At the End of the Rainbow

Chapters

Welcome, to the Future (Re-Uploaded 08/08/23)
On the Trail of a Beast
The World's Fair

Welcome, to the Future (Re-Uploaded 08/08/23)

Author's Note

This is my attempt to kickstart this story again, have re-written the original chapter as I feel my writing's improved enough to warrant that.

Welcome, to the Future (Re-Uploaded 08/08/23)

Welcome, to the future.

Those words may seem bold, but the future is what we offer, it is what we strive for, it is our most solemn promise and vow to you, the ponies of Equestria, the Gryphons of the Dominion, the Minotaurs of the Hegemony, in short, the citizens of Equis. One we shall uphold until the end of time.

No matter who you are, your race or creed, Magi-TekTM is here for you, combining the arcane with the scientific, the oldest traditions with the height of technological breakthroughs, the Equestrian with that of a galaxy not our own.

I say again. Welcome to the future. Welcome, to the World’s Fair.

Twilight’s voice boomed from a near perfect holographic replica of the mare's own head, perfect save for the fact it dwarfed even the largest of minotaurs a dozen times over, filling the auditorium stage. As the final words faded, so too did the hologram, dissolving into aetheric-mist that curled and danced, seemingly with a life of its own, beckoning the views onwards, drawing them in before it too faded, the shutters that had dimmed the auditorium sliding up.

Twilight blinked as the light streamed in, clopping her hooves together as the one other occupant of the room walked on stage, taking a small bow in recognition of the alicorn’s approval.

“So, I take it you approve?” the stallion asked.

“As always, you’ve knocked this out of the park, Star Whistle,” Twilight rose as she spoke, coming to land beside the old stallion. “Magi-TekTM is lucky to have you, this will make for quite the entrance. It’s set to loop, yes?”

“Precisely,” Star Whistle nodded enthusiastically. “All the guests will pass by it on their way in, the projection will be powered by seven Alfar-grade aetheric matrices...”

Star Whistle trailed off as he remembered who he was talking to, Twilight stifling a soft chuckle behind her wing.

“Sorry, I do not believe you need the technical specifications of your own invention,” he laughed sheepishly.

“Star Whistle, if anypony deserves the right to launch into technical specifications of magical technology, it would be you,” Twilight assured him. “And I trust your judgement implicitly, this fair, and this company, are as much your triumph as they are mine.”

“You’re too kind, princess. I will ensure the final itinerary is on your desk by the morning at the latest.”

With that, Star Whistle turned, muttering to himself as he began to work through what was still required for the upcoming fair, a stylus and dataslate materialising to take down his words in a flash of white magic. Twilight watched him for a moment before likewise turning and trotting from the room, leaving Star Whistle to his work.

When Star Whistle had first approved her two years ago with the idea of merging his small company with Magi-TekTM, Twilight had initially been sceptical, his company in truth little more than a one-pony band, while Magi-TekTM had only just become more than a dream, yet already she had ponies clamouring to stand beside the Princess. Of them, Star Whistle had been by far the oldest, many even laughing as the wizened stallion had made his case, and yet each had swiftly stopped laughing as he proved the old adage of old dogs and new tricks entirely false, his understanding of arcane-technology impressive, but it was his skill as an orator and a show-pony who never stopped so low as to be a snake-oil salespony that had truly won Twilight over. It had not taken much thought for Twilight to appoint him as the CMO of the entire company, and it was not mere flattery that Magi-TekTM’s success was as much his as it was Twilight’s.

As she walked through the campus, Twilight still couldn’t help but marvelling at the changes wrought upon Equestria in such a short amount of time, a mere three years having passed since the portal to that other universe had opened once again, and for the second time in recent memory, Equestria, and indeed all of Equis, had experienced a second cultural and technological renaissance, combining the arcane, Aeldari and T’au into a wave that left nothing untouched.

Hyper-velocity trains, initially developed from Aeldari jetbike technology and requiring a Unicorn pilot and thus all but impossible to maintain beyond Equestria, were now common in every nation of the world as new energy capacitors stored the power of a hundred unicorns for months on end, enabled travel across the continent at speeds and distances undreampt of, while sleek airships powered by the repulsor technology of the ship that had brought the travellers home now criss-crossed the skies, bringing the light of friendship and harmony to all corners of the planet.

At the heart of all of this change sat Magi-TekTM, Twilight serving as both CEO and its greatest inventor, the Princess of Friendship, the Princess of Technology as many now joked, had churned out innovation after innovation, backed by the Equestrian treasury to ensure that the inventions were made available and accessible for all, the company founded on a solemn promise to never deprive or discriminate, and to never stop the ceaseless march of progress through this latest and greatest of technological ages. It was a promise that Twilight was intensely proud to say she had never once faltered from, which now led them to where they were now.

“Keep it together,” Twilight softly chided herself, taking a deep breath to calm her ever growing nerves that rested just beneath the surface, speeding up to a brisk trot as she did so. She could have flown or caught a taxi, but she enjoyed the walk, it gave her time to get her head on straight.

The World's Fair was going to be the most important event in Magi-TekTM’s short history, creatures coming from all over Equis to marvel at the new innovations being made in Equestria and beyond. Not just observers however, investors. Magi-TekTM may have had the support of the Equestrian Treasury, but the burden of subsidising the company’s vast expenditures could not be sustained indefinitely. By the standards of large scale companies, Magi-TekTM haemorrhaged money at a frankly alarming rate, selling its inventions at close to cost, R&D thus a drain without large margins to offset it. The Worlds Fair was a chance, the last chance as Twilight reminded herself before cursing herself for adding yet more fuel to the fires of her nerves, to attract not just onlookers, but investors, ponies and other denizens of Equis who shared in her vision and would not make a push towards profits above people.

Twilights heart was hammering as she finally reached her personal workspace, virtually galloping as she slammed the doors behind her, taking a deep breath in the sanctity of her private area.

“Princess Twilight.”

The voice caused Twilight to jump, whirling round and locking gazes with the orange eyes of none other than Spitfire.

“General Spitfire,” Twilight forced herself to adopt some modicum of dignity as she spoke, her wings subconsciously straightening themselves as her eyes were invariably drawn to the nub that still graced the older mares back. “May I ask how you got in here? This is a private space off limits to the public, that does include the Everwatchful Eye, even their commander.”

Her words were stilted, it not taking a genius to sense the gulf that existed between the two ponies.

“Your assistant let me in,” Spitfire’s words were dismissive, Twilight making a mental note to have words with Spike about what “Private” and “Do not let anyone in” meant.

“Well then, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Twilight asked. “I see the latest shipment of armour reached you.”

True to Twilight's words, Spitfire was indeed clad in a suit of black combat armour that still bore the tell-tale sheen of a factory finish. New armaments had been amongst the first and easiest inventions after Applejack and the others returned, Twilight’s own efforts having revolved primarily around the Royal Guard, replacing the cumbersome metal armour with suits of a nano-crystalline polyethene weave, maintaining the golden look of their old armour but eclipsing its protective qualities a thousand-fold, all at a fraction of the weight, while their spears now boasted potent stun generators, ensuring the peace-keepers were well equipped for their duties.

Spitfire was not a Royal Guard however, and the armour she wore was of an entirely different pedigree, speaking to the mindset of their commander. The mare who had disappeared into the portal so long ago had not returned with Applejack, instead the Spitfire that came back was venomous and driven in equal measures, determined to “protect Equis from any threats that would assail it”, whatever that truly meant. At first she had proclaimed herself the new leader of the Swooping Pegasi, Rainbow’s unexplained absence leaving no one to challenge her, but in time, a mere team had given way to a far larger organisation; the Everwatchful Eye.

Not bound to any one nation or species, the Everwatchful Eye was formed from ponies, Gryphons, Minotaurs, Horses, Yaks and countless others, a private military that rivalled even the Gryphon Hosts or the Changeling Swarms, and each bore weapons and armour forged in Magi-TekTM approved facilities across the world, designed not for ceremony or peace, but war, Twilights inventions equipping a standing army, something she found distasteful at best.

“Right on time, as always,” Spitfire nodded. “As for why I am here...”

Spitfire pointed at the cloth covered object in the middle of the room, Twilight’s eyes darting to the magical seals before she assured herself Spitfire hadn’t been able to look beneath.

“As you can see from the cover, and as you may have surmised from it being locked away in a private facility, it is not ready yet, and I do not appreciate you spying on what Magi-TekTM is working on. I am sure if you wait for a few days, the World's Fair may enlighten you prop...”

“Cut the horsehit,” Spitfire’s voice was icy as she cut in, Twilight wincing at the mares language and the ease with which she fell into its use. “My contacts, my ‘spies’, have been telling me about this project for almost as long as this company has been around, and they also tell me that it was meant to be finished months ago, but mysteriously slowed down since Applejack withdrew from the public eye...her Battlesuit included.”

Once again, Twilight winced as the thought of Applejack’s sudden disappearance returned to her. It hadn’t been quite as sudden as Rainbow’s had been, having remained in Ponyville and returned to tending the farm, although the trunks of broken trees had marked her first few apple bucking attempts. Six months after her return however, she had vanished with only the quickest of goodbye’s, disappearing deep into the Everfree Forest, beyond where even the ruined Castle of the Two Sisters lay. None of the Apple’s would say why she’d gone, if she’d even told them the specifics, and all of Twilight's endeavours to search for her had turned up nothing. Whether she was with Rainbow Dash and the others or had gone off on her own, Twilight couldn’t say, but it hurt nonetheless, her heart aching for the days before any of this had happened, when things simply made sense.

What I may or not be working on...” Twilight began, but was cut off yet again as Spitfire took a step towards the Princess, her muzzle mere inches from Twilights.

“I don’t want the corporate speech,” Spitfire hissed. “Tau Battlesuits are amongst the greatest personal fighting machines in the galaxy, Applejack’s was a marvel amongst such marvels, and if you’re working on something of even a fraction of the potency then I want it for the Everwatcheful Eye.”

Twilight held Spitfire's gaze for a second, before teleporting away in a flash, a second flash across the room heralding her return, forcing Spitfire to whirl to face her.

“If I am working on Battlesuit technology, and if such a thing were ever to be unveiled, then you can observe it alongside the general public and place your bids accordingly if it falls under our military applications arm, or can purchase it at cost if it enters the civilian market. Magi-TekTM begrudgingly supplies the weapons market as our sole source of profit but I am not about to become the sort of pony who performs illicit backdoor arms deals, especially not with ponies who arrive unannounced inside my personal laboratory seeking to stronghoof me.”

“Don’t make me your enemy, Sparkle,” Spitfire growled.

“Don’t make yourself an enemy then,” Twilight retorted just as bluntly, having fully regained her surety as she swept a hoof towards the door. “If there is nothing else, General, I trust you can see yourself out? I am a very busy pony afterall, the World’s...”

“There’s been a murder,” Spitfire broke the horrific news without fanfare or even a cursory attempt to soften the blow, the last word hanging in the air.

“A...murder?” Twilight all but whispered, her ears folding down close to her head. Crime had risen slightly with the industrialisation of much of Equis, but by and large these were still small crimes, petty thefts or drunken brawls.

“Do I have your attention now?” Spitfire asked, arching an eyebrow.

“You’re sure? The amount of reported yearly murders in Equestria can be counted on the hooves of a single pony.”

“I can show you documentation if you would like, the pictures are conclusive that this wasn’t an accident.”

“No, please no,” Twilight looked sick, her fur pale. “W-why are you telling me this? A murder would be...”

“The purview of the local city guard,” Spitfire finished, as if it was obvious. “Normally that would be the case, but in this instance they’ll be out of their league if I’m right. The nature of the event is...singular and brutal in its execution. My thoughts are just that, thoughts, and I require evidence to back them up, and for that, I can think of no pony with a better grasp of magic who would be willing to help.”

“Me? Help with this?” Twilight all but shouted, her eyes wide. “Why would I be able to help? Pinkie’s the detective!”

“Don’t play coy, Twilight,” Spitfire shook her head. “You have an eye for detail greater than anypony or anyone else I know, you have access to the greatest experimental and prototype equipment known to Equis and if you agree to help, you’ll be able to bring that equipment to assist us rather than making us jump through hoops to requisition it.”

“This was your plan all along?” Twilight asked. “You never wanted,” she gestured at the cloth covering in the centre of the room, “this?”

“No, I do, and I stand by wanting it, especially if I am proven right,” Spitfire said darkly. “But, I will drop any attempts to get at it early on two conditions. Firstly, you agree to assist this investigation.”

“And the second condition?”

“If that is finished by the time we find the culprit and if it is deemed necessary by me, you will use it, grand unveiling at the World’s Fair be damned.”

Twilight paused for a long moment, before nodding.

“One condition of my own. If I do this, the Everwatchful Eye will wait and bid for military contracts as everyone else does. No special treatment, no previews of our new products, and no attempting to pervert our civilian creations to your own ends. Do we have a deal?”

Twilight expected Spitfire to refuse this, getting ready to engage in a fierce back and forth, but to her surprise, Spitfire simply extended a hoof.

“Done.”

Twilight gently tapped her hoof against Spitfire’s, taken aback with the ease of negotiations as Spitfire turned to leave.

“The first body has been moved to our Canterlot base, I have a shuttle waiting to take us there. Get what you need and meet me in the flight bay.”

“Why did you say ‘first’?” Twilight called out as Spitfire trotted towards the exit.

“Because I don’t believe this is over,” Spitfire shot back darkly, not turning around. “Not by a long shot.”

***

Twilight barely made it a few steps outside the room before she threw up, the contents of her lunch splattered across the floor as she made a retching sound, mixing with the sobs that were escaping from her. She had known that looking at a dead pony would be one of the most harrowing experiences of her life, she had prepared herself mentally on the way here, remembering everything that Rainbow Dash had said about coping with violence when she had returned for the first time. If the pony she had seen had simply been dead, maybe she would have managed to keep her lunch down, though her tears would have been present regardless. Just ‘dead’ however, didn’t describe what she had just seen however. Eviscerated maybe. Disembowelled. Shredded. Torn Apart.

Twilight retched again, cursing her own mind for knowing so many words that could be used to describe what she had just seen.

A hoof suddenly snaked around her neck, Twilight looking p to see Lightning Dust beside her, the teal pony holding Twilight close.

“We’re here for you, princess,” she cooed softly, her voice more comforting than Twilight remembered based on the last time they spoke.

“What...could...do...that?” Twilight’s voice was little more than a high pitched squeak, her breather laboured and her pupils pinprick small.

“That’s what we’re all trying to figure out,” Lighting sighed. “I know it’s hard Twilight, but we need your help here. These injuries don’t match any known animal wounds, so either it's a new creature, a pack of something, or something else...”

She trailed off, her own expression darkening much in the same manner as Spitfires had earlier. They both knew something, or at least they both had a hunch, but whatever it was, both were loath to give voice to the idea, almost as if they feared what speaking the idea aloud would do.

“That was no animal,” Twilight shook her head, forcing her mind to work analytically, trying to push out the fact she was talking about a deceased pony. “The striations are a uniform depth and direction, looking like they came from two distinct angles at first, then over a hundred in the next. The first two dis...disabled, the next wounded, but cause of d-death...cause was...”

Twilight couldn’t do it, bursting into tears once more.

“Exsanguination,” Spitfire murmured as she exited the morgue, joining the pair and putting a hoof of her own around Twilight's neck. “We didn’t think it was an animal either, there’s no tell-tale signs of a feral attack, the corpse is whole save the wounds done to it, no creature we know of just kills and leaves its victim for us to find.”

“And no creature could kill in the middle of Manehattan like that,” Lightning added. “Anything that brutal wouldn’t be stealthy if it didn’t also possess pony level intellect.

“Exactly,” Spitfire nodded. “Now you see we need your help, princess. We need an impartial witness of these events, someone with expertise. This is a threat to all of Equestria.”

“I’ll...call the girls,” Twilight sniffed, before forcing herself to stand straight, speaking with some of the gravitas that her role as princess demanded. “The Elements of harmony will assist you, Spitfire. We’ll find whatever...whoever did this, and ensure they face Celestia’s justice, and that of the Elements.”

On the Trail of a Beast

The shuttle streaked through the night sky, its midnight hull and magi-grav engines ensuring few on the ground were even aware of its passing even as it streaked past. Inside, inertia-dampeners thrumed silently, ensuring the extreme g-forces that were exerted on the craft as it sped onwards were not felt by its occupants, ensuring the ride was smooth and serene. At least, that was the theory, Twilight highly doubting she would describe anything as serene for a long, long time after what she had just witnessed.

The time after she had agreed to help Spitfire had been a whirlwind of activity, the older mare organising transport and a detail of the Everwatchful Eye to accompany her, Twilight and Lightning, while Twilight and Lightning made contact with the other Element Bearers and Spike, Twilight calling each of her friends and explaining, in the broadest terms possible, that there was a situation that they had been asked to help with by the Everwatchful Eye, even as Lightning arranged separate escort details and transport to Manehattan for each of them.

No sooner had Pinke, the last of the Element Bearers to answer Twilights repeated calls, agreed to meet for ‘what could only be a super secret party planning session’ in her words, had Spitfire corralled Twilight towards one of the many flightbays of the base they were in, joined by three earth ponies, a unicorn, a Hippogryph and a Minotaur as they went, all clad in the armour of the Everwatchful Eye and all carrying blocky energy weapons across their backs.

“Five minutes to touch down,” the pilot called out, Spitfire tightening the straps on Lightnings armour before turning and allowing Lightning to do the same in turn, each of the other soldiers doing the same, ensuring a perfect fit for the warplate. Twilight managed a weak smile as she looked around.

“You’d think you were dropping us into an active warzone, not the centre of Manehattan.”

Her attempt at levity died in an instant as eight pairs of steely eyes turned to face her, regarding her like a mother after their foal asked a particularly obvious question.

“All gear checked and locked,” the Minotaur’s voice was clipped, any warmth it may have possessed replaced with the hardness of a highly focused professional. Twilight wasn’t afraid to admit that the attitude terrified her, as did everything about the Everwatchful Eye. It was too far from her Equestria, too militant in a land of peace, too willing to give up on a thousand years of peace for a war that was not of, or even on, their world. Being prepared was one thing, something Twilight wholeheartedly supported, but being prepared was wholly different from rushing towards the precipice.

After the silent rebuke she had been given, Twilight kept her own council for the remainder of the journey, the shuttle soon touching down in a large aerodrome, Spitfire and her soldiers filing out of the craft the instant the ramp touched the landing pad, Twilight scrambling to keep up with them. They hadn’t landed at Manehattan’s main aerodrome, that vast station far more ostentatious and tasteful than the utilitarian landing bay they now occupied, having landed at another of the Everwatchful Eye’s private military bases, one who’s very existence had been a source of controversy and contention since its construction.

The Everwatchful Eye may have started as an offshoot of the Equestrian military, but had swiftly attracted vast amounts of private funding from across the world, and even funding from the Gryphon empire. Technically the base was fully private property, and yet fell within the limits of Manehattan, placing it under the city's jurisdiction. The Everwatchful Eye, primarily the camps commandant, had staunchly refused this, barring access to any unauthorised personnel, even the Major having been turned away. No pony wanted to risk an altercation with the paramilitary force, but the strain they were putting on cities like Manehattan and others around Equestria and beyond was growing day by day.

Putting the politics from her mind, Twilight peered over the heads of the soldiers towards the group they were approaching at the far end of the hangar, more ponies milling around alongside a gaggle of other species, all adorned in the same uniform armour save for six individuals, Twilights heart soaring as she caught sight of all of them, even as a pink blur caught sight of her.

“Twilight!” Pinkie all but bellowed in glee, Twilight not remembering exactly when the pink pony had ended up on top of her now prone form, but the laughter coming from her lips was as genuine as it was welcome, taking her mind from what she had witnessed

“Nice to see you too, Pinkie,” Twilight managed between her giggles, looking round at the others as they approached, their own laughter joining hers. With the exception of Spike, it had been far too long since Twilight had seen any of her friends, her duties to the kingdom and Magi-TekTM keeping her from the life she had grown so used to, and seeing not just one, but all of them made her heart soar, the sight of their necklaces making the weight of her own Tiara lessen slightly. Though the events of the last years had shown that the Elements themselves were far more than just jewellery, Sombra’s destruction of the originals proving that, the physical manifestations of their friendship were a comfort nonetheless.

“Well, now that we are all here together, perhaps we will finally be told what was so important for us to all be dragged out to Manehattan at such short notice and such a late hour,” Rarity gently pushed Pinkie off Twilight before helping her back up.

“Ah don’t know why these Everwatchful Eye folks always act like they’re the guard,” Applebloom agreed, her drawl distinct from her absent sisters but still enough to make everypony’s heart ache nonetheless. “Demandin’ we come with them in the middle of tha night. If ya hadn't made the call beforehoof, ah think Big Mac would have slammed the door in their face.”

“They...have a good reason,” Twilight began, unsure of just how to break the news to her friends. “There’s been an...incident...a crime that they need all our help to solve.”

“A crime?” Pinkie gasped, disappearing behind Fluttershy and rummaging around in...something, before reappearing, wearing a tweed hat, a pipe clamped between her teeth. “That sounds like a job for Sherlock Pones, the greatest detective in Equestria!”

A large bubble grew from the end of her pipe, the rest of her friends laughing, but Twilight wasn’t able to see the humour, Spike walking over to her and resting a claw on her shoulder.

“Twilight? What is it?” he asked, realising the gravity of the situation a split second before all illusions were shattered.

“A pony is dead,” Lightning announced as she strode up to the group, Twilight wincing at her blunt attitude, as well as at how grateful she felt towards Lightning for not making her say it.

The reaction was as predictable as it was instant, pupils contracting to pinpricks, ears flattening to heads, colour draining from coats and Pinkie’s mane deflating alongside the bubble that seemed to recede back into its pipe.

“D-d-dead?” Fluttershy whispered, her voice strangled as she looked ready to throw up.

“As much as I wish I could tell you something to soften this, Lightning is correct. There’s been...an attack on a pony. It was singularly brutal, and the Everwatchful Eye do not believe that the local city guards are prepared to handle this. Having seen the body, I am inclined to agree, though I feel they should be involved nonetheless.”

She raised her voice slightly at the end, knowing that Spitfire has heard her despite the one winged mare betraying no outward sign, Twilight continuing on regardless.

“We’ve been asked to help and to find the perpetrator, to bring them in to face Celestia’s Justice.”

Once again she raised her voice, wanting to make it crystal clear why Twilight and her friends were helping the paramilitary group. To her surprise, she was met with no complaints, Spitfire turning this time and raising her own voice.

“Princess Twilight is correct. We do this by the book and when we find the culprit, we bring them in alive to face the laws of this land. I want no itchy triggers, low level power to all weapons as standard. That said, do not do this at the expense of your own life. If and when we do find the cause of this, I do not want one of you paying for their capture alive with your own life, do you understand?”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am,” came the universal chorus of voices.

“Good. True Gaze, you’ll be running point on this one with the Element Bearers, work with Twilight and report anything you find immediately. Lightning, you and your squad are detailed to the Element Bearers protection. They are your sole responsibility above and beyond anything else, if anything happens, they are to be extracted away safely, no heroics, no jumping in yourself.”

“Yes, captain,” Lightning nodded smoothly.

“Good. We don’t know what we’ll find, we don’t even know if we’ll find anything here. If we’re lucky, we’ll find the perpetrator. If not, we need evidence to go on and continue the search. Quick and clean, fliers to the front, Minotaur’s and Earth Ponies to form the rearguard. Everyone else, stick to your squads and keep your eyes open. The street’s been sealed off, so if someone who’s not an Everwatchful Eye or one of the Element Bearers inside the perimeter, treat them as a threat and detain them. Move out.”

With that, the group moved out, Twilight and the others clambering into a vehicle alongside Lightning and her squad, while Spitfire and the others clambered into another, only the fliers moving under their own power, roaming ahead of the convoy. There were close to thirty of them, all told, a majority were ponies, which was to be expected in the heart of Equestria, but there were at least five Hippogryh’s alongside a half score of Gryphons and a pair of Minotaurs, the large bulls carrying heavy shields and mauls, while the Gryphons and Earth Ponies carried heavy weapons, all other members carrying smaller, but no less potent weapons.

The two open-topped vehicles cut through the city, their slab-sided and military appearance a far cry from the smoother edges of the city and civilian cars, causing many to get out of the way as they approached, or else being stopped as the fliers streaked on ahead and landed in the middle of intersections, stopping all traffic to allow the Everwatchful Eye through at speed.

Initially, Twilight thought that this was just another case of Everwatchful Eye overstepping, making a mental note to bring this up as yet another case against the organisation, before catching sight of a few city officials, both guard ponies and uniformed police, standing at the intersections and assisting the Everwatchful Eye as they thundered past. Whatever this all was, the city was clearly taking it exceptionally seriously if they were willing to work alongside the Everwatchful Eye rather than stonewalling them as a matter of policy as was almost always the case otherwise.

It didn’t take them long to reach the scene, large walls erected at every street entrance, a roof ensuring no one could look in from above. Manehattan guards kept any onlookers back, parting only long enough to allow the two cars inside before closing ranks again, the Everwatchful Eye disembarking as the trucks slowed to a crawl, Twilight and her friends waiting until they had actually stopped before following their lead.

The smell hit them instantly, tangy iron assailing nostrils as they walked in, the entire street had been cordoned off and instantly, Twilight knew why. There had been no cleanup on the street, despite the lack of blood, Twilight's senses immediately picked up the telltale signs of illusion magic that was clearly suppressing the sight, but did nothing for the stench.

All of them gagged, Rarity turning green as she attempted to back-pedal slightly, only to find Spitfire behind her, Rarity sprawling to the floor as they collided, Spitfire barely even phased as she raised her voice.

“This is where the first attack happened, magical suppression and stasis have kept the scene as intact as possible, we will be removing this enchantment shortly and have memory-spells of what the scene looked like beforehand to review for discrepancies as required. All evidence found by first responders has been catalogued and is in the building across the way,” she indicated a prefabricated building setup in the middle of the street before looking at Twilight and her friends.

“Element Bearers, if you have any insights then no one would object, though I understand if you wish to remain on the edges, with luck we will not need you directly but stay alert. I don’t think whoever did this is still here, but I’ve been wrong before. Twilight, if any of your equipment would be useful, now’s the time.”

The Everwatchful Eye began to busy themselves around the street, one of the Unicorn's horns glowing as the suppression illusion was dispelled, Lightning and her squad already ready to turn the Element Bearers away from the scene as they vomited as the true extent of the horror became clear. Blood covered the street, Twilight instantly knowing where the exsanguinated corpses' blood had been left. Recovering first, she pulled a bulky backpack off and began to fiddle with the dials within, Spike moving to help her as soon as he’d recovered.

“Erm, Spitfire,” Applebloom finally managed, wiping her mouth with the back of a hoof. “Did ah miss-hear ya, or did y’all say first?”

“I did,” Spitfire seemed like she had to force herself to look at Applebloom, but finally her gaze fell on the earth pony, emotions warring just beneath her unreadable expression as the undeniable similarities of Applebloom and her sister, and the memories that came with that, crashed into her. Undeterred, Spitfire continued.

“This is the first recorded casualty, and given the brutality of the attack we do believe it is the only one to date...”

“They,” Fluttershy whispered, though her voice was firm as she spoke the single word, Spitfire nodding in contrition.

“We do believe they are the only victim so far, but this scene will not remain unique unless we catch them now. Twilight has already examined the body of the victim and we both doubt animal attack, but we also do not believe the damage was caused by a weapon. Talons are the most likely, which would typically mean a Gryphon or Hippogryph, but there’s only one who I’d ascribe this violence to.”

A snort of anger came from Lightning as Spitfire spoke, Spitfire’s own wing nub twitching and flexing. Twilight knew that even after all this time, the wound still pained her, and yet she also knew Spitfire had refused any sort of augmetic, refusing to even hide the terrible wound done to her.

“Rainbow hasn’t been seen for...well, years,” Fluttershy pointed out. “And I don’t think...”

“Whatever you ‘don’t think’ about Rainbow, I advise you to keep to yourself,” Lightning snapped, anger clear in her voice, causing Fluttershy to withdraw a step, before shaking her head and standing her ground.

“No, I will not. You have never told us all the stories of what you went through, but Rainbow can’t be as bad as you seem to believe she is. I won’t allow that.”

“Fluttershy’s right,” Rarity nodded. “And besides, like she pointed out, Rainbow has been absent from all public appearances for years now, no one has caught so much as a glimpse of her since the return party. I highly doubt that she would reappear, only to do...this.”

Rarity trailed off, looking queasy again as she remembered where she was, the smell assaulting her nostrils again.

“Oh by all means, tell us about Rainbow Dash,” Spitfire growled. “Please tell us how she is not capable of this.”

She threw her hoof around the scene.

“Or this.”

She pointedly flexed her wing stump.

“Or...”

“Enough,” Twilight shouted, getting between the pair. “Spitfire, Lightning Dust, that is enough. You do not have enough evidence to be making those sorts of accusations, do not go making them lightly. And girls...”

She turned to face the other Element Bearers, her face awkward as she tried to find the right words.

“I think...I think we should all be listening very carefully to Spitfire and Lightning Dust in this. They do have a certain experience and level of expertise that we don’t. We’ve been asked to assist them, not the other way round.”

“Well, they can start by looking at this,” Pinkie called out, the others whirling around, surprised to see her down the far end of the street, her mane still straight as she picked something up, looking at it closely.

The others ran over, Spitfire reaching her first and all but snatching the object from her hoof.

“Hey,” Sweetie Belle cried, snatching the object back before passing it back to Pinkie. Spitfire glared at Sweetie Belle for a moment, but said nothing, content to just listen as Pinkie began talking once more.

“This was embedded over here. Stuck in the cobblestones. It’s the killers.”

“How can you possibly know that?” Lightning scoffed, only to get deadpan looks from all of the Element Bearers, and a fair few of the Everwatchful Eye. “Point taken.”

“Fluttershy, any ideas?” Pinkie asked, carefully passing the small object to the yellow pegasi, Fluttershy turning it over in her hood.

“It’s a talon,” she said after a moment. “Or, part of one. Too large to be from a cockatrice, too small to be from a Chimera. There are a few creatures it could be from but they don’t like this type of climate, and certainly wouldn’t be in the middle of a crowded city.”

“As we said, Gryphon, Hippogryph or her,” Lightning scoffed. “Or her lackey.”

“It isn’t a Hippogryph’s,” one of the armoured Hippogryphs called out, walking forward and showing her own talon.

It was monochromatic, a smooth, unblemished purple only a shade lighter than her own coat, while the talon fragment that Fluttershy still held was a mottled brown colour, concentric bands of a far darker colour surrounding it. Even accounting for varying colours, the difference was obvious.

“So, Gryphon based?” Applebloom asked.

“I think so,” Pinkie nodded, a twitch rocking her head. “There’s nothing else here. Nothing of note.”

“You’re sure?” Spitfire asked.

“Head twitch, flappy nose, itchy ear, I’m sure,” Pinkie nodded.

Were it anyone else who had responded in such a way, Spitfire would have scoffed at best or demanded more of an explanation at worst. With Pinkie however, that was more than enough, Spitfire well aware of the almost prescient powers the pink earth pony sometimes manifested. She only wished it was reliable, something they could hone and put to use, or even, Celestia willing, replicate. So far though, no attempts that had been made had been successful, Pinkie always refusing to allow the Everwatchful Eye

“Fuck!” Spitfire cursed. “At least we have this to go on. Twilight, anything you can do with it here?”

“Beyond a spectrograph to find out what it is, not really,” she admitted, looking at the machine she had brought with her. “I brought scanners to find things, in the first place. Maybe back at the lab...”

“Feels like a wasted trip,” one of the soldiers muttered, Spitfire shooting him a death glare.

“Stow that, soldier. We have more than we had when we arrived, and if the damn Pinkie Sense can’t pick up anything more, then turn the site over to city authorities for clean up. Twilight, can I entrust this to you for further analysis?”

“I’ll take it back to Canterlot, with Sike and I. Girls,” she turned and looked at her friends. “Given everything, do you want to come back and spend some time together again? I have a lot of work to do before the World's Fair in a few days, but it’s been too long since we’ve spent any real time together. In light of this...”

“We’d be happy to,” Rarity smiled, the others nodding, edging towards the exit now it was clear they didn’t absolutely have to be here.

“I’ll radio ahead and make sure a shuttle is ready for you all,” Spitfire turned to head back into the crime scene, but paused, turning back to face the Element Bearers once more. “Thank you, all of you. This is not a situation I ever wanted to put anypony in, let alone all of you, but these are the cards we have to hoof. If we get anything more, I’ll make sure it’s sent to Twilight, and if another scene is found...I’ll send a shuttle for you all.”

With that, Spitfire walked back into the street as Twilight and her friends left the scene, one of the Everwatchful Eye gesturing towards the waiting truck that had brought them, but Twilight waved them off. The night was cold, but after what they had just seen, a long walk beneath Luna’s beautiful sky sounded like a curative to the soul. In her heart, Twilight hoped that they were all wrong, that Spitfire’s venom at whatever she had experienced and whatever had been done to her was colouring the investigation and fitting the evidence to the conclusion instead of the other way round, but as she walked, the sliver of talon held in her magic, the rational part of her brain rapidly began to narrow down the possible culprits to a sickeningly singular pair of results.

The World's Fair

Twilight took in a shuddering breath as she went over the plans for the Fair for what felt like the millionth time. In truth she remembered every detail of the itinerary and could repeat them back with almost effortless ease, and yet concentrating on the task served to calm her nerves and slow her racing heartbeat.

It had been six days since Manehattan, six days since she had laid her eyes on her first ever dead pony, and five days since Spitfire was proven sickeningly right, another body found in near identical condition to the first in Trottingham, Twilight and her friends again called to the site to aid the Everwatchful Eye, though returning home empty-hoofed. Then four days ago, the third body had been found in, or rather beneath, Las Pegasus, the brutality of the murder robbing the victim of her residual pegasi magic, sending her plummeting to the ground below. It was only thanks to a nearby camera that the falling body was seen and investigated, though the sight of her demise was, as had been the case with the other two deaths, in a blind spot.

What followed was a fourth, then a fifth, culminating in the sixth body being found just yesterday in Ponyville itself, a sickening pattern now plain to everyone, a line starting at Manehattan and snaking towards the heart of Equestria; Canterlot itself.

Despite the best efforts of Twilight, Celestia, Luna and the Everwatchful Eye, news of the murders had leaked to the press which had only served to fan the flames, but it was the news of the killer's path that had ignited true panic across the country. More than panic though, ponies were afraid. No, that was too soft a word. Ponies were terrified as the murder rate in Equestria soared by orders of magnitude beyond even the darkest days of recorded history, certainly well outside living memory. Such death was known to only eight beings on Equis, at least to her knowledge.

Unbidden, Spitfire’s suspicions hit her like a ton of bricks, Twilight’s eyes darting back and forth as she re-read the itinerary yet again. There had been no new material evidence found since the Manehattan investigation, not so much as a strand of hair or dislodged feather, yet far from leading to a lack of potential suspects, Spitfire seemed to only grow in surety that these deaths lay squarely at the talons of either Gilda, or Rainbow Dash. After the fifth murder had been examined and had fallen to a knife's blade, rather than a talon, Kas had joined that list of suspects despite even the barest hint that there were multiple killers, and that the idea of the sole human on Equis could pass unnoticed was laughable at best.

Despite her convictions however, and the preparation of the Everwatchful Eye across the country, especially around Ponyville and the Everfree Forest, Spitfire had not yet given any orders to apprehend the trio, or even try to find them with anything more than lone scouts, all of whom had returned without sighting the temple of the Swooping Pegasi, the entire building seeming to have moved from where Spitfire, Lightning and even Scootaloo had believed it to be.

Spitfire was clearly not willing to act without hard evidence, and it was this inaction that was setting Twilight’s nerves aflame. The Everwatchful Eye possessed enough power to wage a sizable war, so why was she so deathly afraid of a human, Gryphon and Rainbow herself? Once again, Twilight tried to imagine what Rainbow could possibly have done to engender such hatred and fear from her teammate and one-time idol, and as always, her mind failed to conjure up anything that even came close.

“Twilight?” Spike’s voice finally snapped Twilight out of her mental spiral, catching her by surprise as she whirled to face him.

He’d grown so much in the last few years, yet he was and always would be her number one assistant and, alongside Star Whistle, was the reason that Magi-TekTM had taken off as well as it did.

“I’m fine, Spike. Really, I am,” she faked a smile that did little more than cause Spike to fold his arms and raise a disbelieving eyebrow.

“Riiiiight, fine. Sure,” he rolled his eyes before approaching with a data-tablet. “News from Spitfire.”

“Is it...” she began, looking pale.

“No, no word of another incident, thank Celestia,” Spike reassured her. “Updated security for the grand opening tonight, Spitfire isn’t taking chances so has ordered a company of her troops to join the Canterlot Guard and our own security in keeping the peace. She’s even leading them personally.”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed in suspicion at the seemingly magnanimous act, taking the proffered tablet and scanning the contents. “And there was nothing else with this request? No ulterior motive or something she wants from me?”

“Nope,” Spike responded a little too quickly, Twilight now mirroring his earlier features and raising an eyebrow at the squirming dragon.

“Nope...nothing that she wants from you, he amended. “I may have asked Spitfire to help with security.”

“And in return?”

“I’ll...sign on as a part time member of the Everwatchful Eye,” Spike admitted after an uneasy pause.

Twilight wanted to gasp, or to try and talk Spike out of joining Spitfire’s crusade, but another part of her couldn’t fault Spike for wanting to do something. Since the first murder, Twilight had aided as much as she could in the investigation, as had all her friends, and yet besides Pinkie finding the talon fragment in Manehattan, they had turned up nothing of use, nothing that would stop yet more ponies from experiencing an agonising death. If Spike felt like joining Spitfire would put him in a position to actually accomplish something, she wouldn’t stand in his way.

“So...when do you start?”

“Not until after the World’s Fair, I agreed that much with Spitfire, but afterwards, I’m going to need to put in some holiday leave and then discuss reduced working load with you.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Twilight smiled, sniffing and wiping away a tear from her eye. “My Number One Assistant, all grown up and saving Equis.”

“Hey now, I haven’t saved anything yet,” Spike chuckled. “And besides, once this whole thing is over, I can’t imagine I’ll be doing much more than admin for two companies instead of one. I may be a dragon, but I’m a dragon raised by the Twilight Sparkle, no one can organise like I can.”

Twilight couldn’t help but laugh at that, Spike joining her as the two embraced, Twilight squeezing her oldest friend tightly, before finally letting Spike get back to his duties, leaving her alone once more.

***

“You look fabulous, if I do say so myself,” Rarity smiled, taking a step back and admiring her handiwork. It had been far too long since Twilight had been gifted one of her friends dresses, and yet it was as beautiful as the dress she had worn to the Grand Galloping Gala all those years ago.

“Oh Rarity, it’s perfect!” beamed Twilight, admiring herself in the mirror.

It lacked none of the rarity flare, a dress cascading over her hind legs and hugging the base of her wings, yet possessing something more akin to a suit further forward, a far cry from her royal gowns, befitting the CEO she was tonight.

“Well, I do try my best,” Rarity smiled, leaving Twilight to admire herself as she went to five other mannequins, each bearing a dress for one of the other Element Bearers, each of whom were Twilight’s guests of honour.

Despite everything, Twilight couldn’t help her gaze lingering on Applebloom’s and Sweetie Belle’s dresses. It was strange to think that the two mares who she’d watched grow up would become such firm friends, but the loss of Applejack and Scootaloo had helped to bind the remaining Element Bearers and Cutie Mark crusaders together, for the good of Equestria as it had turned out.

Before she could sink back into the pit that seemed to be widening in her heart with each passing day, Twilight bid Rarity farewell and trotted from the room, glancing outside as the sun dipped ever lower, mere hours before the opening ceremony.

“Spike,” her horn glowed briefly as she activated the communicator bead in her ear. “Do you know where Star Whistle is? I want to do a final run down before the off.”

“I’ll let him know to get in contact with you when he can,” Spike replied. “I haven’t seen him for a few hours but I’m sure he’ll be ready soon. That pony does like to spend time on his appearance.”

“As all good showponies do,” Twilight laughed. “Very well, I’ll be in my lab, I still need to make some final adjustments to the prototype before the unveiling.”

“Spitfire is about as well, she hasn’t said she wants to speak to you but I’m sure she will at some point. Brace yourself if she does, she’s...not in a good mood.”

“I’m not surprised. Thanks Spike.”

With that, the line went dead, Twilight continuing her brisk trot towards her personal lab, giving the still covered object in the centre of the room a quick glance before heading to one of the computer terminals and sitting down before it, her horn glowing as she interfaced with the techno-arcana directly, her hooves flying over the mundane interface panels.

For one glorious moment, everything slipped away, the murders, their potential perpetrator, the stories and horrors she had heard and seen since that first Double Rainboom. For a moment, Twilight wasn’t a princess or a CEO or even an Alicorn, she was just Twilight Sparkle, Unicorn and faithful student to the most glorious pony in existence, surrounded by the greatest friends a pony could ever ask for. Simplicity reigned in an intoxicating drip down memory lane.

“Twilight.”

With a single word, the moment was banished, crushed under the uncaring hands of time that marched ever onwards. Trying to hold onto the memories did nothing as they slipped like sand through an hourglass, and finally she ceased her attempts to hold onto them, her horn flickering out as she rose to face Spitfire.

If it was even possible, Spitfire looked even more harrowed than she had when she had first returned, deep greyish bags around her eyes speaking to the lack of sleep she had been getting, and while her armour may have still been polished to an immaculate sheen, no amount of effort could cover up the unkempt strands of her mane and fur.

“Spitfire.”

Her own word was laden with venom and pity.

“Spike approached me, and him joining in return was his idea,” even Spitfires voice sounded tired. “He had initially said full time, I suggested part time.”

“And I should be thankful for that?” Twilight snapped. “It’s his choice if he wants to make the offer, but it’s your choice to let him accept it!”

“It’s his choice,” Spitfire parroted back. “He’s not a child anymore, Twilight. An entire generation of dragons has been born since you hatched him, he’s old enough to make his own decisions.”

Twilight grumbled but didn’t push the issue. Deep down she knew Spitfire was right, that Spike was old enough to forge his own path, and she also knew that most of her venom was spawned from her own bone tiredness, not the actions of the pair.

“What can I do for you, Spitfire?” she finally asked.

“I came to wish you luck,” Spitfire shrugged, before reaching into a pack and drawing out a small, blocky object and profering it to Twilight. “And to give you this.”

Twilight recognised it instantly, afterall, she had had a hoof in the things design; a type three arcane energy pistol, smaller than the type twos or fours, its standard silver casing replaced with a matt black one and bearing the single eye of its owners.

Normally Twilight would have refused to touch a weapon outside of a design setting, but one look at Spitfire made it clear that this was not the sort of gift she could reject, instead taking it gingerly in her magic, slipping it into a small saddle bag beneath her dress.

“I don’t know what to do,” Twilight admitted softly. “Everything I have here, none of it has helped one bit. The killer is still out there and...”

“We’ll get them,” Spitfire reassured her. “I pray to the goddesses that we’ll catch a break sooner, rather than later, far too many ponies have died already.”

She shook her head for a moment, before regaining her composure.

“Lightning Dust has been assigned to your personal protection this evening, each of the Element Bearers have their own guardians and there’s a flying squad specifically to extract any of you if needed. The rest of my soldiers will disperse with the Guard and your security forces.”

“You really think they’ll try something here?”

“I don’t know, but they’ve been making their way towards Canterlot since the start, there’s not many targets of value here, so we can lock those down. Unless they’re just planning another bout of senseless violence, the chances of them being here or at the palace is high.”

“The palace? You don’t think...” Twilight began.

“I don’t discount,” Spitfire corrected her. “I know you don’t like me saying it, Twilight, but if this is Rainbow, Gilda or Kas...if any or all of them have well and truly gone off the deep end, then there’s nothing they won’t do, and no line left for them to cross, they stepped over all of them a long time ago.”

“I can’t believe that,” Twilight didn’t even believe those words anymore.

“Twilight...she took my wing. She tortured Lightning and I, and what she put Scootaloo through, the less said the better. She massacred goddess knows how many in the Pa’Laa Sept, and what she let the Dark Eldar do to her...She’s not a pony anymore, Twilight, and I don’t even mean that in an exaggerated way. What Eetheron did to her, it changed her. She’s not a pony, she’s a Dark Equine, Eethron even coined the phrase to describe her. You saw her for less than a day on her return, in that time she almost killed Scootaloo, and she damn well might have killed you.”

Spitfire sighed, all the tired and hurt from the long years and longer past week on full display.

“I’m truly, truly sorry, Twilight. I wish it wasn’t the case, I looked up to Rainbow more than I think she realised, and seeing her fall hurt more than I can convey, but she did fall. She became a monster, and right now we’re dealing with a monster. I’m trying to get evidence, but if I can’t and this keeps going, we’re going to have to confront her regardless. She’s the prime suspect and we need something of a break. I didn’t want to dump this on you, I know tonight is important, but you have the right to know. With what you’ve seen, you can stomach at least a bit of the knowledge.”

With that, Spitfire turned and left the room, leaving Twilight hyperventilating and pale as she peered just a bit more behind the curtain that separated Equis from the hellish and uncaring galaxy that lay beyond.

***

Twilight stood with her friends in front of the large assembled crowd for the opening ceremony, months of planning all leading to this moment. She had practised her speech countless times, rehearsed and re-rehearsed every part of the show she was about to put on, and yet now it was time, her heart felt like it was going to explode out of her chest, the weeks events and Spitfires recent words exacerbating any nerves she may have had to a painful degree.

“You’ve got this,” Fluttershy leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Just breathe and remember, they’re all here because they want to hear you, no one has forced them. They want to see you, Twilight.”

The fact that it was Fluttershy giving her advice of speaking in front of a crowd drew a smile from Twilight, and taking one final deep breath, she walked forward, clearing her throat before flicking the microphone she wore on, the lights illuminating her a split second later as the din of the crowd died away in an instant.

“Fillies. Gentlecolts. Bulls. Cows. Gryphons. Gryphonness. Those who bear no names, and those whose names have not been spoken. Welcome. Thirty years ago, Equis was considered to be in a peaceful golden age, and yet looking back, we were divided, not by tribe, but by nation. Gryphon’s were entrusted by the Minotaur’s, tensions between the Buffalo and Ponies ran high, the Kirin were all but a myth, while the Yak’s and Dragons were independent and isolationist. We did not speak as one world, but as nations, squabbling and posturing rather than embracing both our similarities and our differences.”

Twilight paused, allowing her words to wash over the crowd, even as she marvelled over how much of the world had changed in 30 years from her time in Ponyville.

“But all of that has changed now. Twenty seven years ago, Equestria’s eyes, and the eyes of all of Equis, were opened to a galaxy far larger and more advanced than our own, and we took our first juddering steps forward. We were like foals, not knowing what powers our minds had been opened to. Mistakes were made...”

Again, she paused, though this time out of shame for her actions that had banished Applejack, before continuing.

“Mistakes were made, but we forged on. Then three years ago, our eyes were opened wider still. Stories, technology and cultures beyond our wildest imagining were made available to us, and led us to where we are now. One world, so many people, each a radiant spark that together form the light of true friendship. Magi-TekTM is proud, I am proud, to stand before all of you two years after our founding to present what you are about to see. None of this would have been possible without the cooperation of all the citizens of Equis, all of the technology you see here crafted by them, for them. None shall want, none shall miss out. Together we can continue our march in this golden age and so, in the words of a dear dear friend...”

Who still isn’t here Twilight grumbled to herself, before stepping to the side and throwing her hoof out to draw all attention to the near pitch black space behind her.

“Welcome to the future!”

As soon as the aetheric matrices powered on, Twilight knew something was terribly, terribly wrong. A week ago she had seen what Star Whistle had created, the near perfect, if giant, facsimile of her own head to welcome ponies into the World’s Fair. What sprang into life before her was not that, instead showing a hideously lifelike rendition of Star Whistle. Terror shone in his eyes as speakers that were meant to broadcast a message of hope for the future crackled into life an instant before the screaming started.

The howls were not just from one voice, multiple overlapping cries of pure agony slamming into the stunned crowd like a physical object and with sickening surety, Twilight knew that there were six voices, the last recordings of the slain parroted back for the perverse pleasure of whatever, or whoever, was behind these atrocities, and just as surely, she knew what was about to come next.

“T-t-turn it off,” her voice was not even loud enough to be considered a whisper, more of a sub-vocalisation that did nothing beyond sending the words echoing round her own head as she fumbled lamely for the communicator in her ear.

Before she could turn it on, her nightmare became a reality as a seventh voice drowned out the six as on the hologram, rendered in exacting detail, Star Whistle began to come apart, invisible blades slicing into his flesh while he seemed helpless to do anything more than scream and scream and steam.

“For celestia’s sake, turn it off!” she screamed, finally finding the switch even as her eyes were fixed on the screen.

“It’s not on!” Spike roared back. “Nothing is showing as powered, it shouldn’t be...”

“It bucking well is on!” Twilight screeched, her own aversion to swearing forgotten as her eyes became pinpricks, unable to look away as one of her best friends was flensed apart before her in facsimile, and yet there was no fooling herself that this was just a sick and twisted mockery of computer generation. No computer could render screams like that.

A laser beam suddenly arced across the courtyard, striking one of the aetheric matrices in a crackle of lightning and sparks as a Pegasus clad in the armour of the Everwatchful Eye streaked passed. No sooner had he fired then another two beams struck the same point, fired from a pair of Gryphon’s toting heavier weapons and with a soft pop, the emitter exploded, the hologram fading, but not dying.

As if a damn had been broken, laser fire erupted from wings of fliers, while on the ground, Everwatchful Eye, Royal Guard and Magi-TekTM security seemed to regain some semblance of sanity, pushing the crowd back, even as the silent horror gave way to screams of terror, and what had been a near impossibly still group of ponies became a stampede as they fled the awful sights and sounds.

Twilight was not amongst those who fled, her eyes still transfixed as her friend was rendered down further and further, his skin flayed away, his eyes popped, his guts opened for all the world too...

A hoof connected with her jaw, Twilight reeling from the blow as she saw Lightning Dust in front of her.

“Stop looking,” she ordered. “We need to get you someplace safe.”

Twilight dumbly nodded, but it was too late for that, the macabre performance moving to its next stage. With a forth pop, the hologram flickered and died, yet as it did so, more lights came on, illuminating the entrance into the World’s Fair properly, the long passage designed so that until you reached the end, you couldn’t see into the Fair beyond, a single pool of light at the end of the tunnel making it impossible to miss the pony shape that dropped, strung up by ropes as the screams on the speakers died away, replaced instead with a moaning sound of defeat that was just as harrowing as the agonising cries of torment.

Twilight didn’t know if Lightning didn’t try to stop her or if she simply didn't hear, taking to the air and streaking down the tunnel towards the stricken pony. She may not have been renowned as a fast flyer like Lightning was, but she was an Alicorn, her magic an advantage all of its own as it pushed her faster than any could catch.

“No, please Celestia no!” Twilight screamed as the figure came into ever greater focus with each beat of her wings, the body clearly a unicorn, though what colour his coat or mane had been was lost in a see of blood red muscle, the ‘ropes’ that dangled him above the floor protruding from his own ruined stomach.

Twilight lost control of her stomach as the unfortunate moved, the act bringing forth a rattling sob of pure pain, the voice hoarse and distorted by ruptured vocal cords and more screaming than anypony should ever make.

Twilight hit the ground hard, skidding in her own vomit as Lightning finally streaked by her, taking hold of the pony and shooting upwards, unlooping the cords of gut from where they had been suspended before laying him on the ground. Almost as soon as she had done so, other ponies appeared, most wearing the armour of the Everwatchful Eye, marked with the white and red of the Equestrian Medical society, though Twilight was stunned to see that it was Fluttershy who was at the forefront of the group, the usually demure mare’s hooves flashing across the near lifeless body.

Twilight shouldn’t have looked, but she couldn’t help herself, pushing herself to her hooves and looking into the crowd just as the dying pony looked back at her, their eyes locking as Twilight recognised who she knew this had to be.

“R...r....r....a...i...n...” he managed through a lipless and tongless mouth, before his eyes rolled back in his sockets and the last vestiges of life fled his ruined corpse.

Fluttershy let out a cry of anguish as she saw the same fade, but before she could do anything, all of the lights in the Fair flared into painful life, casting everything into stark relief before exploding in a shower of sparks that plunged the world into pitch blackness. As instant later, pinprick lights shot out from laser rifles and Unicorn horns, but they did little beyond serving to underscore the total blackness that had engulfed them.

“Twilight, Lightning?” Spitfire’s coarse voice echoed down the tunnel as the mare cantered towards them, her own rifle’s light marking her journey.

“Is...is it over?” one of the ponies asked, Twilight not knowing, nor in truth caring, who it was, but cursing the foalish question, the finale playing out as if on perfect que.

At the far end of the tunnel that they had all just vacated, the hologram flickered back into life. It was grainy and the picture wavered from the damaged and destroyed matrices, but Twilight recognised her own head nonetheless as the speakers crackled into life once more, emitting a parody of the recording that Star Whistle had so painstakingly put together.

Welcome...to the...end...of....Equis.

The words repeated over and over, somehow more chilling than even the horror that had just unfolded before them, though it was not the words alone that caused everyone, even Spitfire and Lightning, to freeze in place. Instead it was the pony shape within the holographic head, the backlight making identification all but impossible, but the silhouette was clear enough, Twilight not even realising she had drawn the pistol that Spitfire had given her as she laid eyes upon it.

Leathery, thestral-like wings kept the creature aloft, front hooves ending in vicious talons and in the flickering light of the dying hologram, flashes of cyan and rainbow brilliance could be half glimpsed before they were snatched away once more.

As if sensing that it had been seen and its final part played, the figure flapped its wings once, shooting upwards and into the pitch blackness almost faster than the eye could see, Twilight staring after them even as the harrowing words continued to repeat over and over again, growing louder with each recurrence.

Welcome...to the...end...of....Equis.