agreed with that assessment. Of course, most other ponies likely never found themselves in life-threatening situations, nor did most other ponies have their loved ones and closest friends placed in imminent danger. Nopony, no matter who they were, could prepare themselves for such a situation. Nopony would know what they would do if they were suddenly thrust into such a situation. Twilight was no exception.

She got what she wanted out of the stallion, but it wasn’t an easy task. Despite her very clear warning that she would resort to ‘drastic measures’ if the stallion refused to cooperate, he still refused to cooperate. However, it was odd. Terrifyingly so. Twilight could’ve sworn that she was merely bluffing when she told him that she’d resort to torture. She knew that she was, yet when he remained silent, when he refused to tell her where her friends were, something inside of her decided that she wasn’t bluffing anymore.

It was nothing too severe; just a simple mental spell that gave him immediate visions of eldritch abominations from the depths of Tartarus itself. Evidently, that was more than enough, as he practically cried out the exact location of her friends, clutching his head in a futile attempt to dispel the terrible visions. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t a spell that Twilight could cancel herself. It simply had to run its course, which would only last for about sixty seconds. Considering how the stallion broke down after ten, Twilight figured that he’d be fine.

As Twilight stood there, looking down at the writhing stallion, she could scarcely believe what she had done. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t consider the stallion’s feelings. No, she just did it. It must’ve been the dungeon getting to her, smothering her emotions. Never would she do such a thing under normal circumstances. Never would she be so cold. It almost seemed as though she was acting just like…

Tears threatened to trickle down Twilight’s cheeks as she thought back to the scene at the museum, back to all of the destruction that Celestia caused without hesitation. She wanted to push those memories out of her mind, to pretend that such a thing never happened, but what of the victims? Would they be able to forget how the princess—the one who was supposed to protect them—nearly killed them without a second thought? Was that why Twilight didn’t want to go see Celestia earlier, because she still wasn’t ready to come to terms with the truth? She didn’t want to accept it, yet here she was, acting just as coldly as she did.

Whatever affected Celestia must’ve started to affect her as well. She never acted like this before, nor had she ever had such seething hatred for another being. What if it was something that she couldn’t stop? What if it only grew worse? She didn’t want to think about such a thing, but she couldn’t just ignore it, either.

She was so caught up in her own emotions, she barely heard more hoofsteps approaching from behind her. When Twilight finally heard them, she immediately came crashing back down to reality, a sharp gasp passing through her lips. She spun around, only to feel her heart plummet.

As she was standing there, oblivious to the world around her, another member of the Eclipse, no doubt attracted by all of the noise from Twilight's previous battle, stood down the corridor, gazing at Twilight from behind the shadows of her hood.

The unicorn’s heart tried to burst clear from her chest. She was still exhausted from her last fight. Her body still ached from the blows she received. She was in no condition for another battle like that, and from the looks of it, the hooded mare before her seemed to be on the same level as the stallion at her hooves, if not more so. Her posture gleamed with confidence, showing no fear, no hesitation.

Meanwhile, Twilight’s trembling legs threatened to buckle underneath her weight. She couldn’t win that fight, but that mare was standing between her and the others. She could try running, but not only did that carry the risk of getting lost again, but it likely wouldn’t even work. The mare had to be faster by a wide margin. Fighting wouldn’t work. Running wouldn’t work. Twilight’s options seemed nonexistent, but she had to do something. She couldn't fail here.

With newfound determination in her eyes, Twilight firmly planted her hooves into the ground. She focused as much magic into her horn as her tired mind would allow. If it had worked on the stallion, then it had to work on the mare as well. It wasn’t the greatest battle plan ever, but it was better than nothing.

In a single, magnificent flash of lavender light, Twilight fired the magical bolt towards her assailant. It was just as fast as her last one, quickly crossing the distance between the two mares. Yet the blast still missed.

Twilight’s eyes went wide, simply incapable of comprehending what they had just seen. There couldn’t have possibly been any way for a pony to dodge that attack at the speed it travelled, yet the hooded mare ducked underneath it at the very last possible moment. It all had to have happened in just a split-second, but that was impossible. No pony should’ve been able to move that quickly! The purple unicorn didn’t even have time to fathom such an example of speed before her attacker charged towards her at full speed.

Twilight scarcely had time to cry out in shock before the mare was right in front of her. The unicorn’s legs locked up, pure shock and debilitating fear leaving her virtually paralyzed. The mare’s movements… Twilight had only seen it for all of a second, but something about it just felt off. Something about them just felt wrong. So wrong. They were so fast, far too fast to be natural. Just what kind of unnatural monster was she dealing with?

She immediately created a protective barrier between her and the mare as soon as the latter wound back for a punch. She completed the barrier not a second too soon, flinching back as her attacker’s hoof collided with the firm, purple aura. Even with the shield up, Twilight felt herself pushed back from the sheer force behind the blow, her head throbbing from the effort. She didn’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if that had been a direct hit.

The hooded mare’s assault was far from over, however. Instead of simply backing off from the seemingly impenetrable barrier, the mare simply punched it again, just as forcefully as last time. The impact reverberated inside of Twilight’s skull as she struggled to keep it up. It was inconceivable. The mare wasn’t just incredibly fast; she was incredibly strong as well. Twilight may as well have been trying to block a speeding train. The unicorn’s legs were already trembling, threatening to give underneath her. She knew what the mare’s plan was, and she couldn’t resist for much longer. Unfortunately, that was exactly what the mare wanted.

The hooded assailant punched the barrier again, sending another sharp wave of pain through Twilight’s skull. Twilight gritted her teeth, straining herself as tears built up in her eyes. She fought through the splitting headache as she struggled to keep the barrier up. It was the only thing keeping her protected from her attacker, and it was beginning to fail. The mare punched it once again, the impact sending Twilight down to a hind knee. She couldn’t take one more blow like that. She needed to do something and soon. She couldn’t fail, not there!

Gathering as much magic as she could muster through the pain, she concentrated it all into her horn as it surged with energy. With a feral cry, she released it all into one potent, powerful shockwave. Even with her unnatural speed, the hooded mare was unable to get away in time, and took the full brunt of the attack. She was sent flying a good ways down the corridor, landing flat on her back, unmoving.

As for Twilight, she only stood there, trying to regain her breath. That attack had drained her of all that she could muster at that moment. She couldn’t keep it up anymore. It was insane. Just one battle with one of those monsters left her exhausted. Fighting another practically left her with one hoof in the grave. Things weren’t looking good, not at all, but at least she finally had time to breathe again.

If only she didn’t have to learn time and time again that the cruelties of life possessed a sick sense of humor.

“No. No. No, not in there. No. No! No! Gah, where are they?” After her close call with an avalanche of rubble, Rainbow had finally found the prison blocks where her friends should’ve been, but instead of relieving her of her frustrations, her search only added to them. Each empty, barren cell only served as another blow to her already agitated nerves. She didn’t care if she had to check each and every one; if it meant finding the others, she’d do it without question.

She was close. Oh, was she close. She thought that she was close before, but as she stood amongst that endless line of cells, she could practically smell Rarity’s fancy, expensive perfume...

Actually, she could smell it.

Rainbow came to a dead halt as a jolt of hope shot into her heart. She took a nice, strong whiff of the air. Immediately, that jolt turned into a surge throughout her body. Through the dank smell that Rainbow grew so used to, there was something sweet in the air. Something so pompous and saccharine in scent that it couldn’t have been anything but Rarity’s perfume. How close did they have to be for Rainbow to pick up such a scent? A few corners away? Right down the hall? Maybe even closer? She didn’t care; all she knew was that she was finally about to find them. Breaking into a gallop, she sped down the corridor, following that sweet, sweet aroma.

Rainbow had been traversing that dark, dank dungeon for how long? An hour? Two hours? The sight of grey, moss-covered stone had long since been burned into her psyche. The sound of hooves beating against concrete was going to keep her up at night for the next few days. Everything that she’d been through, everything that her friends must've been through, it was no doubt going to haunt them for quite some time. If she could just see them again, she could at least feel an inkling of hope that things would be okay. But as long as they were out of sight, Rainbow could only fear the worst.

No! No, they’re fine. We’re gonna get outta here. Everything’s gonna be okay. It has to be.

Rainbow’s sprint brought her further into the prison block as she sped by cell after cell. She skidded to a halt as she came across one in particular that was left wide open. Not only that, but there was a guard lying—no, not dead. Unconscious. A sense of worry seeped into Rainbow’s face as she crept towards the door, the sweet aroma growing more potent. She poked her head into the cell.

Just like the others, it was completely empty, save for a few pillows, oddly enough. Unlike the others, however, Rainbow only felt worry rather than frustration. This was the cell that held her friends; Rarity’s perfume practically burned in her nostrils. Somehow, they were able to get out. Judging by the unconscious guard, it wasn’t a planned release, either. Something had happened, and recently at that. Rainbow wanted to believe that they were able to bust themselves out somehow, but she wouldn’t know for sure until she found them.

As the worry finally left her system, it was promptly replaced by a bit of annoyance. It only figured that after all of the time she spent searching for them, Rainbow found their holding cell after what must’ve been a mere few minutes since their escape. She always did have a bad habit of showing up late.

Before she got back on their trail, however, she turned her attention towards the unconscious guard. Even when they were already knocked out cold, she felt a seething anger boiling in her gut. Just the sight of them was enough to send her over the edge. She wanted to cave his head in, but she had other things in mind.

She walked up to the stallion and studied his body. Specifically, the tools attached to his body. Though his robes did a good job of concealing them, Rainbow could make out some of the leather harness wrapped around his torso that no doubt held his weapons and other supplies. It didn’t look like relieving him of such items would prove to be difficult, especially from her position.

“Not taking any chances with these guys,” she muttered.

Slowly, she brought her hoof down on the leather harness, sliding along the smooth surface as she searched for the buckle holding it together. A small smile cracked onto her face as she felt cold metal. It was a simple matter of undoing a few of the buckles before the entire harness slid nicely off of the stallion’s body. Even if he did wake up, without his gear, dealing with him would’ve been foal’s play.

“Heh, you guys don’t pack much, do you?” Rainbow asked as she held the harness in front of her. Just as she expected, numerous items hung from the leather straps. A few small, burlap sacks dangled near the front. Judging from the clanking sound it made when she shook it, they likely contained some kind of small bomb. However, Rainbow’s attention was brought down to the black, leather sheath hanging before her.

She felt a pang of worry in her gut as she thought about how much battle the dagger in front of her had seen. How many lives it cut down. How many times it was drenched in the blood of its enemies, possibly even innocents.

The closest that she ever came to holding a dagger was whenever she’d play-fight with her father using the fake, wooden ones. She never even thought that she’d see the day when she actually held a real one, let alone use it.

Slowly, she brought a wary hoof up towards the black sheath. It almost felt like she was about to touch a wild animal, worried that it was going to snap back. The moment that her hoof made contact with the worn leather, she gritted her teeth, hissing in pain as another wave of pain rushed through her head.

“Dagger up. Head low. Ensure that the handle is clenched tightly in your teeth. Keep your knees bent and your body loose. Always be prepared to strike, deflect, or evade. Above all, do not hesitate. In a true battle, it is either life or death. You or them. Do whatever you must to ensure that it is always them.”

The moment she returned to her senses, she shook the lingering pain out of her skull. Those… whatever they were supposed to be—she wanted to call them visions—were growing in frequency and severity, as though she wasn’t already sick of them enough. Something about that dungeon was making her lose her mind. She just wanted to find her friends and get out of that place as quickly as possible.

Rainbow quickly slid the harness onto her body, securing it with the buckles. It didn’t feel right using the equipment of one of those monsters, but she wasn’t about to complain if it meant ensuring the safety of the others. Properly armed, she set her focus back on the perfume still lingering in the air. Before she could continue following it, however, something else caught her attention.

A scream. A cry. One of exertion, and it wasn't far away. Unless Rainbow was hearing things, she knew exactly who that cry belonged to.

“Twilight?” she muttered, jerking her head towards the source of the noise. “Twilight!”

Rainbow felt her stomach churn as that cry echoed down the corridor. Whatever she heard, it didn’t sound good. It sounded like the unicorn needed help, and immediately. Of course, that meant leaving the others to fend for themselves for a while longer. It was a tough decision, one that Rainbow was hesitant in making. Still, she couldn’t deny that she had little choice in the matter. While the others would no doubt need her help eventually, Twilight needed her help at that exact moment. It made her decision no easier, but it did make it clearer.

With a somber sigh, Rainbow glanced over her shoulder. “Don’t worry guys. I’ll come back for you in no time.” Without another word, she galloped towards Twilight. She could only hope that she’d get there in time.

This is bad. This is very bad. Not good at all.

Twilight could barely even think straight with the amount of energy she had left. Her body felt heavy, her mind frazzled. She couldn’t even budge from her spot if she wanted to, not until she had time to regain her strength. How long that would take, she had no idea, though she found it safe to assume that she wasn’t going to get anywhere near enough time to do so. That dungeon had to be crawling with more members of the Eclipse, and if they were anything like that mare, then she stood little chance in her state.

Unfortunately, other members were the least of her worries. When Twilight looked back down at the prone mare, she felt the undeniable surge of fear rush through her entire body. The hooded mare, the one that Twilight expended nearly all of her energy repelling, was moving. Getting back up. Not only that, but it seemed like Twilight's attack, with all of its strength, only left her in a slight daze, one that she was quick to recover from.

Twilight’s heart threatened to burst from her chest at the rate it was beating. She couldn’t fight her, not again. She wanted to run, to get as far away from her as she could. She didn’t care about getting lost anymore, she just wanted to live. She wanted to run, but her body simply refused to move. Sheer, unadulterated terror left her paralyzed. All Twilight could do was stand there and watch as the mare casually stretched out any sore muscles. It was at that moment that the unicorn came to the terrifying realization. She was going to die. Nothing short of a miracle would save her.

Finally, the moment of truth arrived. The hooded mare looked back up at Twilight, ready for another round. Twilight couldn’t even think about what to do next before her attacker darted forward again, appearing in front of the unicorn in virtually no time at all. Twilight had next to no time to react before she felt a sharp pain shoot across her face.

The blow sent her straight to the ground. It left her ears ringing. The world spun all around her in her daze. She tried to move her legs, but they may as well have been made out of lead. And somehow, she knew that that was essentially a love tap compared to what the mare was truly capable of.

The most that Twilight managed was rolling onto her back, a feat that drained her of what little energy she had left. She saw the mare enter her vision, the dark, shadowy figure staring right down at her. Whatever air Twilight had left in her lungs was knocked out when her assailant planted a firm hoof on her chest. She couldn’t move her legs. The daze combined with the pain made it impossible for her to focus on spells. She was, in every sense of the word, completely helpless. She only shut her eyes, awaiting the finishing blow that was sure to come.

“Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine…”

Twilight’s eyes snapped back open as she heard… something off in the distance. A voice, it sounded like. It was faint, so faint that she didn’t know if it was another pony or her frazzled brain making her hear things again.

“Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine…”

No, she wasn’t making it up, that much was certain. In fact, it sounded like the voice was getting closer, but who could it have been?

“Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine!”

The unicorn’s eyes went wide with shock as she recognized the voice. One that she had been dying to hear ever since she went down into that dungeon. Wait! That’s… Th-that’s—

A blue blur was all Twilight saw as her would-be attacker was promptly tackled off of her. Even though she could barely feel her legs, even though she was nearly spent of her energy, Twilight mustered up the will to roll back over on her stomach just to see the mare that she’d been looking for all of this time. As she laid eyes on her, a wide, wide smile broke out onto her face.

Rainbow Dash stood tall and proud between Twilight and her attacker, that trademark smirk of hers gracing the pegasus’ face. “Mine.”

The sense of relief that rushed through the unicorn’s body was nothing short of euphoric. No matter how hard she tried, that smile plastered on her face refused to budge. Finally, after spending so much time down in that place, the fear in Twilight's heart was replaced with hope. “R-Rainbow Dash! I’ve been looking everywhere for you! I-I’m not seeing things, am I?”

The pegasus glanced back at her dumbstruck friend before trotting up to her. Offering her shoulder, she helped the unicorn back onto her hooves. “I hope not. It looks like you could use a hoof.”

Even with Rainbow’s help, Twilight still found standing difficult. She had to lean against the nearby wall for further support. A few heavy blows and she was essentially down for the count. She hated feeling so useless. Still, she couldn’t but feel a sense of happiness that just refused to leave. After going on for so long without her friends, just seeing one of them made her feel warmth inside. “It’s so good to see you again.” As she actually took the time to look at the pegasus, a confused frown appeared on her face. “Um, where did you get that from?” she asked, pointing at Rainbow.

Rainbow arched an eyebrow until she realized what Twilight was talking about. She looked down at herself, observing the leather harness wrapped around her body. It certainly wasn’t a hard thing to notice. “Oh, uh, I... found it. Yeah, found it.”

Even amidst the current danger, Rainbow still felt the urge to tell little lies, and she was still terrible at it, something that brought a much-needed smile to Twilight’s face. “Well, it’s still good to see you."

A warm smile graced Rainbow’s own face. She wrapped her forelegs around Twilight to pull her in for a hug, only to jump back when the unicorn hissed in pain. “Whoa, whoa! What’s wrong?”

Twilight managed to put on a sheepish grin through the pain. “Sorry. My ribs still hurt.”

Rainbow could only scrunch up her face in confusion. “What? Your ribs?” She didn't think on it for long before her face suddenly flared with anger as she turned her attention back towards the one who must’ve been responsible. Twilight’s assailant, that hooded mare, hadn’t moved from her spot ever since Rainbow arrived. She just stood there, staring at the two, her face hidden behind shadows.

Rainbow’s anger only grew further. Emotionless, heartless monsters, all of them. Before, just the mere thought of the things that they could’ve done to her friends made her want to see them suffer. But now, after seeing Twilight in her current state, watching as the unicorn struggled to get out pained breaths, she couldn’t even begin to imagine the things that she'd do to them.

She looked back at Twilight. “Twi, you stay back. Looks like you could use the rest.” Without hesitation, Rainbow approached the target of her aggression, not slowing for an instant.

As she watched the pegasus walk away, Twilight felt panic rush into her heart. She knew that the pegasus was tough, if a bit bull-headed, but she simply had no idea what she was getting herself into. “Rainbow, wait! This mare isn’t normal! I… I think she has some sort of speed-enhancing enchantment. She can move faster than you can blink! You can’t take her on your own!”

Rainbow stopped in her tracks, still a considerable distance away from her opponent. Twilight’s ears twitched as she heard something that she couldn’t believe. A gentle, amused chuckle left the pegasus’ muzzle.

“You really need to calm down, Twi. I’ll handle this. Trust me, this punk’ll be face-first in the dirt in ten seconds flat.”

Twilight wanted to refute Rainbow’s confident claim, something that the unicorn was no stranger to doing, but the words became caught in her throat. Something about her just didn’t seem right. Well, perhaps ‘right’ wasn’t the most appropriate term. She just seemed so different. It had been a long stretch of time since the two have seen each other, and any number of things could’ve happened to Rainbow. The dungeon’s oppressive atmosphere was certainly having an effect on Twilight; what if the same could’ve been said for Rainbow?

As she stood there, looking potential death in the eye, Rainbow just seemed to radiate with confidence. However, unlike most other times where her confidence was just a façade to hide the worry or fear that she actually felt, what she displayed now seemed—no, was—real. There was no fear hiding behind Rainbow’s eyes. She was ready for whatever was coming next, and she actually seemed excited about it.

"What happened to you?" Twilight muttered.

“Well? What’re you waiting for?” Rainbow asked the hooded mare. “You were so quick to attack Twilight, why not pick on a pony your own size?”

The mare didn’t back down, but she didn’t advance, either. Considering how little time she wasted before attacking Twilight, the unicorn only saw it as a plausible conclusion to say that she was intimidated, or at least acting much more carefully with Rainbow. She was sizing the pegasus up, and if Twilight had to guess, the hooded mare didn't like what she saw.

A few short seconds of inactivity passed before Rainbow let out an amused snort. She liked where this was going. “So, that’s how it’s gonna be, huh? Alright, then.” She got down low, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. “If you’re not gonna bring the fight to me, then I’ll just bring it to you!”

With a mighty push from her hind legs, Rainbow launched herself forward, charging towards the hooded mare at a frightening speed. Twilight could only stand by in wide-eyed awe as the distance between the two mares closed in what couldn’t have been two seconds. “H-how can she… She's so fast!”

Despite the pegasus’ impressive speed, however, her opponent still didn’t move a single muscle. When only mere inches were between them, Rainbow drew her hoof back, ready to deliver a devastating blow, putting all of her momentum behind the attack. Still, the mare before her didn’t move, not even to dodge the attack. That hardly bothered the pegasus. As far as she was concerned, that just made her an easier target. Rainbow threw her hoof forward, only to find herself swinging at thin air.

The surprise on Rainbow’s face was clear as day as she staggered forward. “What the hay? Where’d she go?” She knew that Twilight told her that the opponent was fast, but she couldn’t have had anything more than a split-second to react. There were inches between them, she shouldn’t have missed. But more importantly, where did the mare even go?

“Rainbow, behind you!” Twilight shouted.

The pegasus whipped around just in time to find the hooded assailant preparing her own blow, a full-force buck aimed right for the chest. Rainbow barely had enough time to place her legs up to block as the mare kicked out her hind legs. Even then, she may as well have been blocking a sledgehammer. The impact sent a shock down her bones so severe, she was lucky that they didn’t snap in two. As she stumbled back from the blow, shaking the pain out of her legs, she knew that she was facing a pony much tougher than the scrubs she dealt with before. That fact, instead of instilling fear, only brought an eager smile to Rainbow’s face. It looked like she was finally going to get a challenge. Finally, she was going to get another taste of that thrill she craved.

She planted her hooves firmly on the ground, ready for round two. “Okay, so you pack some punch, I’ll give you that, but don’t get cocky. I’m just getting warmed up.”

Her opponent, finally getting into the swing of things herself, made the first move. In the blink of an eye, she sped towards Rainbow, a hoof flying right towards the pegasus’ face. Rainbow jerked her head off to the side, feeling the breeze against her cheek as the mare’s hoof flew past her. Seeing an opening, Rainbow countered with a swift uppercut. She felt her hoof brush against the mare’s chin as the hooded assailant leapt back, barely avoiding it. Despite not landing a direct blow, a small smile cracked onto Rainbow’s face. It may not have been the satisfying crack that she was hoping for, but it was still a sign that she had a chance.

Not letting up on her assault, Rainbow lunged forward, gearing for another punch. Though the distance between them was virtually nonexistent, just like with her first attempt, as soon as her hoof flew forward, her opponent seemingly vanished into thin air, leaving her swinging at nothing.

Alright, that's starting to get annoying.

Rainbow snapped back to attention when felt wind blow against her as the mare sped by at a speed undetectable by the naked eye. She was getting behind her again.

Rainbow spun around, but was a split-second late. All she felt next was the sharp sting shooting through her head as her attacker landed a punch right to her cheek. The blow wasn’t nearly as powerful as the mare’s buck, but it was still enough to send Rainbow staggering back, dazed. Twilight was right. That mare was fast. Rainbow could barely keep up with her movements.

“Rainbow, you can’t just swing and hope to hit her!” Twilight shouted. “She’s too fast!”

The pegasus shot an annoyed glare at her friend. “Yeah, I see that!” Even in the middle of a fight, Twilight had to steer things from the backseat. But she was right. As things were, the odds weren’t in Rainbow’s favor, and it was going to stay that way unless she did something about it.

Alright, so I’ve gotta change strategies. But how am I supposed to lay a hoof on her when she’s moving so fast?

As though to answer her question, another wave of pain rushed through her head as that voice returned.

“Come now, it is not that complex. Any enemy can be defeated if you approach the fight correctly. If your enemy is strong, avoid their attacks until they tire themselves out. If they are quick, aim at where they will be rather than where they are. Is that such a hard thing to forget? Now try again!”

“Aim at where they’ll be,” Rainbow muttered, almost absentmindedly. She was finally starting to notice something about those voices. She was so annoyed by them at first that she didn't even bother paying attention to them. She couldn’t exactly put her hoof on it, but they didn’t just feel like random bits of memory. No, it felt like they were talking to her. It was a stretch, but it even seemed like the voices, in a way, were trying to help her. But how was that even possible?

“Rainbow, watch out!”

The pegasus was quick to snap out of her trance. Evidently, standing completely still in the middle of a battle wasn’t the best action to take. In the blink of an eye, the hooded mare was on the pegasus like the Apples on apples. It took all she could to avoid the mare’s onslaught of punches aimed at the meatier parts of her face. The two were little more than a blur of motions as Rainbow continued dodging. Each punch sent a breeze past her face that only served to remind her just how close each one was.

Left. Right. Down. Back. As Rainbow avoided the attacks, it felt as though her body was moving on its own, dodging of its own accord. It felt strange, like she had done the motions a thousand times before. It all felt so fluid, so natural, her body not wasting a single movement. And above all, it just felt good. Were those the same things that Shadow felt whenever she did battle? If so, then even Rainbow had to admit that she could see how the mare got her kicks.

Finally, after ducking under a particularly vicious haymaker, Rainbow darted forward, throwing out a punch of her own. As expected, the hooded mare sped clear out of range in an instant. Rainbow wasn’t even trying to hit her that time; she just wanted to make some room. She needed time to focus.

Aim at where they’ll be. Aim at where they’ll be. It wasn’t guaranteed to work, but it was the closest thing to a strategy that Rainbow had. Taking a deep breath, Rainbow glared at the mare before her with determination burning in her eyes. She wasn’t going to allow her to land a third blow. “Alright, I’m ready. Gimme your best shot!”

The hooded mare seemed more than willing to comply with that request. She sped towards Rainbow at an unnatural speed, but the pegasus was ready this time. She wasn’t going to allow her focus to be broken. Though she still couldn’t physically see her, Rainbow’s keen ears still managed to pick up the distinct sound of hoofbeats against concrete. They may have been brief—very brief, in fact—but they were there, and that was all that Rainbow needed in order to predict her movement.

From the sound of it, the mare wasn't approaching her head-on, but in a zigzag pattern, obviously trying to throw Rainbow off. She was having none of it; she merely waited as the mare grew closer, ready to lash out when the time came.

Okay. From the sound of it, she should be right…

Rainbow’s ears twitched as she heard hoofbeats mere inches away from her.

…here!

Rainbow spun around, throwing out a hoof at her chosen target. She wouldn’t have been able to notice in the heat of battle, but a smile broke out onto her face as her hoof made satisfyingly forceful contact with her attacker’s face. The sudden blow disrupted the mare’s flow, sending her staggering down the hall.

Gotcha!

Unfortunately for the mare, Rainbow was far from done. The pegasus finally found an opening, and she wasn’t going to let it slip away.

With newfound gusto, Rainbow darted towards the dazed mare, cracking her in the head with another vicious hook. She followed up with another, and another, and another. With the mare right where she wanted her, Rainbow refused to stop until she was certain that the mare wouldn’t get back up. Each blow sent a shock up her legs, one that only brought more smiles to Rainbow’s face.

And one more for good measure!

The pegasus pivoted on her front legs and kicked out her hind legs. She felt the satisfying impact of her back hooves striking the mare square in the chest with tremendous force. The blow sent the hooded assailant crumbling to the ground, battered, bloodied, and unconscious. Taking in heavy breaths, Rainbow stood over her fallen foe, victorious, not that it surprised her.

"Yeah, you're fast, sure, but you're still dealing with Equestria's fastest here."

With that obstacle conquered, Rainbow turned her attention back towards Twilight. The unicorn could only stare back, jaw threatening to hit the floor. For the longest time, the two just stared at each other in utter silence until Twilight, against her pained body’s complaints, darted forward, wrapping Rainbow in a tight hug, one that the pegasus returned.

As she stood there, wrapping Twilight in a warm embrace, all of Rainbow's anger and frustrations just seemed to disappear. It was at that moment when she knew that everything was going to be okay. For everypony.

“What’d I say?” Rainbow asked, petting Twilight’s mane. “Ten seconds flat.”

“That was technically a minute and a half,” Twilight quickly replied.

Rainbow just shrugged. “Eh, details, details. I still won, right?” The two enjoyed a quick laugh, savoring the first light-hearted moment they’ve had in a while.

“It’s so good to see you again,” Twilight said, tears rolling down her face. “I was worried that something had happened to you.”

“C’mon, you know me. It’s gonna take way more than these punks to bring me down. I mean, sure I had a close call with the dungeon collapsing, but then again, that was all me.”

Twilight’s eyes snapped wide open as she looked Rainbow dead in the eye. “So that was you?”

A small chuckle left Rainbow’s muzzle. “Well, duh. What, that’s a surprise?” She received a light punch to the shoulder before the two shared another embrace. Unfortunately, although they both wanted that moment to last for as long as possible, they both knew that they weren’t finished yet. Far from it.

“We still need to find the others,” Twilight said, still holding on to Rainbow.

“Yeah. Don’t worry too much, though. I think I found a trail right before I came to grab you. It’ll lead us right to ‘em.” She finally let go of Twilight, looking over the unicorn’s battered figure. It really was a good thing that Rainbow showed up when she did. Twilight looked like she’d just been through Tartarus and back. She didn’t even want to imagine what would’ve happened if she was too late. “Can you walk?”

Though Twilight’s breathing was still heavy, it seemed like she regained enough energy to move again. “Yes, I’ll be fine.” Granted, she still wasn’t ready for another fight with an Eclipse member, but if all went well, she wouldn’t get into another one.

Rainbow nodded, another soft smile on her face. “Let’s get outta here before more of these guys show up. I’m starting to get sick of this place.”

“I’m with you on that one.”

With some much-needed room to breathe again, Twilight followed Rainbow down the corridor and, hopefully, towards her friends. She could hardly believe it, but she could finally see a light at the end of that long, dark tunnel. It was only a matter of time before this nightmare came to end, and with her Rainbow at her side and the others practically in sight, that nightmare was going to end very, very soon.

She could only hope that they weren’t too late.

Shockingly enough, it seemed like things were actually starting to go according to the thing that Star Light haphazardly threw together as a ‘plan’. With Celestia finally thinking with a calm, clear head, a massive weight was taken off of her shoulders. Of course, though, it was immediately replaced with the task of protecting the Elements of Harmony. Not one pony, not two ponies, but six. Six! It didn’t help that she only knew two of them, and considering how difficult it was to get Twilight to trust her, she couldn’t help but feel that things were going to be unnecessarily complicated for all parties involved. However, what she thought was going to happen didn’t matter at the moment. What mattered was actually finding them first, and praying that she’d find them alive.

She had heard the tell-tale sounds of battle not too long ago, and that was serving as her only beacon of direction. She could’ve sworn that she heard Twilight cry out during the scuffle; hopefully it didn’t mean what Star thought it meant.

“‘Let me go on my own,’ she said. ‘I can handle myself,’ she said. Goodness, why did I do something so stupid?” Star didn’t want to think about what could’ve happened to the unicorn during her absence. She would figure out what to do next once she saw things for herself. Until then, she just focused on galloping towards the source of the noise. The sooner that she could get out of that accursed dungeon, the better.

Thankfully, it didn’t take her very long before she came across an interesting sight. In following the noise, she came across two members of the Eclipse, both unconscious.

“What in the world?” Star Light muttered as she observed the scene.

One of the fallen members, a stallion grunt, was merely locked to the ground with magical restraints. Purple restraints. Star didn’t even need to think twice about who was responsible for that. So, Twilight had been through there, but that still didn’t explain the other one.

The other member, a mare, unlike the stallion, was merely knocked unconscious. Or beaten into unconsciousness, from the looks of it. Her face was beaten and bloodied. It didn’t make sense, though. Judging by the symbols adorning her robes, she was a member of high rank and skill. That wasn’t all that drew Star’s attention, either. The unicorn also felt an odd source of magic emanating from the mare, a cause for interest seeing as how she was an earth pony. Star Light had her theories, though.

The pink mare rummaged through the fallen pony’s robes until she found what she was looking for. She could tell exactly what it was just from its warm, jagged texture. Taking it out, she found that her suspicions were confirmed.

Star Light held before her a sapphire of the deepest blue whose core shone a faint orange. It contained a strong, potent source of energy, an enchantment of some kind. Just having it on one’s person would allow them to benefit from its effects. Judging by its appearance, it seemed to be one that increased a pony’s speed by a frightening degree.

No point in letting this get in the wrong hooves, I suppose.

Star Light dropped the fragile gem on the floor and brought a mighty hoof down upon it, shattering it to bits. The magic contained inside burst into the air, only to quickly dissipate into nothing. Star Light felt that she had no use for such tools; if she was going to defeat her enemy, then she would do so without the aid of such sorceries.

However, that still begged the question. If the mare lying unconscious at Star’s hooves was of a high rank, with an enchantment, no less, then how could she have possibly fallen in battle?

“Was it Twilight?” Star asked aloud. She had seen a glimpse of the unicorn’s magical power first-hoof. It certainly wasn't anything that she wanted to be on the business end of. Even then, however, it seemed like a stretch. “No, no. That can’t be right. She's strong, but these guys are on a different level entirely.” Who else did that leave? One of her comrades? No, the consequences of interfering with another’s mission without permission were too severe for them to be that stupid. But if not, then who else could’ve defeated such a formidable foe?

Star Light gasped as the realization slammed into her. “Oh, that’s bad. That’s really, really bad.” If Rainbow Dash was already at such a level of skill that she could essentially mop the floor with one of the Eclipse’s higher ranked warriors, then she was only going to attract more to match her. If Twilight and the others were caught in that kind of crossfire, it could very well be one that they wouldn’t walk away from.

She needed to hurry. She did not come this far to fail now. She’d see to it that they all left that dungeon alive and well. She’d stake her life on it.

Author's Note

Welp! That was my first attempt at a comprehensive fight scene. Double-Welp! Time for questions!

The Important Question: What would you guys rather have? Shorter chapters with a quicker update rate or longer chapters with a longer update rate? I can't really have my cake and eat it too here, and I can't decide myself, either, so I'd like to know what you all prefer.
The (Sorta) Relevant Question: Which ancestor is Rainbow most like? Which one would be the most interesting to see her as?
The-Question-That-Damn-Sure-Needs-an-Answer Question: There isn't a comment chain for the AC 4 literal trailer yet. Why is this? Come on, people! There are, like, 3 for Brotherhood already. Mix it up!

P.S. I don't know if the inclusion of that DBZ Abridged reference was either a stroke of genius or a stroke of idiocy. Maybe both. Idiotic Genius. Yes...

21: Moths to the Flame

Despite what her subjects liked to believe, Celestia was not perfect, not by any means. They all saw her as a paragon of composure, and perhaps due to her own ego, Celestia grew to believe that herself. For far too long, she had forgotten that her composure was not unshakeable, nor was it immune to time’s slow, but present erosion. She fooled herself into believing that her emotions would forever remain in check, that nothing would ever make them spiral out of control. She learned the hard way that even after so many centuries, she was still just as much of a danger to herself as she was to the ponies around her, friend and foe alike.

The princess released a small sigh. The anger that flared uncontrollably inside of her, the destruction that she heartlessly caused, and the danger that she foolishly placed Twilight and the others in, it all went back to the Pieces. Though Celestia kept them hidden away, though they never ceased to haunt her, she made the mistake of letting her paranoia get the best of her. Upon discovering that the Staff was stolen, her ensuing panic grew to be her greatest downfall. It caused her to act without thinking, and that was ignoring her acts of cruelty.

She essentially abused Rainbow Dash, putting her mental integrity in jeopardy. The Celestial Museum, a piece of architecture constructed in her honor, lay in shambles because of her. Countless civilians, innocent lives that she was sworn to protect, lay bloodied and beaten, fallen by her hoof. Then there was her largest concern. She still needed to explain all of this to Twilight.

Celestia shook those thoughts from her mind. As important as they were, she would have to dwell on them at another time. She couldn’t make plans for the future while the present still needed her attention. Though it would no doubt be a long one, the road to recovery would begin once Celestia regained the Staff from the Eclipse.

The princess stood before a pair of large, stone doors, no doubt leading into a chamber of some kind. Her horn practically ached from the magic that she was sensing on the other side. There wasn’t a single doubt in her mind; the item that she had been searching for was behind that door.

With a single blast of magic, Celestia pushed the doors open. As she suspected, it led into a large, circular chamber. Numerous torches lined the vast chamber’s walls, lighting the place with an ominous orange glow. The ceiling was high, high above her, obscured by the pitch darkness. It seemed more like staring into a pitch-black abyss than anything else. What purpose such a chamber served, Celestia didn’t know, nor did she care. Her attention was drawn towards the center of the room.

Her breath hitched in her throat as her gaze focused on the object lying in the middle of the room, resting in the center of a large, radiant sun carved into the stone. She could hardly believe the sight before her as her legs, of their own volition, carried her towards the object that she’d been searching for. The Staff was only mere steps away, finally within her reach. She could finally put her worries, her fears, to bed. Yet, she still didn’t feel at ease.

Through the initial elation, something still didn’t feel right. For a single, fleeting moment, Celestia honestly believed that it would be as simple as retrieving it, finding the others, and getting out of that awful, awful place. Her sensible side, however, knew that things appeared far, far too easy.

Celestia slowed to a stop, straining her ears for the slightest hint of noise. It must’ve been some type of trap. It had to be. Yet she heard nothing. Not the slightest peep. She couldn’t even sense another pony’s presence in that chamber. So, she wasn’t being paranoid; the Staff was, quite literally, left wide out in the open, completely unguarded.

But Celestia was no fool. She knew that the Solar Eclipse were far too smart to make such a blundering error. There had to be more to it, but even if there was, Celestia simply couldn’t leave such a powerful object in their possession. Even if it meant playing right into their hooves, she needed to take it. She had to, and they knew it. They used Celestia’s obsession to their advantage. Whatever plan they had in store, she played into it perfectly, but that ended then and there.

Celestia was torn from her thoughts by the sound of approaching hoofbeats. Not the slow, cautious steps of a mere fledgling, but the confident, unflinching steps of somepony different. They were closing in at a steady pace, as though it was another part of their plan. Celestia would not be made a fool of, not again.

“That’s far enough,” she ordered. There was virtually no delay between her command and the pony complying, immediately coming to a stop. So this one was different from the rest; somepony more compliant, unlike the more bull-headed adversaries she’d encountered. However, she wasn’t ready to lower her guard quite yet. Far from it.

Slowly, Celestia turned towards this new visitor to find a blue stallion standing before her. Much like the others, his body was draped in black robes, but that was where the similarities ended. Unlike the others, he carried himself with a sense of confidence and authority that she hadn’t seen in other ponies before. His azure eyes stared back at the princess with an unwavering sense of calm. His lips even curled up into a slight smile. There was little doubt in Celestia’s mind; this was their leader.

“Who are you?” Celestia demanded.

A quiet chuckle left the stallion’s throat. “Straight to business as always.”

Celestia was uncertain of his intentions, but she certainly knew that she was not in the mood for any more games. “You and your followers have caused myself and others a severe amount of trouble. For your sake, I advise taking this a bit more seriously.”

Celestia didn’t get a chuckle this time, but that stallion’s smile still didn’t go away. “As you wish.”

“Then I’ll ask again. Who are you?”

After a few seconds’ silence, the stallion dipped his head in a quick bow. Celestia wasn’t certain if it was some sign of respect or a sign of mockery after all that he and his ilk had done. Regardless, it was a gesture that Celestia didn’t return. The anger behind her gaze was restrained, yet still noticeable as she looked over his every feature, eyes on the lookout for the slightest hint of movement that could serve as a signal of some kind. Surely, he wouldn’t come confront her on his own. Unless there was more that Celestia wasn’t seeing.

“I am Solare. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Highness.”

“Pinkie, are you sure we’re goin’ the right way?” Applejack asked. Looking back, neither she nor the others knew what exactly possessed them to trust Pinkie of all ponies to lead them away from danger, especially in such a dire situation. It was a decision that they grew to regret as the bubbly mare ignored Applejack’s question, continuing to bounce down the dim, dank, torch-lit halls.

It was odd. They were passing by sign after sign, every single one pointing them towards the exit out of that terrible place. They had to have been going in the right direction, it was clear that they were, but something still felt off. The area that they were trapped in, while by no means pristine, was in far better condition than what they were travelling through now.

The walls from before were merely damp with moisture, but now the four mares could hear slight trickles of water running through cracks in the wall. The stone was no longer even remotely smooth, but jagged and rough, years of erosion leaving its very clear mark. It felt more like they were traveling through a cave than anything else. Yet they kept going, kept walking, kept pushing forward. They had to have been going the right way.

All the while, Pinkie led her friends further down that cave-like hall, excitedly muttering to herself. “I’m gonna have to throw, like, a bajillion parties after this!” she mumbled. “An Escaped-a-Dungeon party, a We-Helped-Celestia party, a Party-For-Partying party…”

As she rambled on, something bothersome crept its way into Applejack’s heart. She glanced back at Rarity and Fluttershy. Though none of them uttered a single word, they could tell, just by looking into each other’s worried eyes, that they all felt the same unease. There was something about Pinkie, about her voice, that simply didn’t sit right with them. “Er, Pinkie?” Applejack called.

Her words fell upon deaf ears as Pinkie didn’t slow for an instant, the stream of words leaving her lips never ceasing. “Oh! And a party for my five bestest friends in the world! No, it has to be bigger than a party! A double party! A party inside another party, like, in the middle of the first party, we all shout ‘Surprise!’ again and—”

“Pinkie!” Applejack shouted, her voice echoing in the hall.

Unfortunately, that didn’t have the intended effect. Instead of bringing Pinkie’s verbal onslaught to an end, it merely made her turn it towards the farm pony. “What do you think, Applejack? What’ll your party be like? Can we hold it at the farm? Oh! Oh! I got it! We can have it inside of a giant apple! It’s genius! I could even—”

“Pinkie!” the farm mare hissed. “Keep your voice down before you attract more of ‘em.”

The pink pony whipped around, coming to a complete halt, the others following suit. It was hardly intentional, more instinctive than anything else, but a sharp gasp passed through Applejack’s lips as she laid wide, shocked eyes on Pinkie Pie. She heard similar reactions from the two mares behind her as they stared at the same thing. They knew that something was off, and now they knew exactly what it was.

Pinkie, despite her beaming smile, was on the verge of breaking down in a sobbing wreck. Her eyes, glistening with tears, betrayed the happy expression that she wore. She wanted to remain jovial, to remain optimistic, to remain as the one source of happiness for her friends in this dark time. However, as Pinkie stared back at her friends, pained smile and tear-stained cheeks clear as day, it was obvious that this was all affecting her just as badly as the others, if not worse. Still, she just kept smiling.

“Doesn’t that sound fun?” she choked out.

It was too much for her three friends to bear. Silently, they embraced the pink mare, taking her into a tight, warm hug. The effects were immediate. Feeling her friends’ soft fur against hers, feeling the warmth and safety that the hug offered, it was calming. Tears of joy rather than sorrow trailed down her face as she sunk even deeper into the hug.

As Applejack stood there, her friends doing what they did best, she came to the shocking—and rather sad—realization that they hadn’t shared a comforting hug ever since they found themselves in this mess. Not even a hug, they hadn’t really even reassured each other very often. Now that she thought about it, Applejack and Rarity spent more time at each other’s throat than they did calming each other.

It may not have seemed as big of a deal as she thought it was, but it still bothered her. Things were still bad, things were still stressful. They couldn’t afford to cause more tension amongst themselves. They couldn’t afford to crack, not now. They needed to stick together, and that hug, that long, warm, comforting hug, was exactly what they needed to ensure that that happened. It served to remind them that no matter how dark things became, as long as they had each other, nothing would stop them.

Though it was nowhere near long enough, the four mares broke away from their hug, some of them wiping the resulting tears from their eyes.

“That… that sounds lovely, Pinkie,” Rarity said through the sobs.

Applejack nodded. “Yeah. An’ it’ll be the first thing we do when we get outta here.”

They all wanted that moment, that one single moment, to last for far longer than it did. Unfortunately, it was cut far too short when they heard a familiar chuckling that sent chills up their spines.

“Well, isn’t this just a heartwarming display?”

The four mares whipped around, their fears confirmed when they found a small group of those hooded goons coming their way, all of them led by that blue stallion from before. Solare, he said his name was.

Taking charge once again, Applejack barged forward, the others lingering behind. Words could not properly describe the utter rage burning in her eyes. “You again?” she spat.

“Me again,” Solare smugly replied.

“Why can’t you just buzz off an’ let us go home already?”

“Well, I’d love to have had this all resolved ages ago, but I suppose we all can’t get what we want now, can we?” A tired sigh passed through Solare’s muzzle. “I tried to be reasonable and fair—”

“You locked us in a dungeon cell!” Rarity snapped.

“—but it seems now we’ll have to go about things the hard way.”

Solare and his forces closed in, step by step, threatening to pounce at any moment’s notice. All the while, the four mares, even Applejack, backed away. They couldn’t let this happen. They were far too close to let themselves be captured again.

“Girls, come on,” Applejack said. “We’re almost outta here. Move!” She didn’t need to tell them twice.

In near absolute sync, they all turned tail and darted down the hall, following the signs to freedom.

“I would advise against that!” Solare called after, not that it made them slow for a second.

Over their own frantic hoofbeats, they couldn’t tell if those goons gave chase, and none of them wanted to risk checking. They just had to keep running, and run they did. Even as their legs burned and their lungs caught fire, they couldn’t afford to stop not even for a single instant.

“I… I think I see a door ahead!” Rarity shouted between breaths.

She was right. Not far ahead of them was what appeared to be a large doorway. This had to be it. Wherever that place led, it had to have been the way out, or their best way out at the very least. After all this time, they’d finally be free.

The four all tore across the threshold and burst into the room on the other side. Immediately, they could tell that they were in some kind of chamber. A large, round one, though it was hard to see anything more than that. The entire room was dimly lit by a few torches lining the walls. The most detail that they could make out was the large moon carved into the center of the room. They had next to no idea where exactly they were, but they didn’t care. So long as it led out of the dungeon, that was enough for them.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get much further than the middle of the chamber before they slowed to a stop. “Um… girls?” Applejack called, eyes wide with disbelief.

Rarity’s expression did well to match her friend’s as she looked around the unfamiliar room. “Yes, dear?”

“You see a way outta here, right?”

“I… can’t say that I do.”

That fleeting sense of hope was quickly beginning to dwindle yet again as the four mares peered into the darkness, straining their eyes as they tried to make out anything that even remotely resembled another doorway. Yet they found nothing. It was a dead-end. The only other way out was through the way they came in, where those other ponies were. They had walked right into a trap.

For the briefest of moments, they actually thought that they had time to turn around and find another way around before they caught up. After all, they had been running pretty fast; they might’ve lost them on their way here. Of course, that was mere wishful thinking on their part. That hopeless optimism vanished without a trace when they turned back towards the entrance to find that same group standing in their way, blocking their only way out.

Solare, yet again, took lead, breaking away from the group as he stepped forward, chuckling all the while. “Well, I warned you. Now, here we are.”

None of them, not even Applejack, said anything else as they all closed in. Again, grabbing ideas out of the air, Applejack considered trying to think of a way to get past them. They were in a fairly large room. If they used the space to their advantage, they might be able to slip past them and run right out of the door.

Unfortunately, she didn’t even get a chance to voice her plan before several of the hooded ponies, with an unreal sense of speed, broke away from the group and boxed the mares in. It nearly made their heads spin. There was no way that any pony could move that quickly. Regardless of what they’d like to believe, that little maneuver did two things: it surrounded them, making any attempts at retreat all the more difficult, and because of their speed, it just lowered their chances of running from slim to nil.

And just to ensure that none of them were going anywhere, the doorway’s large, stone doors, as though of their own accord, slowly slid shut. The grating sound of stone sliding against stone did nothing but fill their hearts with dread as the reality finally made itself painfully clear. They were trapped, and there was no way that they were getting out.

As the mares fearfully huddled together, Solare merely sat down in front of them. “Now, if there will be no more interruptions, perhaps now you’d like to talk.”

Whatever elation Twilight initially felt was beginning to dwindle with each passing second as she followed Rainbow towards her friends. Yes, she was happy to finally see a friendly face, but she couldn’t ignore the fact that there were four other faces she had yet to see again. Until she finally saw them with her own eyes, worry would linger in her mind. Only when she dismissed those worries would that particular weight finally stop bearing down on her.

Of course, there was also the issue of Rainbow Dash herself. It had only been a few days since her accidental exposure to those odd candles, and the effects were already clear as day. Even ignoring the headaches and hallucinations, something about her was different. Scarily so. Though she had always known that Rainbow was rather hot-headed, to put it lightly, she couldn’t deny that there was something off about her.

During her battle with that hooded mare, Twilight knew for a fact that she saw Rainbow smiling. Not just one of confidence, but one of pleasure as well, as though she was enjoying the battle, savoring it. Twilight had no intentions of mentioning that back then, and didn't have intentions to do so any time soon, but it was just another worrying thought itching at the back of her mind.

It was odd. It’d be easy to assume that Twilight would feel safer knowing that Rainbow was being so protective and assertive. Even Twilight couldn’t deny that she should’ve felt at least a little bit calmer. But she didn’t, and Rainbow was the reason for that.

At first, she simply thought that Rainbow was caught up in the heat of the moment, that she was desperate to ensure a friend’s safety. Looking at her now, though, there was no denying it. Rainbow changed, and Twilight had trouble convincing herself that it wasn’t for the worst.

It was her eyes, her excited smirk at the promise of battle. Twilight didn’t know what happened to her, but Rainbow grew more violent. She wasn’t fighting just because she had to, but because she wanted to. Really wanted to. It was almost disturbing. She seemed to revel in the heat of battle. She seemed to love the fight, the thrill it brought, and the sense of victory she felt over her fallen opponent.

In fact, looking more closely, Rainbow’s appearance seemed to have changed in subtle, yet large ways, and that was ignoring her strange excitement. Her fur was ruffled, certain areas red with bruises. Her mane, instead of the controlled mess it usually was, was more unkempt than usual. Numerous errant locks dangled over her still smiling face, some matted to her forehead with sweat.

It would’ve been easy to brush all of that off as the consequences of running around a hot dungeon for Celestia-knows-how-long, battling hostile enemies, no less. After all, Twilight certainly knew that she wasn’t looking her absolute best either. It would’ve been easy to brush it all off, but it all just made Rainbow look so feral. So… dangerous.

Then there was that harness that she happened to ‘find’. The leather straps wrapping around her body fit her well. Almost too well. Like she was meant to wear it. And of course, Twilight couldn’t keep her eyes from drifting down to that black, leather sheath, not while she knew what it contained. Try as she might, she couldn’t convince herself that Rainbow wouldn’t use it. Though she knew that Rainbow posed no threat towards her, she couldn’t help but feel scared. Not of what Rainbow would do to her, but of what she’d do to others.

And then there was Celestia. The last thing that Twilight remembered about her were those chillingly cold eyes before she...

She harmed so many innocents, and those eyes didn’t show a single hint of care or emotion. If she was capable of doing such a thing without an ounce of remorse, then Twilight didn’t want to think of what else she could do. It wasn’t the same Celestia that she grew to know. It felt like all of the ones that she held dearest to her heart were changing in terrifying ways. Even herself.

Twilight couldn’t deny that she allowed dark thoughts of vengeance to make themselves clear in her mind. She couldn’t deny that she, at one point, wanted to act upon those thoughts. She couldn’t deny that she made at least one of those thoughts a reality. The anger, the sheer primal rage that she felt towards these ponies nearly overrode her sense of compassion. It made her do things that she never thought that she was capable of. It was what made her torture that stallion. It was what made her try to kill that hooded mare. She couldn’t deny it. Whatever was happening to Rainbow, whatever was happening to Celestia, it was happening to her as well, and she didn't know if there was anything that she could do to stop it.

“Hey, Twi!” Rainbow called, snapping the unicorn out of her thoughts. “You blacking out on me back there?”

Twilight quickly shook her head, focusing back on the present. “No. I-I’m fine,” she stammered out.

“Then you mind answering my question?”

All of zero seconds ticked by before Twilight’s eyes shot wide open in surprise. “Er, I… I, uh… Yes?” She desperately needed to choose better times to think to herself.

The unicorn’s hesitant answer earned her little more than a flat stare from Rainbow. “You didn’t hear me, did you?”

“Not a word.” She elicited a heavy, annoyed sigh from Rainbow, much to Twilight’s own annoyance. “Well, what was it?”

“How’d you even find this place? I mean, there’s, like, a million other places you could’ve looked. How’d you know this was it?”

“Oh, I… I, um…” Twilight had to admit, considering the circumstances, she wasn’t expecting such a question, especially from one of her friends. She thought back to Star Light. Twilight still didn’t know why she put so much trust into that pink unicorn—desperation, maybe—but she couldn’t deny the fact that she wouldn’t have found this dungeon without her. Still, that didn’t change the fact that their ‘relationship’ was hardly anything concrete. Star Light still had a lot of things to explain before Twilight could even entertain the thought of trusting her after today, and that was ignoring the fact that she broke into Rainbow’s home.

“Uh, Equestria to Twi,” Rainbow called again. “Don’t tell me I’m losing you again.”

Twilight’s attention snapped back to Rainbow, eyes still wide. “Oh, I-I had help,” she quickly answered.

Rainbow raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Help? From who? Celestia?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, it was somepony else. I don’t think you know her, though.”

Rainbow’s eyebrow had yet to lower. In fact, her suspicions only grew. “Try me,” she said.

A soft sigh left Twilight’s mouth. She figured she wouldn’t be able to dance around the question for long anyway. Best to answer and get it over with. “Star Light. Her name was Star Light.”

Rainbow’s mouth curled into a focused frown as she stared off into space, tapping a hoof to her chin as she threw the name about in her mind. “Star Light, huh? That’s weird.”

It was Twilight’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Weird? How?”

“That name. It actually sounds kinda—” Rainbow’s face contorted in pain as a quick, sharp ache shot through her skull. She stumbled to a stop, gritting her teeth in an effort to hold in her pained cries. It wasn’t the worst one that she had felt, but that didn’t keep her purple friend from rushing up to her side nonetheless.

“Rainbow, are you okay?” Twilight quickly asked, keeping a hoof on Rainbow’s side as support.

Thankfully, she was quick to recover, shaking the pain out of her head. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. It’s nothing. Okay, so this Star Light helped you find the place.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, that’s right.”

Rainbow rubbed her chin, still pondering on something that still seemed to bother her. “So… how did she know where to look?

Twilight felt the muscles in her body tense right up, her breath getting caught in her throat. “Um… beg your pardon?”

Rainbow looked dead into Twilight’s startled eyes as the pieces came together in her head. “It just seems weird, is all. This Star Light chick shouldn’t have had any more of a clue than you did about where this place was, not unless she was wrapped up in this somehow. So which is she? Is she involved in this or not?”

Twilight couldn’t believe it, but she was actually sweating, her heart pounding against her chest. She didn’t like thinking about any of her friends in a negative light, but she honestly didn’t expect such questions from Rainbow. If anything, she thought that she’d be lost in the moment, eager to save her friends. Twilight certainly was; she nearly forgot about Star Light herself.

In all honesty, though, it wasn’t so much that Twilight didn’t expect Rainbow to ask such questions, but rather she didn’t want her to ask such questions. With everything that had already transpired, with everything that Rainbow already had to deal with, Twilight didn’t want to add on to that pile. Knowing who Star Light was, knowing what she was a part of, Twilight knew that telling Rainbow wouldn’t have done any good.

Unfortunately, she underestimated just how observant Rainbow became, something that only became more apparent when the pegasus shot a glare towards Twilight, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, scrutinizing her.

“Twilight, you’re not hiding something from me, are you?” Rainbow asked, her gaze never letting up.

Twilight felt herself shrink under the pegasus’ gaze. She never thought that Rainbow was capable of such an intimidating glare. “Rainbow, I... I didn’t… Sh-she’s not…” What was she supposed to do? She couldn’t just lie and hope that things would resolve themselves. For one, the idea of lying in such a situation didn’t seem like the best of idea. Second, if Rainbow was able to catch on to Twilight’s hesitation just by looking at her face, then she’d no doubt be able to see through her lies as well.

Unfortunately, Rainbow’s patience didn’t seem to get any better. She merely shook her head as Twilight tried to stammer out some kind of answer. “Ugh, forget it. We don’t have time for this. Let’s just get outta here first.” She must’ve felt the immense relief oozing from Twilight’s very being because the second that the unicorn was about to release a sigh, Rainbow froze her in place with another intense glare. “But you are gonna answer me later, right?”

Twilight merely had trouble speaking before, but with Rainbow glaring at her like that, it nearly made it impossible for her to form a coherent thought. “Um, r-right,” she finally answered. She didn’t know why, but for the briefest of moments, it felt as though that was more of a threat than a request. She was quick to push that feeling to the back of her mind as the two continued down the corridor, but it was still there, scratching away.

The pair finally reached the cell that once contained their friends. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like much changed during their absence. The cell door was still wide open, that one guard was still enjoying his impromptu nap, and, of course, the distinct scent of perfume still lingered in the air. Their trail hadn’t gone cold just yet; hopefully, that wouldn’t change any time soon.

Their journey, however, came to a small halt when Twilight stopped to observe the scene. Though she gave a quick passing glance towards the cell door, her eyes quickly became fixed on the sleeping stallion at her hooves. She didn’t need to say a thing; the worry in her eyes as she stared down at the still pony was more than enough.

“Hey, Twi.” Twilight snapped back to reality, looking up at Rainbow. The pegasus wore a worried frown of her own as she looked at her friend. “You alright?” Rainbow’s eyes drifted down to the unconscious stallion. A small sheepish grin crept onto her face when she got an idea about what made Twilight so worried. “Oh, er, he was like that when I got here.”

Twilight hardly seemed to hear the excuse. She just sighed, slowly shaking her head. “No, it’s not that. It’s just… How did we end up here? How did this happen to us?”

Rainbow couldn’t deny that she wasn’t expecting such a question. She also couldn’t deny that it was a question that she didn’t have an answer to. All she could do was scratch her head as she tried to think of an answer that never came. “I… I’ve really got no idea,” she admitted. “These guys just came outta nowhere.”

“But why?” Twilight persisted. “Why us? Why now? These ponies, the Solar Eclipse, what are they trying to achieve here?”

Rainbow’s face only scrunched further in confusion. She had to admit, it wasn’t a question that she thought much of. She was more concerned with getting out of that place in one piece. However, that didn’t mean all was lost on her.

What’s their reason? she thought. It wasn’t long before something stood out to her. The words of that one stallion.

The only way to ensure that destruction doesn’t befall Equestria is to obtain the Apple ourselves.

Finally, the realization slammed into her. “They want the Apple,” she muttered.

Twilight just caught the end of that, perking right up at Celestia’s name. “What? But how would they—?”

“Look, I don’t know. We can worry about that after we find the others.”

Rainbow was right. As confused as she was, whatever questions they had could be answered once they were out of that death trap. The safety of her library or Celestia’s personal quarters would undoubtedly be a nice change of locale from the dungeon’s oppressive atmosphere. Wordlessly, Twilight nodded, agreeing with her friend.

“Doesn’t look like we’ll have to look too far either,” Rainbow added. “Check it out.” She pointed Twilight towards something on the wall.

Looking up at it, Twilight felt her heart both flutter and skip a beat. No, she didn’t care if that was technically impossible, her heart still did it. She couldn’t even try to tear her eyes away from the sight before her, it was that amazing. And the best part? It was such a simple thing.

A small, wooden exit sign.

It was placed directly in front of her friends’ cell. Even from inside of their cell, they still could’ve seen it through the small window. There was no way that they could’ve missed it. If they did manage to break out by themselves, then they undoubtedly followed the sign. They were headed towards the way out. They’d finally reach safety.

The relief that Twilight felt, unfortunately, was counteracted by an equal sense of dread. As long as they were down there, they were at risk of running into more of the Eclipse. Even if they managed to make it out of the dungeon, Hoofington had to be crawling with more of them. Considering what just one was able to do Twilight… She needed to find them quickly.

“Okay, Rainbow. Let’s go!” Twilight didn’t even bother waiting for an answer before she started down the dungeon corridor again. However, she quickly stopped when didn’t hear Rainbow’s hoofbeats behind her. Turning back around, she saw that Rainbow hadn’t budged an inch. Instead, she was still staring at that exit sign, her eyes analyzing it with a scrutinizing gaze. Needless to say, her sudden interest in a block of wood left Twilight reasonably confused. “Um, Rainbow? What’s wrong?”

Her words didn’t even seem to register to the pegasus. Rainbow still stood there, staring up at that sign. “That’s kinda… weird,” she muttered. Finally, she looked back down at Twilight. “Hey, come check this out.”

Despite her confusion, Twilight still listened and walked up to her friend. She looked back up at the sign as well. Aside from a few chips here and there, not much looked odd about it. It was just a well-polished sign, hardly anything strange about that. “What’s so weird about this?”

“You don’t see it?” Rainbow asked, not taking her eyes off of it. “I mean, just look at it!”

Twilight could only roll her eyes as she tried observing the sign more closely. “Yeah, it’s still a sign,” she said, hoping a bit of light-hearted banter would help lighten the mood.

Unfortunately, that only seemed to annoy the pegasus, if the hoof running down her face was any indicator. “Okay. Yes, it’s just a sign, but it’s not just a sign. It looks too new.”

Twilight still couldn’t see what Rainbow was getting at. “Too new? What do you mean by that?”

Rainbow motioned towards the rest of the dungeon, towards the musty, damp stone and the rough, uneven walls. “Just look at this place,” she said. “It doesn’t look like ponies have been here in, like, years! This part of the dungeon isn’t all spruced up like the ones from before. So, why does this sign look fresh outta the store?”

The slightest hints of worry crept onto Twilight’s face as she tried to understand what Rainbow was getting at. “What are you saying?”

“What I’m saying is that this sign was just put up. Looking so new down in a place like this, it can’t be more than a few days old. A week at tops.” Rainbow paused for a moment, tapping a hoof to her chin a she glared at the sign for a while longer. “Besides, it’s not even pointing in the right direction. I didn’t lose my bearings just yet. The way out is the other way. They’re not headed towards the exit. They’re going… somewhere else.”

Those niggling worries in Twilight’s mind only grew more and more apparent as she grew to understand exactly what Rainbow was saying. She didn’t want to believe it. She thought that Rainbow was just pulling her leg, but she knew, just from looking at her face, that she was dead serious. “So… so you’re saying that the others are—”

“Headed straight into a trap.”

Both Twilight and Rainbow whipped around, staring back down the corridor. Rainbow immediately took on a more combative while Twilight, meanwhile, merely shot up in surprise. Her ears twitched as they picked up a voice that she didn’t expect to hear so soon. Sure enough, the tell-tale sound of hoofbeats grew louder and closer until another robed figure appeared from the darkness.

Rainbow didn’t even entertain the idea of dropping her guard as she laid eyes on the newcomer. It was another mare, a pink unicorn with an off-white mane. There were a few key things that immediately jumped out at Rainbow, however.

Unlike the others, she didn’t conceal her face underneath her robes’ hood, instead allowing it to rest across her shoulders. Her eyes, her deep blue eyes, planted themselves firmly on the two, but they were different as well. They weren’t cold or emotionless, nor did they display the slightest hint of condescending smugness like that annoying, chatty stallion. There was even something of a smile on her face, not an annoying smirk, but one of relief, if Rainbow could convince herself to believe it.

However, what stood out to Rainbow the most was the unicorn’s garb. Just like the Eclipse members she ran into, the mare was clad in robes, but the similarities ended there. Unlike the dark, intimidating colors of the eclipse, the mare’s robes were white. Yes, there was a splotch of dirt here and there, but that didn’t change the fact that it was a stark contrast to what Rainbow had been seeing before.

“Those robes,” Rainbow muttered, the smallest hint of shock finding its way into her voice. She was by no means ready to welcome the mare with open hooves just yet. In fact, she didn’t let down her guard at all. Her eyes, burning with animosity, threatened to bore a hole into the unicorn as she walked towards them.

The instant that she noticed Rainbow’s standoffish behavior, the pink mare slowed to a stop. Even with the distance between the them, the tension lingering in the air was almost palpable.

“Who the hay are you?” Rainbow demanded.

Twilight took a tentative step towards the pink mare. “Star Light? What are you doing here? I-I thought you were—”

Rainbow’s ears immediately twitched at the name. “Wait,” she cut in. “Star Light? You’re the one who helped Twilight?”

“Yes, that’s right.” The pink unicorn made a quick bow of her head. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Rainbow.” Rainbow didn’t know if it was simply a polite gesture or if it was just to annoy her some more. Somehow, she wouldn’t have been surprised if it was both.

However, something that Star Light said caught Rainbow’s attention. “Hang on. You know my name?”

A short laugh left Star’s muzzle. “Of course. Twilight wouldn’t stop going on about having to find you. Besides, once you have the name ‘Rainbow Dash’ stuck in your mind, it isn’t exactly difficult to connect it to the right face. No offence, of course.”

Her attempts at light-hearted banter did little to calm Rainbow’s nerves. Her being offended was the least of all their problems. “Listen, pal. How about you cut to the chase and tell me who the hay you are.”

“I can tell you what I’m not, and that is the enemy,” Star Light said. Her eyes slowly drifted over towards Twilight. “I believe Twilight can attest to that.”

Star’s words only seemed to throw more and more fuel onto the flame that was Rainbow’s anger. She took a single step towards the pink unicorn, threatening to attack at any moment’s notice. Her eyes glanced back towards Twilight. “Is that true?” she asked.

Thrown back into the spotlight, Twilight simply nodded. “Yes. A member of the Eclipse captured me. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.” Twilight looked over at the pink unicorn. That smirk of hers disappeared, replaced with a flat, stoic gaze. It seemed that even that erratic mare knew when things became serious. “Granted, she is a bit… questionable—” The smallest of grins cracked onto Star’s face. “—but she hasn’t shown any hostility towards me. In fact, she seems to be just as eager to save you as I am.”

“Me?” Rainbow’s glare shot back towards Star Light. “And why’s that?” she demanded.

“I am certain that you both have an entire checklist of questions that you want to ask,” she began, “but with time being a commodity we ran out of long ago, I ask that you save them for later.” She started towards the two mares, but as soon as she took that first step, Rainbow readied to pounce. Before she could, though, she felt a hoof on her shoulder. Looking back, she saw Twilight staring back at her, slowly shaking her head.

“Do you have any idea what she is?” Rainbow hissed. “She’s an—”

“An Assassin. Yes, I know.”

“And you’re just gonna let her help us? Just like that?”

“It’s okay, Rainbow. As long as we keep a close eye on her, we should be fine.”

Rainbow wasn’t ready to buy it just yet. Still, as the pink unicorn passed them by, she couldn’t help but loosen up. “Fine. But the second she does something funny, I’m taking her out.” She could clearly see the discomfort on Twilight’s face as she said that, but the unicorn nodded nonetheless.

“Let’s get a move on. You two can plan my untimely demise later,” Star said. “The Solar Eclipse can be a nasty bunch and I doubt that your friends want to find that out the hard way.”

Twilight’s head snapped up as she looked back at Star. “Wait, you’re helping us find our friends, too?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Princess’ orders.”

Twilight’s head threatened to pop right off of her shoulders as it shot up again. She had nearly forgotten what Star Light set out to do before they split up. “C-Celestia? Wait, h-how is she?”

“Questions will have to wait,” Star answered.

“But can you at least—?”

“Questions will have to wait.”

Suffice to say, Twilight was not in the mood for pointless back-and-forth “Just tell me!”

“Questions will have to—” Star stopped in her tracks as she brought a contemplative hoof up to her chin. “Hmm. Actually, that last one wasn’t a question. Very well.” Star took in a deep, long breath. “She’s fine,” she quickly said.

Twilight’s eyes went wide with surprise. She might’ve believed what she had just heard if it didn’t go by so quickly. “What? R-Really?”

“That’s right. So, if this place does come crashing down around us, we’ll know that it wasn’t Celestia’s fault,” Star said. “I must admit, the entire ordeal went far more smoothly than I expected.”

“How badly did you expect things to go?” Twilight asked.

Star opened her mouth to answer, but the words caught in her throat as she felt phantom pains from her ‘talk’ with Celestia rear their ugly heads. “Well… I’m not dead,” Star finally said. “I suppose there's that.”

Twilight felt her own breath hitch in her throat. “Oh. I… see.”

“Hey!” Rainbow called, recapturing the two mares’ attention. She still wore an annoyed scowl as she looked back at them, one that only grew in intensity as she laid eyes on Star Light. “How about we save the chit-chat for when we get outta here, huh? In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve still gotta find the others.”

Twilight nearly didn’t notice the annoyed frown that cracked onto her face. It was like Rainbow was accusing her of not caring about the rest of her friends. “I haven’t forgotten, Rainbow, but we still have to be careful. We don’t know how many more of the Eclipse are still down here.”

Star Light nodded in agreement. “She’s right. We can’t afford to let down our guard. Now that you’re all wandering freely, they’ll no doubt do all they can to recapture you.”

While Rainbow merely huffed before looking back ahead, Twilight still had a few questions. “Do you know what we can expect?” she asked.

“Fairly standard affairs,” Star said. “Larger numbers, higher ranking enemies…”

“What about enchantments?” Twilight cut in. “Rainbow and I just finished fighting an Eclipse member that was fast. Really fast. I know she had some kind of magical enchantment.”

“And you’d be correct. Yes, there will be a few members toting magical gems that grant them special abilities. Those will likely be the most troublesome.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide with interest. “Oh, so it was an enchanted gem? Then one of us should go and get the one that she had so we can—”

Star cut Twilight off with a quick wave of her hoof. “Don’t bother. It’d be a waste of time.”

“What? Why’s that?”

“I smashed it.”

Within the span of a few seconds, Twilight’s face went through a multitude of shocked, confused, and angry expressions as she registered the absurdity that she just heard. “Y-you what?! Why would you do that?”

Star merely chuckled at her companion’s irritation. “Oh, don’t be like that. This is for the best. Perhaps you didn’t notice as you were too busy not dying, but those gems give off a gross amount of energy. During combat, yes, they’re useful, but outside of it, they'll turn us into walking beacons. The Eclipse are comprised of mostly unicorns; they’d sense us coming from a mile away. Not favorable if you want to remain undetected.”

There was still a very clear sense of annoyance in Twilight’s eyes, but she supposed Star did have enough of a point. It wouldn’t do them much good if they gave their position away to the enemy so quickly, especially while they were dealing with what was essentially a hostage situation. A shame. She really wanted to get her hooves on one of those, if only so that she could get an edge in combat that both Star and Rainbow apparently had. Maybe if she plucked one up during another fight...

Rainbow, meanwhile, listening to Star Light talk, only snorted. “You sure know a lot about how these guys work, huh?”

Star held in an amused chuckle. She noticed that accusing tone behind Rainbow’s voice, and from her worried frown, Twilight did as well. “I do actually,” she said. “With as long as the Assassins and Solar Eclipse have been going at it, we’ve had ample time to study the enemy.”

“Then you know why they’re doing this?” Twilight asked. “They must want something other than to provoke Celestia. It’s too… elaborate for something so simple.”

“And you’d be right to suspect so. I didn’t elaborate on this before, but the Eclipse’s plan is twofold. They don’t simply wish to get under her skin. They want her to snap in a way that makes her do something that will completely destabilize her otherwise benign rule over Equestria. But that’s only half of it. When she does finally snap, they want to have the means to overpower her.”

“The Apple?” Twilight guessed.

Surprisingly, Star Light shook her head. “No. Something stronger. The Elements of Harmony.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide with shock. Even Rainbow Dash, despite her efforts to ignore Star’s ramblings, perked her ears at the remark.

When neither spoke, Star Light continued. “That’s why they have such an invested interest in you and your friends. If they can gain your cooperation, then they’ll be one step closer to their final goal.”

“B-but the Elements of Harmony wouldn’t work on Celestia,” Twilight pointed out. “They only affect things that are… disharmonious, the exact opposite of Celestia!”

Unfortunately, that argument didn’t seem to change Star’s somber disposition. “Change enough of it, and even the most harmonious of melodies can devolve into a cacophony of disharmony. This is their plan, and as you both saw, it’s beginning to have its effect.”

A heavy pause weighed down on the three mares as they continued down the corridor, their hoofbeats the only thing keeping it from falling into total silence.

Again, when neither Twilight nor Rainbow made an effort to speak, Star Light continued, this time with something of a smile on her face. “But on the bright side, this means that your friends are in no danger of dying, so we have that much.”

“Yeah, break out the confetti,” Rainbow muttered. In all honesty, she was hoping that the mention of that particular item would make Pinkie burst out of the walls or whatever it was Pinkie did when she came out of nowhere. Unfortunately, that was mere wishful thinking. “Even if they aren’t gonna die, if we don’t find them soon, how long’s it gonna be before see them again?”

“Rainbow, we are going to find them,” Twilight said reassuringly. “Don’t worry.”

It didn’t take long before the three mares finally reached a pair of large, stone doors. Rarity’s perfume led them straight to it, and by this point, it was so potent that they could practically taste it. There was no mistaking it; their friends were right behind that door. They had to be.

Rainbow wasted no time before rushing up to the stone barricades, pushing against them with all of her might. “Come on… you stupid… door!” she strained through clenched teeth. Yet no matter how hard she tried, the doors refused to budge a single inch.

Twilight, on the other end, skidded to a halt, staring up at the unmoving doors with wonder plain in her eyes. “What’s through here?” she asked, looking back at Star Light.

The pink unicorn slowed to a stop behind Twilight, looking up at the doors with her own scrutinizing gaze. A hoof rubbed against her chin as she bounced the question around in her mind. “Hmm… Ritual chamber,” she finally said.

Her answer went by so quickly that Twilight nearly missed it. Somehow, she suspected that that was going to be a persistent, annoying problem. “Huh? Wait, what? Ritual chamber? For what?”

Star Light tapped a contemplative hoof to her forehead. “Well… for rituals, one would imagine. As for what kinds? Well, little details like that didn’t really make it into the history books. It could’ve been used for sacrificial rituals, spiritual rituals, rites of passage, coming of age ceremonies, birthday parties, the list goes on and on. But that’s not important. What is important is the door itself.”

Twilight could only raise an interested eyebrow at the statement. “The door itself?” she repeated, looking back up at the object in question. Yes, its size was certainly impressive, but there was little more to it than that. She could make out some decorations etched into the stone, eroded away throughout the centuries, but even then, they were just purely aesthetic. Obviously, something must’ve been staring her right in the face, but she just couldn’t see what that something was.

“Doors this large can’t simply be pushed open, as Rainbow has been so kind to demonstrate,” Star said, motioning towards the pegasus as she continued with her failing efforts to crack open the door.

“Shut… up.”

Looking back at the doors, Twilight could see Star's point. Doors of that size had to weigh well over a ton. In fact, they served as rather excellent defensive barricades when magical barriers weren’t available. “What are you trying to say?” she asked.

“Doors of this size were normally opened with the use of some type of mechanism. Now, if your friends did come down this way, that really only leaves us with one scenario. Whether the door was open or not when they found it doesn’t matter. What matters is that somepony closed the door behind them when they did step inside.”

“Then we need to hurry,” Twilight quickly said. “Where’s the mechanism?”

“Well… inside the chamber.”

“Okay.” It took her a few seconds, but Twilight finally managed to properly register what she just heard, as well as the awkward position it placed them in. “Wait, you mean it’s in there? As in, behind this door?”

“Yes.”

“The same door that can’t be opened without the mechanism?”

“To keep out uninvited guests.”

“Like us.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, what do we do then? We can’t just wait for it to open for us.”

“And we won’t. This isn’t necessarily an impenetrable fortress that we’ve encountered. There must be some other way inside. Give me a moment.”

As Star Light proceeded to scan the surrounding area for anything that might help them, Twilight switched her attention towards Rainbow Dash. She had already ceased her attempts to open the door herself, though she left her hooves planted on the unmoving concrete.

As Twilight approached her, she could tell that something was different about her. Rainbow was panting, her breaths long and shaky as she hung her head low in what was undeniably defeat. It seemed as though the gravity of the situation finally managed to crack Rainbow’s thick shell of bravado.

Reaching her, Twilight placed a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulders. She didn’t visibly react to the gesture, but Twilight did notice that her breathing had calmed down. “Rainbow, it’s going to be okay,” she said. She didn’t want to think on it too much, but she found herself believing those words less and less as time went on. Even if they did make it out of there, it was only a matter of time before something similar happened again. It was clear that the Eclipse had interest in them; simply escaping today didn’t mean that they’d escape for good.

Even then, this was all undoubtedly going to affect all of them in major ways. Twilight herself felt the mental scars forming in her mind during the time she spent down there; Rainbow was already fighting a mental battle before all of this, so this must’ve only made things worse. And that was to say nothing of her friends. In fact, the only pony who didn’t seem at all bothered by any of this was the pink mare behind her, and that could only demonstrate what kind of things she was already used to.

“I’m sorry…”

Twilight’s ears perked at the utterance. She looked back down at Rainbow, her eyes widening as she saw tears trailing down the pegasus’ cheeks. “Rainbow, don't worry. It's going to be—”

“This is my fault. All my fault.”

Twilight grabbed Rainbow by the shoulders, forcing her eyes to meet her own. They were too close to lose hope now, no matter how bleak things may have seemed. As Twilight stared into Rainbow’s eyes, however, she felt that lingering sense of dread build back up in her gut. Rainbow’s eyes weren’t… right. They were lifeless, dull, devoid of light. There was none of that fire that she had literally moments before. She wasn’t even looking directly at Twilight; her eyes, half-lidded, stared off into some endless void of space.

This wasn’t good, far from it, and Twilight had never seen it happen before. She hadn’t the slightest clue what to do to fix it, even if there was a way to fix it. “Rainbow,” she called. “R-Rainbow, look at me! None of this is your fault, do you hear me? Don’t talk like that.”

Her words didn’t seem to even register. That dead look in Rainbow’s eyes didn’t change in the slightest. “I… I was supposed to protect them.”

Twilight felt her own eyes begin to water up as she made another attempt at bringing Rainbow back to reality, hoping that her own passion would somehow rub off onto Rainbow. “You will protect them. We both will! You’re doing it right now, just… just don’t give up! Please!”

Twilight’s attempts at calming Rainbow may not have reached the pegasus’ ears, but they certainly reached Star Light’s. She broke away from her search and brought her gaze down to the two mares. A pang of panic shot through her heart as soon as she laid eyes on Rainbow’s dead eyes. “No, no, no. Not now.”

Twilight, eyes wide with hopeless confusion, looked up at Star Light. “What’s happening to her?”

Star abandoned her search and rushed up to Rainbow’s side, her eyes just as panicked as Twilight’s. “She’s relapsing. She’s losing control of herself.”

Twilight felt the breath completely leave her as though the words punched her square in the chest. “What? No, no, no! Rainbow, you’re fine! Everything’s fine!”

Again, Twilight’s words seemed to have no effect. “They’re gone… because of me.”

“N-no! They’re fine!” Twilight, having long since grown desperate, looked up at Star Light. “Please, help me. What do I do? What am I supposed to do?”

In the midst of the panic, Star’s mind nearly went blank itself. “Um, er, R-Rainbow’s memories are… they’re being overpowered by Shadow Streak’s. You need… you need to help Rainbow fight back by invoking her own memories. Preferably pleasant ones.”

Though the panic was still clear in her eyes, Twilight tried to remain calm in the face of this new plan. “Okay. I can… I can do that.”

Turning back towards Rainbow, she searched her mind for any of the countless good times that she and Rainbow shared together. Unfortunately, at the worst possible time, her mind drew only blanks. There were just so many things for her to choose from, and combined with the panic racing through her mind, it made her mentally freeze up. She just didn’t know where to start. So, she decided to start at the beginning.

“Um, h-hey, Rainbow. I hope you can hear me. I’d hate for you to miss out on all the crazy stories I have to share.” Twilight tried to put on a convincing smile, but being faced with Rainbow’s own lifeless expression made that far harder than she imagined. Still, she needed to push on. “You remember when we first met, right? How you got me covered in mud after one of your crashes? I guess things began as they meant to go on, huh? O-or the night at the Gala? That was definitely something for the history books, wasn’t it?”

As Twilight rattled off any stories that she could think of, Rainbow’s face remained completely unmoved. The further Twilight went on, the more shaky her voice became. Tears started down her face as she recounted the numerous adventures that she and Rainbow went on with the others, all of the fun times they had together. Even the moments that Twilight found annoying at the time, if only because Rainbow found them absolutely hilarious. They were all moments that only served to strengthen their friendship. Moments that they were going to relive. This was not going to break them. Twilight wouldn’t allow it. She couldn’t let Rainbow down like that.

“Rainbow, please wake up!”

Where the hay am I?

Rainbow wasn’t sure how long she’d been out—it could’ve been a couple of minutes or a couple of hours for all she knew—but when she finally came to, she hadn’t the slightest idea where she was. If she had to guess, she'd say that was out for a few hours at the very least because when she finally did wake up, she knew right away that she wasn’t in the dungeon anymore.

A bedroom. She was in somepony’s bedroom. It definitely wasn’t hers, being on the ground, but from the layout, it wasn’t any bedroom that she’s ever seen before. Rainbow sat up, stretching out the kinks in her back as she gave the room a quick look over.

There honestly wasn’t much going on for it. A few bookshelves lined the walls off to her right, though they paled terribly in comparison to Twilight’s personal collection. The polished hardwood floor glistened in the sunlight shining through the window. There were a few dressers, no doubt filled with clothes of varying kinds, and right next to Rainbow’s bed was a nightstand topped with an unlit candelabra. Whoever lived here obviously didn’t use it terribly much. Even Rainbow’s room had more personality, and she rarely ever spent time in there, even for sleep. Still, it was a definite improvement over the dungeon.

Not even a split-second passed before panic struck Rainbow’s heart.

The others. She still needed to find the others! Not just that, but she lost Twilight again. But how was she supposed to find them now? She had no idea how she even ended up in that bedroom, let alone where her friends were supposed to be. She must’ve been unconscious for hours. Anything could’ve happened during that time. Anything. Even…

No! No, they’re… they’re fine, Rainbow told herself. It wasn’t a completely hopeless belief. If somepony dragged her out of that dungeon, then surely the same could’ve been said for her friends. After all, they were practically right next to each other. There was only a door separating them. A large, impenetrable, unmoving—

They’re fine!

Rainbow shook her head, getting her mind back under control. She couldn’t stay there. She didn’t care how out of it she was, she wasn’t going to rest until she knew that her friends were okay. She needed to find whoever lived in this house. If they brought her here, then they must’ve known where the others were. She’d worry about why they saved her later.

Rainbow tossed the covers off of her and hopped out of the bed. The floorboards creaked under her weight as she landed with a loud clop. If anypony was nearby, they’d undoubtedly have heard that. Rainbow didn’t care. She wanted to find them.

As she neared the door, however, her ears picked up movement coming from beneath her. It sounded like somepony was moving around the floor directly below her. She could even make out the clanking of pots and pans.

“Shadow, my darling, supper is almost ready!” a mare called.

The sentence nearly made it past Rainbow unnoticed, but ‘nearly’ wasn’t enough. Her entire body locked up, her face frozen in shock and disbelief as that name rang in her mind, refusing to go away. She didn’t care how crazy she was, that just wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be. No, she was just jumping to conclusions, that was all. It was a common enough name even in modern times. There must’ve been other ponies in the house besides her, that was all. Rainbow couldn’t let some ghost from the distant past spook her now; she needed to talk to that mare.

Slowly, Rainbow pushed the door open. It swung open with an unnerving creak as it let out into a hallway. A narrow strip of carpeting traced down that hall from end to end, giving the hardwood a bit of color. The material itself felt soft under Rainbow’s hooves as it dulled her hoofbeats, almost reminiscent of a cloud. It was almost calming. Almost.

It didn’t take long before she found the stairs leading to the ground floor, though she had to pass by quite a few interesting decorations before she reached them. Rainbow honestly didn’t want to be nosy, but her curiosity got the better of her as she made her way down the hall. Small desks topped with various knick-knacks lined the walls, but that wasn’t what caught Rainbow’s attention. Her eyes were drawn to the walls themselves, or rather, what was on the walls.

Framed paintings of various ponies decorated the otherwise barren, white wall. Some were of a proud navy blue stallion with an accompanying black mane. Others were of a modest white, brown-maned mare. They were normal enough, Rainbow supposed. She knew plenty of ponies who got paintings done of themselves, so it was nothing unusual. Despite that, there was one painting that made Rainbow stop dead in her tracks, that same sense of shock striking back twofold.

After the painting of the stallion, after the painting of the mare, there was a third, larger one that showed the pair standing in a lush garden. Clearly a couple. Likely married, even. However, there was a third pony with them. A young, bubbly filly right in between the two. Charcoal grey, with a black mane donning a single white streak right down the middle.

Rainbow was floored. Her hind legs, suddenly shaking, buckled under her weight, sending her down on her haunches. This didn’t make any sense. This couldn’t possibly be happening. How could it? She was still Rainbow Dash. She wasn’t anywhere near a candlestick. There should’ve been no way for her to end up… there!

“Shadow, honey, are you coming? Your food will get cold.”

Rainbow eyes snapped back onto the stairs leading to the first floor. She didn’t know who that was, and she didn’t care. Part of her—most of her, rather—wanted to shout down the stairs that she was nowhere close to being that infernal mare, but somehow, she felt that that wouldn’t have done anything. This wasn’t a prank, not some sick joke. It was too real. But it couldn’t have been real. It just wasn’t possible. Was it?

Almost of their own accord, Rainbow’s legs, step by step, took her down the stairs. She was too shocked, too dumbfounded, to form words. She just needed to see this for herself.

The stairs led down into what she could’ve only assumed was the living room. Plush, leather furniture rested cozily in front of an unlit fireplace. A rather expensive-looking chandelier hung overhead, its light aiding the evening sun in filling the place with a warm light. Whoever these ponies were, they were certainly well off, that much was clear. There was a pleasant scent in the air as well. One of a well-cooked meal. Steamed veggies from the smell of it.

The smell only grew more potent as Rainbow ventured further into the living room, but she didn’t show much in the way of reaction. Not even the smallest of grins at the prospect of food after spending hours in that blasted dungeon. Her legs just continued carrying her through the living room until she passed through another doorway leading into the dining room.

There, she saw them.

A white mare, the same one from the painting, hummed a happy tune to herself as she finished pouring vegetable soup into the third of a trio of bowls. Already sat at the table was that same blue stallion as well. As soon as Rainbow entered the room, both of them looked right up at her, beaming all the while.

“Ah, back from the dead are we?” the stallion teasingly asked. “Spend more time in that bed of yours and you're certain to meld into it.”

His teasing earned him a light prod from the mare. “Oh, leave the poor girl alone. She’s had a very busy day, unlike some of us.” As the stallion rolled his eyes, she turned her attention towards Rainbow. “The Rake family sends their regards, Shadow. ‘Not a faster courier this side of Hoofington,’ they said. Honestly, I don’t know how you do it, either. The streets are usually crowded at that time of day.”

“Now who said that you need to use the streets?” the stallion murmured, chuckling. “‘Like father, like daughter,’ they always say.”

Nonsense. All of their words were just nonsense to Rainbow. If this was some elaborate prank, then congratulations to them, but they were still wasting her time. She wanted to interrogate them right then and there, but the words refused to come. It was as though her very mind was fighting against her, refusing to let her take control. Only through immense amounts of willpower did she even muster up enough strength to open her mouth.

The words came out slowly, forcibly, and quietly. “Wh-who… Who are—?”

She couldn’t even get the first of her questions out before another searing pain shot through her skull. A pained shout escaped Rainbow’s muzzle as she keeled over, clutching at her head in a vain attempt to quell the immense ache. She clutched her eyes shut, tears streaking down her cheeks as though they were being choked right out of her head. Out of all of them, it was by far the worse. Its intensity never waned, the ringing in her ears never ceased. It felt like her head was placed in a vise and ready to explode at any second. Strange imagery flashed behind her closed eyelids, places and ponies that she shouldn’t have recognized, but for some sick reason, did.

All the while, the two ponies never so much as batted an eyelash at the display before them.

The pain, ringing, and images had to have persisted for well over a minute, far longer than any of her previous episodes. Even after it finally went away, Rainbow felt drained, unable to even find the strength to get back up. Again, it was her own body that took the initiative, and forced itself up seemingly of its own accord.

Rainbow was only vaguely aware of her actions. She couldn’t even muster up the energy to be shocked or confused anymore. Her eyes, dull and lifeless, looked back up into the cheery faces of the ponies before her. Slowly, her mouth twisted up into what could’ve loosely been called a smile as she took a whiff of the aroma lingering in the air.

“Dinner smells delicious,” she said. “Just give me a moment to wash up.”

The mare nodded. “Of course, dear. We’ll wait for you.”

“Don’t keep too long, though, or I may eat your food for you,” the stallion chuckled, earning another swift punch from his partner.

Slowly, groggily, Rainbow turned and walked back out of the dining room. She wasn’t even paying attention to where she walked; all she knew was that she soon ended up in the washroom.

After kicking the door shut, she turned on the faucet in the nearby bathtub, filling a small wooden bucket with water. It was all mechanical, all done of her body’s own accord. Rainbow was hardly even there anymore, as though she were just a spectator along for the ride.

Rainbow, please wake up!

Rainbow’s eyes widened ever so slightly as the voice pierced her mind. It stung, but not enough to put her in any serious pain. In fact, it was just enough to wake her from her trance. It was a voice that she recognized. One that she knew. One that she welcomed and loved.

I-it’s me! Twilight! You know, Captain Egghead? Queen of the Books? The Walking Encyclopedia? You gave me these nicknames, remember?

“Twi… light? T-Twilight?”

For a single, fleeting moment, Rainbow came back to her senses, and came back with a bang. It was as though she was tossed back into her physical being, the breath getting knocked right out of her chest. She darted her eyes back and forth, trying to regain her bearings as she caught her breath. She had no idea if she was sweating, but it definitely felt like it.

“Twilight!” she called. “Where are you? I-I’m here, just talk to me!” But the voice didn’t come back.

It was getting hot. Really hot. She didn’t know if it was a panic attack or something else, but she was having trouble breathing. She didn’t where she was. She didn’t know where her friends were. She didn’t know who those ponies were. She just… didn’t know.

“Water,” she muttered. “I-I need water. I need to calm down.”

Rainbow’s eyes fixed themselves on the nearby bucket of water. Without wasting any time, she darted over to it and splashed splash after splash onto her face. The effect was immediate and pleasant. She felt her body immediately cool as the cold water hit her face. Her breathing almost got under control of its own will, not that she was complaining about that. That was all she needed. She just needed to get a grip. She just had to keep that in mind. No matter how bad things looks, panicking wasn’t going to get her anywhere.

As she finally settled back down, she looked into the bucket, down at her own reflection. She had no hope of containing her panicked screams.

Rainbow staggered away from the bucket, knocking it over in the process. She fell onto her haunches before crawling away until her back squished up against the far corner of the bathroom. She wasn’t going crazy, but she knew what she saw. When she looked into that bucket, she didn’t see her reflection. No, instead she saw a pair of green eyes staring out from the black face of a mare that she’d grown to despise.

Calm. She needed to stay calm. It was just those candles playing tricks on her, that was all. It didn’t matter what happened, she was still Rainbow Dash, that awesome pegasus that everypony had grown to either love or envy. As though looking for confirmation, she looked down at her hooves, down at those cyan hooves that she’d long since grown to recognize.

She didn’t find that confirmation.

Rainbow didn’t even have the breath the scream. All that came out were stunned croaks as she stared down at the grey hooves before her.

“What’s happening to me?” she muttered. She quickly shook her head, finding that last burst of strength that she needed to get through this. “No! I’m still Rainbow Dash! I… I don’t care what I look like, I know who I am!”

Rainbow clamped her eyes shut as she rubbed her temples, another headache threatening to attack her. It didn’t matter what happened, she knew who she was. No matter what happened, she’d still be Rainbow Dash. Nothing would change that.

“I’m Rainbow Dash. I’m Rainbow Dash. I’m Rainbow Dash.” She kept repeating that to herself. She kept holding on. But even though she didn’t want to admit it, let alone accept it, something was happening. Something was happening to her thoughts. Her memories. Something… bad.

“My name is Rainbow Dash,” she said. “I… I live in Ponyville. My friends are Twilight, Applejack, Reso—R-Rarity, Pinkie, a-and Butter—Fluttershy!”

Her memories, the things that she truly held dear, the things that molded her into who she was, were beginning to wane. Being replaced.

“My… my name is Rainbow… Rainbow Dash. I live in Hoofi—P-Ponyville! My friends… my friends are… R-Resona and… Butter… fly, and…”

Try as she might, she was losing her grip. Slowly, things became impossibly difficult to remember, her greatest accomplishments fading into the darkest recesses of her mind. She was losing herself.

“I… I live in… Hoofington. My name… m-my name is… Sha… Sh-Shad—”

Rainbow Dash!

Author's Note

To all of the people that I've kept waiting: I'M SORRY! I'm so, so sorry!

I don't know what the hell happened. I just hit a massive case of writer's block that stayed with me since f :yay: cking November. Then, a couple of days ago, it just went away. Just like that. I just woke up and cranked out over 10,000 words within a few goddamn hours after going six months without being able to write a single thing, 'cause that makes sense. Seriously, f :yay: ck writer's block. I swear, I'm never gonna have a full-proof way of making sure that this nonsense doesn't keep happening.

Anyway! Expect the clusterf :yay: ck in Hoofington to come to its thrilling conclusion in the next chapter. Hopefully it won't take another half a year to get it out. Fingers crossed!

22: A Last-Ditch Effort

Rainbow’s eyes snapped back open as she was yanked back into reality. Her nostrils immediately filled with that familiar, dank scent of the dungeon while her eyes caught sight of that familiar, gray stone. So her suspicions were right. Whatever that was before was just some weird… dream, she supposed, but it all felt too real for it be ‘just a dream’. She may have been awake, but something didn’t feel right. Actually, perhaps it wasn’t that it ‘didn’t feel right’, it simply felt… different, but it was something intangible that Rainbow couldn’t place her hoof on; the subtlest of changes, but also the most significant.

“Rainbow!”

She didn’t have more than a few seconds to ponder on that, however, before she felt a pair of lavender hooves wrap around her neck. Before she knew it, she and Twilight were cheek to cheek in a tight hug.

“Oh, my goodness. Are you okay?”

Rainbow was still a bit out of it, but she had enough of her senses to return the gesture, tiredly resting a hoof around Twilight’s neck as she chuckled. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You… you just started talking to yourself out of nowhere. I almost thought I lost you.”

Rainbow could hear the shakiness lingering in Twilight’s voice. She felt wetness on her cheek from where tears soaked into her coat. “Well, I’m still here, okay? That won’t change any time soon.” She tapped Twilight twice, signaling her to break the hug. “Now, come on. We still need to save the others.”

Twilight complied and backed away, albeit reluctantly. “Right. You’re right.”

“Of course I am.”

Twilight couldn’t help but raise a curious eyebrow at that, but she didn’t dwell on it. There were far more pressing matters to worry about. She switched her attention over to Star Light, who had been quietly standing by ever since Rainbow woke back up. “Do you have any ideas, Star?”

Star Light didn’t immediately respond, keeping her eyes fixated on Rainbow as the pegasus shook the rest of her senses back into her head. That relief, that smile on her face, was gone, replaced by a studious, scrutinizing gaze. It was as though she was studying her, like there was something about Rainbow that she was trying to find.

“Star Light,” Twilight called again.

“There’s a hole near the top of the doors,” Star Light finally said, not breaking away from Rainbow for even a second. “It’s large enough to slip through. That would be the best way into the chamber.”

“And you want to send me through that hole so that I can open it up from the other side,” Rainbow assumed.

Star Light narrowed her eyes, her gaze growing ever more suspicious. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”

As sound a plan as that seemed, Twilight felt like she just missed something that the two others caught onto. “Hold on,” she said. “Why send Rainbow? Can’t you go instead?”

After taking a few more seconds to give Rainbow another look over, Star Light finally switched her attention over to Twilight. “It’s true that I could just teleport up to the hole myself and get through that way, but—”

“But that’d make too much noise,” Rainbow cut in, finishing Star’s explanation for her. She didn’t even bother acknowledging the unicorn’s gaze as she continued. “The same goes for you, Twilight. Teleporting would give us away too quickly. But I can fly up to that hole. Silently. I just need to get in there and open up the door, and I’m our best bet at getting it done quietly, okay?” As Twilight nodded, the plan apparently clicking in her head, Rainbow turned her gaze towards Star Light. “I’m right, right?”

For a moment, neither mare spoke a single word, instead locking eyes, neither faltering for a second. To anypony looking from outside, it’d look like they were sizing each other up, as though they were both waiting for the other to slip up, even for an instant. Finally, Star broke the silence. “Again, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”

Rainbow didn’t immediately respond, instead taking the time to glance up at the hole in question. Surely enough, she spotted a hole off to the side of the doors, just large enough for her to slip through without much fuss. It didn’t look like it was made forcibly, either. Just another portion of crumbling wall thanks to the place’s shoddy condition. It seemed simple enough.

Finally, she looked back down at Star, her face still flat and unmoved. “Consider it done.” Without another word, Rainbow turned towards the hole, wings ready to fly her up there. There wasn’t a hint of hesitation behind her actions. Not a hint of doubt or fear or apprehension. There wasn’t even anger, not anymore. Rainbow was just going through the motions needed to get the task done.

“Wait. Are you sure about this?” Twilight asked.

“Just be ready to move when the doors open. The others’ll need your help more than I will, so that’ll be what you do. Don’t put yourself in any unnecessary danger, got it?” Rainbow looked back towards Star, their eyes locking once again. “As for you… Well, I don’t really care what happens to you.” She didn’t even bother waiting for a response—not that Star Light gave her one—before she flew up to the hole with a single quiet flap.

Within mere seconds, she found firm ground inside the hole, enough to hold herself up. From there, she had the perfect vantage point to scope out the entirety of the chamber. There, in the chamber’s center, were them. Rainbow’s friends. And they were surrounded by more Eclipse, including that blue stallion.

After everything that she’d been through, after everything that the Eclipse put her through, Rainbow should’ve felt angry. She should’ve felt furious. The sense of urgency was there, yes, but nothing beyond that. She remembered wanting to kill everything that she saw, that indescribable rage flaring up inside of her, simply due to the possibility that they harmed her friends. Now here she was, clearly seeing her friends in imminent danger, and… nothing. Well, not necessarily nothing. The anger was there, but it was… more subdued, she supposed. She was in control.

Focusing back on the task at hoof, she scanned the chamber for that mechanism Star Light kept going on about. At first, she could see little outside of the group of ponies before her, nothing that seemed to indicate the presence of some type of mechanism. But to say that nothing was there at all would’ve done nothing to help anypony except the enemy. Something was there, she simply wasn’t looking hard enough.

Rainbow passed her eyes over the area yet again, though far more slowly. Most of the chamber was engulfed in darkness from where it lacked torches. Something must’ve been in there. And soon enough, Rainbow did spot that something.

Her eyes, almost of their own accord, snapped onto something, the slightest hints of movement in the darkness. A glisten of some kind. Likely the armor of another Eclipse, or perhaps the metal plate of a mechanism. Regardless, it was something, and that was enough reason for Rainbow to go and see what it was. Of course, that still left the task of reaching that something undetected, but that hardly seemed to be the most daunting of tasks.

Quietly, Rainbow fluttered to the ground below. She didn’t hear her own hoofbeats as she made contact with the stone. She clung to the shadows, stayed low to the floor as she moved quietly and quickly. For a brief moment, it felt as though she and the darkness were one, as though the shadows were guiding her towards her destination, as though it was always where she belonged.

Solare continued his ramblings, he and everypony else unaware of Rainbow’s presence as she made it to the other side of the chamber. There, it didn’t take long before she found exactly what she was expecting. Hidden by the darkness just as well as she was, another Eclipse stood guard near a lever, just what Rainbow was looking for. He didn’t notice her, his eyes fixed on the scene playing out before him. A mistake that Rainbow would ensure he regretted.

Slowly, silently, Rainbow crept up on the unsuspecting stallion like a predator stalking its prey. Her eyes, sharp and keen, looked out for even the slightest sign that he was aware of her presence, her body already ready to pounce at an instant’s notice. No such sign ever came, and Rainbow soon found herself mere feet from the stallion.

He never stood a chance.

In the blink of an eye, Rainbow darted forward. Before the stallion even knew what was happening, one hoof wrapped around his throat while another covered his mouth, muffling his attempts at crying out for help. Before he could even begin to panic, he felt the hot breath of angry mare brush against his ear.

“A single sound, and it will be the last mistake you make,” she hissed. From the stallion’s rigid body and feverish nodding, Rainbow safely assumed that he’d be a compliant one. “Good boy.”

With that, Rainbow tightened her grip around the stallion’s neck, cutting off his air supply. He thrashed about, throwing his limbs this and that way in an attempt to break free, but it was fruitless. Soon enough, his efforts grew weaker and weaker until his entire body went limp and unmoving. Perhaps he’d have preferred a different outcome, but he was lucky to still be breathing. As far as Rainbow was concerned, he only had two options, and he chose the better one.

With that ‘threat’ eliminated, Rainbow turned her attention towards the lever. As she approached it, her ears drifted back over to the commotion happening right next to her.

“All I’m asking is that you simply consider—”

“We ain’t considerin’ nothin’!” Applejack shouted. “We know you’re just lyin’ outta your teeth! Ain’t no way Celestia’d ever hurt anypony!”

Rainbow slowed to a stop, ears perking up as she slightly turned towards the shouting. Yes, that was right. None of them had seen the things Rainbow had, had they? “What is he getting at?” she muttered.

Solare slowly shook his head, almost out of pity, it seemed. “Such blind devotion to an imperfect being is precisely why the Solar Eclipse exist. In due time, we will do away with the wool that’s been drawn over all of your eyes. You and your friends will be the first to experience this enlightenment, but only if you open your mind to the possibility that—”

“I’ve had it up t’ here with your preachin’! If you don’t shut your mouth, so help me, I’ll shut it for ya!”

None of the others even tried to calm Applejack as she looked just about ready to tear Solare and his goons limb from limb. Rainbow wasted enough time. She needed to get that door open before things went even further south.

“Pity,” Solare muttered. “No matter. As I’ve said, you’ll see Celestia’s true self in due time, then you’ll grow to understand. Some of your friends have already witnessed this for themselves.” A throaty chuckle left his muzzle before he turned towards the shadows behind him. “Isn’t that right, Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow’s hoof, mere inches from the lever, came to a stop. For a moment that felt far longer than it actually was, all was silent, save for the crackling of the torch flames.

“I would advise against touching that lever,” Solare continued. “Assuming you still care for the wellbeing of your friends. You’ve already come this far. Wouldn’t it be a shame if anything were to happen to them now?”

For a moment, Rainbow did nothing. She simply took a deep breath in, and let a deep breath out. Composed herself. Slowly, she brought her hoof back down to the ground before backing away from the lever. Even if he was bluffing, it was something that she couldn’t risk. Clearing out that entire room would’ve hardly proven difficult, but with her friends still stuck in the crossfire, she needed to take things more carefully. She needed to get them away from there first. Far away. Then the real fun would begin.

Slowly, Rainbow stepped out of the darkness, her eyes never leaving Solare. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her friends perk up at the sight of her, though their expressions were difficult to pinpoint as elation and sheer shock battled for dominance in their minds.

“Rainbow! What in the hay are you doin’?” Applejack asked. “Did you bring the princess with ya?”

Rainbow cast a fleeting glance towards them, her flat, still face hiding the immense relief she felt inside. She shared no words in response, simply held a hoof up to her lips, signaling them to stay quiet. If she was going to do this, then she would need to concentrate. Their confused, worried expression were clear enough, but they complied all the same, leaving Rainbow to focus back on Solare, on her target.

“Ah, what a pleasure it is to see you again, Ms. Dash,” he said, falling back into those pleasantries of his. “Perhaps you can help your friends in seeing my claims as the truth. After all, you’ve been through far more than they have as of late. Surely you can shed some light on this little plight of ours.”

Rainbow was hardly listening; she just let him talk since he clearly loved the sound of his own voice. Instead, her eyes, quickly and intently, flicked from pony to hooded pony, mentally mapping down their numbers and placement in the room.

…three. Four. Five of them. Six if I count him. Three ponies keeping her friends surrounded and two more flanking Solare on either side. Star Light mentioned enchantments. Three of them. Rainbow’s eyes drifted back over to the ponies keeping her friends boxed in. Their robes sported the same swirling decorations as the previous mare that she fought while the two with Solare did not. A sign of higher rank, she assumed. They must’ve been the ones with the enchanted gems, the enhanced speed ensuring that her friends couldn’t run. They’ll be the first to go.

Rainbow set her eyes back on Solare, face still fixed in a soft, yet stern glare. The last time that she found herself in this very same situation, with the stallion mere feet from her, with him wearing that smug smirk, Rainbow lost control and nearly paid for it. That wasn’t going to happen this time. Anger still boiled inside, wanting to explode into another frenzy, but it was her that controlled it, not the other way around.

“Let them go.” Rainbow did not shout her command, but it still carried that subtle sense of authority and power. That, in combination with her unwavering glare would’ve made most ponies freeze stiff before they wordlessly complied, lest they invoke the wrath hiding just underneath that stoic mask of hers. Solare, however, was unlike most ponies, and hardly seemed bothered.

“Again, that isn’t how things will work, Ms. Dash. Though you may not be willing to admit it, you and I both know that there is still much to discuss.”

Rainbow’s gaze hardened as she took a single step forward. “I wasn’t asking now, was I?”

The two hooded ponies next to Solare stepped forward as well, horns glowing as bright magic wrapped around their daggers. Even the three ponies guarding Rainbow’s friends took on a more defensive stance while the four mares merely watched on, utterly speechless at the scene playing out before them. The entire room fell into dead silence as the tension practically threatened to crush all of them.

All the while, neither Rainbow nor Solare broke eye contact with each other, both staring right into the other’s very being, neither letting a single hint of apprehension or fear flash past their faces.

Finally, Solare broke the unnerving silence with another unnerving chuckle. “Oh, you are quite the anomaly, Ms. Dash,” he said. “Most others would have long since broken if they were placed in your position. But you… Not only have you endured it all, you’ve finally embraced it, haven’t you? I can see it in your eyes. You’ve changed in a very, very large way.”

Rainbow’s glare only sharpened, the gaze practically threatening to set Solare ablaze. She wouldn’t let his talking affect her. Not this time. Not anymore. She was here for one reason and one reason only, and she would not let herself lose sight of that reason. “Let them go,” she repeated. “I won’t tell you again.” There was no more arrogance, no more bravado, no more insolence behind her tone. Only the somber, serious growl of someone pushed to their near breaking point.

It seemed that the situation’s gravity was finally beginning to affect Solare as well. Just as he said, Rainbow had changed, that much he could see even if others could not. It was in her behavior, the way she carried herself. Before, she charged him in an anger-fueled frenzy simply because she saw his face. Now, he could hardly even read her face, save for that anger burning in her eyes. Even then, it wasn’t that same uncontrolled anger from before. It was nothing if not controlled, and it was directed. Directed right towards him. Indeed, this was a different mare than before, one that could prove very troublesome if he wasn’t careful.

Solare’s eyes drifted over to the unicorns standing at his side, both of them ready to attack at a moment’s notice. He would rather avoid a fight, if it could be helped, and right now, nothing was helping. Quickly, almost casually, he waved a hoof. “Stand down.”

The order was quick and to the point. Almost too quick. Though Rainbow couldn’t see their faces, she could tell that they were confused, both of them nervously bringing their gaze up to their leader. One even looked like she was about to question his decision, but quickly, and likely smartly, decided against it. The magical glow around their daggers disappeared, and the pair backed away.

Solare turned his gaze towards the three ponies guarding Rainbow’s friends. “That goes for you all as well. Stand down.”

His second order was met with just as much confusion as the first, all three of them perking their heads up in shock. They turned their confused gaze towards the four mares that they were tasked with guarding.

“Y’all heard ‘im,” Applejack snapped. “Back off!”

Though the slightest of scowled appeared across their faces, the three ponies did listen and backed away from them, finally giving them some much needed room to breathe. As soon as they could, their eyes snapped back onto Rainbow Dash. The pegasus stared back, a small smile on her face, the first one that they’d seen from her in a very long time.

The five of them all had the same exact thing in mind, and as soon as Rainbow nodded her head, beckoning to them with a hoof, her four friends couldn’t have responded any faster. They all darted forward, racing right past Solare and his followers as they sped towards Rainbow. All the while, Solare didn’t so much as bat an eyelash, letting all of them run up and nearly crush Rainbow in a group hug.

However, Solare still wasn’t quite finished. As the happy reunion played out in front of him, he turned towards one of the unicorns. “I believe it’s time we wrapped things up,” he whispered. Quickly, he pointed her towards the lever at the back of the chamber. “But first, let in the rest of our uninvited guests.”

Twilight was already feeling uneasy. Granted, she’d already felt uneasy before, but it only grew worse, and Rainbow wasn’t even gone for more than a few minutes. The most she could do to distract herself was pace, and pace she did.

“Do you really think she’ll be okay?” she asked. “Star Light?” She looked over to the pink mare to find her staring off into space, her face flat and expressionless. “Star Light.”

“I don’t like this,” Star muttered. “Not at all.”

Her mutters did little to calm Twilight’s own worries as she approached the mare. “What are you talking about? Is something bothering you?”

“That’s… a very light way of putting it.”

Those same worries bubbling in Twilight’s gut only seemed to grow worse. Swallowing down a nervous lump in her throat, she stepped closer to Star. “What is it?”

Another few quiet seconds ticked by as Star Light clearly struggled trying to get her thoughts together. “Um… I don’t want to jump to any conclusions, but…”

“What is it?” Twilight demanded.

More time passed as Star worked out the words out in her mind. Finally, she just sighed, deciding to lay things out as plainly as she could. “I’m not sure if you know, but Rainbow just came very close to losing control of herself.”

“Losing control?” Twilight repeated. “What do you mean?”

“I said that her memories were threatening to be replaced by Shadow’s. If that had happened, then Rainbow Dash simply… wouldn’t have been Rainbow Dash anymore, to put it simply.”

“But… that didn’t happen, right?” Twilight asked, that clear sense of worry working its way back into her voice.

“No, no,” Star quickly said, though that confusion still hadn’t left her eyes. “At least, I think that it didn’t.”

That wasn’t what Twilight wanted to hear at all. Worry turned into confused anger as she set a fierce gaze on the unicorn. “What do you mean ‘you think’?” she demanded. “Is she fine or not?”

“I said I that don’t want to jump to conclusions, but…” Star Light heaved an annoyed groan as she rubbed her temples. “Listen, you must promise me that you won’t panic.”

“Just tell me.”

It was clear that Star still wasn’t quite ready to explain things, her mind racing to make sense of it all herself. But with a yielding sigh, she gave in to Twilight’s insistence. “Fine. While I’m certain that Rainbow managed to maintain control of herself, I don’t think she managed to escape entirely unscathed.”

“What is that supposed to mean? Some part of Shadow Streak still made it through?”

“Well, for lack of a better term… yes.”

Another pause. Twilight took the time to truly take in what Star Light was saying, since it was clear that she hardly understood things herself. She should’ve felt something. Shock, fear, worry, anything, but instead, she felt none of those things. Just a dreary sense of acceptance. She had done enough research to know that something like this was very much possible, and with all of the signs Rainbow was showing before, she saw it coming. Like a natural disaster that she had no hope of stopping.

“I see,” she finally said. There was little else for her to say, little else to contribute. “Well, what can we do?”

Star turned back towards Twilight, a curious eyebrow raised. “What?”

“There must be something that we can do,” Twilight said. “We… we can fix this, right?”

There was determination behind Twilight’s eyes. Determination with just a hint of hope as she looked towards Star for answers. That only made it even harder for the pink mare to shake her head. “I’m sorry. This isn’t something that can just ‘be fixed’. It’s not that simple.”

“But is there anything that we can do to help? You have to know something!”

“I have my protocols, yes, but—“

“Then follow your protocols!”

They won’t help!” Star Light took the moment to calm herself, breathing a long, deep sigh. Tensions were already high enough; yelling was going to do nothing to help anypony, least of all themselves. “I had orders to follow before Rainbow was exposed to the candles, I have my orders to follow now that she has been exposed, and I have my orders to follow should she lose control of herself. But what’s happening now, where she’s stuck in between, is not a common occurrence. I can’t even think of the last time when this happened. The slightest push could either ease matters or make them worse, and that isn’t a risk I want to take, especially now.”

The frustration and anger in Twilight’s eyes hadn’t softened. In fact, that fire only seemed to burn brighter as those words sank in. “So we just stand by and do nothing? We can’t do a thing?”

“For now, I would say no.” Just as she saw the anger in Twilight’s face threaten to reach new heights, Star Light quickly raised a hoof. “I said ‘for now’! When we get out of here, I can bring this to my master. He may be able to shed more light on this. Right now, I don’t want to risk making things worse, and I know that you don’t either, right?”

Twilight didn’t answer immediately, though the anger fading from her eyes said more than enough. It wasn’t an easy thing to accept, but she couldn’t deny that she honestly had no idea how to make things better, and with the stakes as high as they were, Star was right, she couldn’t risk making things worse; if anything went wrong, it carried the risk of being permanent.

Their attention was drawn back towards the stone doors as they slowly slid open.

Twilight felt a heavy lump of anxiety weight down in her stomach as the entrance opened itself. That grating sound of stone sliding against stone almost served as an ominous signal that the end of this entire ordeal was finally nearing its end. All of her friends were right behind that door, and they were all surrounded by the Eclipse. They were so close to freedom, yet still so far away. She couldn’t let them down. She wouldn’t let them down.

“Twilight!”

With a start, Twilight looked over towards Star, meeting the pink unicorn’s annoyed gaze. “Y-yes?”

“I can’t have you losing focus now,” Star said. “I said get ready. Remember, go straight to your friends and keep them protected. We absolutely cannot afford to hesitate.”

Quickly, shakily, Twilight nodded as he scrounged up every ounce of courage that she could muster. Finally, she fixed her worried frown into one of determination. Star was right. She couldn’t afford to lose sight of the end goal, not when it was close. “Okay. Okay, let’s do this.”

“Just stay calm and follow my lead. When I say so, you go straight to your friends, okay?”

Silently, Twilight nodded before they both put their attention back on the doors before them. They were finally wide enough to allow entry into the chamber beyond, a giant invitation to come inside. Just as she said, Star Light took the lead, starting towards the chamber. Twilight, however, lingered behind, the latent fear resting in her mind freezing her in place. Quickly, she shook those fears away. No hesitation. She needed to stay strong. Hardening her face into an expression of absolute determination, Twilight followed Star into the chamber.

Almost as soon as she stepped inside, her eyes adjusting to the darkness, her determined look nearly crumbled when she laid eyes on Rainbow and the others. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, they were all there, all with Rainbow, and best of all, they didn’t look much worse for wear. Granted, that was just the outward appearance. After everything that’s happened today, Twilight wouldn’t have been surprised if the mental scars took far, far longer to heal. Still, that didn’t change the fact that she was immensely relieved to see them unharmed.

Looking at them, she could tell that they were just as relieved, if not more so. She half-expected them to gallop clear across the room just to hug her, and from the way they lit up upon seeing her, it looked like that was exactly what they wanted to do. However, Rainbow quickly calmed them with a quick wave of her hoof. She whispered something to all of them, something that Twilight couldn’t make out, but whatever it was, it was enough to rein them back in. It made sense; it was far too early to have a reunion. That could wait until they were finally safe again.

Unfortunately, that didn’t seem like it was going to be an easy thing to achieve. Though Twilight finally saw her five friends together once again, there were about six others in that chamber that she wasn’t as happy to see. More of the Solare Eclipse, those hooded ponies that had been antagonizing them from the moment they set hoof in Hoofington, were spread throughout the room.

Twilight felt breath catch in her throat as she quickly analyzed the odds. Though the numbers initially seemed to be in their favor, with it being seven to six, that was without taking experience into account. Combat experience, to be specific. Though Twilight and her friends had their fair share of scraps in the past, against enemies as skilled as this, very few of them stood much chance. Twilight could serve as a source of support at best, but she needed to focus on protecting her friends. The only ones who really stood a chance at going hoof-to-hoof with these ponies were Rainbow and Star Light. That really made the odds one to three, something that didn’t exactly invoke hope in Twilight’s heart.

As she continued scanning the room, one of the ponies stood out. The blue stallion standing right between her and her friends. He was the only Eclipse member with his hood down, his blue eyes staring right at Twilight, studying her. She didn’t know why, but there was something about that gaze that made her feel uneasy. Not in the sense that he was a complete stranger staring right at her, or even in the sense that he was a very serious threat. No, it felt like he was seeing things about her that Twilight herself may not have even known about.

“What is he doing here?” Star Light hissed, a concerning amount of venom behind her voice.

Twilight didn’t even have time to question that before the blue stallion laughed, the noise shattering the silence of the room. “Ms. Sparkle. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. A true honor, if I do say so my—”

“Solare.”

The room plummeted back into silence as Solare was cut off. All eyes, some wide with shock, some narrowed with annoyance, turned towards the one who would dare interrupt the leader of the Solare Eclipse so boldly.

Even Solare let a hint of annoyance sneak onto his face as he met eyes with the blue pegasus responsible.

Rainbow Dash’s glare hadn’t eased nor had it sharpened, but just by listening to her voice, it was clear that she was growing more and more agitated as time ticked by. “Stop. Talking.” The order was slow. The order was clear. And shockingly, it was an order that was listened to.

Though there was a fair bit of reluctance behind his actions, Solare did listen to Rainbow’s demands, if only to keep things from spiraling further out of control than it already had.

Fortunately—or unfortunately—Twilight didn’t have much time to further dwell on the situation before she felt a light prod on her side. She looked back up at Star, who pointed her towards Rainbow and the others. Looking at them, Twilight saw Rainbow gesturing to come towards her. She didn’t need to be told twice, but the fact still remained that there were still enemies between here and there. She looked back towards Star Light, looking back for something, but Star just nodded, further telling Twilight to just go.

Swallowing down another lump, Twilight put a single tentative hoof forward. She almost expected the entire chamber to explode into an absolute warzone as soon as she set her hoof back down on the stone, but all that welcomed her was the barely audible clop of her hoof against the floor. Looking around, none of the Eclipse so much as moved a muscle. Was it really going to be as easy as walking across the room? After taking another five steps, all without hassle, that seemed to be the case.

Even as she passed by that blue stallion—Rainbow called him Solare—he didn’t make the slightest move to stop her, though he could see the annoyance brimming in his eyes. Clearly, he didn’t like this, yet he didn’t do anything to stop it. She couldn’t help but wonder why that was. She didn’t want to dwell too long on the question either. She felt herself walking faster and faster as the distance to her friends grew shorter and shorter, hope finally shining through in her heart. Finally, she found herself standing amongst them once more, finally together again.

‘Otherworldly elation’ couldn’t even begin to describe the waves of emotion washing through Twilight’s body as she took her friends in a massive hug, one that she immensely needed. There were no words spoken. As she finally felt the warm embrace of her friends once again, as she tearfully nuzzled their cheeks, she knew that words were unnecessary. Words couldn’t properly serve to describe the relief that each and every one of them felt. It was a moment that Twilight—that all of them—wanted to last forever.

However, through the sheer happiness that she felt, Twilight still noticed something wrong. Rainbow was nowhere to be found in that group hug. Instead, she was outside the circle, a worrying distance away from it, in fact. Her eyes didn’t even wander towards the rest of her friends, staying fixed on the hooded ponies in front of them.

“Twilight,” she finally called.

Their hug came to a disappointingly quick end as the five mare broke away, their eyes focusing back on Rainbow. “Yes?” Twilight answered.

“Get a shield up around the others and stay out of the way.”

“What? A-are you—?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Rainbow quickly answered. “If things go bad, I don’t want you caught in the middle of it. I didn’t come this far to let you guys down now. It’s safer this way, trust me.” Rainbow’s glare sharpened to cutting levels as she heard another chuckle from Solare.

“Ah, but will they truly be—?”

“Don’t talk!” Rainbow snapped, a mere sliver of her anger finding its way to the surface. When Solare shut his mouth yet again, she turned back towards the others. “Just listen to me, please.”

“Whoa, whoa. Now hold on, Rainbow,” Applejack said, stepping up to her. “We ain’t just gonna leave ya by yourself with these guys. They ain’t playin’ around, we all saw that. We’ll have a better shot gettin’ outta here if we all stick together.”

Though it seemed like Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy all agreed with that way of thinking, Rainbow hardly seemed moved. In fact, she only seemed to grow even more agitated. “No, if we stick together, you just have a better chance of getting hurt or worse,” she said. Though she didn’t yell, hardly even raised her voice, there was something intimidating behind her voice that caught her friends’ attention. “Listen, I’m not asking here. I’m telling you, stay out of the way until I take care of this.”

The hesitation in Twilight’s eyes was clear as day, but she nodded all the same. Quickly, she turned towards the others. From the shocked—almost scared—looks on their faces, it didn’t look like any of them had any more objections. “Are you girls ready?”

“I… suppose we are,” Rarity said, her own apprehension clear in her voice.

“We’re ready when you are, I guess,” Applejack said.

“Okay, then. Just… just get close to me.” Twilight’s horn went aglow with magic as she conjured up a protective barrier around the five of them. “Rainbow, please be careful.”

The pegasus cast another look towards her five friends, the slightest hints of a smile cracking onto her face. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Now go.”

Somehow, seeing that small, small smile filled Twilight’s heart with a sense of hope and comfort that she hadn’t felt in quite some time. She believed the words leaving Rainbow’s mouth. For once, she believed that things finally would turn out fine. That everything would be okay. Slowly, carefully, she led her friends towards a patch of clear ground in the chamber, hopefully enough out of the way if things went sour.

With her friends properly protected, Rainbow turned her stern gaze back towards Solare. “Now you can talk.”

After a moment’s pause, Solare breathed a heavy, tired sigh. “While I appreciate your permission, Ms. Dash, I fail to see what good talking will do us now.”

If Solare’s statement took Rainbow by surprise, she did an excellent job of hiding it. A single raised brow was the most in the way of reaction that she showed. “Really? You were so quick to talk before. What’s changed now?”

Solare simply shrugged as though the answer were obvious. “It’s simple, really. There isn’t anything else to discuss. Not with you, at least.”

Slightly, ever so slightly, Rainbow’s gaze hardened. “What do you mean?”

“The first step towards our goal was to convince you of what Celestia truly is: a catastrophe awaiting the catalyst that will spark it. Your friends have yet to see that for themselves, but you… You know deep down what the truth is.”

“You kick the hornets’ nest and you’re surprised when they sting?”

“Ah, ah, ah,” Solare cut in, waving a discouraging hoof. “You’ve already tried that argument before, and it won’t work this time either. What you saw today was hardly an example of ‘kicking the hornets’ nest’. Rather, it’s more akin to a dog baring its teeth in the presence of a threat. Something that’s supposed to be taken as a warning, but also implies a sense of fear. Of course, most dogs tend to calm themselves when given what they want, but in Celestia’s case, well… I believe we’ve gone over this enough times already.”

“You really think that giving her the Apple will only make things worse,” Rainbow said, more stating a fact than anything else.

“More than worse,” Solare affirmed. “Celestia obtaining it will spell certain doom for Equestria and beyond. We cannot allow that to happen.”

Slowly, Rainbow breathed a quiet sigh. Her hoof found its way to her forehead, another headache making itself apparent. Not one due to any lingering side effects, but rather, one of annoyance. “Okay,” she mumbled. Quickly, she snapped her eyes back up to Solare. “Why?”

Surprisingly, for the first time during their interactions, it seemed that Rainbow’s sudden question managed to catch Solare off guard. The stallion raised a confused eyebrow, his face curled into an equally confused frown. “I’m sorry?”

“Why would Celestia getting the Apple ‘spell certain doom for Equestria’?” Even more surprisingly, a short chuckle left Rainbow’s muzzle for once. “Oh, I can’t believe that I didn’t think of this sooner. Honestly, what will she get out of using it? What, does she secretly want to invade a nearby nation? Does she have a little Diary of Genocide that I should know about? Seriously, shed some light, because I just realized that none of this makes any sort of sense.”

Solare’s confused frown fixed itself back into an amused smile as Rainbow’s tirade came to a close. “Well, it’s good to see that you’re at least getting a laugh out of this, but the answer is still fairly obvious.”

“Well, I don’t see it.”

“It is true that at first glance there seems to be very little for Celestia to gain from abusing the Apple’s power. After all, why would the sovereign of a nation as powerful as Equestria, especially after spending so long building up an image of benevolence, suddenly throw that all away in a power-hungry frenzy?

“Her subjects already bend over backwards to meet her every need. Her word alone can change what does and doesn’t make it into the history books. Invasion hardly seems a viable option. The Griffon Kingdom, the Badlands, the Dragon Empire, these are places that are nearly inhospitable for pony life. Of course, this is all assuming that Celestia wants some sort of practical gain. But what if what Celestia desires isn’t necessarily practical and simply personal?”

“Personal gain?” Rainbow repeated.

“As I’ve said before,” Solare continued, “Celestia’s had a taste of the Apple’s power long, long ago. Ever since, she’s been desiring another taste. Indulgence for her addiction. However, what may be indulgence for her will be suffering for the rest of us. Power corrupts even the best of us, Ms. Dash, and Celestia is no exception to this. In fact, she could very possibly be the most dangerous example of it.”

“And you really think that this is the best way to stop this?”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures, Ms. Dash, and right now, times are dire.”

Rainbow opened her mouth to speak, but the words stopped in her throat as her ears caught noise. Slight, nearly inaudible disturbances in the silence. Almost immediately, her eyes darted off to the side, where she heard the noise come from. Her body instinctively tensed up as she caught swift movement in the darkness.

More of them. How many more are there? Her eyes quickly switched over to the ponies before her; their numbers had yet to change. Still six. So that makes seven. Her ears perked up yet again as they detected even more noise. Multiple hoofbeats in the surrounding darkness. No, eight… Nine…

She glanced back at Star Light. Much like Rainbow’s, her eyes were darting to and fro as well, her ears twitching and twisting as they detected even more noise. It was clear that she noticed them too, but that still left an important question unanswered. Just how many of ‘them’ were there?

“This is a race against time,” Solare said. “One that I don’t intend to lose. We need you, Ms. Dash. We need your mind, and we are not leaving this place without it.”

As he continued on, Rainbow kept her attention on the darkness. The number of ponies that she heard kept growing and it didn’t seem to show any intention of stopping.

Fifteen… sixteen… seventeen…

The noises continued circling around the chamber’s perimeter until Rainbow could hear it on all sides. They were surrounded. And the numbers rose still.

Twenty-seven… twenty-eight… twenty-nine…

“So, I must ask you,” Solare continued. “Will you cooperate, or must we do things the hard way?”

Thirty. Rainbow Dash counted thirty new arrivals, all of them hidden in the darkness, waiting to pounce. Thirty more ponies that stood in the way of her and freedom. That made thirty-six total, a number that made escaping that place unscathed seem significantly more difficult.

She needed to be careful. There were far too many to afford making a single mistake, and losing her composure would only make matters worse. As far as she could tell, those thirty ponies were still waiting in the darkness. If she had to guess, they didn’t know that she already noticed them. That gave her a slight, slight advantage to put things in her favor within the second or two it’d take for them to completely surround her.

As her mind raced to put together some sort of plan, her eyes drifted back over to Star Light. Surprisingly, Star was already looking directly at Rainbow, the slightest glints in her eyes betraying her otherwise stone face. Without speaking a single word, they both knew that they had the same idea in mind; if they wanted to stand a chance, they first needed to close the distance between themselves and quickly, but with Star already boxed in by three of them and Rainbow too far away to help, their options were slim at best.

However, Star already seemed to have something of a plan in mind. Either that or she was just taking a very risky shot in the dark, it was honestly too difficult to tell. Her eyes constantly flickered back and forth between the ponies surrounding her, as though she was marking down the very short distance between them all. Occasionally, her eyes drifted down to their robes as she examined their equipment. Even with the distance between them, Rainbow could’ve swore that she saw a smile crack onto Star’s face. The pieces had long since been set up, and it looked like she was the one to make that first move to knock them down.

In a literal flash, Star’s horn ignited with its blue magic. A short, powerful burst of energy emanated from her body, the resulting shockwave pushing her pursuers back not by much, but just enough. Her horn went aglow yet again as she magically reached inside the robes of one of her staggering assailants. Not even a second later, she pulled out a small, metallic ball.

Rainbow’s eyes widened ever so slightly as she recognized the object. A smoke bomb.

So that’s your plan. And Rainbow had to admit, a bad plan it was not.

With a single swift toss, Star hurled the bomb towards the very center of the room. What followed next was hardly conscious action, but more nature playing its course.

Even before the small ball collided with the stone, exploding into a thick plume of grey, obscuring smoke, Rainbow began her gallop towards it as her up the undeniable sound of a hundred and twenty hooves converging on her location. She didn’t stop, stopping—even slowing—was absolutely out of the question. She literally had no time to hesitate. It felt as though she was drawn towards the smoke by some unseen force, its thick veil serving as some sort of impromptu safe haven, which, in all honesty, it very much was.

As the thick smoke swallowed her whole, time seemed to slow to a perpetual crawl. Her body practically tingled from head to hoof as the smoke swirled and danced across her skin. She held her breath, knowing that a single breath of that stuff would send her into an absolute coughing fit. The thunderous stampeding of the approaching enemies dulled to little more than a constant rumble, the slightest differences in distance crystal clear to her. All the while, her eyes, sharp and keen, flickered and darted about, peering through smoke, instantly taking notes of enemy locations.

She could already make out Star’s form as the pink unicorn met her in the center of the smoke, her own senses just as alert as Rainbow’s.

“Okay, I doubt that they’ll attack us in the smoke,” Star quickly said, eyes still on the lookout for any sudden movement. “That gives us some time. I counted thirty. What about you?”

“Same,” Rainbow answered. “So thirty-six counting the ones that were already here. What about enchanted gems? Any more of those?”

“There are ten total.”

“How did they even manage to get so many inside?”

Star made a quick cursory glance at the surrounding enemies, their images growing even clearer. The smoke was beginning to clear. They were running out of time. “Hidden chambers, if I had to guess. This whole chamber is a giant trap. A last ditch effort to capture you and your friends.”

“And to kill you,” Rainbow pointed out.

Star simply shrugged. “I suppose that would be a rather nice bonus.” Both of them took on more combative stances as the smoke thinned further, the Eclipse growing eager as time ticked by. “So, the odds are one to eighteen, we have enhanced enemies sprinkled throughout the ranks, a fairly confined space to fight in, and not many supplies to help us. What do you think about those odds?”

Star Light looked back at Rainbow, only to find a smirk plastered on the pegasus’ face that only years of practice could even hope to perfect. “Heh, what do I think? They should’ve brought more.”

Perhaps it was inappropriate, given the rather dire, life-threatening situation they’ve found themselves in, but Star couldn’t keep her own smile from cracking onto her face. “Well, at least your arrogance is still intact.” Her horn went aglow once more as she unsheathed her dagger, her gaze just as sharp as the blade floating before her.

“What can I say? It runs in the family.” Reaching down, Rainbow bit down on her dagger’s worn, leather handle, unsheathing the blade as she turned back towards the plethora of enemies awaiting her.

With their backs to each other, they watched as other darkened figures through the smoke shambled about. For a time, the herd of enemies resembled little more than a black, smudged circle surrounding the two mares, but as the smoke cleared, their shapes grew clearer, sharper, more distinct. Not a single movement went by unnoticed until…

In the single instant that time allowed, Rainbow’s eyes zoned in on the glistening blade of a knife as it flew towards her. There was no thinking involved, no time for any planning or consideration. Reaction was the only thing fueling Rainbow’s movements as she jerked her head to the side, just avoiding the blade as it sailed past her cheek. Looking back, Star Light took similar evasive action, leaving the knife to embed itself into the stone.

“Idiots!” Solare snapped from the sidelines. “Leave Ms. Dash alive! The Assassin you can kill!”

A short chuckle escaped Star’s muzzle. “Well, don’t I feel special?”

Here they come…

Both Rainbow and Star Light prepared themselves as the first of many Eclipse rushed them, daggers at the ready. Amongst their ranks, they could make out the speedy, blurred movements of the magically-enhanced. It looked like the makings of a difficult battle.

And as Rainbow darted forward, eager to clash steel with steel, steel with flesh, an excited smile refused to leave her face. It was the single most exciting moment that she experienced in a long, long time. And she was going to savor every moment of it.

“Twilight, what the hay are we doin’?” Applejack snapped, pacing in what little space she had in the protective bubble. “Ain’t no way Rainbow can take all o’ them on by herself!”

“I agree,” Rarity chimed in. “We can’t, in good conscience, stand by and let her face this on her own.”

“Yeah! You can only give out so many cans of buttwhup before you run out!”

As her friends delivered their very adamant protests, Twilight could only stand in the center of it all, eyes clamped shut and teeth gritted as she focused on keeping the barrier up. Normally, such a simple thing would’ve been second nature to her, but after everything she’d been through, it was a miracle that she was able to get it up at all. And at the moment, none of her friends made maintaining that spell any easier.

“Girls, please!” Twilight shouted. Her mild outburst awarded her with another sharp pain in her skull, making her barrier fizzle ever so slightly. After regaining her composure, Twilight continued at a much calmer tone. “Just… just have faith in her. She had a point; none of us are in any shape to fight even one of these ponies, let alone an entire mob of them. If she had to focus on protecting us and herself, well… it wouldn’t make things any easier.”

Unfortunately, Twilight’s attempts at reassuring her friends didn’t have the intended effect. In fact, it just seemed to make them even more agitated. “An’ you think Rainbow’ll do any better alone?” Applejack gestured towards the chaotic mishmash of bodies and metal right in front of them. “I mean, jus’ look at her! She’s… she’s…” As Applejack took the time to observe the scene playing out right before her eyes, her eyes had trouble registering, let alone accepting what they were seeing. Considering that the rest of her friends shared her blank stare, it was safe to assume that they were just as shocked as she was. “She’s… doin’… fine…”

‘Fine’ didn’t even begin to describe it. Through the chaos, the girls were able to catch glimpses of Rainbow as she fended off the surrounding horde, and each time they saw her, they also saw an excited smile through the dagger clenched between her teeth. A smile that only seemed to grow more intense as the battle raged on.

The five mares could only watch in awe as Rainbow practically danced across the battlefield, taking on several enemies at once. Her prismatic mane flittered in the breeze as she leapt about the chamber in bounds. The sound of metal clanging against metal echoed throughout the vast room time and time again, melding with the constant clopping of hooves in a disturbingly rhythmic melody as Rainbow, with smooth, controlled motions of her body, dodged and deflected all manner of attacks as though it was all second nature to her.

The other ponies, the Eclipse, assaulted Rainbow with a variety of wild slashes and thrusts with their daggers, but all of their effort was for naught. They either sliced through thin air, or had their attacks guided away from Rainbow’s body by another smooth motion of the pegasus’ dagger. They didn’t even seem to tire her. She was toying with them. Having fun.

For a time, Twilight and the others wondered if Rainbow was ever actually going to go on the offensive. It was an answer that they soon received, though they quickly wished that they hadn’t.

Through the cacophony, a sickening crunch filled the air, one that had a particularly painful impact on Twilight and Rarity. A quick, cursory glance at the raging battle would very clearly explain why that was.

Rainbow, after ducking underneath a particularly wide dagger swipe, darted towards the unicorn responsible. The distance between the two closed in an instant, leaving the unicorn with no time to react. Twilight could’ve sworn that she saw a sadistic sneer break across Rainbow’s face before the pegasus slammed her own dagger into the unicorn’s horn. The battle between hollow bone and sharp, cold steel was a short one as Rainbow’s dagger effortlessly sliced through the appendage.

If the crack was enough to make Twilight’s stomach churn, then the bloodcurdling scream that followed threatened to make her vomit right then and there. Through some twisted sense of fortune, the scream didn’t last long; Rainbow easily knocked the screaming mare unconscious with a heavy blow to the side of her head. That smirk was still wide on her face as she turned her attention towards the others surrounding her.

Twilight could only barely manage to tear her eyes away from the violent scene before her and look back at her friends. None of them could bring themselves to look at it any further, either. Fluttershy cowered in the farthest parts of the barrier while the others simply clamped their eyes shut, though it did nothing to block out the sounds. The violence.

Amidst the chaos, bones were broken, snapped like twigs as Rainbow delivered blow after bone-crunching blow with disturbing accuracy. Most of her attacks were aimed at the legs, all of them accompanied by a stomach-churning snap. Almost like clockwork, Rainbow left numerous ponies lying on the ground, groaning in immense pain as their legs bent in ways that they simply weren’t supposed to. And that was to say nothing of the unicorns that were forcefully separated from their magical appendages.

Every sickening snap, every harrowing scream, every satisfied, victorious cry that left Rainbow’s mouth as she downed another enemy, it all burned themselves into Twilight’s mind, as well as the minds of her friends.

And as she brought her eyes back to the violent display before her, as she saw a drastically different Rainbow Dash enjoy every second of the battle that she was placed in, only one question made itself apparent in her mind. “Rainbow, what happened to you?”

Author's Note

You know, I'm starting to notice something about my writing that never really stood out to me before. I don't know if it's just me and my underlying paranoia that everything I write is absolute ass, but as I look over these 7,000, 8,000, and 10,000+ word chapters, I notice that not much really happens plotwise, at least not as much as you'd think the chapter length could actually allow. I don't know, it just feels like things are progressing at too slow of a pace, and I'm kind of worried that people are getting impatient as they wait for things to, you know, actually happen.

Again, this could all just be a bunch of unnecessary bollocks, and I'm just worrying about a problem that doesn't really exist, but I bring this up because I thought that I'd be done and past the climax in this chapter, but if you're reading this, then we both know that that didn't happen. If I tried to cram in everything here, this chapter would break 20k easily, and I kinda don't want that. At the same time, I feel like I'm testing a lot of people's patience with my story's overall pacing.

So, I guess this all really just boils down to a single question: What do some of you lovely readers think of this thing's pacing so far? Too slow? A bit fast in some places? Don't worry, I don't plan on going on another six-month hiatus as I obsess over a rewrite that isn't all that necessary, but this is something I'd like to keep in mind for future chapters. Thank ya kindly.

15: The Warm Welcome

Celestia and Rainbow Dash flew high above Hoofington, their eyes scanning the streets below like birds of prey. Neither have uttered a word, not since their departure from the others. They simply flew together in silence.

Occasionally, Celestia stole a small side glance at Rainbow, but Rainbow kept her eyes on the ground, her face stern with focus. Celestia knew more than anypony that she should’ve paid more attention, given the stakes, but she couldn’t properly focus, not until she got something off of her chest. “Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow didn’t take her eyes off of the ground for a moment. “Yeah?”

“I… wish to apologize.”

The sudden apology must’ve gotten to Rainbow, because she finally looked up at Celestia. “Apologize? For what?”

Celestia shut her eyes for a moment, letting out a soft sigh. “For what I said. At the city gates.”

“Oh, that. Nah, don’t sweat it. No big deal.”

“Regardless, I still wish to apologize. It was unnecessary of me to say.”

Something of a forced chuckle left Rainbow’s muzzle. “Yeah, well I can’t say you’re wrong.”

Celestia’s head perked up. She looked over at Rainbow, her face scrunched up in confusion. “What?”

Rainbow shrugged. “You had a point,” she said. “With all the time I spent in that crazy spell, I’ve had a lot of time to see how Shadow did things. I guess this isn’t all that different. You know, searching the city, gathering info. Hay, we’re even knee-deep in this whole ‘Pieces of Equestria’ thing. I’d say it’s kinda cool, but..." Rainbow trailed off. It looked like she was still trying to figure out what exactly to say, but soon gave up with a tired sigh. “I don’t know.”

Rainbow looked back down at the city, resuming her search. Celestia tried to do the same, but something in the back of her mind kept her from doing so. It was Rainbow’s attitude; it just didn’t ring well with her. Though she hadn’t spent a large amount of time with her, Celestia always received the impression that Rainbow was a pony brimming with confidence, if a tad brash in behavior. There was a fire inside of her, one that drove her to do anything, regardless of the consequences.

However, Celestia didn’t see any of that fire in the pegasus flying next to her. She seemed somber. There was no anxiety, worry, or some kind of cocky smirk. It was as if she was taking everything in an emotionless stride. Given the severity of the situation, it was both admirable and worrying. “Rainbow Dash, are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just thinking. Been doing that a lot lately.”

“Thinking? About what?”

Rainbow slowed to hover, Celestia doing the same. “I mean, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing, but there’s still something bugging me. What’s gonna happen to me at the end of all this?”

Celestia opened her mouth to answer, but the words were caught in her throat. The current situation captured all of her attention; she hadn’t even considered the aftermath of everything. She took a deep breath, taking the time to choose her words carefully. “If all goes well, then you’ll be able to return to your normal life. In time, it will be as if nothing ever happened.”

“And what if things don’t go well?”

“If not, then…” Celestia took a single glance at Rainbow. Just by looking at her grave expression, she could tell that Rainbow knew full well what the alternative was. It seemed like the gravity of the situation was finally taking its toll.

Rainbow’s eyes drifted back down to the ground below, scratching the back of her head. “Right.” It was clear that a change in subject was desperately needed. Thankfully, that wish was granted when Rainbow spotted something of interest down below. “Hey, check out that house down there,” she said, pointing down at the building in question.

Amongst Hoofington’s vast assortment of stores, houses, and other humble structures, all bustling with activity, was a single, abandoned, three-story building that must not have been touched for years. Decades, even.

The paint, or at least what was left of it, peeled and chipped away. Balconies jetting out from the upper windows were little more than concrete stubs, having crumbled and collapsed long ago. Every window, door, and any other conceivable entrance, including holes in the walls, was boarded up with timber that seemed just as old and worn as the house itself. There was just a grey, depressing tone about it. As far as subtlety went, it stood out amongst the other colorful buildings like a sore hoof.

Rainbow looked back up at the princess. “Think a place like that’ll have something worth finding?”

Celestia took a moment to further observe the house herself. Though it was certainly riddled with holes, they only led into a darkness that could conceal anything, including the very ponies she was searching for, from the public eye. It didn’t seem as likely as she would’ve liked, but as long as the possibility was there, Celestia wasn’t going to dismiss it.

“It certainly wouldn’t hurt to check, I suppose. Then again…” Celestia’s eyes drifted away from the house. Just down the street, a few buildings away, was a small tavern. It wasn’t the fact that it was a tavern that caught her attention; she had nothing against it nor its patrons. Rather, it was the shady group of ponies gathered outside of the entrance. Even more so when she saw them whispering to each other, occasionally stealing a glance directly at her and Rainbow. That was more than worthy of its own investigation. She couldn’t be too hasty, however.

It was clear that following them would lead Celestia right into a trap, one that she’d rather keep Rainbow out of. Celestia kept a close eye on the group. Only when they walked back into the tavern did she turn her attention back towards Rainbow. “Rainbow Dash, listen to me,” she said, capturing Rainbow’s attention immediately. “I believe I may have just found the suspicious activity we were looking for.”

Rainbow immediately perked up at the news. “Really? Where? Let’s get ‘em!”

“No.” Celestia’s voice was stern, final, and immovable. That diminished Rainbow’s spirits a bit, but she allowed the princess to continue. “They are more than likely expecting us. We’d be walking into a trap. I don’t want you caught up in that. You go investigate that house while I explore the tavern.”

Rainbow raised a suspicious eyebrow. “You sure about that?”

Celestia nodded. “I’ll be fine. Should things go wrong, it won’t be anything that I can’t handle.”

Rainbow was still hesitant, constantly looking back and forth between the abandoned house and the tavern, trying to decide which one was worth her time. When she looked into Celestia’s eyes, however, her tune quickly changed.

Even behind her disguise, Celestia’s expression was that of unshakable determination, one that was equal parts inspiring and terrifying. Rainbow didn’t even entertain the thought of going against the princess after seeing that. That was all she needed to be convinced.

After a final nod between the two, they parted ways, Celestia heading towards the tavern, and Rainbow, towards the house.

Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy calmly walked down the streets of Hoofington, making it a crucial point to draw as little attention to themselves as possible while they kept an eye out for anything suspicious. Pinkie was doing the exact opposite of that.

The pink enigma looked like she was re-enacting a scene from her favorite, cheesy spy novel. Decked out in a black, skin-tight spy uniform, complete with night vision goggles, she constantly darted from cover to cover in a blur. She hid behind a merchant stand, then a wagon, and then a light pole, somehow. All the while, she eyed any passersby with a glare so scathing and heated, it was probably capable of melting ice.

“Do ya think we should stop her?” Applejack asked as Pinkie spied on a nearby couple through a pair of binoculars despite them being ten feet away.

Twilight simply shrugged. “Would she listen? You know how she gets when she—Hey, where did she go?”

The four mares looked all around, but it seemed like Pinkie wandered off somewhere. Fortunately, they didn’t need to search for long; Pinkie popped out of a hay pile right next to them, sparing them the trouble of looking for her, while also scaring them into a near catatonic state. “Hi!” she cried. “You wanted to see me?”

Twilight was the first one to calm her heart back down to a manageable rate. She even took a deep breath for good measure. “Yes, Pinkie, we wanted to see you. Not to rain on your fun, but do think you could tone it down a bit? We’re trying to keep attention away from us, remember?”

“I know!” Pinkie exclaimed, taking off her night vision goggles. “Why do you think I’m being super-duper sneaky? Nopony’s even noticed me yet! Look!”

Twilight and the others looked around, and sure enough, none of Hoofington’s citizens so much as batted an eyelash at the strangely dressed mare sitting in a hay pile. “Hmm. That’s odd,” Twilight muttered. She turned her attention back towards Pinkie. “Still, can you at least focus more on spotting anything unusual?”

Pinkie’s mouth turned curled into an annoyed frown for all of half a second before being replaced by her usual smile. “Okie-dokie!” She ducked back into the hay pile before hopping back out, her ‘discreet’ sneaking gear somehow gone. As soon as she hit the ground, however, her attention was immediately captured by something else. “Oh! Gift shop!” In an instant, a pink blur hastily made its way to a gift shop directly across from the group. None of her friends even had a chance to object before Pinkie found herself perusing a selection of snow globes.

Twilight could do little more than slap a hoof to her face. “Alright, you girls stay here. I’ll go get her.”

“You sure you don’t want us taggin’ along, Twi?” Applejack asked.

Twilight waved a hoof, declining the offer. “I’ll be fine. It won’t take long. What’s the worst that could happen?” The rest of her friends just shrugged as Twilight trotted into the shop.

The welcoming jingle of the shop’s bell rang throughout the store when Twilight opened the door. Twilight stepped inside, taking a moment to examine the store’s interior. As far as layout went, it was rather standard. She was flanked by rows of shelves, all of them sporting various kinds of knick knacks. The aisle in front of her led directly to the cashier, a dark green stallion wearing a welcoming smile, if a bit forced.

“Hey there!” the stallion greeted. “Welcome to Knick Knack’s Knick-Knacks!”

“Oh, hello,” Twilight kindly said.

“What can I do ya for?” Knick Knack eagerly asked.

“Oh, nothing right now, thank you. I’m just here to get a friend.” Aside from the stallion, it seemed like she and Pinkie were the only ones in the store.

Speaking of Pinkie, Twilight found the pink mare searching through an aisle filled with snow globes, eyeing each and every one with foal-like wonder, spending all of half a second looking at one before switching to another. “Look at this one! Oh, look at this one! Oh, my gosh! Look at this one!”

Needless to say, she wasn’t a very hard pony to find. However, she wasn’t the only talkative pony in that store.

“Would you like to take a look at our stock?” Knick Knack asked right out of the blue.

For a moment, Twilight didn’t even think he was talking to her, but when she glanced at the store clerk, sure enough, he was staring right at her. “Um, no, thank you. I won’t be here much—”

“We have a special on snow globes!” Knick Knack cut in. “Wanna take a look?”

Twilight could only stand there and stare, completely dumbstruck by the stallion’s odd and persistent behavior. She met door-to-door salesponies who were less annoying. “N-no, I—” But before she could go any further, Pinkie popped up at the counter with a hoof-full of snow globes.

“I’ll take six!” she blurted, dropping them all on the counter. At least she wasn’t difficult to find.

“Pinkie!” Twilight called, walking up to her friend.

Pinkie twirled around, a wide smile on her face, in spite of Twilight’s clear annoyance. “Oh! Twilight, look at these! Aren’t they adorable?”

“Pinkie, not now,” Twilight said. “We need to go. Besides, I don’t even want a snow globe.”

Despite that, Pinkie didn’t back down for a second. “But these have little toy ponies in them! See?” Pinkie snatched up a snow globe and practically shoved it in Twilight’s face. It certainly made it difficult for Twilight to miss the tiny pony floating around in the glittery water.

Twilight smacked a hoof to her face. She had a tendency of doing that whenever Pinkie was involved. In spite of that, she put on a forced smile. “Yes, Pinkie, that looks very nice. But we really need to get going right now.”

“Okay, okay,” Pinkie said, taking the globe out of Twilight’s face. However, just as Twilight was ready to let out a relieved sigh, Pinkie turned back towards the counter. “Just let me buy all this stuff first.”

Twilight felt her eye twitch ever so slightly. It might have been easier to just pick Pinkie up and carry her out, but it was just Pinkie being Pinkie, and trying to prevent that was like trying to dodge rain. It simply was not going to happen. So, Twilight decided to wait as Pinkie hopped back to the counter.

As Pinkie purchased her souvenirs, Twilight took a quick glance back at her friends. She immediately did a double take as her heart dropped to her stomach. She knew for a fact that they were just outside the store, and she knew for a fact that she told them to stay put. So why weren’t they there anymore?

Twilight already had a niggling sense of anxiety resting in her stomach like a stone. That anxiety quickly blew up into a full-fledged panic as she rushed towards the window. She pressed her face up against the glass, shooting her eyes up and down the street. There was nothing. No sign of her friends anywhere. They disappeared, pure and simple.

Even under normal circumstances, losing her friends without a trace would’ve been reason enough for some underlying sense of panic. The fact that they were in a relatively dangerous situation did nothing to calm Twilight’s racing heart.

Okay Twilight, keep calm. Don’t panic. Panicking won’t help anything!

She was right. As bad as things seemed, it would only get worse if she didn’t keep her head together. After all, as things stood, it wasn’t the most life-threatening situation she’d been in. The fact that it wasn’t the only life-threatening situation she’d been in was even more reason to stay calm. At least she still had Pinkie with her.

Twilight glanced back at the counter. Staying calm suddenly became much more difficult for her.

Okay, Pinkie’s gone too.

She didn’t know when, she didn’t know how, but Pinkie somehow managed to disappear just as suddenly and mysteriously as the rest of her friends. She couldn’t even hear the usually talky pink pony, and that had to have been a first. The only other pony there was Knick Knack, and he just stood behind the counter with that stupid grin on his face.

“Excuse me. Did you see where that pony just went?” Twilight asked.

“Do you wanna take a look at our snow globes?”

Twilight nearly left an imprint in her face with how hard she slapped it. “Okay, so you’re still no help,” she muttered. Still, she tried to stay calm. It wouldn’t have been the first time Pinkie disappeared without a trace; she was probably waiting to pop out of somepony’s cookie jar. It was just a matter of finding the right cookie jar. That still didn’t explain where the rest of her friends went, but baby steps.

Twilight slowly backed away towards the door, haphazardly throwing together pieces of what was supposed to be a plan.

Alright, Twilight. Don’t panic. Just think of a plan. You’re good at that. Great at that!

The moment Twilight finally made it back outside, she started down the street at a trot.

Let’s see. My best bet would be to go get the princess. If I can find her. It might also be a good idea to go see if Rainbow Dash is still okay. If I can find her. No worries, though! Hoofington isn’t that big of a city, just five times the size of Ponyville! I’ll find them eventually. If I don’t get captured first.

Okay, so getting captured is the worst case scenario. Big deal! I’ve been captured plenty of times and always came out just fine, save for a few mental scars. I’m sure we’ll all come out of this just fine and then we can look back on this and just laugh and laugh and—

“Ow!” Twilight’s perfectly rational series of thinking was cut off when she felt a sharp prick on the back of her neck. She immediately washed magic over her neck, expecting it to just be some random bug. There was something there, but it wasn’t a bug. It was thin, sharp, and metallic.

She pulled it out and brought it up to her face. It was a small needle, hardly even an inch long. Though it was hard to see, Twilight could make out some odd, green ooze glistening at the very tip. Most other ponies would’ve flown into a debilitating sense of panic at the thought that they were just shot with that, but any sense of fear was overridden when Twilight’s inner historian kicked in.

Huh. A tranquilizing dart. These were frequently used centuries ago by highly trained infiltrators in order to incapacitate and capture key targets without causing any serious injuries. Coated with a concoction carefully crafted from numerous potent numbing and knock-out agents, these were notorious for their virtually instantaneous effect on the body.

…

Oh, dear.

The drowsiness slammed into Twilight with the grace and subtlety of a brick wall. She hardly had any control over her limbs as they grew limp and weak. She staggered about the street before colliding with a nearby wall, her only source of support. In nearly no time at all, simply keeping her eyes open became an impossible task as the darkness overtook her.

As Twilight approached the threshold of unconsciousness, she still had just enough time for one, last thought.

Worst case scenario, here I come!

Surprisingly, getting inside the abandoned building was far easier than Rainbow thought it would be. Breaking down the boards blocking the front entrance was like snapping a twig in two. Virtually no effort; one buck and she was in.

Granted, it might have been beneficial to find an entrance that wasn’t exposed to civilians, but since literally none of them reacted, they either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Either one was perfectly fine as far as Rainbow was concerned. It gave her one less thing to worry about.

Rainbow slowly stepped inside, taking a look around. As far as appearances went, it looked exactly like what she expected. Even with the bright sun shining through the house’s numerous holes, there was still a dull, grey light about the place.

Every single thing in sight fell victim to time. The wooden furnishings were rotten and termite-ridden. It was a miracle that anything was still standing at all, and considering how graceful Rainbow was around fragile objects, that could change very quickly.

It was a true shame, really. As she looked over the torn curtains, ripped paintings, and shredded furniture, it was clear that the house used to be a rather high class establishment. The rug that adorned the entire floor, grey and hardened from time, must’ve been dream-like against the fur during its time. Regardless, it begged the question, why would such a nice place be left to rot?

The last thing to capture Rainbow’s attention was a painting on the nearby wall. It was the only one left even remotely intact, but that wasn’t saying much. She knew that it was of a filly, but most of her mane, hind legs, and tail were all either torn off or faded beyond recognition.

Observing it more closely, Rainbow could at least tell that it was a bright pink filly. As for her mane, it was difficult to say since nearly all of it was gone. The only remaining pieces of mane, a few errant locks hanging over the filly’s face, were white. A pink filly with a white mane.

But it was strange. Rainbow knew that she never met such a filly before, but she couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of familiarity as she stared at the painting. Maybe it was the coat, or the mane, or the smile, but something about her gave Rainbow a strong sense of déjá vu. Slowly, everything started to click in her head.

“Hang on,” she muttered, squinting her eyes as she peered even closer at the worn painting before her. “Isn’t that—”

Rainbow was torn away from her thoughts when she heard glass shatter. Whipping around, she darted her head back and forth, eyes scanning every square inch of the room as she searched for the source. They eventually stopped on a set of stairs leading to the upper floor; that was where the noise came from.

For several, agonizingly long seconds, Rainbow only stood there, trying to figure out what that noise could’ve been. In a house as old and decrepit as the one she stood in, it could’ve been any number of relatively harmless things. In the situation Rainbow was in, however, it could’ve also been any number of not-so-harmless things, the worst of them planting itself right at the front of her mind.

There could’ve been another pony in the house.

Rainbow glanced back at the front door, then back at the stairs. It was a simple choice of either cutting her losses right then and there, or risking a quick investigation. As she weighed the two options, something else popped into her mind.

Alright, a quick peek won’t hurt.

Slowly, Rainbow made her way up the staircase, flinching at every silence-shattering creak as she neared the top, but heard nothing in the way of reaction. In fact, as she neared the top, another noise became apparent to her. It was difficult for her to describe, but it sounded like a low, continuous hum. She didn't have the slightest clue what could make such a noise, and as far as she was concerned, there was only one way to find out.

Once she reached the top of the stairs, Rainbow cautiously made one side glance. It didn't take very long for her to find the source of that hum. Right down the hall, at the very end, was a door protected by a shimmering, magical barrier, illuminating the entire hall with a deep, blue glow.

“Whoa,” was all Rainbow could utter as she approached the barrier. Out of all the things she expected to find in a house older than Granny Smith, magically protected rooms were definitely near the bottom of that list. Standing in front of it, Rainbow looked at it more closely.

Upon closer inspection, the barrier seemed rather old itself. It sizzled, cracked, and popped in various places. Rainbow could even spot a few holes in the barrier. She may not have been an expert when it came to magic, but even she could safely guess that the barrier wasn’t in the best of shape. All things considered, it was likely just as old as the house. Whatever it was meant to guard, it probably couldn’t guard it much longer.

Rainbow rubbed her chin as an idea spun in her head. She vaguely recalled Twilight, at one point or another, talking about such spells during one of the rare times when Rainbow actually listened to her. These spells, or wards, as Twilight called them, were rather basic as far as defensive spells went, but could be incredibly useful if used correctly.

Depending on the amount of magic put into the spell, wards could last anywhere from half an hour to entire decades, but they all weakened over time until inevitably dissipating. If a ward was weakened enough, it was even possible to break through it using nothing but brute force. That was what Rainbow was aiming for.

From the looks of it, that ward was on its last legs; a few hours, at the most, and it’d be gone. Rainbow, however, didn’t have a few hours. Even if she did, there wasn’t a snowball’s chance on the sun that she’d wait. It looked weak enough. If she went at it with a bit of gusto, she’d be able to force herself inside.

“Alright, buddy. You’re going down.” Rainbow spun around, her back facing the ward. She raised her rear legs, positioned to deliver a powerful quick. In a single, powerful motion, she bucked her back legs out. They collided with the barrier, pushed Rainbow forward, and sent her crashing face-first into the dusty floor. So, the barrier was tougher than it looked, as if that would ever be enough to stop her.

After picking herself up and brushing the dust off of her coat, she turned back to face the bothersome barrier. “So, tough guy, huh? Alright, I got something for ya.” Rainbow trotted all the way to the other end of the hallway. She didn’t stop until her rump was pressed right up against the opposite wall. She took a quick moment to stretch her legs and wings, especially the wings. She didn’t want to pull a muscle, after all.

Nice and limber, Rainbow crouched down, unfurling her wings to their full extent. With a single, hard flap, she launched herself forward, speeding forward like a bullet.

The weakened barrier stood no chance. Rainbow plowed through it like paper. She also crashed through the surprisingly sturdy door directly behind it, a minor flaw in her plan that she hadn’t considered at the time. At that point, through the immediate daze, she suspected that she might have overdone it a bit.

Rainbow tumbled and rolled across the floor of the newly opened room. It didn’t take very long before she came to a rather painful halt when she slammed her head on the opposite wall.

After shaking the stars spinning about in her vision, Rainbow dizzily got back onto her hooves and took a moment to look around the room. In retrospect, barreling headfirst through a magical barrier and a closed door wasn’t the best of ideas, but that was the last thing on Rainbow’s mind. What was on her mind was whether or not it was worth the trouble. The moment she got a good look at the room, that question was immediately answered.

It didn’t even look like she was in the same building. The room she found herself in wasn’t abandoned, filthy, or even really dirty. A glistening, golden chandelier hung overhead, its many candles keeping the room alit in a warm glow. The rug beneath Rainbow’s hooves was as soft as any cloud, nothing at all like the hardened spikes she walked on mere moments before.

For a moment, Rainbow thought she had somehow crashed into a different building. Such a possibility wasn’t entirely out of the question. That theory was quickly disproven when she looked back at the door she just crashed through. Everything beyond its threshold was the same, grey, decrepit house Rainbow entered minutes ago. It was as if the room was not only protected by the barrier, but preserved as well. That still left one question in the back of Rainbow’s mind. Why?

She didn’t get much time to ponder before her attention was caught by something else. On the ground next to her, partially hidden underneath a desk, was a hefty burlap sack. That alone would’ve been enough to pique her curiosity, but what the bag contained sealed the deal. Numerous letters filled the bag up to the brim, some even spilling out onto the floor.

A small smile appeared on Rainbow’s face. “Alright, now we’re getting somewhere.” She didn’t bother picking out a letter in particular. She just picked one up and started reading. It could’ve been anything, from organized meetings, to planned attacks, maybe even the names of the ponies responsible. The letter was none of those things.

Hey Mom, Hey Dad,

Sorry it too so long to get this one out. Camp’s been getting pretty crazy lately. Been spending most of my time either training or sleeping, but now I’ve finally got some down time, so I figured, why not write another letter? So, what’s been happening? Where do I begin? Like I said, the coaches have finally grown a pair of wings and cranked things up a notch. I still come out on top, of course, but it’s nice to have a bit of a challenge every now and then. Doesn’t look like everypony can handle it, though.

There’s this one pony who barely got by in the intro classes. Could barely fly in a straight line. And when they cranked things up, geez, it was almost painful trying to watch her. She doesn’t seem like a bad pony, though. Just a bit on the shy side, if I had to guess. I might try to talk to her tomorrow and see where that goes. A friend or two doesn’t sound too bad.

But that’s what I’ve been going through so far. What about you guys? Haven’t heard back from you in a while. Everything’s okay, right? I mean, if not, you can at least tell me so that I’ll know. Just letting you know. Talk to you later. Love ya!

-R.D

Rainbow slowly lowered the letter. She didn’t even realize how badly she was shaking. In her mind, she wanted to scream, to move, to do something, but her body refused to listen. She had no idea how to describe whatever it was that was brewing in her stomach. It could’ve been denial, it could’ve been sorrow, perhaps it was even anger. It could’ve been all three of them, or none of them. There were a lot of things in her mind that she wasn’t sure of, but there was one thing that she knew for a fact: that letter wasn’t hers.

It may have had her name on it, it may have been written in her barely legible mouth-writing, it may have even had various doodlings of Wonderbolts across the page, but it wasn’t hers. It just couldn’t be. It had to be the product of some master forger with nothing better to do than to copy, down to a T, a filly’s letter to her parents. At least, Rainbow hoped that it was just the one.

She dove back into the bag, pulling out letter after letter. They were all hers. There were letters from her first week at flight camp. Letters from her first party, from her first run-in with authorities, from her first talk with Fluttershy. There were even letters from her time spent in Ponyville. It was all from Rainbow Dash, no matter how much she didn’t want to believe it.

Finally, after minutes of sifting through the letters, Rainbow stopped. She dropped the letter in her hooves, backed away, and sat down on her haunches. She couldn’t read anymore, anyway; her eyes were too full of tears.

She didn’t want to believe it, but that was the reality, one that she wished she didn’t find. It meant one of two things. Either someone was stealing all of her letters for whatever reason, or her parents were ignoring her, lying to her, all of this time. That was a painful thing to imagine, and Rainbow didn’t want to think that her own parents could be so cruel, but after everything she’d been through, she wasn’t about to put anything past anypony. She needed to find them. She needed to ask them. She needed to know.

“Perhaps we should come back at another time.”

Rainbow shot up to her hooves, spinning around on a dime. Three stallions stood before the pegasus, clad in black robes, their faces concealed in the shadows of their hoods. They blocked the doorway, the only way out, trapping Rainbow in the room.

The pegasus already felt the adrenaline flowing through her veins. She firmly planted her hooves on the floor, ready for a fight. She may not have been the best judge of character, but she didn’t have to be to know that they were trouble.

“Who the hay are you?"

The middle stallion, presumably the leader, took a single step towards Rainbow. She responded by flaring her wings. Despite that, the stallion offered a quick bow. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Dash,” he said. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you. A brash, reckless, little stunt flier, yes?” His voice was dripping with that smug pretentiousness that always got under Rainbow’s skin. If he honestly expected her to calm down, then he was due for a disappointment.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Rainbow said. “Who are you?”

The stallion simply smiled. Rainbow felt a tingling in her hoof as she entertained the idea of wiping that smile off of his face. “I believe names at this stage are… unimportant,” he said. “What is important, however, is that we are your allies.”

Rainbow laughed at the supposed sentimentality. She’d seen mane extensions that were more authentic. “You’re so full of it, you know that? If you seriously think I’m gonna buy that load of horseapples, then you’re dumber than I thought.”

“I’ll admit, I had my doubts, but I still believe that you’ll listen to what I have to say.”

“You really don’t know me, then.”

“Perhaps not yet, but I am confident that that will change. You see, I am a stallion of facts, so here is a fact for you. You and I both want the same thing.”

The smile on Rainbow’s face was nothing short of deliciously sadistic. “You wanna beat up a couple of clowns, too? Cool. I’ve got three in front of me right now. If that's not what you want, then take your Saddle Arabian rejects and get lost!” She couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction as the stallion shifted in his seat.

He quickly cleared his throat. “As I was saying, you and I want the same thing. Peace in Equesria.”

Rainbow arched a single eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

“Perhaps I should explain.”

“Yeah, you better.” Rainbow didn’t even notice the single, intimidating step she took towards the stallion.

He took a moment to gently sigh to himself. “Allow me to get right to the point. We know that you’re helping Celestia locate the Apple.”

Rainbow’s eyes, already filling with restrained anger, gave way to the slightest hint of shock. “What? How do you—"

“My friends have heard things in the past,” he quickly answered. “Now, allow me to explain, Ms. Dash. I know that you believe listening to Celestia is the best course of action, but blindly aiding her will only lead to Equestria’s demise.”

Rainbow wanted to tell him off so badly. She wanted to do worse. Her body trembled at the mere thought of it, but something held her back. Not necessarily restraint, but some kind of morbid curiosity. Recent events had left her brain fried, both metaphorically and literally. She had more pieces to this puzzle than she knew what to do with. It didn’t help that she wasn’t very good at puzzles to begin with.

She subconsciously yearned for anything that’d be able to clear up even a bit of the haze that she’d been trudging through for the past few days. She just didn’t expect some of those things to come from a stallion about as trustworthy as the hobo down the street offering young foals free samples of his ‘milk’.

With her silence, the stallion decided to continue. “Though it seems that Celestia is eager to let you help, she is still keeping you in the dark. She is hiding her true intentions. She doesn’t simply want to ‘find the Apple’, as she so passionately puts it. She wants to use it for her own purposes. To create the Equestria that she wants.”

“You really expect me to believe that? This is already the Equestria that she wants. She told me so.”

“And you believe that?” A small, almost pitying chuckle left the stallion’s lips. It was getting harder and harder for Rainbow to keep her cool, but she still wanted to see where he was going with this. “Whatever act Celestia put on for you was just that. An act. But she’s evasive when you ask her the hard questions, isn’t she?”

“Hey, this is just as hard for her as it is for me! And I don’t care what her ‘real intentions’ are. I know they aren’t what you’re saying. There’s no way that she’d do anything like that!”

The stallion let out another, deeper sigh, as he shook his head. “Oh, you poor child. Celestia has done an excellent job brainwashing you. No matter. You’ll see the truth in time once you come with us.”

Rainbow took a defensive step back, the adrenaline pumping back into her veins. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“I’m afraid that isn’t your choice to make.” He nodded to one of the stallions behind him. The hooded goon wasted no time before lunging towards Rainbow.

A nearly debilitating sense of panic shot right through her heart. He was fast, far faster than a stallion his size had any right to be. But just as quickly as he lunged, something inside of Rainbow awoken. Through all of her shock, through all of her panic, there was something else. A soothing sense of calm and focus that she never felt before. Her body, once rigid and taut mere seconds ago, grew nice and relaxed, yet Rainbow still remained alert.

There was something else as well. Something instinctive. Whatever that something was, it guided Rainbow’s hooves along an unseen path as the stallion grew closer. There was no hesitation, no thinking, simply action as Rainbow’s hooves made contact with the stallion at the perfect angle to effortlessly shove him aside.

The entire room shook as all of the stallion’s momentum went into the solid, wooden wall behind Rainbow Dash. For a moment, there was nothing. Rainbow just stood there. She had no idea how to feel about what she had just done. She had been through her fair share of fights before, but never had she felt so… relaxed.

She looked down at her hooves. They weren’t even shaking from adrenaline. Her breathing was smooth and controlled. Her mind, which was racing not even a minute ago, was clear. She was, in every possible way, calm.

And it felt very, very good.

With newfound determination in her eyes and an unconscious stallion behind her, Rainbow looked back up at the head honcho. Despite taking down one of his henchmen without breaking so much as a sweat, he didn’t seem scared. Nothing about his body language suggested fear or even concern. He seemed just as calm as Rainbow was. For some reason, that only made her even angrier.

“Interesting,” he said. “It seems that you’re more in tune with Shadow Streak than we thought.” He looked back at his remaining ally. “You. Lop off those pesky legs of hers. We only need her mind.”

As relaxed as Rainbow was, even she wasn’t able to keep a calm face as the goon drew a razor sharp dagger from his robes. But despite the seemingly bad odds, there was something about his body language that Rainbow couldn’t help but notice. He crept along the edge of the room, keeping his distance. His steps were slow and methodical, as though he was expecting her to attack at any given second. He was afraid. That fact put a small smirk on Rainbow’s face. She was in control, an advantage that she was going to abuse oh so maliciously.

She took a single step towards her opponent. He responded by taking a step back. She took two more steps forward. He took two steps back. She took a step back, he took a step forward. But when she went forward again, he was quick to retract that little advance.

She’d have been lying if she said that she didn’t enjoy it.

After having her share of amusement, Rainbow started another advance. This time, she didn’t stop. The stallion, apparently having completely forgotten that he was the armed one, kept backpedaling as Rainbow continued towards him.

One crucial thing that he seemed to have forgotten, though, was that it was a rather small room, and that he’d run out of space to retreat eventually. That was a fact made clear as day to him as he felt his rump bump into the wall. Reacting completely out of shock, he glanced back just to see what he backed into.

That was Rainbow’s opening.

With a single flap of her wings, she shot herself forward. Her opponent barely even had time to look back at her. The last thing that he saw was a bright blue hoof rushing towards his face.

Rainbow must’ve had a nastier right hook than she thought. One hard one and the stallion dropped to the floor, dagger flying from his mouth and skidding across the floor.

With the two goons down and out of the way, Rainbow set her sights back on the stallion who sicked them on her in the first place. “What was that you were saying about me not having a choice?” she asked, that smirk still gracing her face. She felt good. Great, even. She had no idea where it all came from, but she was far too lost in the moment to care. All she knew was that she was two for three, and she was going to make that third beating something to truly remember.

The stallion let out a little chuckle himself. That little chuckle quickly turned into a hearty guffaw. “Most impressive, Ms. Dash. Most impressive, indeed. You certainly have the skill to fit our needs. Now we simply need you to see the truth of this dire situation.”

“Yeah, good luck with that. It’s gonna take more than your say-so to get me to turn my back on the Princess.”

“And I’m inclined to agree.” Rainbow wasn’t entirely sure if it was a trick of the light, but she could’ve swore that she saw light reflect off of the stallion’s toothy smile. “As I’ve said before, I am a stallion of facts. Here is another one for you. I have custody of your friends.”

Rainbow’s smirk disappeared in an instant. The sense of calm flowing throughout her body gave way to something more primal, and far more barbaric. “What did you say?”

“You can resist all you wish, but in the end, you’ll only be hurting those five ponies you’ve held in such high regard. Wouldn’t it be a shame if they were to suffer the consequences of your actions?”

That sensation in her stomach only grew more intense. It felt familiar somehow. The last time she felt something like this was way back during her early years in Ponyville.

By that point, she and Fluttershy were about as close as friends could be. It was a warm, summer night and Rainbow was flying home after a tiring training session. However, as she flew over Ponyville’s market district, she saw Fluttershy cornered by a couple of drunks. She couldn’t remember exactly what Fluttershy was doing out at that hour, something about her making some last-minute purchases for the nocturnal animals, but that didn’t matter.

Fluttershy hardly stood a chance at getting out of there herself. She just stood there with her eyes clamped shut as though that would make them go away. She was a sitting duck. A late-night plaything for the drunks to do whatever they wanted with. Rainbow was already speeding towards her friend’s aid when she saw something that put her over the edge.

When Fluttershy felt one of the drunks brush a hoof over her flank, she immediately, almost instinctively, bucked him in the leg. She must’ve surprised herself with that, because she did nothing but apologize, but he had none of it. That was when he slapped her.

Something in Rainbow snapped. She didn’t know what she was thinking except that she saw a couple of punching bags with her name on them. She could hardly even remember what it was that she exactly did, just that at the end of it all, those drunks woke up in the hospital the next morning with a plethora of broken bones to accompany their hangover.

It took a long few weeks before Fluttershy was able to talk to her again, but the two patched things up in due time.

And now there she was, with that same feeling boiling in her stomach, staring at the stallion responsible. That was when she realized what it was. Unrestrained, uncontrolled, and unbridled anger. Her teeth were clenched to the point of aching. All of the calm and relaxation that she felt was long gone. The only thing that kept her from caving his head in at that very moment was a simple question. “Where are they?” she demanded, her voice masking the storm raging inside of her.

“I’m afraid that it doesn’t work that way, Ms. Dash.”

For a brief moment, a tiny fraction of that rage made its way to the surface. “They’ve got nothing to do with this!” she cried.

“They have everything to do with this!” he snapped back. “The Elements of Harmony are our ace in the hole should Celestia ever lose control. We just have to convince you all to join our cause before it’s too late.” A sinister chuckle left the stallion’s lips. “Whether or not that process is pleasant, well... that will be up to you.”

Something inside of Rainbow snapped. The last sense of restraint in her mind gave way to a voice screaming in her head. There was no pain. There was no sudden case of nausea. Only pure, blinding rage as a single sentence range loud and clear in her head.

If you touch them, I’ll kill you!

“If you touch them,” Rainbow began, “I will kill you!”

For the first time since they met, the stallion took a single step back. “What happens to your friends rests entirely on your shoulders, Ms. Dash. Regardless of what happens, you will see things my way in due time.” He dug into his robes and pulled out a small, silver ball. “And once you do, we will be waiting for you.”

Before Rainbow could make a single move, he slammed the ball into the floor. It exploded into a thick cloud of smoke, enveloping everything into the room. Rainbow shut her eyes, coughing any smoke out of her lungs as she hurried out of the room. She was not going to let him get away.

She burst out onto the streets of Hoofington, still coughing out smoke. She looked up and down the streets, looking past all of the obliviously cheerful ponies passing her by. No matter how hard she tried, though, she couldn’t even spot a glimpse of the stallion. He escaped. And he had her friends.

The anger boiling within Rainbow subsided. All of the energy she had mere seconds ago simply went away. She slumped down onto her haunches, head hung low in defeat. She couldn’t even try to hold back the tears falling from her eyes.

It was too much. Everything that had happened to her in just a scant few days. It was simply too much to bear. How could she possibly hope to protect Equestria if she couldn’t even protect her friends? Maybe it would’ve been easier just to lie down and let whatever doomed fate that awaited Equestria run its course.

No.

Rainbow wiped the tears from her eyes. She wasn’t going to just stand idly by while her friends were in danger. They wouldn’t abandon her, and she wasn’t going to abandon them. As hopeless as things seemed, there was always a way, even if Rainbow had to scour every square inch of the city, of Equestria, to find it. Thankfully, she didn’t need to look that far to find some semblance of a lead to follow. In fact, the pony she had in mind was only a few blocks away, in a tavern, possibly fighting for her life at that very moment.

Rainbow wasted no time before galloping down the street towards the tavern. She already didn’t like that stallion, whoever he was, but he made it personal the second he got her friends involved. And once Rainbow got her hooves on him, she was going to truly make him suffer.