Failure, Eternally Retold, Part Three: Morality

Kai and Spike walked up to the top of the hill together. It was already after sunset, and they'd not gone over the plans with each other in detail. Twilight had brought up the question of the correct order, and since Kai knew it, he could clear up some details that were unknown earlier. That said, Kai's own knowledge was limited, and he needed some assistance from Spike to clear this up.

"Why didn't you tell me the order earlier?" asked Spike, rubbing his eyes. "Any time before nightfall would have been fine."

"Because I only just found out you were having a problem," came Kai's answer. "If I'd known sooner, I'd have been here sooner. I guess we probably should have collaborated earlier, but unless we knew we were both having problems that the other would be able to solve, not really a lot we can do. That's why communication is so important."

"You could have picked a better time, is all I was saying."

They came to the top of the hill and looked over the platform. Some plants had overgrown it at one point, but Luna had cleaned it off. The plants that produce runners had woven between the bricks and put down roots, but they could clearly see the pattern that had been laid out.

Ten basins had been organized around the main platform, about thirty centimetres wide and five deep. In the center of the platform, there was a collection of shaped stone bricks that organized into some sort of creature, with the body of a tiger, the wings and tail of a bird, and the head of a dragon. It was displayed in green bricks, while the surrounding bricks were all purple in colouration.

"This is the answer," said Kai, pointing to the creature. "We just need to align the stones with this."

Spike looked down at the creature. "What even is this thing?"

"It's a long story," answered Kai. "What matters is, he's going to guide us." He pulled out the stones and started laying them out.

"The right wing flapped first, and four feathers fell. The first created the stars in a massive burst of flame. The second put out some of the flames with a gust of wind. The third gathered the kicked up dust into big rocks. The fourth and final made sure everything continued to flow smoothly and effectively.

"Next, he flapped his left wing, and four more feathers fell out. The first brought flesh into creation. The second gave them the ability to live and die. Then came thought to make them question the world around them. Finally, they were given the will to change what they saw.

"The final action of creation was the flick of his tail, from which only two feathers fell. The first was pure white and let loose the ideas of the group. The second was pitch black and left the world with a sense of the importance of self."

With the story explained, the stones were now in place. They seemed to glow in their basins, signifying that they had found their proper homes. Kai turned to Spike and nodded. "That's how they line up."

"How did you know that?" asked Spike, inspecting the glowing orbs. "I looked up and down the libraries of both Ponyville and Canterlot, and I found nothing like that. Where did you find that information?"

Kai chuckled somberly. "I had my own library, not long ago. Anyway, have you seen what you needed to?"

Spike quickly pulled out a pencil and wrote down in his notes the order. Starting from the north and going clockwise, they were orange, yellow, green, medium blue, white, black, dark blue, light blue, magenta and grey. "Now, we know the order, and the ritual is pretty straightforward. Nik stands at the center, some unicorn casts the spells on him, and then he disappears for a bit. Then we just wait for him to come back. Right?"

Kai nodded. "That's correct." He took a deep breath. "Now then, let's go to bed. Early start tomorrow, as we have to be up before dawn."

As they made their way back down the hill, a guard stopped them. "Keitra, there is something we need to discuss. This way, please."

Kai nodded for Spike to return to his tent while he followed the guard. They made their way to a hastily-assembled tent and closed the flap. As soon as they were clear, the guard took off his helmet. "It's me," affirmed Open Eyes, shaking his mane. "I'm surprisingly well-equipped for sneaking around your campsite."

Kai was shocked. "I'm surprised to see you here," he said, sitting down. "I thought for sure you'd still be in the hidden haven, figuring out your place in life."

"Rule one, do what makes you happy, others' opinions be damned. I used to think that society couldn't survive with that logic, but then there are ponies like me, who want to help. It's not about taking your job away and doing it for you because I'm able to do so and more disposable. I'm here because it's what I want to do."

"So you're here to fight?"

"I'm in a more stable fighting condition than you are, what with being uninjured; but also, I come with news from the other side. They know you're here, they know you have everything you need, and they know that the ritual can only be performed at dawn and dusk. I've come to fight alongside you, but I've also been made aware of the time of attack. When the moon rises to the peak of the sky, they will strike."

"How do you know this?"

Open discarded the rest of his armour and put on a black cloak with a red claw on the front. "Yours is not the only camp I've been sneaking around. And hey, I recently found out how to use betrayal to save lives. Moral grey areas rule."

With a nod, Kai pushed back the hood. "You'd best switch back your disguise. You don't want to cause a mix-up. If I can't tell it's you, I won't stay my blade, nor will any of the others."

As Open changed into the outfit he'd plundered off a dead guard, Kai left to go find Luna and Celestia. It was time to be creative with the use of stellar magic.