Madness - sublimity of the intelligence, or so it has been said.

Celestia observed as her sister and the four unusual guests fell asleep. A magical screen appeared out of thin air,blank for the time being. She had something very important to do,and it wouldn't be easy. She debated whether or not to do it. On one hoof, the action was arguably immoral,and would certainly promote distrust if it were to ever found out. On the other hoof, if her faithful student and her friends were to be put in danger, they deserved to know what they were dealing with.

She sighed. She was going to do what's best, and besides, nopony is going to find out, and her little ponies would surely understand! These humans are certainly unwilling to share information, and a picture's worth a thousand words! With a heavy heart she materialised a quill and a scroll, scribbled something about an urgent business, asking them to come to her quarters. As it burned to ash in an emerald flame she pondered if she made the right decision.

Twilight was worried. In fact, she was close to panicking. Princess never excluded her from such serious business! The humans definetly had something important to say, why wouldn't princess let her know? She sighed. She was probably overreacting, Celestia knows she's good at it. After all, the princess probably wanted to make sure the guests were comfortable, they sure looked stressed the last time she saw them!

Especially that Dismas fellow. The others were uncomfortable, sure, but he was downright paranoid! She asked Applejack if she noticed something off about him, and the farm pony admitted that the highwayman was not completely truthful. None of them were, in her opinion. They were definently keeping something secret, and judging by the jokes they told earlier, it wasn't pretty.

"Applejack, are you one hundred percent sure they were hiding something? My guess is they're just tired. They definently looked beaten. . ." - Twilight asked her friend. The farm pony finished her meal before replying.

"I'm sure, sugarcube. None of y'all saw it, but two of them went missing for a good ten minutes. The doctor noticed and tried to keep me busy, but ah saw right through her babblin'."

"Ah! So i wasn't the only one who noticed!"-Rainbow exclaimed. "The other one, Junia, i think, was practically throwing herself at me! I mean, my awesomeness gets me a lot of fans, but not that quickly!"

"And one of the birds heard loud sound from an alley! The poor thing was scared out of its mind!" - Fluttershy added.

"I'm not usually the one to play Discord's advocate," - Rarity cast a glance at the yellow mare - "But we simply must give them the benifit of the doubt! And if i had an audience with a princess, i'd be a little nervous too!"

Twilight couldn't argue with that. And after all, she was the Princess of Friendship! She had to give them the benifit of the doubt. A scroll appeared in a green flash of Spike's dragon breath. Twilight quickly unfurled it, eager to see what the princess has to say.

"What does it say?" - Her friends asked. She frowned a little, and put the scroll down.

"Let's go girls, the princess wants us to meet her in her quarters."

The doors opend, and the mane six entered the chamber. Celestia smiled when she saw them, and beckoned them to get closer. They were quite startled by its contents, the circle of beds and Luna sitting in the middle of it was quite jarring, not to mention the mirror-like object floating in the corner of the room. Everyone in the room, barring the Sun princess and the recently entered ponies, were asleep. The aformentioned princess cast a spell over the group, and motioned to sit in front of the magical screen. When everypony settled, Twilight felt it was time to speak up.

"Princess, what is going on? What is princess Luna doing here?"

"Our new friends agreed that the most efficent way to convey the importance of their message, is to show the danger they warn us of. Thus, with the help of my sister i organised this demonstration, hopefully it will provide some insight into the supposed danger beneath the castle." - she concluded.

"Uh-huh, and do they know we'll be at this 'demonstration' ?" - Rainbow inquired. Celestia seemed unwilling to answer the question, but there was no point in arguing right now.

"I did not know how they would react if they knew my sister and i weren't the only observers. However, if you are to risk your life by being in close proximity to the castle, you deserve to know what you are against." -

"Now wait for a second there, ain't it rude to intrude on anypony's dreams?" - Applejack interjects.

"Not only is it rude, it's also probably dangerous! I mean, who knows how they will react?! What if they'll be angry? What if the-." - Twilight was cut short by Celestia.

"I'm sure we'll be able to persuade them to calm down. Now, it seems that Luna has found the first dream, let us watch it."

The seven of them watched curiously as the events of the dreams unfurled. Curiosity soon turned to shock, and shock turned to dread. From the horrors of the blood-soaked battlefield, to the clinical detachment of a vivisection.

But all that paled in comparison to the terror they witnessed in the last dream. An antediluvian evil unleashed, an assault on one's senses. If one was to see such monstrosity in the flesh, they would sure to go mad. "But they did see it. . . " - a thought passed through Twilight's mind, but was quickly smothered by the trepidation caused by what she witnessed next. A mounain on wriggling tentacles sprouted up from under the plague doctor, tearing her limb from limb, simultaneously absorbing her, until nothing remained.

Her body in the waking world began convulsing in the bed. She must have cried out, but the horrific sounds of the heart overshadowed her. "How were they were still asleep?"- Twilight ponderd. The same fate befell the vestal, who, in turn, writhed in agony. The ponies were in a peculear state of awe, too scared to move or act.

All exept Celestia.

As the fiend was slain,she stepped out of the bubble, casting a spell to break them all free from sleep. Yet, after the spell was cast, nothing happened.

For a few moments, at least.

A thunderous voice, familiar yet foreign, spoke with a air of authority and paternity, and all could hear it's call. The screen spell cracked from the intense magic.

"Victory...a hollow and ridiculous notion."

That thrice-damned horror appeared floating in the blackness of the cosmos.

"We are born of this thing, made from it. And we will be returned to it, in time.

The great family of man -- a profusion of errant flesh. Multiplying. Swarming. Living. Dying."

A manor, perched stoically atop the hill appeared in it's place, an incline towards it was filled with still flesh. A small town was visible, although alive at first, it faded quickly into disrepair.

"Until the stars align in their inexorable formation, and what sleeps is roused once more, to hatch from this fragile shell of earth and rock, and bring our inescapable end. . ."

A planet was show, and at it's center was a living, beating heart. It burst brigtly into pieces. A sense of dread filled everypony who watched.

"So seek solace in the manner befitting your lineage, and take up your nugatory vigil."

A single lit candle came into view.

A sealed letter.

A plume.

A pistol.

And a bang.

A ghastly figure appeared, pointing somewhere, as if trying to warn one from passing.

"Haunted forever by that sickening prose, echoing through the infinite blackness of space and time:"

A graveyard was visible as the ghost faded from view, replaced by a myriad of trees and a stagecoach. A single letter fell out of the carriege.

"A familiar letter" - Twilight thought.

"Ruin Has Come To Our Family.""

The screen flickered and dissappeared, but not before spewing out a letter.

Twilight caught it wit her magic and its familiar heavyness unsettled her. She pondered on opening the letter, but a loud cry snapped her out of her thoughs. Luna was breathing heavily, out of breath from the exhaustion, both mental and physical. She ran to her sister and embraced her. Celestia asked no questions, just hugged back. A harsh voice echoe through the chamber, as a loud thud was heard. Dismas got up from the floor and pointed his gun at the general direction of the ponies.

"I knew it! This has all been a trap! We never should've trusted you lot!" - he jerked the pistol from one pony to another.

"Calm down, please, it's-" - Fluttershy stook a single step, but was interrupted when the highwayman pointed the gun at her.

"NO, NONE OF YOU MOVE! I'm wise to your schemes! Look what you did to Junia!"

The vestal in question was rocking back and forth in a fetal position on her bed. From her, only a faint whisper could barely be heard.

"Verse LXVIII: Pray to the Light, for it will grant you joy. . ."

"I'm sorry my dear, i didn't quite catch it?" - Rarity said. The vestal turned her head and looked with uncaring eyes.

"The holy Verses no longer resonate, all is lost."

The pony tried to come closer, but a was stopped when the tile floor exploded in front of her. She shrieked and jumped back.

"I. SAID. DON'T. MOVE! "

Luna's horn lit up with magic, and with a big yawn Dismas collapsed to the floor.

"Oh, would you please shut it? You halfwits are interrupting my concentration! " - the plague doctor complained as she scribbled something in her journal.

"What's with the attitude, sugarcube?" - the farm pony questioned.

"Stop pestering me, or I shall poison your grog!" - Para spat, not looking away from her journal. Applejack abstained from further questioning.

The only one who wasn't freaking out, was Reynald. He calmly got up from his bed, and sighed with relief.

"Could've been worse, i suppose."

"Whu- what do you mean 'it could've been worse'? How in the world could this situation get any worse!" - Rainbow exclaimed. Reynald rolled his eyes as he picked up and held the unconscious Dismas in his hands.

"I don't see any heart attacks, nobody got shot, and i my possesions have not been rummaged through, so i'd say it's a better day than most. Now, i'd advise to let everyone rest for the night, i'm tired as hell, and these two need a good night's sleep."

"Wait, aren't you going to explain what's going on with them?" - the rainbow pony asked.

"I could ask the same question. What the hell are you doing here? Last i remember, only these two were here." - he nodded towards the two princesses.

"I will answer your question later." - the Sun princess said - "Now, Twilight, please escort our friends to the guest quarters. They deserve a good night's sleep."

Reynauld shook his head. "Don't think we're done here, we will talk later." - he turned to face the plague doctor - "Para, can you help Junia walk?"

The plague doctor scoffed, but closed her journal shut and got up. She approached the still rocking vestal and yanked her out of bed. Junia fell to the ground with a whimper, and looked at her friend.

"NO! Please, let me be!" - she pleaded, eyes watering.

"Listen here, i don't have enough patience to deal with your idiocy. You either get up and walk with me, or i'll make you get up and walk with me." Junia wiped a tear and nodded.

"Where are we going?" - she asked as she got up.

"To the guest quarters." - Para answered dryly as everyone, apart the princesses, exited the room.

"B-but what happened? Why are we being escorted? Did we do something?" - with a loud groan, Para turned around and glared at her.

"I don't know, and i don't care. Less talking, more walking."

"Now slow down there sugarcube, what's the matter? You're grumpier than a rattlesnake in the middle of a summer!" - the plague doctor ignored her, and continued following Twilight.

"Wanna hear what i'm thinkin'? Ah-"

"You are unschooled, yes? Then I must decline."

"Sheesh, you must be fun at parties. . ."

"Alright everypony, the suites are down this corridor, breakfast is 8:00 AM tomorrow, and we've got a train to catch at 10:30." - Twilight began - "The dining hall is not far from here, just follow the map, each of the suites has one."

Both Para and Junia got into the suites, but Reynald stood still, Dismas in hands.

"Do any of you know when he will wake up?" - Twilight put a hoof to her chin.

"Honestly? I don't know. He'll be awake by tomorrow, that's for sure, but he could wake up anytime from "in a few minutes" , to "in a few hours"." - Reynald nodded.

"Thanks, see you tomorrow, i presume?"

"Now, darling, why do you need to know when he wakes up? Princess Luna wouldn't hurt him, if you're worried about that." - Rarity interjected.

"He was throwing a fit back then, now imagine if wakes up in an unknow room, alone, in a middle of the night. I'll stay with him, and explain the situation when he wakes up."

"Couldn't you write him a note or something?" - Rainbow questioned, and Reynald shrugged.

"Better safe than sorry."

Reynald entered the guest suite.

Author's Note

Hello there! I'm terribly sorry for the shorter-than-normal chapter, the next one will be the usual lenght.