The Pawn Who Would Be Queen

The session started, as they so often did, with the same question Doctor Scratch always asked. Orzel, as always, responded with the same answer. The question being 'How are you feeling this week?', and the inevitable reply, 'I am okay, I guess?'. The customary back and forth that followed the question typically elapsed in much the same way, though it was more or less surface level conversation. Orzel had noticed the pattern fairly quickly, though she didn't see any need to bring it up. It wasn't overly bothersome to just idly chat, as after all it was chatter that served a purpose. More often than not, that brief span of five minutes just discussing the week would lead to some sort of appreciable topic, and further steps towards better mental health, or perhaps an emotional breakthrough. Today was more or less the same, with the exception of some initial uncertainty regarding what matters were of significant importance.

That uncertainty could have been avoided if Luna was present to explain the goings on of the past week, her absence alone presented just another of the innumerable things on Orzel's mind. Luna and Aunt Celestia were away, called to some distant emergency that they couldn't give any details about. It was likely far more involved than that, considering her staunch protectors Grim and Fable had taken to wearing pistols concealed beneath their suit jackets... Well, larger pistols than usual, at least. They didn't think she'd noticed, but it was hard to hide the impressive bulk of .44 Caliber revolvers. Orzel's mind briefly wandered to the evening two nights before, when first she'd briefly met with the handsome Mister Spike.

Luna and Celestia had departed abruptly, before the conclusion of the hectic festivities, with little more than a kiss on the forehead and a fond farewell that hadn't lasted nearly long enough. The disaster that followed their exit included a pack of frightened wild animals and the toppling of several stone pillars, which drew a great deal of attention away from the Princesses' absence. It wasn't a secret that Ambassador Flaumfeder wanted to speak to Luna about some matter of unknown nature, and she doubted that her Mother and Aunt's sudden departure so shortly afterward was a coincidence. Consequently, the days since the conclusion of the Grand Galloping Gala were spent contemplating every conceivable 'nightmare scenario' that Orzel's frantic mind concoct.

Orzel's companion at the time, Mister Spike, was likewise spirited away by Twilight Sparkle. That wound up leaving the youthful Princess Orzel as one of the only representatives of the two sisters to deal with the matter of cleaning up the mess, at least in a literal sense. Cousin Blueblood proved an excellent help in smoothing any feathers that might've been ruffled by the sudden arrival of so many wild animals from the garden, and the recently arrived Cousin Cadenza was instrumental in coaxing the various creatures back outside, but it was Orzel that had to aid the cleaning staff in ensuring entire ballroom was scrubbed from floor to ceiling... She'd not gotten to bed until nearly five-thirty in the morning.

Cadenza, or Cadence as she insisted she be called, at least helped take up some of the administrative slack left in Celestia's absence. While technically a more 'Senior' Princess in terms of amount of time with the title, Cadence didn't hold the title of 'Crown-Princess', which made Orzel the de facto 'head honcho', to use another Equestrian turn of phrase. Thus Orzel had been called upon to fill the Obsidian Throne in her Mother's stead, though most of those duties were understandably delegated to Luna's various advisers. After all, Orzel was too young to wield the full breadth of her royal powers, even in this apparent time of crisis. That was understandable, the situation was only temporary after all, though Orzel still doubted anyone would take her seriously, even when she came of age...

The only sign that either her Mother or her Aunt still drew breath was the unwavering dance of the moon and sun, which only recently Orzel had come to realize were truly controlled by the two elder Princesses. Prior to that, she'd assumed the title 'Regent of the Night' was taken in a figurative sense... It was just another of the wondrous powers the two sisters could perform, a power Orzel would hopefully one day learn herself.

The girl's mind returned briefly to Cadence, a woman as bizarre as she was beautiful. She played the role of Princess well enough, but the regal stoicism Orzel expected of Luna, as well as Celestia's more maternal mannerisms, were both sorely lacking. Cadence was, to the teen's utter confusion, a self described 'Modern Princess'... Yet the woman didn't seem to know the first thing about engineering, or applied enchanting, or even electricity for that matter. How could she claim to be a Modern Princess if she didn't know the first thing about Modern technology?

More unnervingly, the woman seemed hellbent on involving herself in Orzel's life, to a borderline uncomfortable extent. With Luna and Celestia gone to deal with the emergency, and Blueblood busy doing whatever it was Blueblood did, Cadence's care was ultimately inflicted upon the diminutive teenager without so much as a word of warning. The woman sang, danced, and roved the Castle, spreading her irrepressible happiness like some sort of... Something. Orzel couldn't really find a decent comparison.

The closest approximation Orzel could come up with was the exact polar opposite of one of the 'Orc-Folk' that the Szafirian Empire was forced to eradicate in the century following its founding. According to Imperial historical accounts, the Orc-Folk spread chaos and destruction with much the same reckless abandon as Cadence spread love and joy. The woman had to have some sort of mental illness, that was the only conclusion the brooding teen could draw, as no sane person was that naturally chipper.

Frustratingly, Cadence insisted that Orzel join in upon her marauding mirthful escapades, among other strange rituals that Cadence insisted were meant to be 'Girl Time'. A previously unknown measure of time that Orzel found most disturbing... The way Cadence described 'Girl Time' was under the equally vague title of doing 'Princess' things, yet the tasks that made up both activities were not related in the slightest to the running of government. Instead they leaned more towards the topic of vanity and physical comfort, with Cadence's stated intention being a desire to help Orzel 'relax'...

That Orzel strenuously protested to such notions had little effect, which served only to shorten her exponentially dwindling fuse. The teen didn't need to relax, she didn't need to be 'pampered', especially if it came at the expense of the Equestrian taxpayer. Sure, Orzel didn't mind getting 'dressed up' as much as she did before, purely for state functions of course, but some of Cadence's ideas seemed ludicrous at best. Ear piercings, painted nails, and an oxymoronic thing called a 'mud bath'... Yet, much to Orzel's shock, there apparently existed a considerable industry and economy based around such things. That raised a number of other questions...

"Orzel." Doctor Scratch's calm insistent voice pulled the teen from her internal assessments, as if a splash of cold water suddenly struck her across the face. Blinking owlishly as she returned to the moment, then adjusting her spectacles, she looked at Doctor Scratch with an apologetic blush of embarrassment. "You were off in your own world again, hmm?" The teen nodded sheepishly, glancing out one of the office's windows at the bustling city beyond. "Mind telling me what you were thinking of?" Orzel rubbed her chin, pondering just what to say as her eyes once more fell upon her counselor. She supposed this was precisely the reason she came to Doctor Scratch in the first place, to ask questions she didn't feel comfortable asking others.

"Do you think I am 'uptight'?" The Princess asked bluntly, apparently catching the Doctor briefly off guard, but the woman quickly gathered herself. When she didn't get an immediate answer, Orzel clarified. "More precisely, do you think I am overly serious? Puritanical?" The girl looked at the floor, a brief bolt of shame running through her... For various reasons. "I feel my cousin insists on further expanding my vanity. I fear, however, that what I am perceiving as vanity is actually the norm... That I am viewing her as the National Council once viewed me." Scratch hummed thoughtfully, nodding her head as she took in the question.

"I'm not here to pass judgment..." Doctor Scratch began, clicking her pen and scribbling on her notepad. It was a new one, as far as Orzel could figure, likely the seventeenth the Doctor had filled since they'd begun their sessions, not that Orzel was counting or anything... Scratch's non-answer didn't help to assuage the growing tide of emotions, but Orzel had a feeling there was more to come. "I take it these 'vain' behaviors would be abnormal among your own people?" The teen nodded quietly. "Could you give me a few examples?" Orzel instinctively gestured to a few almond colored locks peeking out from beneath her amber headscarf, then to Doctor Scratch's head, specifically her electric blue hair.

"She thinks I should style my hair more 'freely, with highlights, or that I should pierce my ears. I realize Equestrian medical science is superior to Szafirian, but to risk an infection over earrings and other baubles...?" Orzel explained sourly, subconsciously brushing some of her hair back beneath the scarf. Her view of the world, and those 'potential threats' surrounding her, had only started to change recently, following her meeting Mister Spike at the Grand Galloping Gala. Where Mister Spike presented little in the way of a conceivable danger, except perhaps to her already tenuous and shameful feelings about her orientation, Cadence was an unknown factor of a different sort. Her interest in caring for Orzel almost equaled that of Luna's, and that fleeting thought set her mind to racing with new unbridled fears. "I do not understand why she insists on being so nice to me..."

"Are you sure your worries are really the result of a distaste for vanity, as you said?" Doctor Scratch's voice was strange, as if she was trying to find a lead, which was rather uncommon for the typically well spoken counselor. "Isn't it possible that it may have more to do with your orientation?" Orzel looked at the floor, in all honesty perhaps that was also a contributing factor, though she suspected that was only a part of it. "You mentioned you met a boy at the Gala when we began our discussion today, from what I heard, you spoke quite highly of him... You also mentioned he reminded you of someone you once knew in Cesarski. Is there more to it than that?" Orzel nodded, lacing her fingers in her lap while sighing through her nose.

"Yes... Bazyli." The girl admitted somberly. "I did not know him well, we were not close by any sense, but... When first I met him thought I was I becoming ill, and it is a feeling I encountered once again with Mister Spike..." The girl explained, unable to keep the shame from creeping into her voice. They had made remarkable progress in getting her to accept herself for who she was, but years of conditioning to hate people such as herself, to see herself as a dissident and loathsome creature, was difficult to overcome. "I realized, only after our evening was cut short, that the sensation I felt was... Attraction." Orzel shook her head, sniffling as the feeling of disgrace ignited a cauldron of remorse. "I worry now that I am actually not truly attracted to him, that I am merely..." She trailed off. "How do you say... Faking it? To convince myself I am something that I am not?" She cleared her throat, crossing her arms. "I do not like this feeling." Orzel shook her head. "Regardless of my being... How I am... I feel it has little to do with why I dislike Cadence's proposed 'spa days'..." The Doctor hummed thoughtfully.

"I had a suspicion, but I wanted to be sure..." Doctor Scratch finally admitted, much to Orzel's surprise. "You said you don't understand why Cadence is so insistent on being nice to you, I would hazard it goes beyond 'being nice'. You feel she's trying to get close to you, yes? Much like Luna did?" Orzel nodded again, silently looking at the Doctor's contemplative face. "Would you be so against Cadence's ideas if your Mother suggested them instead?"

The specter of fear and foreboding once more began to take shape in Orzel's mind, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't beat it back into submission. Orzel knew, intellectually at least, that the odds of those fears coming to pass were infinitesimally small... Yet slim as the odds may have been, her fear took root with the tenacity of an invasive weed.

"No..." The girl said timidly, her heart becoming a roiling cauldron of uncertainty and dread. "I would not be against them, had Mother made the suggestion. Uncertain, maybe, but not opposed..." She rubbed her knees nervously while her foot began to tap against the floor. Her trousers, known locally as 'jeans', were reinforced with small copper rivets, and made from soft twill fabric, dyed in indigo. The remarkable fabric, which the Equestrian's called 'Denim', was as versatile as it was comfortable... The girl shook her head, her mind was trying to divert her attention to anything but the yawning chasm of terror that loomed before it. "I do not know why..." Doctor Scratch's features remained serious at first, but gradually grew more sympathetic.

"I think you do, even if you don't think that's the case." The woman stated simply, making a few more notes in her book. "Your Mother and Aunt both left with hardly a word of warning, to deal with a situation you know nothing about... To put themselves, potentially, in harms way." Orzel stared at the woman, the words rattling about her head with the staccato clatter of a metal pipe slamming against a garbage can. The visage of anxiety suddenly rushed forth in all its terrible detail, barreling down upon the girl's peace of mind as unrelentingly fast as a runaway steam locomotive.

Of all the 'nightmare scenarios' Orzel's mind could conjure, all the possible terrors that haunted her dreams, this was without a doubt the worst. The possibility that Luna and Celestia might not return from whatever emergency had called them away, and if that possibility should come to pass, Orzel would find herself under the guardianship of Cousins Blueblood and Cadence. Moreover, as Crown Princess, she would ascend the throne without nearly enough knowledge to effectively lead a country that very well could be in crisis, and undoubtedly in mourning. Orphaned... Again. This time with no one to call upon, no one to trust implicitly, no one but herself, forced to face whatever emergency had killed the only people she had left...

"I..." Orzel's voice became as hollow and brittle, as a rotten tree trunk, left to dry out in the sun. There were no tears in her eyes, thankfully. She had managed to restrain the sudden flood of rekindled grief, outwardly at least, beneath the straining stoic mask. "I do not know if I could survive losing my family again..." She practically whispered, sounding distant even to her own ears. "How can something as foolish as a dislike for 'spas' stem from... This..." Doctor Scratch clicked the pen, then set both it and the notebook aside. Leaning forward in her seat, taking on a look of compassion with a depth that Orzel had never seen before, the woman looked thoughtful.

"Take a deep breath for me, Orzel, hold it for a few moments and exhale..." The woman began with firm conviction, the girl nodded quietly and did as she was instructed. Inhaling deeply through her mouth, she exhaled slowly through her nose. "You like to look at all things separately. The world is one big machine, and all its individual parts can be cataloged and separated from one another..." The woman's features softened further. "The truth is that everything about ourselves is interconnected... Like an enchantment." The Doctor described. "As you know, if there's a flaw to an earlier rune, each subsequent rune in the enchantment will not function as properly as it should, and each subsequent flaw compounds the issue further." She gestured to her hair.

"To a point where something as simple as a spa or hair color can be linked to numerous things... Misplaced shame, for example, and especially the far more primal fear of loss..." Doctor Scratch continued while Orzel leaned back on the couch. "As you also know, once a rune is fully set it's virtually impossible to repair directly. So, we must make corrections further down the line." The woman gestured around the room, and Orzel understood the implication that 'therapy' was the 'correction' in this analogy. She didn't comment on the matter, instead watching as Doctor Scratch folded her hands back in her lap. "In your case, the fear you hold has some vanishing validity, but you can't allow it to interfere in the rest of your life. I'm going to challenge you this week, to try and spend more time with your Cousin. It won't be easy, at first, but eventually you'll see that your fear only has so much power as you are willing to give it." Orzel quietly considered the Doctor's words, then nodded quietly.

"I will... Try." The girl confirmed, Doctor Scratch smiled faintly and picked up her notebook again. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Orzel could see they still had around twenty or so minutes left of their session. Honestly wanting to move past the abrupt realization of fear, the Princess took another deep breath and cleared her head as best she could. "Speaking of giving thoughts too much power..." The girl trailed off, prompting the Doctor to raise an eyebrow. "I am coming to despise the Noble Party, on a primal level I had not foreseen as possible..." She trailed off, uncertain of how to best phrase her next statement. "I... Enjoy hearing of their discomfort. I take satisfaction in their cries of woe." The girl shook her head. "They took the same enjoyment in my own suffering... Should I not be above that sort of thing? What does that say about me?"

"It says that you're a person, with imperfections and flaws, just like your Mother, or your Aunt, or even myself." Doctor Scratch stated simply, adding more to her notes. "For all your intellect, you have a tendency to over or under-think." The woman gestured to the wooden floor between the two of them, drawing Orzel's eyes to the space curiously. "Imagine one of your detractors was laying there with a broken leg, or mourning a great personal loss. Would you kick them while they were down? Berate them? Tell them they deserved the pain they endured?"

"Of course not!" Orzel responded, horrified, her voice rising an octave. Doctor Scratch held up a calming hand, obviously reading the confusion on the girl's face. Orzel took a deep breath, calming herself as her mind jumped from subject to subject, the proverbial gears grinding in the process. "I would never do such a thing." She stated frustratedly, crossing her arms.

The Princess heard a faint chime of magic, and to her surprise felt a soft furry form poke its head up out of her jacket's breast pocket. Midnight glanced about for a few moments, then the mouse familiar scampered down to Orzel's hand where she proceeded to curl up in the fingers. Orzel, meanwhile, commenced to gently pet the familiar... It's soft warm fur helping to soothe her nerves. Doctor Scratch seemed surprised at first, but put the creature's sudden appearance aside for the moment.

"That's precisely my point." Scratch explained, eying the mouse with quiet consideration. Orzel had briefly touched on the arrival of her familiar during their abbreviated 'chit-chat' period, but she'd neglected to mention the mouse's frustrating habit of appearing seemingly whenever it so chose. "I don't think you truly hate the Nobles, not in a 'primal' sense at least, as you put it. You may be pleased by their failure, but don't mistake that pleasure for genuine malice." Orzel nodded quietly, finding it was becoming a bit easier with the continuing presence of Midnight. "You're still sixteen, your brain hasn't fully developed yet. Add to that your Draconic physiology, and the myriad of other issues we've discussed, it's no wonder you have such aggressive feelings. It's certainly something to keep an eye on, but as with fear, don't let it consume you..."

"Alright..." Sighed Orzel, looking down at Midnight. The mouse stared back with those beady golden eyes of hers, then yawned quietly and curled up in her palm. Doctor Scratch seemed interested again, but Orzel wasn't entirely sure what to say. Pausing for a moment, she gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry if my little friend here came as a surprise..." She offered, watching the mouse as it seemed intent on sleeping in her hand. "I cannot really control when or where she appears, I hope you are not upset by her presence."

"It's quite alright, I know familiars can be temperamental beings." Assured the woman, curiously watching as Orzel once again began to pet the small creature. The pen once again met the paper, scribbling notes of a sort Orzel doubted she'd ever see. Perhaps that was for the best... She would probably be better off with a change in topic. "Now, why don't you tell me more about this Mister Spike." The Doctor continued, likely coming to the same conclusion. "Let's assume for the sake of argument that you do feel some modicum of attraction towards him, what makes you think that you're 'faking it'?" Orzel paused for a moment, looking wistfully out the window again, staring at the Castle in the distance.

"Well... He is a boy." She stated with a shrug, looking back at the Doctor. "I just thought that since... You know, I am... How I am..." Orzel still couldn't bring herself to say it more succinctly than that. Scratch nodded in apparent understanding. "It just feels counter productive..."

"Just because you're bisexual doesn't mean you can't have a preference, and who is to say this has anything to do with preference to begin with." The Doctor stated the word bluntly, without any sort of preamble or glossing over, it was just... There. Orzel knew that with repetition she'd eventually get around to saying it herself, in time, perhaps... When she was alone, and no one else was around. The word and all associated with it still carried a dirty connotation of taboo, and she doubted it'd ever get to a point where she'd fully feel comfortable even acknowledging its existence. "What about this boy sticks out to you?" Orzel's eyes darted about the room, as if seeking any means of escape, but there was none.

"Well, for starters, he works in a library..." She admitted, fidgeting slightly in her seat. "He is brave, heroic, and I will admit I think he is... Cute. Is that the correct word?" Scratch shrugged simply. "As I said, he reminds me of a boy my age that I knew named Bazyli, who sailed with my Father..."

"What about Bazyli, tell me about him. How does he differ from Mister Spike?" Doctor Scratch stated simply. Orzel quietly removed her spectacles, the world shifting into a familiar blur as she held them up.

"I believe he is the one I would have been betrothed to, when I came of age... He did not mind the idea of marrying what the Empire termed a 'defective', like me, someone with weak eyes or other such malady that disqualified them from conscription." Orzel explained somewhat sheepishly, Scratch hummed thoughtfully at that. "He too was brave... When I think of my Father on the night Cesarski burned, I imagine Bazyli was right there with him, helping people aboard Piorun for her final voyage." The Princess's voice cracked as she quickly restored the spectacles to their place upon her nose.

"The difference is that Bazyli was... Ambitious. He could have sought betrothal with anyone, but..." Orzel continued hesitantly. "While Father considered him an honorable man, his true intentions were obvious, even to someone as blind as I am." The girl leaned back in her seat as Doctor Scratch once more began to take notes. "Father was well connected with the Admiralty, there were many that thought he might one day hold the title of Lord High Admiral of the Imperial Armada. He made more money as claiming prize ships as a Captain..."

"I am getting off track..." The girl trailed off, shaking her head. "While I am certain Bazyli and I would have grown close, it was also clear that his interest lay more with my Father's ability to advance his career as an officer than with myself..." Orzel chuckled dryly. "At the time, I would have been fine with such an arrangement, any girl in my position would be. A handsome midshipman wants me as his future wife? A blind defective? In the Empire you do not decline such a generous offer..." She paused, then added darkly. "Not that I would have had the choice to decline, the Empire had population quota to fill, after all."

"I didn't realize things were that... Severe." Doctor Scratch admitted, apparently unable to hide a look of evident horror. Most Equestrians tended to respond that way when confronted with that information, Orzel expected as much, given the vast distance between Equestrian and Szafirian values.

"Actually, it was not such a bad prospect, relatively speaking..." Orzel stated with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I quite like the idea of having a family, you know? When I am older, of course. Not before marriage." Scratch nodded again, apparently collecting herself and resuming her note taking. "Not that I would want to get married to Mister Spike. I have only just met him, after all..." The Princess sighed tiredly, looking down at her hands. "I am certain my romantic feelings are misplaced, Mister Spike seems far more smitten with Lady Rarity, but his friendship would still be a comfort. I do not know the first thing about relationships with people my own age, platonic or otherwise... Not by Equestrian standards at any rate."

"Well, everyone has to start somewhere." Doctor Scratch stated more optimistically than Orzel would've expected. "How about, in addition to trying new things with regards to your Cousin, we add writing this boy a letter to the list of things I want you to try in the coming week? Not a love letter or anything like that, just a friendly message. Sound okay?" Orzel nodded in acceptance, pursing her lips and casting another brief glance out the window. "Now, I want to go back to what you said about yourself, that you were deemed 'defective'... Do you feel that word is accurate? Do you see yourself as defective?" The room was silent, and after a few moments Orzel sighed.

"Yes... And no..." The girl admitted, once more removing her spectacles, idly fiddling with them whilst squinting at the colorful blur that was Doctor Scratch. If she leaned closer, and really focused, she could make out vague details, but... Nowhere near what she saw with her spectacles. "Defective. Noun. Something that is imperfect in form, structure, or function. Without these I am blind, that is a defect, therefore by definition I am defective." She briefly felt a surge of... Something... Deep down. Brief flashes of blurred images, distant impressions, flickered through her mind... They vanished just as quickly as they came.

"Please clarify... Are you asking whether or not I think that it affects my value as a person...?" Orzel put her spectacles back on, and Doctor Scratch nodded curiously. "That is difficult to answer..." The girl leaned back in the seat, resting her hands in her lap and taking a deep breath. "I know that blindness has no bearing on my personal value, but knowing something is true is not the same as believing something is true." Doctor Scratch scribbled more in her notes. "For example, I now know that the Vindictan scrolls are primarily false... Yet, despite this, I still believe in a higher power... I do not know what that power is, or if I ever will, but I believe in it..." The girl shook her head, sighing with emotional exhaustion.

"I see..." Doctor Scratch nodded sagely, setting her pen down. "This is a topic I want to hold off on until our next session to fully delve into... Still, I want to say that I'm really proud of you. I know that not too long ago you would've had a vastly different answer, and I'm pleased to see how much progress you're making." The woman smiled genuinely. "I think, in addition to what we've already laid out, I want you to explore this 'spiritual' side of yourself a bit more... See where it takes you." Orzel nodded in agreement, offering a weak smile of her own. "I think now's a good time to start wrapping up."

Orzel closed her eyes, sighing with relief... She was feeling much better now, even if she wasn't fully one-hundred percent. She still had her duties to attend to, but they were getting easier with every passing day. Barring any sudden national catastrophe, the Princess was fairly certain that her day would be a pleasant one.

Buried deep beneath the decrepit abandoned eighteenth aircraft hangar at the southern edge of Neighless Army Air Corps Base, there was rumored to reside a facility believed by many to exist only in the minds of conspiracy theorists. Dozens of miles of tunnels and chambers, hidden well away from public view, illuminated by pale fluorescent lights. Those that believed in the ludicrous theory spoke of secret laboratories and rooms stuffed from floor to ceiling with items both strange and unnatural, or perhaps a vast central command center from which the various minds of Equestria's military plotted global domination. These tunnels were likewise rumored to be occupied by men and women from all branches of the Equestrian military, hiding the true nature of the world from a public deemed unworthy of knowing. What strange and twisted experiments took place there were anyone's guess, but the conspiracy theories had gradually gained an odd following as an 'urban myth'. Nothing more, nothing less.

The not-so-mythical 'Dark Star Installation' had been constructed, officially at least, under the guise of a failed mining operation. Controlled by the auspices of the Nocturne Agency, Dark Star was built to safeguard Equestria and the world at large from artifacts too dangerous to be left unguarded, long before the establishment of Neighless Army Air Corps Base itself. Additionally, it served as the Training Center for the Lunar Marine Corp's 'Cerberus Division', the tactical response arm of the Nocturne Agency. To Director Aquila, however, Darkstar was more than just the final resting place of ancient artifacts or a training facility for the Cerberus Teams. It was his home-away-from-home, ever since its completion nearly one hundred years ago... Of course, officially he hadn't been alive one hundred years ago, nor had many of his former identities, save the one that 'died' in a mysterious croquet accident.

Celestia had never taken much interest in the Nocturne Agency, thankfully, otherwise she might've noticed something was amiss... Like the fact that its Director had remained the same person since its founding before the Nightmare War, albeit under different assumed aliases and considerably altered appearances. Yet in all that time he'd been alive, his purpose for continuing his ancient task had changed considerably. First it was to safeguard the newly formed Equestria from the rogue wizards of the world, then it was to help Nightmare Moon win the war, then to salvage what was left of the organization when ultimately Nightmare Moon lost... Above all that, however, his eldest and most sacredly held duty had been to uphold that oath made so long ago...

Now, as Aquila stood some five hundred feet underground in a small control room overlooking Chamber 12-C, surrounded by the Princesses and the Elements of Harmony, that duty was growing ever closer to being fulfilled. Only weeks before he had watched the sparks drift from an imposing circle of scaffolding erected in the center of the chamber, falling to the metal floor plating in cascading showers of glittering light. The welders had worn heavy leather coats, their eyes protected by darkly tinted respirators, each working in a hurried fashion. He didn't envy the men that had performed the already difficult task, made all the more challenging because they'd been working under Level 9 Containment Protocol. HAZMAT suits weren't the most comfortable things to wear in their own right, but he could only imagine the discomfort of having to lug around welding equipment in the bulky things...

The scaffolding they'd so diligently worked on, now completed, formed a dome approximately fifty feet high, with a diameter of around one hundred feet at its base. Its exterior was covered in slabs of a Wolfram-Arcanium alloy, its interior lined with obsidian panels, which would theoretically serve to reflect the magic back in on itself. Both the exterior and interior were carefully inscribed with runes, and could stand against even the most powerful of magic, for a time. Twilight Sparkle was the one responsible for quietly observing the work, every day she was eager, despite the weight of her own HAZMAT suit. She was remarkably competent for someone of her age, almost suspiciously so, but it was just Aquila's nature to be suspicious of the competent ones. Considering it was Twilight Sparkle that ultimately brought Princess Luna back, the real Princess Luna, he supposed that trusting her was the right choice.

During its construction, the dome known as 'Project Tartarus' called for someone not only with extensive knowledge in the field of magic, but also in possession of an intensely scientific mind. Someone that could easily blend the magical with the technological, an 'arcane engineer' of sorts. Twilight had both of these attributes in spades, but even with her help Aquila had feared it wouldn't be enough. The chamber containing the dome became more toxic with each passing day, so the panel enchantments were somewhat rushed near the end. If they hadn't properly completed the Containment Vessel, or somehow Discord escaped by other means, all Aquila's efforts throughout the centuries might have been in vain... No... He couldn't fail, not now, not when he was so close.

The Director's eyes turned to Princess Luna as she stood across the room, resplendent in darkly tinted armor, speaking in hushed tones to her sister. Celestia was equally resplendent in a more vibrant version of the armor, though she appeared far more serious than he'd ever seen her typically relaxed features. Luna had helped the Director in so many different ways, most recently in concealing his identity more thoroughly than ever before... To keep such a secret as he had from her, after she'd bestowed upon him so much trust, ate at him ferociously with every moment that drew closer to the zero-hour.

His eyes turned to young Twilight Sparkle, who despite extreme risk of Radiation Poisoning, had nonetheless toiled in that toxic hell of a chamber with all the zeal of the most fanatic Lunar Marine... Likely driven more by curiosity than any sense of patriotic duty, Aquila suspected. Her motivations really didn't matter, as she hadn't let him down, and was honestly far smarter than most of the people currently employed at Darkstar. Getting her working with so many people under her direction was admittedly difficult, but amounted to a virtual cakewalk compared to the other tasks Celestia had assigned her faithful student. The difficulty came more from the environment itself, as evidenced by the bulky yellow HAZMAT suits and respirators ubiquitous to everyone that had once worked in the chamber now devoid of life. Indeed, the only thing preserving their safety at the moment was the intensely enchanted glass of the observation window, and five feet of reinforced lead-lined concrete.

Twilight stood among her friends now, the other Element Bearers, speaking in equally hushed voices. Clipped to her sweater, and everyone else in the room, was a white ID badge displaying her VIP credentials and an Arcane Radiation symbol. The badge did more than just permit the woman access to one of the most secure military installations in all of Equestria, it also served as a dosimeter. The statue, currently hidden beneath the apex of the tungsten-alloy dome, was putting off an incredible amount of arcane radiation. Even unseen, the Director could imagine Discord's stoney form standing petrified in a pose of triumph, surrounded by the pitch blackness of the containment unit. Of course, cracks had gradually taken form with each day since the statue's arrival, it was only a matter of time now. Getting him to Neighless, and by extension Darkstar, had been an odyssey of careful logistical planning and close calls. One false move and they could've had a containment breach...

If he didn't think she'd decline, the Director might've tried recruiting Twilight to work for the Nocturne Agency. It'd likely be his last act before leaving the agency, undoubtedly in disgrace. Ponyville was an actively growing 'Incident Convergence Point', and the idea of outsourcing the monitoring the area to a group of comparative amateurs like the newly minted SMILE Agency unsettled him. Then again, Twilight had a group of highly inquisitive friends... They'd figure out sooner or later she was involved in something, regardless of whether that something was ultimately for the greater good. Memory redaction became more difficult if performed multiple times, so it was better to just zap them all at once at the day's conclusion and let them go on their lives in blissful ignorance, assuming all proved successful.

Princess Luna had come up with some believable surrogate memories to implant, though they were a tad far fetched by Aquila's estimation. Something to do with a hedge maze and 'learning about the power of friendship', undoubtedly to appease Celestia's concerns... They'd need to make a stealth implantation on Twilight's ward Spike if they were to remove any chance of the memories resurfacing, a fact that Celestia was also not sanguine over. There was still a chance, a very good chance, she'd order him to forgo the Redaction altogether. He admired her dedication to the principle of transparency, even if he knew there were some things the public was better off not knowing...

Taking a drag on his cigarette, his features softening, Aquila stepped back from the observation window. His fingers traced over the smooth metallic face of one of the control panels, all while taking in its remarkably advanced interface. The gauges and dials, the small bulbs of all varying colors, the oscilloscopes and meters... So many different displays, well beyond anything he'd ever imagined possible in his youth. Altogether, the displays had illuminated the room like Hearths Warming trees, he only wished they filled him with the joy typically associated with that holiday. Adjusting his tie and tucking his hands into his suit's pockets, Aquila stared intently at the dome. As he did, he could've sworn he felt the concealed statue staring back at him... The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, his eyes latching onto a small oscilloscope, the line at its center jumping up and down.

Though it went undetected by the technicians monitoring the various outputs, Aquila had the distinct feeling they wouldn't be waiting for much longer. Biting his lower lip, the director finished his cigarette, discarding it into a waiting ashtray on the console before walking towards Luna and Celestia. He didn't waste any time as he lit another cigarette, keeping the ongoing rush of nicotine coursing through his mind. The Princesses were in the midst of conversation, though the subject remained unknown to the Director until he was within earshot. The look of concern on Luna's face was more prevalent than he'd first expected, likely the two were discussing something of great importance.

"...think it's just a phase, Luna." Celestia was explaining casually, as if the weight of her impressive armor was of no concern. "It's not like she's denouncing Cadence, from what I've heard. As far as youthful rebellion goes, refusing to leave her room is fairly tame. As far as we've seen from Orzel, it's virtually the norm." Aquila realized the topic then, Luna's daughter Orzel.

Truth be told, Aquila had been informed by Agents Grim and Fable of the teenager's sudden desire to keep Princess Cadence at a distance. The cause of it remained unknown, but the Director had his suspicions. Princess Orzel, according to the observations he'd been given by Agents Grim and Fable, had a considerably introverted personality, coupled with an almost fanatical sense of duty and an impulsive 'It's easier to apologize than ask permission' attitude. That was a welcome surprise, as Aquila tended to share the same mindset, though it could lead to... Problems. Even so, he foresaw Orzel's patriotic stance influencing Equestria in a positive way, at least in the big picture... As both he and Celestia tended to agree, that was the only picture that really mattered. Noticing his approach, Celestia rapidly shifted away from the topic, regarding the Director with scrutiny.

"Director, I've been meaning to speak with you..." She glanced quickly over her shoulder at the Element Bearers. "I know you and Luna feel the Memory Redaction is necessary, but I am still unconvinced..."

"I do not urge this decision lightly, your highness." Aquila assured, clasping his hands behind his back while straightening his posture. "As you may have noticed, our guests do not seem enthused with the nature of this facility, or the abrupt nature with which they were spirited here." Celestia cast a glance at Twilight and her friends, and Aquila took note of their somewhat nervous features. They had seen a great deal of the facility in their journey to this level, and though much of the details remained secret, it wasn't hard for them to imagine what else Darkstar might be used for.

"Think of the panic that would unfold should the full details of what transpires here today become public knowledge..." Aquilla's tone was cold, exacting, ruthless. "How long do you think it would be before wild speculation on the nature of alien spaceships and mythical beasts tank the economy? It was a close enough call when Princess Orzel revealed her origins." The Director inwardly flinched when Luna struck him with a glare, obviously she didn't like that example. "We will be unable to maintain order if it is discovered just how frequently the world is in jeopardy. Some things, for the greater good, are better off remaining unknown... At least for a time." He added darkly.

"What if it came to light that we were 'redacting' peoples memories?" Celestia countered bluntly, narrowing her eyes on the man. "What would the papers say then? Can't you see the headlines? 'Government brainwashes its own citizens!', or 'Ten ways to tell whether you've had your mind altered!'." The woman cast a look at Luna. "This is the sort of thing that the Szafirian Empire would do if they had the chance... Equestria is be better than that, isn't it? That's what we've taught Orzel."

Luna opened her mouth to retort, but after a few moments sighed and looked at the floor. Aquila was wondering when Celestia was going to play that card, but he supposed he wasn't surprised. The woman had saved the heavy artillery for last. Of course, what Aquila proposed wasn't anywhere near what he'd heard was the state of affairs in Princess Orzel's former homeland... For someone as old as Celestia was, she could be frustratingly naive. Obviously, in a perfect world, memory redaction wouldn't be necessary... But this wasn't a perfect world, Celestia knew that better than anyone. Even so, as he recalled all the events of the past thousand years, he began to question his own convictions... Had redacting the truth about Observos really helped Luna? She'd never stopped grieving, never gotten over his death, never moved on... Would things have been different, if she'd known the truth all along?

Over the centuries Aquila had perfected the craft of obfuscating or concealing his true thoughts from even the most skilled of observers, but that did little to shield himself from the gnawing of his own conscience. Now, more than ever, he felt the overwhelming guilt laying upon his shoulders. The Director briefly glanced at the floor, pondering just how the Princesses would react when they realized that they too had been subjected to the effects of Memory Redaction. Luna looked at him with an expression of trust, unaware of the great burden she and her lost love had placed on his sanity. It crawled on his back, eating away at his resolve, until finally he could stand it no longer. He'd sworn to stand at Luna's side in the stead of Observos, to keep her safe, and for countless centuries that had meant a need to remain silent. Now, with the finale of his thousand year long vigil close at hand, his resolve had run dry...

"There is something I must tell you." Aquila said solemnly, gesturing for the two Princesses to follow him towards the observation window. Part of him cried out to stop, but keeping such knowledge from her now would do more harm than good. "I must admit, there are facets of what's to come that will prove difficult to accept. For both of you." Both Princesses looked at him with disgruntled eyes, if not with actual surprise... Of course not, his omissions had become predictable... He could only imagine what the Princesses would look like when he completed his explanation.

"I suspect by now you realize I've been keeping something from you." The Director continued, they nodded, and Aquila turned to look out the window at the dome. There was nothing to do but just come out and say it. "Observos the Watchful wasn't killed by Discord, nor was his body incinerated in the battle between Discord and Legate Orcus..." In the reflection he saw Luna's face screw up into indignation, rightfully so, Aquila conceded. "At his request, and the request of Luna, the memories of those that witnessed the fight were redacted and altered to depict a different turn of events."

"My request...?" Luna seethed, grabbing Aquila by the shoulder and whirling him around. He hadn't seen so much anger in her face since the outset of the Nightmare War, and despite his best efforts, the man shivered in fear. "Why would I request such a thing? Why would he?" She grabbed him by both shoulders, speaking through clenched teeth while Celestia simply stared in dumbstruck realization. Aquila could see the flicker of recognition in the woman's eyes... Memory Redaction wasn't as refined in that long ago time, and if properly reminded, the process could be known to quickly fail. "Why would I make such a request, why are you lying!" Luna's eyes blazed with baleful fury and betrayal, further twisting the knife that had sunk into the Director's heart.

"Luna..." Celestia spoke gently, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. Luna glanced at Celestia, the pain all the more evident on her delicate features. "I remember..." The woman looked at Aquila with a mixture of cold resentment and... Understanding. "The pain was so fresh, you fell into a deep depression, worse than when Mother and Father passed... I am as furious as you are, don't misunderstand that, but you did ask Orcus to purge the memory..." Aquila hadn't answered to the name 'Orcus' in such a long time, it almost didn't register. Orcus, Legate of the Thestral Imperium, master strategist and scholar of the occult, keeper of secrets and upholder of oaths. That was his true name, the name that had born distinction and honor... Up until that moment, at least. There was no further reason to deny his name, and so he wouldn't from that point onwards.

"Discord didn't kill Observos..." Celestia continued with growing shock, the full clarity of memory suddenly evident in her rising inflection. "Observos became Discord." Luna recoiled from the two as if she'd been struck, drawing the attention of many people within the room, the realization undoubtedly slamming into her with all its terrible force. Celestia quickly hugged the shaken Princess, her eyes falling back upon Aquila, now answering to Orcus. It seemed questions as to just how he happened to remain alive weren't at the forefront, and he was grateful for that... The rituals were not pleasant to describe. "That's the real reason you wanted to reform him, isn't it...?"

"Yes..." Orcus confirmed, looking shamefully at the floor. "The risk posed by the doorway in the Arcane Barrier remains, but my primary aim was and always has been to restore him to his former self." He briefly looked at Luna, who was gradually recovering from the shock, though tears nonetheless streaked down her cheeks. "I did not withhold this information for my own interests, Princess..." Orcus turned again, looking wistfully at the dome beyond the glass. "He asked, you ordered, and I obeyed. I break my oath of silence only because we are closer now than we have ever been, and to not do so would violate another oath that I hold in much higher regard..." He bowed his head. "To protect you... Observos was my brother, by honor if not by blood. I could not refuse."

"I recall now... Giving you that order..." Luna's voice had become like a forged blade after the quench, hardened, brittle, prone to fracture, and smoldering with sizzling intensity. Her face went through a myriad of emotions, from anger, to regret, to dejection and so on. Finally, as a master smith would temper his hardened blade, so too did Luna's face regain much of its strength. She lifted her hand, for a few moments Orcus feared she would strike him, but instead the woman settled it upon his shoulder. "I was wrong to place such a burden upon your shoulders, old friend." The woman straightened, biting her lower lip. "I have no one to be furious with but myself..." She looked at her sister. "Do not hold his actions against him, the blame lays upon me..."

"Debatable, but the blame matters little right now. There's still work to be done." Celestia stated with uncharacteristic annunciation, Orcus understood that to mean she too was wrestling with the implications of what was to come. If she wanted to continue speaking, however, she wasn't given an option. A sudden cry of alarm came from one of the technicians, and as Orcus raised his gaze he could see rays of light penetrating through some improperly welded seams on the dome. The Director's eyes turned to one of the monitors, without a word he approached another smaller console. There he lifted a plastic lid that covered a red button, his eyes glued to the Radiation Meter.

Meanwhile, he heard Celestia and Luna quickly addressing the Element Bearers... No time to listen in, he had bigger concerns to worry about. Watching the gauge for a few more moments, he silently prayed that the radiation would even out... It didn't. With growing horror he watched it creep past 6,000 Arc-Rads, at which point a light began glowing, indicating the number had gone beyond the ability to accurately measure. Not wasting another second, he firmly pressed his palm down upon the button. It was now or never.

"Attention all personnel." A synthesized recording of Princess Luna's voice announced from a speaker mounted to the wall, it sounded slightly distorted and crackled with each syllable. The announcement would likewise be echoed throughout the entire facility, broadcast to every agent, researcher, and Cerberus Trooper within Darkstar... They were already on alert on account of the Priority Threat, but this would remove any doubt. "Object CH-Four-Zero-Five containment breach in progress. A Level 9 Facility Wide Lockdown is now in effect. Proceed immediately to the nearest Emergency Shelter and await further instructions. This is not a drill." The high pitched thrumming screech of an alarm followed, all while the Element Bearers gathered themselves. Luna and Celestia meanwhile readied their own spells, watching tensely through the window.

The dome within the chamber vibrated and rattled, throwing off flakes of paint, metal particles, and dust like a bathing chinchilla. Orcus stood transfixed as the rest of the Technicians fled the room, leaving the Director to lean against the control panel with open curiosity. If only he had had more time... More resources... The dome glowed a vibrant teal color, fluorescing brighter than anything Orcus had ever seen before, ultimately forcing the Director to avert his eyes and hold a hand in front of his face. So bright was the illumination from within the chamber that he could see the bones of his hand, silhouetted through the flesh.

Then he felt the glass before him grow hot, undoubtedly the protective enchantments were struggling to cope with a burst of powerful radiation. Such bursts weren't uncommon among imprisoned persons or objects breaking out of their imprisonment, typically it preceded a considerable explosion, even when no explosives were present. The phenomenon was still little understood, but given the amount of arcane radiation given off by Discord...? A containment failure of such magnitude could easily reach temperatures hot enough to vaporize the entire chamber, as well as the floors above and below it.

Even if someone managed to survive the initial blast, the entire Darkstar facility would collapse in on itself and finish them off, leaving only a radioactive crater of smoldering green glass... Realistically, the only ones likely to survive would be the Princesses and the Element Bearers, the latter group on account of Princessly intervention.

"Warning, Catastrophic Containment Failure is imminent. Estimated time to detonation is... Thirty seconds." The synthetic voice announced a few moments later, at least the upper levels would know to hurry up and get out. Meanwhile, Orcus started pressing any buttons he thought might help. All the while the glow bathed the man in a brilliant glow as he wordlessly turned several knobs with frantic determination. The controls would flood the chamber with Arcogen, a chemically inert magic suppressing gas. If enough was pumped into the chamber it might render the coming detonation into a a more controlled fire, rather than an explosion... Other than that there was little he could do. Finding the switch, Orcus pushed it, though he doubted it would be enough. Spiderwebs of cracks abruptly appeared on the window, obscuring the dome even further. "Detonation in T-Minus... Five... Four..." With silent solemnity, Orcus took one final drag on his cigarette and looked at his watch...

"I would've liked to at least shake his hand..." Aquila mumbled in Thestralese, looking out the window just the glass warped and bulged. At least, if this was the end, he had cleared his conscience... The Elements would hopefully contain Discord and hopefully reform him into the man that once was Observos. Orcus' could go to his grave knowing he had fulfilled his oath, his only regret being that he wouldn't be present to welcome his brother back into the fold... Orcus had underestimated the power with which the dome's prisoner would escape, the destruction of the facility would be his final mistake. At least, he realized, he wouldn't be forced to leave in disgrace...

"Three... Two... One..." The countdown concluded, and even closing his eyes proved too little to shield himself from the light, the room was gradually beginning to warm. A moment later, just as the glass seemed ready to shatter, there came a sudden rushing sound of wind... No... Not wind. Arcogen... The tanks must've dumped everything at once. The blinding light abruptly ceased entirely, and with tentative hopefulness Orcus opened his eyes. Though the window was bulged and cracked, it was nonetheless clear enough to allow him a view into the chamber. "CH-Four-Zero-Five Containment stabilized, detonation averted." Silence reigned for a good thirty seconds afterwards, even the alarm having gone quiet.

"We're... Alive?" Orcus asked numbly, looking behind him as several technicians tentatively poked their heads in. Princess Luna and Celestia stood with their palms aglow, surrounding themselves and the element bearers in a miasma bubble of golden and navy blue energy. "We're alive!" The man couldn't contain a smile from spreading over his features as after a few tense moments both Princesses lowered their spells. Orcus quickly turned to the control console... The Arcane Radiation was fast dissipating, already nearing safe levels. The man pressed another button, then cleared his throat. "Teams Alpha and Baker, report to the Containment Vessel..." His eyes returned to the Princess. "We're ready to begin on your orders." Celestia and Luna looked at one another, then both nodded resolutely...

He could feel the prison beginning to weaken... There were so many people around him, if he could just break himself out he could finally be free of his torment. They were talking, speaking in terms that he couldn't understand, even as his memory grew clearer and clearer. The Other was gone, or so he hoped, it had seemed an eternity since last he was tormented by his bothersome companion. That could change at a moment's notice, so his only hope was to break free of whatever vessel confined him and seek help. Surely, the people around him would understand his plight, help him find his way back to wherever he'd come from... Help him remember who he was. They were men of science and wizardry, his colleagues and peers... Weren't they?

Concentrating his being into a single thought, he hurled his consciousness against the blackness of the void itself. With cataclysmic force they collided, but it seemed to have hardly any effect. He wasn't about to give up, the more he concentrated the more he could fight the spell... Onwards and onwards, again and again, he threw his being into the darkness with frantic abandon. Then, finally, he felt the spell weaken. He didn't know how long he continued the grueling effort. Minutes? Days? Weeks? Time lost all meaning to him long ago. Eventually, with all his concerted effort, something chipped away... Like a levee giving way to the high waters of a storm, the first breach made the second easier, and the third easier still.

He was eroding his prison more and more with every attempt, soon he would be free, free from the clutches of the Other, free to find the woman that had consumed his every waking memory since the Other had gone silent. Then, much to his annoyance, he felt the presence of the Other trying to surround him. His age old foe had returned, though he could sense the Other was significantly weakened. He ignored the offending presence, focusing more on the prospect of finally regaining his memories, regaining his life... That woman, whoever she was, must've been worried sick over him. The Other was fighting him, albeit feebly, the last desperate acts of a dying entity that could see its end was close at hand.

"It's over! You've lost!" He declared to the Other, triumphant and assured. The Other retaliated with surprising strength, barging into his consciousness, as if electrocuting him from the inside. Try as the entity might, it wasn't enough, and so the Other was forced to relent... By now the voices outside the prison were silent, and then he heard it... The woman's voice, loud and booming like thunder. It was muffled and distant, but his beloved had come to save him! There could be no other explanation, oh how wonderful it would be to have physical form again... To touch, to smell, to hold... To be held... "I will be free... From this place... From you..."

"You created me! I am real! I am part of you!" The Other shrieked defiantly, but beneath that defiance there was terror, a sound that was exceptionally pleasing to hear. "I can help you! I can make you powerful! That is what you created me for, isn't it?!" Once more He struggled against the blackness. They're trying to pull us apart, we need to stick together!" He ignored the Other, hurling himself once again into the abyss, just a few more times... "It wasn't supposed to happen like this! I was supposed to win! Me! That damnable she-creature drained me, and if you leave me here in this accursed prison I know she'll return to finish me off! I'm too weak to defend myself! I... I can't hold on any longer!"

"Don't worry, soon enough you won't have to hold on..." He responded, continuing his assault, until he could practically taste the freedom. "The place is all yours..." The Other screamed in one final bout of fright, only to be silenced in one brilliant moment, when everything went from pitch blackness to blindingly bright. With a tremendous burst of energy, he found himself falling, physically falling... To his utter surprise the first thing he saw was... Nothing. Nothing but blackness, though not nearly as absolute as the cold unfeeling void. Several small streams of light filtered in, but the room around him was cavernous, its walls scorched black by... Something. Or were they just naturally that color? All of those thoughts were cut short when he slammed into the floor with a heavy thud. A strange sensation began to emanate from near his vision... Pain... It was pain! He was corporeal again!

The jubilation didn't last long, as a sudden splitting headache lanced through every other sensation. The clarity of his memories was rapidly fading, swirling with a mixture of returning sensations and the fog of ages. Pushing himself up took a great amount of work, but he couldn't just lay there... The man, a quick glance downward had confirmed he was in fact male, remained on his knees and elbows to take stock of just what was happening. The floor was surprisingly warm, though not painfully so, and the air had an odd sort of charge to it, and it tasted... Strange. Like metal.

A sudden light burst forth from somewhere off on the other side of the chamber, it seemed unnaturally bright, harshly assaulting his eyes, made all the more disorienting by what sounded like massive shrieking hinges that bored into his brain. Now he could at least see himself... He had arms and legs, hands and feet, a head, ears, eyes... Hair. No clothing, that would be a problem, but everything else seemed exactly where it was supposed to be. Panting heavily, the man pushed himself up onto his feet and staggered about, his head awash with pain and confusion. He had to find her... Had to make sure she was safe... The Other wanted to hurt her, no... Not the Other, someone else...

"Luna..." He said, his voice dry and rough. Somehow keeping his balance, he caught sight of the source of light in the room around him. The chamber, now illuminated, evidently had previously been used to contain a blast that had to have been one of immense magnitude, as the aperture consisted of two of the largest metal doors he'd ever seen. There were sounds coming from outside, clattering footfalls... Maybe just falling debris? Where even was he? Where was Luna? "Have to.... Have to find her..." He didn't know how he remembered her name, as the man certainly couldn't remember his own... There were voices outside now, but voices also in his head, the latter of which were screaming at him...

"You cannot become a Prince until you create new magic... New magic... New magic..." The words echoed over and over, even if he couldn't recall the speaker's face or name, he felt indignant. "The other tribes fear your people will gain an unfair advantage... I'm sorry, but I cannot permit you to see her anymore... Anymore... Anymore..." Heartbreak racked his body, broken only by another piercing headache. Wobbling about on the legs of a newborn foal, he managed to take his first steps towards one of the rounded walls, bracing himself on it as he staggered onwards.

"New magic... What...? What is she saying!?" He grunted through gritted teeth, sniffling and suppressing a growing sense of grief, though he still couldn't place just what was causing it. "Luna...!? Where are you!? Argh... Luna!" He growled, now gaining a glimpse of the room beyond the opened doors. It was sterile and white, lined with hooks and strange cabinets made of metal. Onwards he slogged, stabilizing himself for as long as possible on the wall, which to his shock was somehow still remarkably hot, until finally he was no longer able to hold on to it. Surely the explosion couldn't have been recent, how could he survive such a happening if that was the case...

Without the wall to keep his balance up, he instead moved for the open doorway, only to stumble forward as he tripped on a heavy piece of stone, collapsed from the ceiling above. Pain lanced up from his toes as images flashed through his mind, images of a time long ago, so very long ago. He... He had been working on something, something important, something to shut up the people behind the voices. Blinking the images from his eyes, the man stopped, staring at a series of figures standing now beyond the doorway.

"Contact front!" Someone screamed out ahead of him as he was suddenly blinded by pain, why did they have to be so loud? Squinting as much as he could manage, Observos spotted a strangely dressed group of men entering the chamber. They wore bright yellow garments, with black helmets and odd insect-like masks that hissed and wheezed with each evident breath, their eyes hidden beneath darkly tinted lenses of glass. All of them were pointing strange wooden staves at him. "What the fuck...? Marines! Put 'em up!" The apparent leader of the Strangers ordered harshly... Put what up? What was a Mah-Reen? "Let me see your hands!" Unsure of just what the Stranger was yelling about, Observos raised his hand in front of his face to block the light, his other being used to safeguard his modesty. He could hear a strange sound at, or about, the stranger's waist. A shrill 'tick-tick-tickety' that seemed to come in frightful fits and starts.

"Gentlemen... Hold your fire." A rather raspy voice called calmly from beyond the cadre, apparently unmuffled by such a mask, as yet three more figures stepped into view, one attired in black, the others apparently wearing armor. He recognized the voice from his memories, though it seemed far darker and rougher than it should've been. The Other was screaming in the background now, how could he be back? Why wouldn't he just leave him alone..."You may... Come in, ladies." More people wearing strange yellow garments rushed into view, wearing oddly familiar looking bits of jewelery about them. The Other was terrified of them apparently, and so He decided to move closer, closer to the thing his mortal foe feared. "Whenever you're ready."

"Platinum has been shutting us out more and more... I believe she knows we suspect her of something..." The same voice whispered in his mind, though far harsher than before. This man was the source of the other voice he'd hard recently, when first his faculties had started to return to him, the 'Director'... There was an urge to find a weapon, something to stop whoever Platinum was. The voices just kept shouting at him, one on top of the other, all scrambling for dominance, with the Other leading the pack. "We both know what must be done... What must be done... What must be done..."

"I keep...! Hearing the bloody voices!" He screamed at the crowd, bringing both hands to his head and trying to cover his ears as he hesitantly came to a stop. There were murmurings, and one of the armored figures seemed to want to approach him, only to be held back by the man in black. He tried forming a cohesive statement, but his mind was still too scattered. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut! Up! I'll kill you if you don't shut up!" Clenching his eyes shut, tears of agony streaking down his cheeks, his mind was once again assaulted by images, far clearer and more painful than the last. A woman... Wearing a platinum crown and satin white dress... Talking to someone, someone she shouldn't have been... A man in black... A rogue wizard, it had to be! Platinum was a traitor, and He had to tell someone!

"You again...?" Platinum's voice echoed through his mind with evident disgust. "You never had a chance with her, and you never will..." A wave of memories flooded over him as he saw strange wisps of multicolored light beginning to form around the group of newcomers, it was then that the Other sent a scream of rage erupting from his throat. "Run along, you have 'New Magic' to create, right?" The voice started laughing, all of them, echoing over and over again. "New Magic..." The words repeated, swirling around in a growing cyclone of fragmenting sanity.

"I remember! My Moon is full! My moon! Is! Full!" The man cried out in a guttural voice, almost bestially... He had to arm himself, had to find Platinum, she had to be stopped! "Argh...! The pain! Oh my Gods...! Must... Must kill the traitor!" The room was filled suddenly with more of the strange glowing wisps, illuminating more and more of the rubble strewn chamber. The voices just kept on screaming, overwhelming his thoughts before He could stop them. He could steady himself no longer, dropping to one knee and nearly collapsing entirely. "Need... The Moon's help..." He muttered with jaw clenched. "Then... Then I can... Cast the spell..."

"You are delving into a field of dangerous study." Luna's voice responded in his mind, eclipsing all the others in its distant echoing tone. "Dream Magic is not something to be undertaken lightly..." The man steadied himself on his hands and knees, using the edge of a large slab of wrecked stone to crawl towards the group. "You risk glimpsing the darkest parts of your own mind, and could let them manifest in ways beyond your control... It could drive you completely insane... Insane... Insane..."

"What does it want? It wants something!" He remembered something... Images of a blackness, somehow blacker than that which he'd been imprisoned in... Thousands of luminous green eyes burst open as one, glaring forcefully into his very soul... They were... Hungry... Coming right for him... "I have voyaged too far... The eyes rival the stars! The flowers, they are poison!" He was scared, he needed to protect himself from all the chaos... Chaos... Discord... Chaos and discord... Discord, the Other, drove the creature away with so many eyes, that... Thing that couldn't be named, that beast which inhabited the infinite black oceans of a space beyond space itself. When Discord was done fending off the beast, he turned on Him... He needed to find the Director, had to tell him what He saw...

"Observos, my friend... We cannot trust the Army to aid us, they are loyal to the Tribal Council..." The Director's voice returned, far less harsh this time. "Platinum, Puddinghead, Hurricane... They all must be eliminated. Leave that to me... To me... To me... The name 'Observos' took hold, was that his name? It had to be...

Observos struggled on his knees, and that was when the strange strands of light suddenly coalesced into a single beam of prismatic energy. It lanced across the chamber, washing his vision in a field of beautiful color... The voices were silenced in an instant, even that of Discord, and gradually Observos found his memories coalescing into their proper forms... Though some remained murky. The light faded from his vision, the strange 'tick-tickity' sound completely absent. Several of the strangely clad men were hefting him up from beneath his arms, carrying him towards the light and the cluster of people.

"We're not detecting any residual radiation, the Arcogen is doing its job..." One of the men announced as they brought him before the strange trio. "We should still get you all checked out, and he really needs a hospital bed. The sooner we get him on oxygen the better." The stranger looked at the man in the black suit, who stepped purposefully closer, far easier to distinguish now. "I haven't seen muscle atrophy this bad since after Nightmare Moon's reformation, sir. We have spells that can get him back to normal, but right now he needs rest."

The man in the black suit leaned forward, apparently inspecting Observos... He smelled of... Smoke and some sort of... Cologne? Sunken eyes peered forth, hidden behind tinted spectacles, boring holes into him. Somehow Observos knew this wasn't the man in black he'd seen, he was shorter, and... Familiar. The man straightened his posture, then his tie, before sucking on a strange tube of beige paper.

"Rise and shine, Mister Observos... Rise and shine..." The man's rasping voice was eerily familiar, stilted strangely, as a cloud of acrid smoke escaped his lips. "Are you the only one in there, old friend?" It clicked in his mind... Orcus... Only Orcus ever talked in that tone of voice, a side effect of his time with the occult. Observos didn't get a chance to speak, still Orcus nodded. "Yes... Yes it's just him in there... You may approach." The figure gray armor, it was a woman upon closer inspection, stepped forward and resting a gauntleted hand on his shoulder. Her face was hidden beneath heavy helmet, which seemed familiar as well... Though, not from his life... More his imagination. Something he'd come up with for a book, maybe?

"Do not fight it..." Luna's muffled voice rang forth from beneath the helmet, and for a few brief moments Observos was filled with a joy that couldn't be put into words. It wasn't to last, unfortunately. "Close your eyes and sleep, my love..." Her palm suddenly glowed, and a few brief seconds later, sleep is exactly what Observos did...

Seldom times had Orzel passed by the Situation Room, it was one of the many places she was considered too young for. She knew where it was, and that it was generally off limits, but that was more or less the extent of her knowledge. It was where Advisers and Generals met to discuss matters of urgency, and the young Princess had always known that one day she would be among those scarce few to sit within that secluded chamber. Now, as she and Cadence rested in plush leather chairs, the thing that stood out most to the girl was the unbearable stench. A hearty mix of stale air, smoldering tar, and something the girl couldn't place... Perhaps melted plastic? The source was obvious, as evidenced by a cadre of glowing embers and a thick haze of tobacco smoke.

It was bad enough that the emergency forced her to abruptly return to the Castle, especially after conceding to one of Cadence's proposed spa outings... Now, on top of everything else going wrong, she was forced to endure the aroma of her advisers' smoldering cigars. A chimney would've smoked less... Given the nature of what happened less than half an hour before, however, she supposed she couldn't blame the men seated around the table for being on edge. She too was anxious, though thankfully tempered by the familiar warm presence of Midnight nestled in her breast pocket.

The incident that forced them all together that day was being referred to by numerous Spell-Caster advisers as a 'Chaos Wave', a phenomenon not unknown to Orzel, though she was by no means an expert. Up until half an hour ago, the idea of a 'Chaos Wave' was constrained to the realm of Science Fiction. A theoretical possibility, but nothing more, until now. Her knowledge was limited to what she'd read in her various Science Fiction Novels and the brief primer given at the start of the meeting.

A Chaos Wave, as the name suggested, was a wave in the 'Arcane Barrier' spurred by something passing from one plane, through another equally theoretical realm known as Limbo, into the Realm of Equus. Unlike the event that brought her to Equestria, which was spurred by a miscast spell, the Chaos Wave emerged as a result of the object in question punching through with brute force.

This Chaos Wave in particular rendered a great many of Equestria's most basic of environmental services inoperable at best, and paradoxically destructive at worst. Weather teams were having difficulty controlling rogue storms of 'cotton candy' clouds, which were even at the moment drenching hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland in chocolate milk. The Minister of Agriculture was already explaining just how much of an impact that would have on current and future crops, with the milk solutes and sugar decomposing in the ground it would only be a matter of time before they started attracting all manner of insects. Normally these would've been washed away naturally by rain or snow, but the magical nature of this particular dairy product granted it a remarkable amount of staying power.

That was a long term crisis that would need dealing with, but the more pressing concern was already taking shape throughout the country. The Chaos Wave additionally introduced some sort of infectious madness across the land, with many people acting strangely, in some cases to the point of violence... Civil unrest was already being reported in several cities, not the latest of which being Canterlot. Stores were being looted, cars burned, houses robbed... No confirmed deaths, though hospitals were rapidly reaching capacity.

Cadence and the Minister of Agriculture were currently speaking on what, if anything, could be done to mitigate the damage to Equestria's food supply. It was a discussion that Orzel was admittedly paying only half her attention to, as her eyes rested firmly upon one of the empty seats at the table. The seat belonged to Director Aquila of the Nocturne Agency, the man whom she would've liked to have heard from the most. He was supposed to be the expert on all things bizarre and strange, and from the looks of things, he knew ahead of time exactly what was coming.

Orders were issued from his office only a few days prior that Canterlot's weather team, and indeed all weather teams, weren't to get involved with trying to stop the rampaging clouds. Those orders were widely disregarded, as the risk to Equestria's farmland was deemed of paramount importance. Setting the looming ecological disaster aside for a moment, the fact remained that Aquila knew something was coming, yet only elected to inform a select few people... Orzel and Cadence not being among them.

He'd likewise departed Canterlot along with Princess Luna and Celestia, further cementing in Orzel's mind his involvement. The teen quietly looked about the room, nostrils flaring from the sharp sting of second hand smoke, her fingers laced together on the table. Field Marshal Arcturus and Field Marshal Redwood were likewise occasionally glancing at the empty seat, as if uncertain about something, and that struck her as markedly suspicious. While neither Princess had been afforded a chance to change into more formal attire, both of them had nonetheless donned their crowns. Those were all that mattered. Each man in that room swore an oath to the Crown, to be faithful, honest, and true... Orzel got the distinct impression that she and Cadence weren't receiving all the information they were due, and that simply wouldn't do.

The young Princess understood there was a reason the two were initially left in the dark, at least prior to Luna and Celestia's departure. It would be far easier to prevent a security breach with less people 'in the know', but all of that reasoning went out the window the moment Equestria's strongest protectors left two virtual amateurs upon the throne. Cadence was by no means an actual amateur, but much like Orzel, she had but a fraction of Celestia or Luna's experience. Had the two of them been informed of just whatever it was that was coming, maybe there could have been a better plan in place, or any plan for that matter. Running a nation's day to day was one thing, but dealing with a National Emergency was completely beyond any topic Orzel and Luna had covered, especially if she still didn't have all the information.

Unfortunately, that lack of planning was the mentality fostered by Celestia's often effective but roundabout solutions... It mattered little now, as the aforementioned Solar Warden was gone to parts still unknown, leaving both of her nieces 'holding the bag'... Equestrian's had such interesting idioms... Orzel shook her head, she could delve into idioms later, when the country wasn't both figuratively and literally on fire... That last thought raised memories of the fall of Cesarski to the forefront, stoking a growing feeling of anger. It festered and took root, more perniciously than it should've, fighting against all attempts to control it. Orzel suspected she too was suffering the effects of this 'Chaos Wave'...

Out there, somewhere in the ongoing bedlam, Orzel couldn't help but picture a scared girl around her age. Hiding in her room, cowering beneath her bed, listening as anarchy descended on the streets outside her home. Waiting for her Mother to come and collect her, to bring her to safety, but there was nowhere that was truly safe. It was a mental image that rocked Orzel to her core. She could sympathize with keeping information secret when needed, but it did little to diminish the smoldering fury... If they'd been informed, if they'd had proper warning, Orzel could've used her powers to possibly prevent what was to come... To prevent someone from enduring what she'd endured. So the anger smoldered and festered in a place deep down, the place where Orzel banished all her other unpleasant thoughts, thoughts which it thereupon drew strength from...

Cadence and the Minister of Agriculture gradually concluded their discussion, and it was decided that the Equestrian Ministry of Environmental Protection would set up a 'super-fund' to address the damage once the Chaos Wave had passed. The country had a sufficient food stockpile to last several years if need be, slightly more than what would be necessary while the farms recovered, so they'd need to be careful to avoid over extending themselves. The problem of feeding their people had taken precedence, but with it now more or less settled, Orzel felt it time to get some answers. Clearing her throat, the teen sat up in her chair, glaring pointedly at Arcturus and Redwood. She wasn't sure as of yet if the two of them would retain their positions when all was said and done, assuming her suspicions were correct.

Putting the possibility that the worst had come to pass out of her mind was difficult, but the nation was in crisis, Mother would want her to be strong. Arcturus and Redwood looked at her with their own intensity, as if hoping to silence her through their glares alone... Undoubtedly they still saw her as a child, and though that was technically true, it didn't really matter. They might not have seen her as such, but at present she was the Sovereign, and she would uphold the duty charged her by the weighty crown upon her brow, regardless of age. Any that stood in the way of that duty, regardless of rank or standing with the Military, would thoroughly regret doing so... The two Field Marshals were, needless to say, on perilously thin ice.

"It is fortunate that the Ministry of Agriculture had the forethought to consider possible emergencies and stockpile accordingly..." Orzel began evenly, it was the first time she'd spoken since entering the room. Her voice trembled slightly at first, as the primal fear of losing her family again was still fresh in her mind. "We would be even more fortunate had we known ahead of time that something like this might have been coming." Her tone concealed a hint of accusation, just enough to silence the rest of the room. "This 'Chaos Wave' is the result of something coming into our realm from elsewhere through brute force, something that could be dangerous. Now, we are all aware that Director Aquila left express orders regarding the way in which these 'cotton candy' storms were meant to be handled... Does anyone here have a possible idea as to why he would issue such orders without informing the entirety of the Crown?"

"I believe I can answer your question, your Highness." Field Marshal Redwood began with a voice that was somewhat hesitant, this served only to stir the flaming cauldron within Orzel's chest. For all she knew her Aunt and Mother could be off facing some sort of giant monster, or worse laying slain in a ditch somewhere, and that thought alone would be typically enough to send her into an anxious tailspin. With her mounting indignation to counterbalance that anxiety, however, she held her ground. "There are certain situations that require a level of discretion, with information that remains on a 'need to know basis'. With all due respect, you aren't known for keeping a tight lip. Princess Cadence, likewise, wasn't on the list of people that needed the information."

"I see..." Orzel stated flatly, her eyes glowing a bit more brightly than they typically did. The young Princess's draconic temper had started to flare, and try as she might, it was like trying to put out a house fire with a shot glass. "So, when, in your infallible opinion, would I or Princess Cadence 'need to know', Field Marshal? Before or after Equestria is overrun by whatever foul creature escaped into our realm?!" The Field Marshal blinked in surprise, apparently not expecting such a loud voice to come from such a tiny frame. "I grant that the situation regarding Equestria's food is important, but in the long term. Meanwhile, we still have ongoing civil unrest and to top things off, there is still the possibility of an as yet unknown threat romping unopposed throughout Equestria! The Elements of Harmony are also unaccounted for, as are Princess Celestia and my Mother!"

"Your refusal to inform the Crown because we did not 'need to know' has cost us time! Time that could have been better used preparing for the worst! A far more immediate concern, wouldn't you agree!?" By now there seemed no stopping the towering apoplectic rage, the slumbering draconic super-volcano was waking from the pit in which Orzel stored all her fears. "It is inconceivable! In-con-ceivable! That we were not informed of a threat of this magnitude until it is already upon us is beyond the pale!" She actually rose from her seat, and when next she spoke it was in her native tongue, as her anger simply couldn't be contained to the soft sounding language of Equestria. "You will all be held accountable for any deaths that come about as a result of this treachery! I will make sure of it! Heads will roll! Do you understand me?! Heads! Will! Roll!"

In point of fact, the people in the room didn't understand her, and that was probably for the best... They didn't really need a grasp of Szafirian to get the message, Orzel could see as much in their eyes. There was actually quite a bit more to it then that, words that had no real translation into Equestrian, or any other written language for that matter. Primarily a string of phrases so profane in nature that Orzel wasn't entirely sure she didn't, in fact, invent entirely new imprecations. Obscenities of a sort that would make even her Uncle Olaf, the saltiest of the Imperial Armada's bosuns, blush...

To say she was losing her temper would be a drastic understatement. Orzel was beyond angry, beyond furious, her emotional state was so acrimoniously incendiary that it transcended traditional adjectives and entered the realm of the astronomical or geological. Somewhere in the corona of the nearest red giant, or perhaps at the lowest depths of Equus' outer planetary core, that was where her fury lay. She gripped the table with such intensity that two fist sized chunks of wood came away in her hands, which only exacerbated the problem, as she hated breaking perfectly good furniture.

Looking at her hands, Orzel became suddenly aware of something else... Her typically bronze skin was fast being replaced by glittering metallic bronze scales, and two very uncomfortably sharp fangs were at present digging into her lower lip... Her eyes likewise glowed like the searchlights of a dreadnought, stabbing forth with luminous beams that cut through the swirling vortexes of smoke. Somehow this development didn't fill her with the terror she thought it should... It felt right. Every instinct she'd been fighting since first arriving in Equestria now exulted in triumph, for the restraints she'd imposed upon herself all but evaporated in the face of the flames of instinctive fury.

Every person in the room was staring with a growing look of unease, some even scooting their chairs backwards, and she knew they were right to dread her wrath. The dragon was an instant away from crossing through the 'rage event horizon', into that boiling cauldron of ancestral anger... That was when she felt a sudden hand on her shoulder, and so the girl quickly turned, prepared to also rip into whomever was responsible. Cadence gave her an apologetic smile before immediately summoning her magic into her hand.

Orzel nearly pounced on her, but a wave of... Warmth... Washed over her. She heard... Music. A cheerful little lullaby that Sokol would sing to her as a child, more of a hymn, really... It was so far away, and yet so near, and in that moment it was all the girl could do to keep her attention on anything but the song. With remarkable speed, the ocean of wrath became as placid as the mirrored surface of a morning lake. While the glittering scales gradually transformed back to her typical skin, the jutting fangs remained... Still, Orzel felt... Safe... Like both of her Mothers were hugging her, tightly, protectively, unwilling to let any harm come to her... She didn't resist when Cadence gently sat her back down.

"Take it easy... Nice deep breaths. It's okay... You're okay... Focus on each breath, we're almost done here." The woman stated gently before turning to face the rest of the assembled group, who sat now in stunned silence. "You have yet to tell either of us what it is that could be the cause of this 'Chaos Wave'. Princess Orzel is correct... We should have been informed as soon as Luna and Celestia went missing, as well as the Elements of Harmony." Cadence made a point of emphasizing Orzel's title. Her voice was far calmer than Orzel's, though the girl couldn't understand how, she didn't really care either... That funny feeling of comfort just wouldn't... Wouldn't let her be angry. There was a noticeable edge to Cadence's words, however, and her typical cheerful demeanor had all but vanished. "The cause of the Chaos Wave is a far more pressing concern than its aftermath. So, please, enlighten us... Bear in mind, that's an order, not a request."

Redwood and Arcturus looked at one another, as if sharing some unheard discussion, before ultimately Arcturus spoke up. Both Princesses listened, Cadence more intently than Orzel, as the Field Marshal recounted the meeting held months ago within that very chamber, where the threat of a being known as Discord had been discussed. Orzel was far better acquainted with the subject, Equestrian history having proved one of her earliest interests... The desire to hide the nature of the threat was an understandable one, even if Orzel was less than sanguine about being left out of the loop for so long...

According to the Field Marshals, the Chaos Wave had originated at Neighless Army Air Corps Base, not far from the city of Las Pegasus. Preliminary reports indicated that 'Project Tartarus', the details of which remained frustratingly vague, had been a success. The base was still under lock down, and a burst of Arcane Radiation had fouled radio communications in the area, but the telegraph lines still worked well enough. The facility section housing Project Tartarus itself had been contaminated with amounts of Arcane Radiation, but those levels were predicted to decrease dramatically as the day went on. Discordium-22, the element responsible for the contamination, had an exceptionally short half-life of only a few minutes. The prognosis of the people underground remained unclear, but optimistic... Whatever that meant. Orzel couldn't focus on it... She just sank further back into the plush cushions her seat, which seemed to grow exponentially comfy with each passing second.

The best news of all was that Celestia and Luna were alive, thankfully, and would return to Canterlot after aiding further in the clean up operation. Their magic likewise could be used to counter the effects of Arcane Radiation, likely saving many other people from the ill effects left in the aftermath of whatever had transpired at Neighless. Until they returned, Orzel and Cadence were to continue running the country... This was all information that the Field Marshal's could've supplied earlier, and for that they would receive reprimand, but... Nothing so needlessly harsh as an execution.

"Okay..." Orzel said with an air of composure that surprised herself just as much as it did the other present advisers. "Place our military on heightened alert." She took a deep breath, looking about the rest of the room. What would Luna do in her situation? It was a quick realization that there was more to running a country than learning its laws, policies, and overall military strategy... The economy was her most pressing concern, now that the disposition of both senior Princesses had been ascertained. The stock market had taken a dip of several points, and she suspected it would only get worse as the day wore on. "Close the markets, we are likely to lose a good deal of consumer confidence when news of the agricultural emergency breaks." She glanced about the rest of the ministers. "Ensure that Law Enforcement has everything it needs to deal with the growing unrest, even if it means you must temporarily nationalize the Territorial Garrisons." She looked at Cadence. "Do you have anything further to add?"

"Heighten the presence of all Emergency Responders, not just Law Enforcement. I'd recommend deploying personnel from the Territorial Garrison's signal corps to the areas most effective, they can better coordinate with one another. We should also take steps to safeguard infrastructure like power plants, water pumping stations, and so on..." Cadence advised in that same calm tone from earlier, earning a nod from Orzel. "People are already fearing another Nightmare Moon incident. Add to that a bunch of people doing crazy things, which could include attacking our infrastructure, and it might be enough to start a mass panic." The other advisers seemed to be in agreement, though a few made additional comments that both Cadence and Orzel agreed to. With that, the room rapidly emptied so that the orders might be relayed, until only the two Princesses remained.

It was only when the two of them were left alone that the feeling of contentment that kept Orzel's temper in check finally faded, at which point a stinging sensation of hot tears flooded Orzel's eyes. They fell silently from her cheeks, splattering upon the wood of the conference table. Her next breath was a staggered, shuddering, gasping thing... The girl rose once more from her seat, leaning on the table, trying to will herself not to show any further sign of weakness. For a few moments she could feel the panic recede, she was bringing her mind under control. Her family was safe, both Luna and Celestia were on their way home... Her legs trembled, her face and palms suddenly sopped with sweat, forcing the girl to once again take a seat. Emotional whiplash, that was what she likened the sensation to. She was in control... She was in control!

"What... What just happened to me..." Orzel whispered in astonishment, looking once more at her hands before feeling at the two sharpened fangs jutting past her lower lip. "What did you do to me?! What are you turning me into!?" She demanded with harsh accusation, unable to hide the growing panic that was fast whipping up inside her. Turning in her seat, she glared at Cadence, but the other Princess merely shook her head.

"You're suffering the combined effects of the Chaos Wave and your own biology, it's weakened your ability to control your basic emotions..." Cadence calmly explained, taking one of Orzel's hands in her own and giving it a gentle squeeze. "All I did was apply an arcane sedative, its effects will pass in time." Orzel looked at the damage she'd done to the table. A deep sense of shame barged to the forefront as she realized the fear she'd likely caused in the advisers, a fear that quickly took root in her own heart. She could only imagine what frightful things might've happened had Cadence not stopped her when she did. Her research into her origins did make some mention of physical changes as she matured, but... Nothing like this.

"If you have no further need for me, I have a model I have been meaning to complete..." Orzel mumbled distantly, struggling to rise for a second time. The task was all she could think to do in that moment, something simple and detail oriented to recalibrate her faculties around, to help her better cope with her new reality. Any model she attempted to work on in that moment would be next to impossible to complete, as her hands were trembling from nerves, but to just sit down in the welcoming setting of her tower would hopefully be enough. Cadence looked at her dubiously, then offered an arm to help the emotionally shot Princess along.

"Station guards outside my quarters..." Orzel added darkly. "Order them to confine me there, by force if necessary, until... Until Mother returns to decide my fate. I am too dangerous to be allowed to roam free." Cadence once again shook her head. "I am an animal! Did you not see what I did to the table?! Can you imagine if that was a human being?!" The girl declared shakily, shivering as the adrenaline was still coursing through her veins.

"You aren't an animal... You weren't in control of yourself, and you didn't want to hurt anyone..." Cadence assured, but Orzel clenched her eyes as more tears filled them. She plonked herself right down on the floor, her legs far too wobbly for her to continue walking.

"You do not understand..." She squeaked, her body trembling like a leaf. "If you had not stopped me, I... I..." She pulled her knees up against her chest and held them there, clenching her eyes shut as the tears continued to flow. "I do not know what I might have done. I had no control..." She felt another hand on her shoulder, and that comforting sound of the lullaby briefly returned, before the woman picked her up from the floor with an audible grunt until once again she stood shakily on her own feet. "I am weak..." She grunted furiously, as she was still struggling to come to terms with the idea of being so overcome with fury that all control was rendered moot. What purpose was there for a Princess capable of such fits of temper? "Useless... Weak and useless... Defective..."

"Emotions are not something that can or should be controlled, Orzel. Managed, yes, but not controlled.." Cadence once again tried to be of comfort, but all it succeeded in doing was highlighting just how vast the gulf was between her desire to help and her ability to understand what just happened within Orzel's mind. Every day the instincts she felt gnawing at her grew more difficult to ignore. As if she was a bucket of water in the scorching desert... There was nothing the bucket could do to keep the water from evaporating, progressively fading away, until there was nothing left but oxidizing metal. What would happen to her when that last drop of water finally fizzled away was unclear, but if the events of the last few minutes were any indication...

"You cannot possibly understand!" Orzel retorted in a barely restrained shout. Up until that moment she'd never thought she could posses the capacity for such violent thoughts as those conjured in the fading fog of fury, and now the genie was out of the bottle. "It is not something any Equestrian can understand, I am coming to realize that now..." She added more rationally, clenching her fists and setting her jaw. "I am in control... I am in control... I am..." The girl sighed deeply. "I just require time alone to clear my head, and... Make sense of all this."

"If you're ever going to trust me, trust me now..." Cadence urged, walking with Orzel towards the door leading into the hallway. Midnight scampered up out of the girl's pocket, perching on the Princess's shoulder and nuzzling up against her neck. The familiar felt like a source of emotional strength, some untapped well of resolve... In just the past few hours, somehow, Orzel was gradually beginning to wonder how she'd ever gotten along without the tiny mouse. Why the familiar waited until that moment, and not when she was seemingly needed most, remained unclear. Cadence continued walking along, sparing only a brief glance at the creature. "I can handle things from here, but I suspect Aunt Luna would be incredibly furious with me if I left her daughter alone while in such a state. You need to decompress, and thanks to Aunt Celestia, I know just the place for the job."

Orzel looked skeptically at her cousin, nearly disregarding the offer out of hand. In truth, she wanted nothing more than to return to the comfort she found in her model ships. Something stopped her, however... With Luna and Celestia's safety assured, and perhaps the suggestive influence of the 'arcane sedative', it was a lot easier to accept the idea of trying something new. New, as the girl had come to learn, didn't always mean 'bad'. With an amount of resignation that surprised herself, Orzel nodded and allowed Cadence to lead her, hopefully, to a destination that would put her frayed nerves at ease.

The girl left her Crown in the custody of Cadence, retreating inward to her deeper thoughts as they moved onwards. She was numb to the outside, even as they navigated the hallways and eventually even departed the Castle, the journey was simply a blur of muted sounds and abstract images. The city outside the carriage window was still in a state of unrest, with numerous broken windows and tons of vulgar graffiti. The most extreme example of the civil unrest brought on by the Chaos Wave was the smoldering wreck of a firetruck, still being tended to by other fire fighters... An image which, in Orzel's summation, more than adequately encapsulated the days events.

She wasn't sure of the exact time it took to reach the unassuming white building in the more affluent, less destroyed, section of the city. It could've been minutes, or hours. Orzel didn't care either way... Shielded on either side by Grim and Fable, and with Cadence urging her along, the Princess didn't resist as she was led from the carriage, up the sidewalk, and then several stone steps. Only as she crossed the threshold into the structure did her senses register that this place was unlike any she'd been to thus far. The two bodyguards remained outside, leaving just Cadence to guide the girl's path.

The air was hot and humid, comfortably so, tinged with the faintest hints of what smelled like sea spray on a warm Cesarski afternoon. She could hear seagulls and crashing waves, apparently emanating from speakers mounted inconspicuously on the walls. Evidently this was a small waiting room, like that of Doctor Scratch... Orzel would need to call her later, but for now... She just wanted things to be over. While there were several seats and a secretary's desk, it seemed evident that Orzel wouldn't be subject to any sort of delay whatsoever...

Two women in crisp white garments stood beside a wooden door, and Orzel was honestly shocked to see that neither of them held a straight jacket or any other form of restraint. She could've sworn this was some sort of asylum or other institution, the sort of place where people who couldn't keep control were sent... Orzel sighed, maybe that came later... For now, she focused on the two strangers. One was tall and beautiful, the other was shorter and bookish, with spectacles that seemed remarkably similar in thickness to Orzel's own, perhaps a little thinner?

"Is it ready?" Cadence asked cryptically, the more beautiful of the two women merely nodded silently. "Okay, Orzel... I want you to go with my friend Serenity. Don't worry, I had the guards at the gate call ahead before we left, so they're all aware of just what's happening." Orzel raised an eyebrow at that, snapping back to the present with a renewed sense of unease. "This other woman is...?"

"Doctor Fang, Professor of Dragon History of the Ancient and Pre-Equestrian Eras at the Canterlot Institute for Draconic Studies." The bookish woman explained somewhat proudly, adjusting her spectacles.. "I've been helping Miss Serenity with this particular treatment for the past few months, adapting it for typical Equestrian use. It will be far easier to implement with a true Drake, you're in excellent hands." Orzel looked quizzically at the woman in question, crossing her arms with obvious mistrust.

"What 'treatment'?" The Princess's tone was skeptical, her eyes narrowed, the fangs digging uncomfortably into her chin. "You expect me to believe that this place, whatever it is, just happens to have something on hand to help a Drake?" Doctor Fang seemed slightly confused by the question, looking between both Princesses with questioning intent.

"This place is the foremost Spa in Canterlot." Miss Serenity explained, putting her hands on her hips, though Orzel suspected not in a judgmental way. "Doctor Fang and I were commissioned by the Crown to specifically create this treatment, by Princess Celestia no less." Orzel was about to ask another question, but stopped herself... She wasn't all that surprised, truth be told. Celestia was smart enough to know that one day, sooner or later, Orzel would lose control and suffer whatever transformation she'd just gone through... Perhaps the woman's capacity for future planning wasn't as limited as Orzel previously suspected. "Please come with us, your Highness."

"Very well..." Orzel agreed cautiously, looking over at Cadence for a few tense moments before stepping forward to accompany the two women in white. It didn't feel right to her, especially with so much still going on, as if she was abandoning her post... Hopefully whatever 'treatment' was in store for her wouldn't take too long, this sort of diversion couldn't become a regular thing, especially in times of crisis. The girl stopped briefly and looked over her shoulder. "Would you please call Doctor Scratch and let her know what happened? I would like to speak with her when this is over..." With Cadence's evident nod at her request, Orzel allowed herself to be led away to parts of the spa yet unknown...

The discharge of the Elements of Harmony was taking a bit longer to retract the effects of the Chaos Wave, but at least the damage was receding. The news wasn't all bad, at least from what Luna had been told. Yes, there had been several riots and, yes, the property crime rate had skyrocketed exponentially, but there were no fatalities... Injuries most certainly, but at least nobody had died. The Arcane Radiation, thankfully, was also gradually being dissipated by the effects of the Elements. The same couldn't be said for the 'chocolate milk' rain that had blanketed large swathes of Equestria. Even so, that facet of the crisis was being handled already...

The cover story she and Celestia had spun regarding what had happened likewise had been picked up by the media, all would know the heroic deeds that Twilight Sparkle and friends accomplished in defeating Discord. Celestia ultimately allowed the element bearers to decide if they wanted their memories redacted... It was the right call. She'd struck a nerve, comparing involuntary memory redaction to something the Szafirian Empire might do. It was exceptionally rare, but... She knew now from personal experience how jarring and hurtful things could be when the redaction failed. Still, the Element Bearers had seen far too much of how the 'sausage was made'... Something had to be done.

They agreed that while the 'cover story' proposed to be implanted in the Element Bearer's minds would be beneficial to their friendship and overall continued mental health. Still, in order to go ahead with the procedure the vote had to be unanimous. Unsurprisingly, Miss Applejack voted against it, so... They'd been sworn to secrecy instead. Whether that would last in the long term or not remained to be seen... As far as Equestria was concerned, the day was saved thanks to the power of friendship. Chalk another one up for the good guys...

The decision had also been reached that Orzel and Cadence wouldn't undergo the procedure, for the same moral reasons. Luna trusted both of them not to mention 'Project Tartarus' or the 'Darkstar Facility' to anyone. The woman shook her head at the thought of her daughter, a frown threatening to damage her calm facade. Word recently arrived by wireless that the girl was recovering from her first Elemental Transformation, but that she was still in a state of shock over the transformation aspect. To Luna's relief, according the message sent by Princess Cadence, her daughter had handled the situation leading up to her Elemental Transformation as admirably as someone of her modest years and experience could. Under the less than ideal circumstances, Luna was proud... Worried, but proud. The lingering effects of Orzel's near transformation, namely the fangs, weren't likely to go away, unfortunately...

Following the word that Luna and Celestia were indeed alive and well, the message Luna received via the wireless indicated Orzel was taking what Cadence referred to as some much needed 'me time' at a local spa, previously arranged by Celestia of all people. That said more for just how shaken her daughter actually was than anything else. If Orzel had scheduled herself to go anywhere near a spa, or any other frivolity that for that matter, she'd truly been on the cusp of a full on crisis.

Fortunately the stars were aligned, and the Chaos Wave struck on a day when Orzel was in a particularly stable state of mind. Doctor Scratch was at that very moment walking Orzel through just what had happened to her... That the Elemental Transformation was natural part of a Drake's maturation, that it represented no defect of character and that it only manifested when a Drake felt themselves or something they cared about was being threatened with grievous harm. It was a discussion Luna herself should've had much earlier, perhaps then it wouldn't have been so traumatic, but she'd honestly believed the girl's first transformation wouldn't come about until she was an adult...

For all she knew that likely would've been the case, if not for Discord's parting 'gift'. How much the aborted draconic rage would set her daughter back on the road to mental recovery was yet to be determined, but Orzel's words in the wireless transmission, 'I just want to go to bed and stay there', spoke volumes. According to Doctor Scratch, the lingering mental effects would pass in a day or so, the result of some particularly potent draconic brain chemistry. Once they'd dissipated, Luna's daughter would be more or less back to her usual neurotic self. At least, that was the hope...

Luna should've been home, helping her child through this adversity, but this was one instance where she couldn't just teleport as she typically would. The distant drone of the locomotive's whistle drew Luna back into the moment, back to the 'Infirmary Car' she'd ordered affixed to her personal train before departing Neighless. The hours since the hopefully permanent removal of the entity known as Discord and the return of Observos were more or less a blur. She'd been monitoring the man's condition for as long as she'd been able, sitting diligently by his bedside ever since the train's first departure while Celestia and the Director handled things in the MSC.

The bed's occupant was lanky, given his modest height, with a crop of dark brown hair atop his head, angular features, and a distinctive crescent-moon shaped scar on his cheek, beneath his left eye. Observos the Watchful, Luna's long lost love, lay unconscious before her... His face was just as boyish as she remembered, just as lively and warm as the last time the woman had laid eyes upon him. The memories were fresh and clear in her mind again, she recalled with all too much clarity just how her foolish suitor had nearly destroyed himself in an attempt to remain at her side.

Equally, she remembered giving the order to Orcus, having the memories of all those present altered to preserve a fiction... A fiction that would remain unchanged, as far as the Equestrian public was concerned. None knew with any certainty what the enigmatic 'Statesman' looked like, save those that knew him personally. As far as history was concerned, Observos the Watchful had died a hero, and would remain dead.

The man before her would be given a new name, a new history, just as Orcus had done for himself throughout the centuries. Luna shook her head once again at the thought of the Director... How short sighted she'd been, all those years ago, to place a burden of such weight on her friend's shoulders. Yet throughout the years he had worked to help her, no matter the cost to himself...

All in the service of bringing her to that very moment, seated beside a bed that housed the one man for whom Luna would give almost anything. Orcus fully expected to lose his position, and ultimately his very life, just to see Luna and Observos once again reunited. That sort of loyalty was difficult to come by in Ancient Equestria, and nearly impossible in the Modern Era. She could only hope Orzel would find such loyal and principled companions of her own.

She was well on her way with one at least, albeit thanks to Celestia... Spike was supposedly an honorable and heroic boy, but he was just that, a boy... Luna was a teenager once herself, as was Observos, so she had an idea just where Spike and Orzel's heads might be at. The woman sighed, she was probably worrying over nothing. This was the sort of thing she'd never considered when she was her daughter's age, what Celestia must've felt like...

Luna shook her head again, as she'd reminded herself there was another facet of the equation the woman would need to address. How would her daughter respond to the arrival of a sudden and unknown suitor? Knowing how she thought, Orzel's first reaction would be to assume she was being replaced, or that she would take a back seat to Observos going forwards... Luna sighed again, she doubted she'd ever find a way to totally assure the girl that not a soul on Equus or beyond could 'replace' her.

The car rattled gently upon the tracks, causing the IV bottle hanging overhead to sway, bringing her thoughts back to the present. Luna silently slid her hand onto the soft bedding, slipping her fingers among Observos' and squeezing his hand. How she'd longed throughout her banishment and beyond to feel his skin against her own, grieving under the self inflicted falsehood that such a thing was impossible. She was undeniably angry with him, for a variety of reasons, including how his return had affected her daughter, but the woman couldn't bring herself to show that anger at present.

To her surprise and overwhelming thrill, the woman felt Observos' fingers tighten around her own. His eyes fluttered briefly, struggling as they became accustomed to the glow of the dimly glowing electronic light bulbs overhead. His expressive orbs latched on to the IV tube affixed to his arm, then widened in apparent panic. That was understandable, Medicine had come a great many light years in his absence. Without a moments hesitation, Observos reached frantically towards tube, evidently with the intention of ripping it out.

"Leave that alone..." Luna spoke as she gently grabbed the man's hand, forcing it back to the bed. Despite all that had happened, Luna couldn't prevent a wide smile from spreading over her face, nor did she want to. Observos grunted indignantly, looking at her with visible confusion... "You are in good hands, Observos. Trust that this is for your own benefit." She gestured to the IV, then took his hand in both of hers, unable to hide the shimmering of her eyes. Recognition dawned in his eyes, a mix of melancholic happiness and disbelief. She'd heard him and his rambling when first they'd opened the containment vessel, and there was only one way to be sure he was really all there. "Do you remember who I am?"

"Luna..." Observos rasped with a voice of sandpaper, Luna nodded simply and with a flare of magic conjured a glass of water within her palm. Leaning the glass to Observos' mouth, she tilted it and allowed the man to drink. His atrophied muscles tensed as the cool refreshing liquid passed his lips, soothing a throat that had gone unquenched for over a thousand years. She withdrew the glass a few moments later, not wanting to overwhelm him. "Thank you." He grunted, his voice gradually clearing. A sudden look of terror filled his eyes, and to Luna's surprise the man attempted to get out of the bed. "The Tribal Council!" He barely managed to speak, but Luna gently forced him back into his laying position. "They're plotting to-"

"Their plot has been foiled..." Luna soothed, abruptly halting Observos' urge to escape the bed. It seemed obvious now that he remembered little of his time imprisoned, or realized how long he had been gone from the world. Luna had been aware of every moment of banishment, she'd watched the march of progress from her lofty prison upon the lunar surface, though she supposed perhaps it was different for those in statue form. A look of relief passed over Observos' face at the news of the foiled plot, his head resting back on the pillow of his bed. "Much has changed since we have been apart, my love..." Hearing those words pass her lips had just as much effect on Luna as it did on her suitor, a ghost of a smile playing across both of their faces. "It has been a long time."

"How long?" Observos weakly inquired, pausing briefly as he noticed the gentle rocking motion of the car trundling along the tracks. Another powerful deep bellow escaped the locomotive's whistle, visibly startling the man, his look becoming somewhat pleading. "Is this room... Moving? What's that strange sound?" Luna grinned faintly, squeezing the man's hand again as the train's brakes squealed lightly beneath the floor.

"Far too long..." The woman trailed off, rising from her seat and walking towards a set of shades drawn over one of the windows. Pulling them open, she heard the unmistakable gasp from behind her, undoubtedly the result of what lay beyond. Trees flitted past in a blur, small clouds of orange and red leaves occasionally coiling up into view before dissipating in the train's wake. The sun was gradually setting outside, soon it would come time to raise the moon. "The room is indeed moving, my dear Observos, and that noise comes from the remarkable machine that enables it to do so." She turned and strode back towards him, resuming her seat at his bedside. "All will be explained, in due time. The details do not matter now, what matters is that you and I are together once again..." Luna took Observos' hand once more, earning an unusual expression from the man.

"Celestia won't allow our courtship to continue, even if the Tribal Council has been thwarted." The man stated gloomily, Luna shook her head, once again smiling at his confused expression. "If that is so...? It has been a long time..." He concluded, rubbing at the back of his neck, as if unsure of allowing himself even the slightest glimmer of hope. "You would still have me, after what I've done?" Luna leaned forward, unable to help herself, planting a gentle kiss upon his lips.

"There is no one I would rather have beside me than you..." She lovingly confirmed, watching the blush cross Observos' pale cheeks as his lips curled into a smile. She didn't want to think about just what it had cost to bring him back... All told, the price tag of her reunion probably lurked somewhere in the hundreds of millions, perhaps even billions? That didn't even include the human cost, those whom had been exposed to dangerous levels of Arcane Radiation, or the necessary repairs to the Dark Star Installation, or the shaken economy and unfolding ecological disaster...

It would be well worth that price if Observos could mend the Arcane Barrier, and reduce the threat of an extra-dimensional invasion. Even his very presence, with all his powerful magic, would be a boon. No, she couldn't think of it like that at present. The world was more complex now than it had been all those centuries before, but Luna knew regardless of that, she and her long lost love would find a place within it together...