Author's Note

As always, big thanks to Drama and all the people who made quotes

The Phoenixes

Through the dimly lit corridors of Hogwarts castle, the members of the Legion of Light snuck their way toward the dungeons. Quill Cast and Curtain Call took the lead, whilst Storm Shield, Mirai, and Draxus followed closely behind. Considering the mission they currently undertook meant great secrecy, they tried keeping as low a profile as possible.

“What exactly is it my mother wants you to find?” Storm asked his two friends.

To which Quill Cast revealed a very old journal from his satchel and displayed it toward the others.

“Everything we need to know is in here,” Quill responded. “It’s your mother’s journal from her time as a Hogwarts student.”

“And what is it that Celestia is looking for?” Mirai asked.

“In her journal she described how she and a few fellow students, one Sebastian Sallow by name, discovered a long-lost scriptorium hidden within Hogwarts,” Quill explained.

“The scriptorium was said to belong to Salazar Slytherin,” Curtain added. “I’m willing to bet anything there’s something in there that can give us information not only on the Chamber of Secrets, but the Dark One themselves.”

“My mother never mentioned anything like this to me before,” Storm said quizzically.

“I’m sure she had her reasons, Storm,” Quill replied.

The sound of footsteps echoing along the corridors suddenly drew their attention. The entire group quickly ducked behind a nearby corner as the steps grew closer. Peeking from their hiding spot, Quill and Curtain spotted none other than Spike, Twilight’s number one assistant, strolling the corridor casually. He whistled while examining a list on a clipboard as he climbed a nearby staircase, unaware of a set of eyes watching the dragon traversing toward the Grand Staircase. As the two men eyed the dragon, neither of them could keep the surprise and sentimentality exposed on their faces.

“Wow, that’s Spike!” Quill remarked, with surprise. “He’s certainly grown.”

“No kidding,” Curtain nodded. “Seems like only yesterday when his mother gave us his egg for protection… I still remember it like it was yesterday…”

<>

(Unknown Location… Years ago…)

The leaves crunched below their feet in the dark as five cloaked figures raced through a heavily wooded forest. Not far behind, growling, hissing, and the sight of blood-red eyes followed them. A giant cloud of black smoke billowed through the forest, as though it were essentially pursuing them. Lightning blazed and thunder boomed through the cloud of smoke. The figures raced as fast as they could through the forest until they were far enough away for a momentary pause. Four of them hurled the hoods of their cloaks back revealing Quill Cast, Curtain Call, Mirai, and Draxus. The fifth one remained hooded, carrying a small purple dragon egg with green spots.

“They’re still coming!” Quill Cast said urgently. “We must keep moving!”

“There’s no point!” Curtain Call groaned. “We can’t shake them!”

“He’s right, we can’t,” Mirai agreed. “It’s the Darkness of Hell itself; we can’t outrun it!”

The one cloaked figure slowly turned, spotting the oncoming darkness and the demons waiting within. The woman, as one could only tell by the slender shape beneath the cloak, looked down toward the dragon egg in her hands. A tear fell down her face and a breath emerged through the dark opening, as she handed the egg to Quill.

“Take my son and go,” She instructed.

“But what about you?” Quill asked uncertainly.

“I’ll lead them away and buy you time to escape.”

“No way!” Curtain shook his head. “We never leave a member behind!”

“But you must!” The woman urged. “Please take my son somewhere safe. I beg of you!”

Quill Cast and Curtain Call looked amongst each other, then toward their other allies before Quill took the egg with a nod.

“We’ll come back for you,” Quill assured. “We promise.”

The cloaked woman merely threw her arms around him and the other members. Within seconds, she raced off into the woods as Quill Cast waved his hand and a magical portal swirled open. Soon he, along with Curtain, Mirai, and Draxus entered the portal before it sealed behind them, leaving the fate of their friend… unknown…

<>

The memory of the day they left their friend behind, just for escape to be possible, was still extremely fresh in the minds of Quill Cast and Curtain Call. To this day, they still felt guilty about having to leave her though they both agreed it had to be done. They promised her with assurance that her son would be safe. Now after all this time, seeing how far Spike has come now, they knew their job was done.

“Still hard to believe how long ago that was,” Quill sighed.

“He’s grown now,” Curtain nodded. “Though I hate that he had to grow up without her. She’d have been proud.”

“If we succeed, we can get back to her and the darkness will end,” Quill assured. “Right now, we must find the scriptorium.”

The five legion members trekked their way through the winding, twisting halls of the dungeons. Eventually, they came upon a blocked passage surrounded by five ancient braziers. Quill studied Celestia’s journal to determine how to proceed.

“According to Celestia’s journal,” Quill explained. “All five braziers must be lit all at once to find the passage to the scriptorium.”

“Then we each take a brazier and light them at the same time,” Storm Shield concluded.

All five members approached their own brazier and lit them simultaneously. Soon as all five were lit, one of the walls slowly moved toward the side, revealing an open archway leading toward a twisting staircase. Together they ascended the archways and looked toward the darkness.

“Alright, let’s do this!” Curtain said confidently.

One by one, each member made their way into the darkness… and they vanished just as quickly.

<>

Moments later, deep within a corridor at night, Sunset Shimmer and Harry Potter walked together in near complete silence. Sunset looked down toward Harry, who had muttering ever since they overheard the Hufflepuffs talking about them behind their back… mostly about him. Sunset was just as upset as Harry because there were people still talking smack about her, but for now her attention was solely on the boy’s well-being.

They were so caught up in their own drama they hadn’t realized they stormed straight into Hagrid, Sonata Dusk… and surprisingly Fluttershy. There they stood, covered in snow, a dead rooster dangling in the big man’s hand.

“All righ’, you two?” Hagrid asked.

“Hagrid, Sonata… Fluttershy?” Harry gasped.

“Fluttershy, what are you doing here?” Sunset asked quizzically. “We thought you were looking for Justin.”

“I was,” Fluttershy admitted. “But then Sonata told me there was an accident on the grounds and she urgently needed to come.”

“What kind of accident?” Harry asked.

“This,” Hagid held up the rooster. “Second one killed this term. Reckon it’s either foxes or a Blood-Suckin’ Bugbear.”

“Or… what if it turns out it was me and I didn’t realize it?” Sonata whimpered nervously.

“… Sonata, we have no evidence to suggest what ate those poor animals,” Fluttershy assured. “We just know… it’s not you.”

“Oh good! I nearly scared myself!”

“Anyways, we are approaching Dumbledore for permission to place a charm around the hen coop,” Fluttershy explained. “I can’t bear for this school to lose more of their furry friends.”

“You always cared for animals Fluttershy,” Sunset smiled sadly. “I just wish everyone would actually appreciate what a great gift you have.”

“I know it’s been tough, but I’m sure we can manage,” Fluttershy assured. “Sunset, are you all right? Is something bothering you…”

“Professor Sunset!!!”

A trio of cries interrupted Fluttershy as all eyes turned toward the Cutie Mark Crusaders who quickly raced after Sunset and Harry. But they were not alone, for the Student Six themselves followed the crusaders.

“Girls?” Harry spoke surprised.

“What are you kids doing here?” Sunset asked.

“We had a bit of a fight…” Sweetie Belle admitted.

“With a bunch of jerks!” Scootaloo huffed.

“An’ we didn’t know where ya went,” Apple Bloom added. “Then we ran into Gallus’s friends—”

“And we told them we saw you two walking the corridors, not in a creepy kind of way,” Ocellus assured nervously.

“And we gathered everyone else up to come look for you,” Silverstream concluded.

“Well kids, I’m flattered that you were worried for us,” Sunset nodded. “But we better get going. Sorry Fluttershy, but I should make sure the kids go back to their studies.”

“That’s all right Sunset,” Fluttershy nodded. “Perhaps it is best you stay together. With all the scary stuff going on, it be wise not to go anywhere alone.”

“See? Fluttershy gets that!” Sandbar pointed out.

“See you Hagrid,” Harry waved. “Professors…”

Harry, Sunset, and the kids soon made their way down the corridor as Hagrid and his two helpers waved off.

“Hmm… Professor Sonata Dusk,” Sonata wondered. “Has a nice ring to it!”

“Ya wouldn’t actually eat roosters wud ya?” Hagrid asked Sonata.

“I only chewed in self-defense,” Sonata pointed out. “But I never swallowed.”

“That’s… I actually don’t know how to feel about that,” Fluttershy sighed.

<>

Eventually, Harry entered another corridor, slowly and with caution. Accompanying the boy was Sunset Shimmer, the Crusaders, and the Student Six.

“So… you overhead our conversation at study hall?” Scootaloo asked Sunset.

“Can’t hide anything from you girls,” Sunset remarked, half-jokingly. “And I thought Canterlot High was rough after the reputation I left there.”

“I still can’t believe that those kids would even say all of that,” Smolder groaned in frustration. “Aren’t Hufflepuffs all about patience, loyalty and fair play?”

“Everyone’s just scared about this Chamber of Secret ordeal,” Sandbar explained. “It doesn’t entirely justify the hostility, but it’s not like this isn’t the first time we’ve been through this.”

“You’d think they’d be an uproar if it involved some chamber-pot of secrets,” Gallus replied.

“Let’s not let what any kids say get to us now,” Sunset suggested. “Harry and I have a plan. If we can get to Justin and talk to him, maybe we can…”

“Blood… I want… blood…”

Once again, Harry and Sunset stood frozen within their tracks. The mysterious voice echoed in their heads, deeply… and sinisterly.

“Don’t tell me…” Gallus guessed. “Disembodied voice?”

“Eeyup…” Sunset gulped.

Just to prove they weren’t going crazy, or trying not to, Sunset and Harry pressed their ears against the wall to listen.

“They all… must… die…”

The Crusaders and the Students nervously followed Harry and Sunset, as the voice only grew louder and louder for the pair.

“Kill… kill… KILL… KILLL… Time to kill…”

The wizard and Jedi followed the voice until it seemingly appeared to move on from hearing range. They looked around but realized they had completely lost track of the voice.

“There it goes again,” Sunset sighed.

“Where?” Smolder asked.

“I think… it went this way!” Harry pointed.

The boy quickly took the lead, guiding the group down a hallway. Up ahead, in the light of a flickering torch, some dark lied before them. A windowpane rattled in the wind and the nearby torch… went out. All of a sudden, they stumbled upon a wet trail of water along the floor.

“Wet floor again…” Yona noted.

“Yeah, just like the night we found Mrs. Norris and Storm petrified…” Sunset confirmed.

“Now I’m convinced this isn’t Discord and Peeves,” Gallus stated.

“What makes you say that?” Smolder asked the griffon.

“That!” Gallus answered.

With one talon, the griffon pointed toward a most disturbing sight. Harry and the others stepped closer, only to find… an inert Nearly Headless Nick floating, looking more lifeless than usual (Even for a ghost). His head hung off the side, barely hanging by the skin of his neck, and its body teeming with black smoke like he was on fire somehow.

“I may not like Discord or Peeves,” Sunset muttered. “But even they wouldn’t pull a stunt like this…”

“Yo Nick?!” Sandback called out to the ghost. “Are you okay buddy? Hello? Can you hear us?”

Smolder flew up toward the ghost and snapped her fingers three times. But any effort to generate a response from the ghost… well, no such luck.

“It’s like he’s completely zoned out,” Smolder shook her head.

“So’s he…” Ocellus spoke up.

Everyone’s attention turned toward the floor, toward the body of a Hufflepuff… Justin-Finch Fletchley. The boy was lying rigid on the flood, a look of shock on his frozen face, and his hands frozen in place. Everyone gathered around the petrified student for a closer examination.

“Oh no…” Apple Bloom moaned. “Not him too!”

“Yeah, not… that guy…” Gallus uttered uncertainly. “Seriously, I didn’t even know this kid when we first got here.”

“Great… another student to add to my list…” Sunset shook her head.

“Nobody panic!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “We just need to hide the body… somewhere… and—”

“Why, it’s potty wee Potter and company!”

Cackling caught the group’s attention as Peeves bounced past Harry Potter, knocking the boy’s glasses askew.

“Peeves!” Apple Bloom gasped.

“Oh, not this guy again…” Smolder groaned.

“What’s Potter up to?” Peeves asked quickly. “Why’s Potter lurking—”

Peeves suddenly stopped, halfway through a mid-air somersault. Upside-down, he spotted Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up and started to fill his lungs.

“No…” Gallus warned, shaking his head.

“Peeves, please…” Sweetie begged.

“ATTACK! ATTACK!” Peeves screamed. “ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!”

“Ah-ha! Caught in the act!”

Another voice spoke up, startling the group of friends into looking behind them. It was none other than the school’s grumpy caretaker, Filch… with a substitute cat.

“Argus!” Sunset attempted reasoning. “I know this looks bad, but—”

“I’ll have you both out this time, Potter and Shimmer!” Argus threatened sadistically. “Mark my words…”

The man turned to leaves while Peeves wailed loudly behind, ignoring the pleas of Harry and friends.

“NO! Mr. Filch! Peeves!” Harry called out. “You don’t understand…”

“That guy’s as cranky as Cranky Doodle Donkey!” Gallus frowned. “Now he’s just as stubborn!”

“The guy lost his pet cat,” Sweetie Belle replied. “What do you expect?”

“Guys…?” Sandbar whispered. “Not to sound the alarm, Yona. But… spiders…”

“Spiders?!” Yona shrieked, jumping onto Sandbar’s back. “Where?!”

“There!” Sandbar pointed to the floor.

Sure enough, Harry and friends kneeled and were treated to a very peculiar sight. Only now did they notice a trail of spiders scuttling away from Justin’s body and out the loose windowpane.

“This is getting very suspicious,” Sunset muttered. “Mysterious voice… wet trail… petrified victims… and spiders… but why?”

“Yona think spiders did it!” Yona whimpered. “Spiders are the culprit! They did it!”

“I don’t know…” Sunset shook her head. “I’m not an entomologist, but these spiders don’t look like the kind that would bite, let alone… petrify you. Then again, I wouldn’t exactly know all the Fantastic Beasts in the Wizarding World. Definitely Fluttershy’s department.”

“We’ve got to get back to Fluttershy!” Scootaloo suggested. “She needs to know!”

“If we ever get the chance to,” Gallus sighed.

It wasn’t long until Filch and Peeves returned with a horrified Professor McGonagall and Twilight Sparkle.

“What happened here?” Twilight asked the group. “Sunset?”

“Twilight, we just found them like this,” Sunset replied. “I swear I’m telling the truth!”

“Professor, I swear I didn’t—” Harry pleaded.

“This is out of my hands, Potter,” Professor McGonagall replied solemnly. “Mr. Filch, will you take care of this, please?”

As McGonagall lead Harry and the others away, Sunset looked back. For a brief moment, Twilight and Sunset’s eyes met but it pained Sunset to see that she had no logical response for all of this. As for Filch, he merely stared at Justin and Nick as Peeves turned toward the group.

“Oh potter, you rotter, oh what have you done?” Peeves questioned. “You’re killing off students, you think it’s good fun… that’s not funny… that’s not…”

<>

After a period of time, McGonagall marched Harry and the group toward a rather ugly stone gargoyle.

“Sherbet lemon,” McGonagall uttered.

Soon, the gargoyle sprung to life, its wings opening.

“Professor Dumbledore will be waiting for you,” McGonagall informed the group.

“Yes, professor,” The CMC spoke in unison.

McGonagall ushered Harry and his friends inside. As it turned out, it was an elevator of sorts. As the gargoyle’s wings closed, Harry and the group could feel it rise toward an upper floor. After a lengthy climb, Harry and the others stepped out of the Gargoyle’s embrace and entered a large, circular room.

“Professor Dumbledore?” Harry called out.

As they entered the room, they saw not a trace of Dumbledore. Around them, strange silver instruments whirred quietly. On a nearby shelf, the sorting hat sat. The group cast wary eyes toward the past headmasters snoozing in the portraits around them. In the last portrait, the Headmaster Professor Dippet is awake, reading a book.

“Amazing!” Sunset gasped, studying the portraits. “A whole collection of headmasters all in one place.”

“And collections of the Wizarding World’s histories, no doubt,” Silverstream marveled.

“Where’s Professor Dumbledore?” Sandbar asked.

“I dunno,” Apple Bloom shrugged, calling out. “Professor? Hello?”

As the group called out for Dumbledore, Harry approached the Sorting Hat, glancing around, then placed it atop his head.

“Bee in your bonnet, Potter?” The Sorting Hat asked.

“Well, you see, I was wondering…” Harry stammered.

“If I put you in the right house?” The hat replied. “Yes… you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said last year… you would have done well in Slytherin.”

Hearing enough, Harry stripped the hat off and tossed it back onto the shelf.

“You’re wrong!” Harry replied quietly.

The hat stiffened up, giving the impression it raised an eyebrow. Then it sat motionless… silent.

“Slytherin or not,” Apple Bloom approached Harry. “We’ll always be your friends, Harry!”

“Friends to the end,” Smolder placed her claws on Harry’s shoulder.

“Always!” The CMC and Students said in unison.

The students looked over toward Sunset, expecting her to join them. But instead, the Jedi Sorceress had her attention elsewhere.

“Professor?” Harry asked the Jedi. “What are you…?”

All of a sudden, a gagging sound sent Harry and the students wheeling toward Sunset’s gaze. Three large birds came into view, all three of them bearing the resemblance of half-plucked turkeys and the eldest, decrepit bird sat on a golden perch. Their eyes were dull, their feathers falling out. Two of them did the gagging, while a particular one was worked up like a fat lady in a soap opera with the coughing and gasping… or was it preparing for an opera?

Sunset simply rolled her eyes, shaking her head in amusement over the one phoenix. Meanwhile, Harry and his classmates marveled at the birds. Suddenly, without warning, all three birds wobbled as they began to glow with a radiant light then… burst into flames. Before Harry and the others could find a glass of water, all that remained of the three great birds… were piles of ash.

“Oh my Faust, oh my Faust, OH MY FAUST!!!” Sandbar hyperventilated.

“Sandbar! Must! Get1 Hold! Of! Sandbar!” Yona slapped the Earth pony repeatedly. “And not use Lauren Faust’s name in vain!”

“Nobody panic!” Smolder exclaimed. “Uh… we’ll hide the bodies… say my brother sneezed on them! No, no, wait… that won’t work! Uh… we’ll, uh—”

“Guys, guys!” Sunset chuckled. “There’s no reason to panic.”

“Harry?”

“Sunset?”

“Kids?”

The heroes looked up to see Professor Dumbledore, Princesses Celestia & Luna, and Spike standing atop a flight of stairs, looking down toward a group of horror-stricken students.

“Professor!” Harry exclaimed.

“Spike!” The CMC called out.

“Your majesties!” The Equestrians greeted in unison.

“Is everyone alright?” Celestia asked calmly.

“Uh… we were…” Sandbar stammered. “I mean… that is… the birds… were…”

“Hit…” Gallus added.

“By a…” Smolder followed.

“SPACESHIP!” Yona added randomly.

Princess Luna merely looked at the students with one raised eyebrow. Sweetie Belle, especially stared incredulously.

“Hit by a spaceship?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yona panicked!” Yona replied. “What should Yona say? Whomping Willow?”

“Kids…” Sunset addressed the students. “Just tell them what happened.”

As Dumbledore walked down the stairs with the Princesses and Spike in tow, Harry was the first to start. He was already pointing a finger toward the pile of ash.

“Professor, your birds…” Harry began reluctantly. “We couldn’t do anything… they just caught fire!”

“About time too,” Dumbledore acknowledged. “They’ve been looking dreadful for days. Pity you had to see them on ‘Burning’ Day. Fawkes’ really handsome most of the time.”

“I wouldn’t exactly say dreadful,” Luna rolled her eyes. “Philomena, as usual, had to make a big drama out of it.”

“Philomena’s just having fun,” Celestia giggled. “She’s only a thousand years old once.”

“Phew! Just a thousand years?” Spike whistled. “Well, this has been Peewee’s first time. I better tell him he’ll be doing it a thousand more times.”

Harry and his classmates all shared a confused expression, unable to process how their teachers could be so calm.

“Did you miss the part where we said, your birds burstinto flame?” Gallus asked incredulously.

“We heard you,” Spike replied. “You just didn’t know that our birds are phoenixes.”

“Phoenixes?” Harry asked.

“Yes, Phoenixes, just like Fawkes and his friends are,” Dumbledore lectured. “Phoenixes burst into flames when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes.”

“For real?” Scootaloo asked.

“Oh yeah,” Sunset winked. “Now watch this.”

The friends gathered around the floor, watching the ash swirl. They look on until one head poked out, followed by another, and another. Soon three chicks poked their wrinkled heads, blinking through the dust. Spike gently picked up Peewee and playfully stroked his head.

“Aw!” The girls cooed at the sight.

“Fascinating creatures, phoenixes,” Dumbledore marveled. “They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets.”

“I’ll say,” Spike smiled. “Hey Peewee! So… how was your Burning Day? Pretty intense huh?”

Spike turned toward Harry, Sunset and the Students and displayed Peewee before the astounded group… mostly Harry and the Students.

“You guys want to say hi to Peewee?” Spike offered.

Collectively saying ‘yes’ in unison, Harry and the others gathered around Peewee to share their greetings to the young phoenix.

“Hey there little guy!” Sunset cooed. “I’m Sunset Shimmer! Nice to meet you!”

“I’m Scootaloo!” The Pegasus greeted.

“I’m Sweetie Belle!” Sweetie greeted. “And this is our friend, Apple Bloom!”

“Howdy!” Apple Bloom greeted.

“Yo! Name’s Smolder,” Smolder greeted, before introducing her friends. “And these are my friends: Gallus, Silverstream, Yona, Sandbar, and Ocellus.”

All of the students exchanged greetings as they got better acquainted with the phoenixes. They were so preoccupied with the birds when the door opened up, Hagrid – still clutching the dead rooster – frantically burst through the door with Sonata and Fluttershy not far behind.

“Professor Dumbledore, sir!” Hagrid shouted, racing up the stairs. “Wait! Listen! Professor Dumbledore, sire, it wasn’t Harry or any of his friends!”

“Hagrid –” Dumbledore raised a hand.

“We wer talking ‘ter ‘im jus’ before that kid was found,” Hagrid continued ranting. “It can’t’ve bin ‘im!”

“Hagrid –”

“I’d swear ter it in front o’ the Ministry o’ Magic –” Hagrid swore.

“IT WAS ME!!! It’s me you want!” Sonata shouted, throwing herself at Celestia & Luna. “I’m the real culprit! I’m the reason Sunset Shimmer was a Sith! I’m willing to accept whatever punishment you have if you just spare Sunset Shimmer! PLEASE don’t throw her in jail… or banish her to the moon! IT WAS ME; BELIEVE ME!!!”

“HAGRID!” Dumbledore shouted.

“BE STILL!!!!” Princess Luna shouted in her Royal Canterlot voice.

Scared out of their wits by Princess Luna, everyone present looked in silence until Dumbledore broke it.

“I do not think that Harry or his friends have attacked anyone,” Dumbledore assured, gently.

“And aside from some… creative tagging around the school, here and there,” Celestia spoke mischiefly towards Sunset. “I too am confident Sunset is innocent… along with her friend, Flanksy.”

“Tagging?” Harry asked.

“Flanksy?” Sandbar snorted.

While Sandbar and his friends chuckled, Sunset’s whole face turned a bright shade of pink over the reminder of part of her past.

“And furthermore,” Princess Luna began. “Aside from arriving to Hogwarts in a grand entrance, or so, we have no reason to believe that any of the Crusaders nor Twilight’s students were ever accomplices in any sort of conspiracy…”

“Oh,” Hagrid finally replied, embarrassed yet relieved. “We’ll just wait outside, then.”

With that settled, Hagrid was on his way out. Only Sonata and Fluttershy stayed behind with the heroes.

“Thank goodness,” Fluttershy sighed, approaching her friends. “Is everyone alright?”

“Apart from the thought of getting expelled or something!” Gallus sighed. “I’m fine with just a heart attack.”

“Thank our lucky stars,” Sunset sighed. “You two really came for us!”

“Duh!” Sonata nodded solemnly. “When we heard what happened with the Justin kid, we ran into Twilight Sparkle on the way. She told us what happened, next thing we know Hagrid quickly dashed us here to save you!”

“Twilight…” Sunset muttered. “Did she… say anything else?”

“Just to convince Dumbledore you’re innocent, that’s all!” Sonata smiled cheerfully.

“… She couldn’t even bother to come here herself?” Sunset muttered to herself.

“What was that, professor?” Sandbar asked.

“Nothing!” Sunset replied frantically.

Getting back on topic, Harry turned hopefully toward Dumbledore and the sisters.

“You don’t think it was us?” Harry asked with renewed hope.

“Of course not,” Princess Celestia replied.

“We do not think it was you Harry, or your friends,” Luna added, facing Sunset. “Especially you, Miss Shimmer.”

Sunset bowed respectfully to Luna, who returned the bow.

“But I must ask you,” Dumbledore began solemnly toward Harry. “Is there anything you’d like to tell me? Anything at all?”

Harry was about to speak, but found his voice was missing. He turned towards Sunset, then Fluttershy, and the entirety of the group in the room. After a moment’s thought, Harry eventually shook his head.

“No, professors,” Harry replied. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Spike replied, raising an eyebrow.

Both Princess Luna and Dumbledore looked at Harry and his friends, as though they were studying them like specimens. But after a while, Dumbledore decided to let it slide.

“Very well then,” Dumbledore acknowledged. “Off you go.”

Upon being dismissed, Harry andhis friends followed Fluttershy and Sonata on the way out to meet with Hagrid. Sunset was the last to leave the room. But it was then she heard Princess Luna’s voice echoing in her head.

“Don’t make it personal…”

Sunset stopped in her tracks turning around to see Princess Luna watching her from a distance. Sunset couldn’t deny that she was visibly startled. But ultimately she brushed it off and followed her students out, while looking weary over what Luna meant.

“… Princess Celestia,” Spike spoke up. “Princess Luna, Professor Dumbledore… I know you. You know something, don’t you?”

“Only the sense of a dark presence,” Princess Luna said solemnly. “It’s regaining its strength, even as we speak.”

“Something else concerns me,” Dumbledore admitted. “But it should remain unspoken, for the time being… until then, let us get back to your ailments, young Spike.”

“My… ailments?” Spike asked.

“You’ve been keeping this secret for far too long,” Celestia agreed, as they examined Spike’s face. “It’s time we look at what Malakai Black had done to you…”

Spike knew there was no fooling the princesses, especially not Dumbledore. Reluctantly, Spike wiped off his makeup with his tail, revealing a face covered in dark markings spread all over his face like tree roots.

“How bad is it?” Spike moaned.

“Most dreadful,” Dumbledore shook his head. “I haven’t seen anything this bad since Grindlewald…”

“Couldn’t you just give me one of your phoenix’s tears and just make it go away? Spike asked anxiously.

“Alas… there are some things even Phoenix tears can’t heal…” Dumbledore shook his head.

“So… I’m doomed? I can’t be cured?! I’ll be stuck like this forever?!?!”

“Spike… we never said there was no cure,” Luna replied. “Still… this requires an expert’s opinion.”

“Who could possibly have any expertise on this?” Spike asked.

Dumbledore, Celestia, and Luna looked amongst each other with curious faces. But feeling that the time was just right, they all turned back toward Spike.

“Your mother,” Celestia concluded.

“… What?” Spike asked slowly